H8208 H8208
Shaphir; place name in the Philistine plain mentioned in Micah's lament over Judean cities
Shaphir is a town name appearing in Micah 1:11 within a series of wordplays on city names in a lament over Judah. The prophet addresses the 'inhabitant of Shaphir' in prophecies of coming judgment. The name may mean 'beautiful' or 'pleasant,' creating ironic contrast with the shame and exile predicted. Its exact location is uncertain, though it was apparently in the Shephelah near other towns Micah mentions. Some identify it with Shamir (Joshua 15:48), though this remains speculative.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A town in the Philistine plain or Shephelah mentioned in Micah 1:11. English and French render 'Shaphir/Saphir,' Spanish 'Safir,' while German retains the bracketed Hebrew. The Septuagint translates καλῶς (kalos), meaning 'beautiful/well'—apparently taking the name as a common adjective rather than a proper noun. Micah addresses 'inhabitant of Shaphir' in a passage using multiple wordplays on city names to reinforce the message of judgment. If the name indeed means 'beautiful,' the irony is sharp: the lovely town will experience shameful nakedness and exile. The town appears only here, making precise identification impossible, though it belonged to the circle of Judean settlements facing Assyrian invasion. 1×
AR["شَافِيرَ"]·ben["শাফীরের"]·DE["[שפיר]"]·EN["Shaphir"]·FR["Saphir"]·heb["שפיר"]·HI["शापीर-की"]·ID["Safir"]·IT["[שפיר]"]·jav["Safir"]·KO["사빌"]·PT["Shafir"]·RU["Шафира"]·ES["Safir"]·SW["Shafiri"]·TR["Şafir'in"]·urd["شافیر"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† שָׁפִיר n.pr.loc. in Philist. plain, Mi 1:11 (= שָׁמִיר Jos 15:48?); 𝔊 καλῶς (!).