שָׂפָה176 H8193
Lip(s), speech; the edge or rim of an object; the shore or bank of water; also language or tongue.
Safah is one of Hebrew's most elegant body-part metaphors, radiating outward from the physical lip to encompass speech, the edge of any surface, the shore of any water, and even human language itself. As the organ of speech, it appears over 120 times — guarding lips, lying lips, flattering lips, burning lips touched by a coal (Isa 6:7). But the same word names the brim of Solomon's great molten sea (1 Kgs 7:23), the edge of the tabernacle curtains (Exod 26:4), and the shore of the sea where Abraham's descendants will be as numerous as sand (Gen 22:17). Most strikingly, safah means 'language' in the Babel narrative — 'the whole earth had one lip' (Gen 11:1). Arabic preserves this range beautifully: shafah for the body part, hafah for edges, shati' for shores, and lughah for language — four words where Hebrew uses one.
Senses
1. lip, lips (body part) — The physical lip or lips as the organ of speech — the dominant sense at 123 occurrences, spanning all major genres. Lips speak (Ps 34:13), lie (Ps 12:2-3), flatter (Prov 7:21), guard wisdom (Prov 5:2), tremble in prayer (1 Sam 1:13), and are touched by a burning coal in Isaiah's commissioning (Isa 6:5-7). Moses protests he is 'uncircumcised of lips' (Exod 6:12, 30) — a striking idiom for speech impediment. Arabic shafah (شَفَة) and Korean 입술 track this body-part sense exactly. The dual form sefatayim dominates, reflecting the natural pairing of upper and lower lips. 123×
AR["-الشَّفَتَيْنِ","الشَّفَتَينِ","الشَّفَتَيْنِ","شَفَتا-","شَفَتَا","شَفَتَا-","شَفَتَيْ-","شَفَتَيْنِ"]·ben["ওষ্ঠের","ঠোঁট","ঠোঁট-","ঠোঁটের"]·DE["Lippe","Lippen","Lippen-von","lips"]·EN["are-lips-of","has-lips-of","lips","lips-of","of-lips","the-lips","the-lips-of"]·FR["lips","lèvre","lèvres"]·heb["שפתי","שפתי־","שפתיים"]·HI["होंठ","होंठों-का","होंठों-का-हूँ","होंठों-की","होंठों-के","होंठों-से","होंठोंका"]·ID["Bibir","bibir","bibir-"]·IT["labbra","labbro","lips"]·jav["lambe","lambe-saking","lambung","lathi","lathinipun"]·KO["입술-들-은","입술-들-을","입술-들-의","입술-들-이","입술-들-이다","입술-의","입술들-의","입술들의","입술의"]·PT["Lábios-de","de-lábios","lábios","lábios-de"]·RU["губ","губами","губы","губы-","уст","устами"]·ES["de-labios","labios","labios-de"]·SW["ana-midomo-ya","la-midomo","midomo","midomo-ya","ni-midomo-ya","wa-midomo","ya-midomo"]·TR["dudaklarin","dudakları","dudakları-","dudakların","dudaklarında","dudaklarını-","dudaklarının","dudakli"]·urd["ہونٹ","ہونٹوں","ہونٹوں-سے","ہونٹوں-والا","ہونٹوں-کا","ہونٹوں-کی","ہونٹوں-کے"]
2. edge, brim, border (of object) — The edge, brim, or border of a manufactured object — 23 occurrences concentrated in the tabernacle construction narratives (Exod 26-28) and the description of Solomon's temple vessels (1 Kgs 7:23-26). The curtains of the tabernacle have a safah (Exod 26:4, 10), the breastplate has a safah (Exod 28:26), and the great molten sea has a safah like a lily blossom (1 Kgs 7:26). Arabic hafah (حَافَة) and Korean 가장자리 ('rim, edge') both select non-anatomical vocabulary, confirming this as a dead metaphor fully lexicalized into its own spatial sense. German Rand and French bord similarly abandon lip-language entirely. 23×
AR["حاشِيَةٌ","حافَةِ","حافَتِها","حَاشِيَةٌ","حَافَتِهِ","شَفَةِ-","شَفَتِهِ","عَلى-حافَةِ","في-حافَةِ","مِنْ-شَفَتِهِ","وَ-شَفَتُهُ"]·ben["আর-তার-ধার","এবং-তার-প্রান্ত","কিনারায়","তার-ধার","তার-ধার-থেকে","তার-প্রান্ত","তার-প্রান্তে","তীরে-","ধার-","প্রান্ত","প্রান্ত-","সেই-প্রান্তে"]·DE["Grenze","Lippe","Rand-von","Rand-von-","auf-Rand-von","brim-von-","lip","sein-Rand","und-Lippe","und-sein-brim"]·EN["and-its-brim","border","brim-of-","edge-of","edge-of-","from-its-brim","its-brim","its-edge","lip","on-edge-of"]·FR["bord-de","bordure","brim-de-","edge-de-","et-lèvre","et-son-brim","lèvre","son-bord","sur-bord-de"]·heb["ב-שפת","ו-שפת-ו","ו-שפתו-ו","מ-שפתו-ו","שפה","שפת","שפתו","שפתו-ו"]·HI["उसकी-किनारी","उसके-किनारे","उसके-किनारे-से","और-उसका-किनारा","और-किनारा-उसका","किनारा","किनारी","किनारे","किनारे-","किनारे-पर","नाला"]·ID["dan-tepinya","dari-tepinya","di-tepi","pada-tepi","tepi","tepi-","tepinya"]·IT["bordo-di","confine","e-labbro","e-suo-orlo","labbro","lip","orlo-di-","su-bordo-di","suo-bordo"]·jav["lan-pinggir","lan-pinggiripun","pinggir","pinggir-","pinggir-ipun","pinggiran","pinggiraning","pinggiring","pinggiripun","saking-pinggiripun","wonten-ing-pinggiring","wonten-pinggir"]·KO["가-의","가장자리","가장자리가","가장자리에","가장자리의","가장자리의-","그-가장자리에","그것-의-가장자리","그것의-가장자리","그리고-그것-의-가장자리","그리고-그것의-가장자리는","에-가장자리","에서-그것-의-가장자리"]·PT["borda","borda-de","borda-de-","borda-dele","de-sua-borda","e-borda-sua","e-sua-borda","margem-de-","na-borda-de","na-borda-de-","sua-borda"]·RU["-берегу-","берегу-","и-край-его","кайма","краю","краю-его","края-","края-его","на-краю","от-края-его"]·ES["borde","borde-de","de-su-borde","en-borde-de","en-orilla-de","orilla-de","su-borde","y-borde-de-él","y-su-borde"]·SW["katika-ukingo","katika-ukingo-wa","kutoka-ukingo-wake","na-ukingo-wake","ukingo","ukingo-wa","ukingo-wake","ya-ukingo"]·TR["kenar","kenarı","kenarına","kenarında","kenarından","kenarının","kenarının-","kıyısının-","ve-kenarı"]·urd["اور-اُس-کا-کنارہ","اور-کنارہ اُس کا","اُس-کے-کنارے","اُس-کے-کنارے-سے","کنارہ","کنارے","کنارے-","کنارے-تک","کنارے-پر","کنارے-کے-اس"]
Exod 26:4, Exod 26:4, Exod 26:10, Exod 26:10, Exod 28:26, Exod 28:32, Exod 36:11, Exod 36:11, Exod 36:17, Exod 36:17, Exod 39:19, Exod 39:23 (+11 more)
3. shore, bank (of water) — The shore or bank of a body of water — 22 occurrences in narrative geography and divine promises. Abraham's seed will be multiplied 'as the sand on the shore of the sea' (Gen 22:17); Pharaoh's cows come up from the Nile 'on the bank' (Gen 41:3); Moses meets Pharaoh 'at the bank of the river' (Exod 7:15). The metaphorical logic is clear — the shore is the 'lip' where water meets land. Arabic shati' (شَاطِئ) and Swahili ufukwe/kando ya both use dedicated shore vocabulary, while Spanish orilla and French bord elegantly bridge 'edge' and 'shore' just as Hebrew does. 22×
AR["شاطِئِ","شاطِئِ-","شَاطِئ","شَاطِئَ","شَاطِئِ","شَفَةِ","عَلَى-ضِفَّةِ"]·ben["-তীরে","-পাশে","তীর","তীর-","তীরে","তীরে-"]·DE["Grenze-von-","Lippe","Rand-von-","Ufer-von","Ufer-von-","bank-von","dem-Ufer","der-shore-von","shore-von"]·EN["bank-of","border-of-","edge-of-","on-bank-of","shore-of","shore-of-","the-shore-of"]·FR["bank-de","bord-de","bord-de-","frontière-de-","le-shore-de","lèvre","shore-de","shore-de-"]·heb["ל-שפת","שְׂפַת","שפת","שפת-"]·HI["किनड़ा","किनारे","किनारे-पर","तट","तट-","तट-पर"]·ID["di-tepi","tepi","tepi-"]·IT["bank-di","confine-di-","filo-di-","il-riva-di","il-shore-di","labbro","riva-di","shore-di","shore-di-"]·jav["ing-pinggir-ipun","pinggir","pinggir-","pinggiring"]·KO["가-바닷","가장자리에","기슭의","두덕","둑의","둥","변두리","에-강두덱에","위에","해변","해변까지","해변에"]·PT["beira-de","beira-de-","margem-de","na-margem-de","orla-de"]·RU["-берегу","берега","берега-","берегу","берегу-","к-берегу","на-берегу"]·ES["en-orilla-de","la-orilla-de","la-ribera-de","orilla-de","orilla-de-"]·SW["kwenye-ukingo","mpaka-wa-","pwani","pwani-ya","ufuo-wa","ukingo","ukingo-wa","ukingo-wa-","ya-bahari"]·TR["kiyisi","kıyısı","kıyısına","kıyısında","kıyısında-","kıyısındadır","kıyısının","kıyısının-","li-kıyısında","üzerinde"]·urd["-کنارے","ساحل","پر-کنارے","کنارے"]
4. language, tongue (Gen 11) — Language, tongue, or system of speech — 8 occurrences, most famously in the Babel narrative where 'the whole earth had one safah and one set of words' (Gen 11:1, 6-7, 9). Also in Isa 28:11 ('with stammering lips and another tongue') and Isa 33:19 ('a people of obscure speech'). The metonymic chain is clear: lip → speech → the whole system of speech. Arabic lughah (لُغَة), Korean 언어, and Swahili lugha all use dedicated 'language' vocabulary here, showing that this metonymic extension has become a full distinct sense rather than a contextual shade of the body-part meaning. 8×
AR["اللِّسَانِ","بِلُغَةِ","لُغَةً","لُغَةَ","لُغَتَهُمْ","وَ-لُغَةٌ"]·ben["আর-ভাষা","তাদের-ভাষা","ভাষা","ভাষার"]·DE["Lippe","die-Sprache","ein-Lippen","eine-Sprache","ihre-Sprache","und-eine-Sprache"]·EN["a-language","and-language","beyond","language","language-of","their-language"]·FR["et-language","language","language-de","leur-language","lèvre"]·heb["ו-שפה","שפה","שפת","שפתם-ם"]·HI["उनकि-भश","और-भश","भश","भाषा","भाषा-के"]·ID["Bahasa","bahasa","bahasa-mereka","bahasanya","dan-bahasa"]·IT["e-language","labbro","language","language-di","loro-language"]·jav["basa","basanipun","lan-basa"]·KO["그들의-언어를","그리고-언어가","말을","언어가","언어를","언어의"]·PT["a-língua-de","e-língua","lábio","língua","língua-de","língua-deles"]·RU["и-язык","на-языке","язык","язык-их","языка"]·ES["labio","lengua-de","lengua-de-ellos","y-labio"]·SW["lugha","lugha-ya","lugha-yao","na-lugha","ya-kusikia"]·TR["dil","dili","dilini","dillerini","dudakli","ve-dil"]·urd["اور-زبان","بول-والی","زبان","زبان-اُن-کی"]
5. sense 5 — Speech or eloquence as a faculty — the single occurrence at Job 12:20 where God 'takes away the speech of the trusted' (safah ne'emanim). Here safah means not 'lip' (the body part) nor 'language' (the system) but the faculty or power of persuasive speech. Spanish el habla de and German welcher Mund both select 'speech/mouth' rather than 'lip' or 'language,' indicating translators perceive a distinct semantic shade. In context, Job is cataloguing God's sovereign reversals: the wise lose their wisdom, the eloquent lose their speech. 1×
AR["الكَلامَ"]·ben["বক্তৃতা"]·DE["welcher-Mund"]·EN["speech"]·FR["lèvre"]·heb["שפה"]·HI["वाणी"]·ID["bibir"]·IT["labbro"]·jav["lathi"]·KO["말-을-"]·PT["fala"]·RU["речь"]·ES["el-habla-de"]·SW["usemi-wa"]·TR["konuşmasını"]·urd["زبان"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
שָׂפָה176 n.f. [m. Ex 28:32, edge, cf. AlbrZAW xvi (1896), 76], lip, speech, edge;—abs. שׂ׳ Gn 11:1 +, cstr. שְׂפַת v 7 +; sf. שְׂפָתוֹ 1 K 7:23 +, etc.; oftener du. שְׂפָתַיִם Is 6:5 +, cstr. שִׂפְתֵי ψ 12:4 +; sf. שְׂפָתַי Je 17:16 +, sf. 3 mpl. שְׂפָתֵימוֹ ψ 59:13; 140:4, 10, etc.; pl. (poet. and late) cstr. שִׂפְתוֹת Ec 10:12, sf. שִׂפְתוֹתֶיךָ etc. ψ 45:3; 59:8 Is 59:3 Ct 4:3, 11; 5:13;— 1.…