8219. shephelah

Strong's Lexicon

shephelah: Lowland, foothills

Original Word: שְׁפֵלָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: shphelah
Pronunciation: sheh-fay-LAH
Phonetic Spelling: (shef-ay-law')
Definition: Lowland, foothills
Meaning: Lowland

Word Origin: Derived from the root שָׁפַל (shaphal), meaning "to be low" or "to humble."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There is no direct Greek equivalent for "shephelah" in the Strong's Greek Dictionary, as it is a specific geographical term unique to the Hebrew context.

Usage: The term "shephelah" refers to the lowland or foothill region in ancient Israel, particularly the area between the central highlands and the coastal plain. It is often used to describe a geographical area characterized by rolling hills and fertile valleys. In the Bible, the Shephelah is noted for its agricultural productivity and strategic military significance.

Cultural and Historical Background: The Shephelah served as a buffer zone between the Philistine cities on the coastal plain and the Israelite territories in the highlands. Its fertile land made it an important agricultural area, producing grains, olives, and grapes. The region was also a site of frequent military conflicts, as it was a natural corridor for armies moving between the coast and the interior. The Shephelah's strategic importance is highlighted in various biblical narratives, including battles involving the Philistines and Israelites.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from shaphel
Definition
lowland
NASB Translation
foothills (1), lowland (17), Shephelah (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

שְׁפֵלָה noun feminine lowland; — always absolute ׳שׁ with article, except suffix שְׁפֵלָתֹה Joshua 11:16; — lowland:

1 usually technical term of strip west of Judaean mountains (on exact limits see GASm^{Geogr. 201 ff.; Expos. Dec. 1896, 404 f.} Buhl^{Geogr. 104} Dr^{Hast. DB iii. 892 f.}): almost always distinguished from הָהָר and הַנֶּגֶב, sometimes from הָעֲרָבָה, in Deuteronomy 1:7; Joshua 9:1 (R^D), also from חוֺף הַיָּם, compare Joshua 10:40; Joshua 12:8 (both R^D), Judges 1:9 (perhaps R^D, compare Bu GFM), Joshua 15:33 (P), Jeremiah 17:26; Jeremiah 32:44; Jeremiah 33:13; Obadiah 19; Zechariah 7:7; 2Chronicles 26:10 (distinguished from הַמִּישׁוֺר, table-land east of Jordan); region of sycomores 1 Kings 10:27 2Chronicles 1:15; 9:27; 1 Chronicles 27:28.

2 of lowland (near coast) north of Carmel Joshua 11:2; west of mountains of Ephraim Joshua 11:16 (both R^D).

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

low country, low plain, vale

From shaphel; Lowland, i.e. (with the article) the maritime slope of Palestine -- low country, (low) plain, vale(-ley).

see HEBREW shaphel

Forms and Transliterations

בַּשְּׁפֵלָ֑ה בַּשְּׁפֵלָ֔ה בַּשְּׁפֵלָ֖ה בשפלה הַשְּׁפֵלָ֖ה הַשְּׁפֵלָ֣ה הַשְּׁפֵלָ֤ה הַשְּׁפֵלָה֙ השפלה וְהַשְּׁפֵלָ֖ה וְהַשְּׁפֵלָ֜ה וְהַשְּׁפֵלָֽה׃ וְהַשְּׁפֵלָה֙ וּבַשְּׁפֵלָ֑ה וּבַשְּׁפֵלָ֖ה וּבַשְּׁפֵלָ֗ה וּבַשְּׁפֵלָ֥ה וּשְׁפֵלָתֹֽה׃ ובשפלה והשפלה והשפלה׃ ושפלתה׃ baš·šə·p̄ê·lāh bashshefeLah baššəp̄êlāh haš·šə·p̄ê·lāh hashshefeLah haššəp̄êlāh ū·ḇaš·šə·p̄ê·lāh ū·šə·p̄ê·lā·ṯōh ūḇaššəp̄êlāh ūšəp̄êlāṯōh ushefelaToh uvashshefeLah vehashshefeLah wə·haš·šə·p̄ê·lāh wəhaššəp̄êlāh

Englishman's Concordance

Deuteronomy 1:7
HEB: בָּעֲרָבָ֥ה בָהָ֛ר וּבַשְּׁפֵלָ֥ה וּבַנֶּ֖גֶב וּבְח֣וֹף
NAS: in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negev
KJV: in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south,
INT: the Arabah country the lowland the Negev side

Joshua 9:1
HEB: הַיַּרְדֵּ֜ן בָּהָ֣ר וּבַשְּׁפֵלָ֗ה וּבְכֹל֙ ח֚וֹף
NAS: in the hill country and in the lowland and on all
KJV: in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts
INT: the Jordan the hill the lowland all the coast

Joshua 10:40
HEB: הָהָר֩ וְהַנֶּ֨גֶב וְהַשְּׁפֵלָ֜ה וְהָאֲשֵׁד֗וֹת וְאֵת֙
NAS: and the Negev and the lowland and the slopes
KJV: and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs,
INT: the hill and the Negev and the lowland and the slopes and all

Joshua 11:2
HEB: נֶ֥גֶב כִּֽנֲר֖וֹת וּבַשְּׁפֵלָ֑ה וּבְנָפ֥וֹת דּ֖וֹר
NAS: of Chinneroth and in the lowland and on the heights
KJV: of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders
INT: south of Chinneroth the lowland the heights of Dor

Joshua 11:16
HEB: הַגֹּ֔שֶׁן וְאֶת־ הַשְּׁפֵלָ֖ה וְאֶת־ הָעֲרָבָ֑ה
NAS: of Goshen, the lowland, the Arabah,
KJV: of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain,
INT: land of Goshen the lowland the Arabah country

Joshua 11:16
HEB: הַ֥ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וּשְׁפֵלָתֹֽה׃
NAS: of Israel and its lowland
KJV: of Israel, and the valley of the same;
INT: country of Israel lowland

Joshua 12:8
HEB: בָּהָ֣ר וּבַשְּׁפֵלָ֗ה וּבָֽעֲרָבָה֙ וּבָ֣אֲשֵׁד֔וֹת
NAS: in the hill country, in the lowland, in the Arabah,
KJV: In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains,
INT: the hill the lowland the Arabah the slopes

Joshua 15:33
HEB: בַּשְּׁפֵלָ֑ה אֶשְׁתָּא֥וֹל וְצָרְעָ֖ה
NAS: In the lowland: Eshtaol and Zorah
KJV: [And] in the valley, Eshtaol,
INT: the lowland Eshtaol and Zorah

Judges 1:9
HEB: הָהָ֔ר וְהַנֶּ֖גֶב וְהַשְּׁפֵלָֽה׃
NAS: and in the Negev and in the lowland.
KJV: and in the south, and in the valley.
INT: the hill the Negev the lowland

1 Kings 10:27
HEB: כַּשִּׁקְמִ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־ בַּשְּׁפֵלָ֖ה לָרֹֽב׃
NAS: as sycamore trees that are in the lowland.
KJV: he [to be] as the sycomore trees that [are] in the vale, for abundance.
INT: sycamore that lowland plentiful

1 Chronicles 27:28
HEB: וְהַשִּׁקְמִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּשְּׁפֵלָ֔ה בַּ֥עַל חָנָ֖ן
NAS: and sycamore trees in the Shephelah; and Joash
KJV: and the sycomore trees that [were] in the low plains [was] Baalhanan
INT: and sycamore it Shephelah Baal-hanan the Gederite

2 Chronicles 1:15
HEB: כַּשִּׁקְמִ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־ בַּשְּׁפֵלָ֖ה לָרֹֽב׃
NAS: as sycamores in the lowland.
KJV: he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the vale for abundance.
INT: sycamores it lowland plentiful

2 Chronicles 9:27
HEB: כַּשִּׁקְמִ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־ בַּשְּׁפֵלָ֖ה לָרֹֽב׃
NAS: as sycamore trees that are in the lowland.
KJV: he as the sycomore trees that [are] in the low plains in abundance.
INT: sycamore that lowland plentiful

2 Chronicles 26:10
HEB: הָ֣יָה ל֔וֹ וּבַשְּׁפֵלָ֖ה וּבַמִּישׁ֑וֹר אִכָּרִ֣ים
NAS: livestock, both in the lowland and in the plain.
KJV: cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains:
INT: much had the lowland the plain plowmen

2 Chronicles 28:18
HEB: פָּשְׁט֗וּ בְּעָרֵ֨י הַשְּׁפֵלָ֣ה וְהַנֶּגֶב֮ לִֽיהוּדָה֒
NAS: the cities of the lowland and of the Negev
KJV: the cities of the low country, and of the south
INT: had invaded the cities of the lowland the Negev of Judah

Jeremiah 17:26
HEB: בִּנְיָמִ֗ן וּמִן־ הַשְּׁפֵלָ֤ה וּמִן־ הָהָר֙
NAS: of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country
KJV: of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains,
INT: of Benjamin from the lowland from the hill

Jeremiah 32:44
HEB: הָהָ֔ר וּבְעָרֵ֥י הַשְּׁפֵלָ֖ה וּבְעָרֵ֣י הַנֶּ֑גֶב
NAS: in the cities of the lowland and in the cities
KJV: and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities
INT: of the hill the cities of the lowland the cities of the Negev

Jeremiah 33:13
HEB: הָהָ֜ר בְּעָרֵ֤י הַשְּׁפֵלָה֙ וּבְעָרֵ֣י הַנֶּ֔גֶב
NAS: in the cities of the lowland, in the cities
KJV: in the cities of the vale, and in the cities
INT: of the hill the cities of the lowland the cities of the Negev

Obadiah 1:19
HEB: הַ֣ר עֵשָׂ֗ו וְהַשְּׁפֵלָה֙ אֶת־ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים
NAS: of Esau, And [those of] the Shephelah the Philistine
KJV: of Esau; and [they of] the plain the Philistines:
INT: the mountain of Esau the Shephelah the Philistine possess

Zechariah 7:7
HEB: סְבִיבֹתֶ֑יהָ וְהַנֶּ֥גֶב וְהַשְּׁפֵלָ֖ה יֹשֵֽׁב׃ פ
NAS: it, and the Negev and the foothills were inhabited?'
KJV: the south and the plain?
INT: around and the Negev and the foothills was inhabited

20 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 8219
20 Occurrences

baš·šə·p̄ê·lāh — 5 Occ.
haš·šə·p̄ê·lāh — 5 Occ.
ū·šə·p̄ê·lā·ṯōh — 1 Occ.
ū·ḇaš·šə·p̄ê·lāh — 5 Occ.
wə·haš·šə·p̄ê·lāh — 4 Occ.