Lexical Summary sese: Moth Original Word: סַאסְאָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance measure For c'ah; measurement, i.e. Moderation -- measure. see HEBREW c'ah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to drive away NASB Translation banishing (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [סֵאסֵא] verb Pilpel, whence Infinitive בְּסַאסְאָהּ (ᵑ0 בְּסַאסְּאָה) Isaiah 27:8 = by driving her (it) away (conjecture from "" בְּשַׁלְּחָהּ), according to Hi Ew Di Du CheHpt AmRVm; > = בִּסְאָה סְאָה by the se'ah, the se'ah, i.e. (Ges§ 123c, 133k) by exact measure Vrss (not ᵐ5), Ges De compare AV RV, which is probably Rabbinic conceit. (On formative compare טאטא, and see Ges§ 55f. Sta§§ 112 a Anm. 2; 238.) Topical Lexicon Canonical Location The single occurrence of סַאסְאָה lies in Isaiah 27:8, a unit within the larger “Little Apocalypse” of Isaiah 24–27, where the prophet contrasts the measured discipline of the Lord upon His covenant people with His crushing judgment upon hostile nations. Immediate Context in Isaiah Isaiah 27:7–9 pictures Israel as a vineyard once devastated but now pruned for future fruitfulness. Verse 8 states, “By warfare and exile You contend with her, and He drives her away with His fierce wind, as on the day the east wind blows”. Here סַאסְאָה (“exile/removal”) stands parallel to “warfare,” showing that the Lord’s contention with Israel was carried out through two instruments—military conflict and banishment from the land. Yet the preceding clause “By measure” (Isaiah 27:8a) underscores that the discipline is precisely limited, unlike the unrestrained destruction of Israel’s enemies (Isaiah 27:7). Meaning and Imagery The imagery evokes a farmer using a sharp east wind to winnow chaff. Exile became the divine “wind” that separated Israel from idolatry, an act both painful and purifying. The idea is not annihilation but chastening, as further clarified in Isaiah 27:9: “Therefore Jacob’s guilt will be atoned for, and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin”. Historical Setting The prophecy anticipated the Assyrian and, later, Babylonian deportations. Northern Israel fell to Assyria in 722 BC; Judah experienced successive Babylonian deportations beginning in 605 BC and culminating in 586 BC. These events fulfilled the exile motif but also prepared the people for eventual restoration under Cyrus (Ezra 1:1–4). Theological Themes 1. Measured Discipline: The Lord’s chastisement is proportionate, never capricious (Psalm 103:9–10; Hebrews 12:6). Prophetic and Eschatological Dimensions סַאסְאָה reaches beyond the sixth-century return. The language of measured exile and promised reunion resonates with later prophets (Jeremiah 30:10–11; Ezekiel 36:24) and with Paul’s assurance that “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26). The term therefore stands as a cipher for God’s disciplinary yet redemptive dealings with His elect people across history. Ministerial Application • Pastoral Care: Believers enduring discipline may see their hardships as “measured exile,” designed for restoration, not rejection (1 Peter 1:6–7). Connections to the New Testament Jesus embodies the exile-return pattern: He was “led outside the city” (Hebrews 13:12) and then vindicated in resurrection, securing a future when “He will gather His elect from the four winds” (Matthew 24:31). The believer’s pilgrimage is likewise a sojourn (1 Peter 2:11) awaiting full homecoming (Revelation 21:3). Prayer and Worship Reflection “Lord who measures chastisement in mercy, thank You that in every exile You aim at restoration. Teach us to submit to Your refining wind and to await the trumpet of final gathering, through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.” Forms and Transliterations בְּסַאסְּאָ֖ה בסאסאה bə·sas·sə·’āh bəsassə’āh besasseAhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 27:8 HEB: בְּסַאסְּאָ֖ה בְּשַׁלְחָ֣הּ תְּרִיבֶ֑נָּה NAS: You contended with them by banishing them, by driving them away. KJV: In measure, when it shooteth forth, INT: banishing driving contended 1 Occurrence |
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