H8198 H8198
shiphchah -- maidservant, female slave; also a humble self-designation by a woman addressing a superior
The feminine noun shiphchah refers to a maidservant or female slave within a household, synonymous with amah (H0519) though with subtle social nuances. It first appears in Gen 12:16 among Pharaoh's gifts to Abram and features prominently in the matriarchal narratives: Hagar is Sarah's shiphchah (Gen 16:1), Bilhah and Zilpah are the shiphchoth who bear children on behalf of Rachel and Leah (Gen 30:4-12). Beyond denoting actual servitude, the word functions as a conventional expression of humility when a woman addresses a social superior, as Hannah does before Eli (1 Sam 1:16) and Abigail before David (1 Sam 25:24-28). Spanish sierva, French servante, and German Magd capture both dimensions.
Senses
1. maidservant, female slave — A female servant or slave-girl belonging to a household, used of actual bondwomen like Hagar (Gen 16:1), Bilhah, and Zilpah (Gen 29:24, 29), as well as a conventional self-humbling term by women addressing superiors -- as when Hannah speaks to Eli (1 Sam 1:16) or Abigail to David (1 Sam 25:24-28). Spanish sierva, French servante, and German Magd consistently render the word, with possessive suffixes (-her, -his, -your) reflecting the relational nature of servanthood. All 63 occurrences share a single semantic core of female domestic service or deferential self-reference. 63×
AR["أَمَتُكَ", "جاريَتُكَ", "جاريَتِكَ", "جارِيَةِ", "جارِيَتُكَ-", "جارِيَتِكَ", "جارِيَتِكَ-", "جَارِيَةُ", "جَارِيَتَهَا", "جَارِيَتَهُ", "جَارِيَتُكِ"]·ben["তাঁর-দাসী", "তোমার-দাসী", "তোমার-দাসীর", "দাসী", "দাসী-তোমার"]·DE["Magd", "dein-Magd", "deine-Magd", "der-Magd", "die-Magd", "ihre-Magd", "seine-Magd"]·EN["maidservant-her", "maidservant-his", "maidservant-of", "the-maidservant-of", "your-maidservant"]·FR["le-servante-de", "servante-de", "servante-sa", "servante-son", "ton-servante"]·heb["שפחה", "שפחה-ה", "שפחה-ו", "שפחה-ך", "שפחת-ך", "שפחתך"]·HI["अपनी-दासी", "उस-की-दासी", "तेरि-दअसि-कि", "तेरि-दअसि-ने", "तेरि-दसि", "तेरी-दासी", "तेरी-दासी-के", "तेरी-दासी-ने", "तेरी-दासीने", "दसि", "दासी", "दासी-तेरी"]·ID["budak perempuan", "budak perempuannya", "budak-perempuan", "budak-perempuanmu", "hamba-perempuan", "hambamu", "hambamu-perempuan"]·IT["il-serva-di", "serva-di", "serva-suo", "tuo-serva"]·jav["abdi-estri-panjenengan", "abdi-panjenengan", "abdi-èstri", "abdi-èstri-panjenengan", "abdi-èstrinipun", "batur-èstri", "batur-èstri-panjenengan", "réwang", "réwangipun"]·KO["그녀의-여종", "그의-여종", "너의-여종의", "너의-여종이", "네-여종이", "당신-의-여종", "당신의-여종이", "당신의-종에게", "당신의-종의", "당신의-종이", "여종", "여종-인", "여종의"]·PT["serva-de", "serva-dela", "serva-sua", "serva-tua"]·RU["-служанку-твою", "рабыня-твоя", "служанка", "служанка-твоя", "служанки", "служанки-твоей", "служанку-свою"]·ES["sierva-de", "sierva-suya", "sierva-tuya", "tu-sierva"]·SW["kijakazi-wa", "kijakazi-wako", "mjakazi-wa", "mjakazi-wake", "mjakazi-wako", "mtumishi-wake", "mtumishi-wako", "muumba"]·TR["Sara'nın", "cariye-senin", "cariyen", "cariyenin", "cariyesi", "cariyesini"]·urd["تیری-لونڈی", "تیری-لونڈی-نے", "تیری-لونڈی-کے", "خادمہ-تیری", "خادمہ-تیری-کی", "لونڈی", "لونڈی-اپنی"]
Related Senses
G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)H0113 1. lord, human superior (249×)G1849 1. authority, power (91×)H6485a 2. Qal: punish, bring judgment (63×)G2962 2. master, lord (human authority) (61×)H0034 1. needy, poor, destitute (61×)H0519 1. female servant, maidservant (56×)H6041 1. poor, needy person (55×)H0113 2. master, owner of servants (49×)H4910 1. Qal: to have dominion, exercise power over (44×)H1800 1. poor, needy (socioeconomic) (38×)H3515 1. heavy, severe, grievous (36×)G4434 1. (34×)G5092 1. honor, esteem, respect (33×)H6485a 4. Qal: visit, attend to, care for (32×)H3513 1. honor / show respect (Piel) (30×)H4910 2. Qal: to rule, govern (administrative authority) (27×)H4513 1. withhold, restrain, hold back (25×)G1658 1. free (23×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† שִׁפְחָה n.f. maid, maid-servant (syn. אָמָה, q.v.; orig. = concubine? cf. √);—abs. שׁ׳ Gn 16:1 +; cstr. שִׁפְחַת v 2 +; sf. שִׁפְחָתִי v 2 +, שִׁפְחָתֶ֑ךָ Ru 2:13, etc.; pl. abs. שְׁפָחוֹת 12:16 +; etc.;— 1. lit., maid, maid-servant, as belonging to a mistress Gn 16:1, 3, 6, 8 (PJ) 29:24, 29 (P) ψ 123:2, Pr 30:23; Is 24:2; even where concubine of master (cf. אָמָה) Gn 16:2, 5 (PJ) 25:12;…