Lexical Summary saphad: To mourn, to lament Original Word: סָפַד Strong's Exhaustive Concordance lament, mourner, wail A primitive root; properly, to tear the hair and beat the breasts (as Orientals do in grief); generally to lament; by implication, to wail -- lament, mourn(-er), wail. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to wail, lament NASB Translation beat (1), lament (9), lamented (5), mourn (8), mourned (6), mourners (1), mourns (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [סָפַד] verb wail, lament (Late Hebrew id.; ᵑ7 סְפַד, ChrPalAramaic  id., SchwIdioticon 64; Assyrian [sapâdu]], sipdu, sipittu, mourning, DlHWB 507; compare Amharic  dirge PräZMG xxxv (1881), 762); — Qal Perfect3feminine singular וְסָֽפְדָה consecutive Zechariah 12:12, 3plural וְסָֽפְדוּ consecutive 1 Kings 14:13; Zechariah 12:10; Imperfect3feminine singular וַתִּסְמֹּד 2 Samuel 11:26, 2masculine singular תִּסְמֹּד Ezekiel 24:16, 1singular cohortative אֶסְמְּדָה Micah 1:8, 3masculine plural יִסְמְּדוּ Jeremiah 6:16 +, etc.; Imperative masculine plural סִפְדוּ 2 Samuel 3:31 2t.; feminine plural סְפֹ֫דְנָה Jeremiah 49:3; Infinitive absolute סָפוֺד Zechariah 7:5; construct סְפוֺד Ecclesiastes 3:4, לִסְמֹּד Genesis 23:2; 1 Kings 13:29, לִסְמּוֺד Jeremiah 16:5; Participle active plural סֹפְדִים Isaiah 32:12, ׳סוֺ Ecclesiastes 12:5; — wail, lament (with loud cries, etc., see Micah 1:8, and compare DrAmos 5:16), especially for dead, with לְ, 1 Samuel 25:1; 1 Samuel 28:3; 1 Kings 14:13,18; Genesis 23:2 (P) Jeremiah 16:6; Jeremiah 22:18 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 34:5, compare וְאַלתֵּֿלֵךְ לִסְמּוֺד וְאַלתָּֿנֹד לָהֶם Jeremiah 16:5; with עַלֿ over 2 Samuel 1:12; 2 Samuel 11:26; 1 Kings 13:30, compare Zechariah 12:10 (see Zechariah 12:12 below); with לִפְנֵי i.e. marching before (bier) 2 Samuel 3:31 (see Dr); with accusative of congnate meaning with verb Genesis 50:10 (J); absolute 1 Kings 13:29; Ezekiel 24:16 compare Ezekiel 24:23; Ecclesiastes 3:4 (opposed to רקד; compare Psalm 30:12), and participle as substantive Ecclesiastes 12:5 wailers; also, with idea of guilt on part of those wailing, Zechariah 12:12 (compare Zechariah 12:10 above); over calamity, judgment, with עַלֿ Micah 1:8, absolute Jeremiah 4:8 (both + הֵילִיל), Jeremiah 49:3 and (with fasting) Zechariah 7:5; Joel 1:13. — ׳עַלשָֿׁדַיִם סֹפְדִים עַלשְֿׂדֵיחֶֿמֶד וגו Isaiah 32:12 is dubious; Thes Ew De Che and others upon the breasts smiting (?) for the fields, etc., but read probably שָׂדִים (וֺֿת, יִַ֯ם) GesComm. (q. v.) BuhlLex 13 Skinner and others: over the fields wailing, over the delightful fields, etc. Niph`al Imperfect3masculine plural לֹא יִסָּֽפְדוּ Jeremiah 16:4 they shall not be bewailed, so Jeremiah 25:33. שְׂפֹדְנָה Jeremiah 49:3 Masora, < modern editions ׳ס see ספד. שׂפה (√ of following; compare Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Assyrian šaptu, lip, edge; so Syriac Topical Lexicon Overview of Biblical Usage סָפַד appears about thirty-two times, always denoting the act of mourning or lamentation. It is employed of individuals grieving a personal loss, of communities lamenting national tragedy, and of prophets summoning the people to repent in sorrow before the Lord. Personal and Familial Mourning 1. Genesis 23:2 records Abraham’s response to Sarah’s death: “Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.” Here סָפַד introduces the formal, vocal lament that followed the initial shock of bereavement. Public, State, and Royal Mourning When a national leader died, formal ceremonies expressed communal loss: Such passages reveal the place of lament within covenant life: grief was not privatized but woven into national identity before God. Professional Mourners and Cultural Custom Ecclesiastes 12:5 pictures mourners circulating the streets at funerals, indicating a recognized vocation. Amos 5:16 speaks of “farmers to mourning and those skilled in wailing to lamentation,” showing that Israel, like surrounding cultures, employed trained lamenters. Scripture neither commends nor condemns the occupation; it simply acknowledges it as a societal norm harnessed for expressing collective sorrow. Prophetic Calls to Repentant Mourning Prophets use סָפַד to urge heartfelt contrition, not mere ritual display. Liturgical and Eschatological Dimensions Joel 1:13-15 links priestly lament with fasting, calling the temple servants to lead corporate repentance so that the “day of the Lord” might be tempered by mercy. Revelation echoes this motif when “all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him” (Revelation 1:7), showing the ultimate fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy. Thus סָפַד bridges Old Testament ritual sorrow and New Testament anticipation of Christ’s return. Spiritual Theology of Mourning 1. Mourning validates the reality of death and evil in a fallen world while directing sorrow toward God, the only true Comforter. Practical Ministry Applications • Pastoral care should not rush the bereaved past lament. Scripture permits and even encourages voiced grief. Key References for Further Study Genesis 23:2; Genesis 50:10-11; Numbers 20:29; 1 Samuel 25:1; 2 Samuel 1:12; 2 Samuel 3:31-32; 2 Samuel 13:31; 2 Samuel 14:2; 1 Kings 13:30; 1 Kings 14:13; 1 Kings 14:18; 1 Kings 16:6; 2 Chronicles 35:25; Esther 4:3; Ecclesiastes 12:5; Isaiah 16:7; Isaiah 32:12; Jeremiah 4:8; Jeremiah 6:26; Jeremiah 31:15; Micah 1:8; Amos 5:16; Zechariah 12:10. Forms and Transliterations אֶסְפְּדָ֣ה אספדה הַסֹּפְדִֽים׃ הספדים׃ וְסִפְד֖וּ וְסִפְד֜וּ וְסָֽפְדוּ־ וְסָפ֜וֹד וְסָפְד֣וּ וְסָפְדָ֣ה וַֽיִּסְפְּדוּ֙ וַיִּ֨סְפְּדוּ־ וַיִּסְפְּד֥וּ וַיִּסְפְּדוּ־ וַתִּסְפֹּ֖ד ויספדו ויספדו־ וספדה וספדו וספדו־ וספוד ותספד יִסְפְּד֣וּ יִסְפְּדוּ־ יִסָּֽפְדוּ֙ יִסָּפְד֗וּ יספדו יספדו־ כְּמִסְפֵּד֙ כמספד לִסְפֹּ֖ד לִסְפֹּ֥ד לִסְפּ֔וֹד לספד לספוד מִסְפַּד֙ מספד סְפ֖וֹד סְפֹ֕דְנָה סִפְד֣וּ סֹֽפְדִ֑ים ספדו ספדים ספדנה ספוד תִסְפְּד֖וּ תִסְפֹּד֙ תספד תספדו ’es·pə·ḏāh ’espəḏāh espeDah has·sō·p̄ə·ḏîm hassofeDim hassōp̄əḏîm kə·mis·pêḏ kemisPed kəmispêḏ lis·pō·wḏ lis·pōḏ lisPod lispōḏ lispōwḏ mis·paḏ misPad mispaḏ sə·p̄ō·ḏə·nāh sə·p̄ō·wḏ seFod seFodenah səp̄ōḏənāh səp̄ōwḏ sifDu sip̄·ḏū sip̄ḏū sō·p̄ə·ḏîm sofeDim sōp̄əḏîm ṯis·pə·ḏū ṯis·pōḏ tispeDu ṯispəḏū tisPod ṯispōḏ vaiYispedu vattisPod vesafeDah vesafedu vesaFod vesifDu wat·tis·pōḏ wattispōḏ way·yis·pə·ḏū way·yis·pə·ḏū- wayyispəḏū wayyispəḏū- wə·sā·p̄ə·ḏāh wə·sā·p̄ə·ḏū wə·sā·p̄ə·ḏū- wə·sā·p̄ō·wḏ wə·sip̄·ḏū wəsāp̄əḏāh wəsāp̄əḏū wəsāp̄əḏū- wəsāp̄ōwḏ wəsip̄ḏū yis·pə·ḏū yis·pə·ḏū- yis·sā·p̄ə·ḏū yispeDu yispəḏū yispəḏū- yissafeDu yissāp̄əḏūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 23:2 HEB: וַיָּבֹא֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם לִסְפֹּ֥ד לְשָׂרָ֖ה וְלִבְכֹּתָֽהּ׃ NAS: went in to mourn for Sarah KJV: came to mourn for Sarah, INT: went and Abraham to mourn Sarah weep Genesis 50:10 1 Samuel 25:1 1 Samuel 28:3 2 Samuel 1:12 2 Samuel 3:31 2 Samuel 11:26 1 Kings 13:29 1 Kings 13:30 1 Kings 14:13 1 Kings 14:18 Ecclesiastes 3:4 Ecclesiastes 12:5 Isaiah 32:12 Jeremiah 4:8 Jeremiah 16:4 Jeremiah 16:5 Jeremiah 16:6 Jeremiah 22:18 Jeremiah 22:18 Jeremiah 25:33 Jeremiah 34:5 Jeremiah 49:3 Ezekiel 24:16 Ezekiel 24:23 32 Occurrences |
    |
; Arabic 
lip, 
edge).