Lexical Summary sarappah: Burning, fiery Original Word: סַרְעַפָּה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bough For c'appah; a twig -- bough. see HEBREW c'appah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as saiph Definition a bough NASB Translation boughs (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs סַרְעַמָּה noun feminine bough (with infixed ר; compare Ges§ 85w, as transition-consonant Köii. 1, 472; compare Biblical Aramaic, Kau§ 62 F. SelleDe Aramaismis Lib. Ezech. 17); **compare Syriac  branches, Ezekiel 31:5 and elsewhere (PS3956), from √  propagavit, germinavit. — plural suffix סַרְעַמֹּתָיו Ezekiel 31:5 (of Pharaoh under figure of tree, compare Co Berthol Toy). Topical Lexicon Visual Nuance of the WordStrong’s Hebrew 5634 evokes the picture of thick, far–reaching boughs—outer limbs that extend beyond the tree’s trunk to form a canopy. The word therefore conveys both strength (weight-bearing wood) and influence (a spread that covers space and creatures beneath). Only Biblical Occurrence: Ezekiel 31:5 “Therefore its height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and its boughs were multiplied, and its branches grew long because of the abundance of water as it spread them out” (Ezekiel 31:5). Here the “boughs” describe Assyria symbolized as a towering cedar. The image celebrates greatness yet simultaneously foreshadows downfall; what flourished by God’s water would later be felled for its pride (Ezekiel 31:10–14). Historical Setting Spoken in the eleventh year of King Zedekiah (Ezekiel 31:1), the oracle warns Egypt by recalling Assyria’s demise a few decades earlier. The luxuriant boughs remind contemporary hearers that no empire, however wide its reach, stands secure when it exalts itself above the Lord. Symbolic Themes 1. Provision and Refuge “All the birds of the air nested in its boughs” (Ezekiel 31:6). The limbs function as shelter, an echo of similar imagery in Daniel 4:12 and Matthew 13:32. Influence granted by God is meant to bless others. 2. Growth Nourished by Divine Supply The “abundance of water” stresses that prosperity is sourced in God’s gracious provision (Psalm 104:16; Jeremiah 17:8). Severing that supply ends flourishing. 3. Pride and Judgment When the boughs are multiplied, their very multitude becomes a stage for judgment if self-exaltation replaces gratitude (Proverbs 16:18). Intertextual Echoes While 5634 itself appears only once, other Hebrew terms for “bough” deepen the motif: • Genesis 49:22 – Joseph is “a fruitful bough” (Ben-porath), portraying spiritual vitality. These references set a canonical pattern: self-made branches are cut down; God-planted branches endure. Christological Trajectory The proud cedar of Assyria contrasts with Jesus Christ, the “Righteous Branch” (Jeremiah 23:5), who grows not through arrogance but obedience (Philippians 2:6-11). Where Assyria’s boughs collapse, Christ’s kingdom offers eternal shelter (Mark 4:32). Ministry Application • Leadership Influence – Pastors and elders serve as branches under Christ, meant to extend shade, not overshadow God. Devotional Reflection Ask: Are the “boughs” of my life spreading for my glory or God’s? Re-align ambitions so that all reach, impact and shelter point to the Giver of growth. Forms and Transliterations סַֽרְעַפֹּתָ֜יו סרעפתיו sar‘appōṯāw sar·‘ap·pō·ṯāw sarappoTavLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezekiel 31:5 HEB: הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה וַתִּרְבֶּ֨ינָה סַֽרְעַפֹּתָ֜יו וַתֶּאֱרַ֧כְנָה [פֹארֹתֹו NAS: of the field And its boughs became many KJV: of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, INT: of the field became boughs long bough 1 Occurrence |
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