---
title: שֵׂיבָה — hoary head · The Tanakh dictionary
description: שֵׂיבָה (7872), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 19 times: hoary head. BDB 1906: n.f. hoary head, old age. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# שֵׂיבָה

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«שֵׂיבָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **hoary head** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 19 times · **Key:** 7872 · **BDB:** שֵׂיבָה

### Glosses

old.age (5); gray.hair (4); hair (4)

### Meaning (OSHB)

hoary head [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/7872/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. hoary head, old age [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/7872/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. hoary head, old age;—abs. שׂ׳ Ho 7:9 +; cstr. שֵׂיבַת Gn 44:31; sf. שֵׂיבָתִי 42:38; 44:29, etc.;— grey hair, hoary head Ho 7:9 (fig.), Gn 42:38; 44:29, 31 (all J), 1 K 2:6, 9; Pr 16:31; 20:29; אִישׁ שׂ׳ Dt 32:25 (opp. יוֹנֵק); ‖ זָקֵן Lv 19:32 (H), ‖ זִקְנָה Is 46:4, + id., ψ 71:18 (in these transition to foll.); fig. of sea Jb 41:24. old age, שׂ׳ טוֹבָה Gn 15:15 (JE), 25:8 (P), Ju 8:32; 1 Ch 29:28; שׂ׳ also ψ 92:15 (trees, in fig. of righteous), Ru 4:15, + 2 S 19:34 (𝔊 Ew Th Bu Kit, cf. We Dr HPS, אֶת־שֵׂיבָֽתְךָ, for אֹתְךָ).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 19 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (9 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (7 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «שֵׂיבָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/7872/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Proverbs 16:31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.16.31/)

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עֲטֶ֣רֶת תִּפְאֶ֣רֶת שֵׂיבָ֑ה בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ צְ֝דָקָ֗ה תִּמָּצֵֽא׃

*Word for word:* \[is\].a.crown of.splendor gray.hair in.\[the\] way of.righteousness it.is.found

*JPS 1917:* The hoary head is a crown of glory, it is found in the way of righteousness.

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[Job 41:24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.41.24/)

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אַ֭חֲרָיו יָאִ֣יר נָתִ֑יב יַחְשֹׁ֖ב תְּה֣וֹם לְשֵׂיבָֽה׃

*Word for word:* behind it it.makes.shine a.path anyone.considers the.deep to grey.hair

*JPS 1917:* He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.

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