שָׂפָה saphah

Hebrew word for “lips” · Strong’s H8193 · used 176 times in 164 verses

Explore it in the Word Atlas

Meaning

: lips/mouth; 1) lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding;

Senses in the lexicon

• lips (101)
• lip: edge (28)
• lip: words (23)
• lip: shore (18)
• lip: language (6)

How it is translated

Glosses given for saphah in context, with how often each is used:

• lips 106
• lip 24
• edge 18
• bank 10
• shore 8
• language 7
• own lips 2
• border 1

Where it is used

Also in 13 more books.

Chapters where it is used most

Proverbs 10 (7), Proverbs 16 (6), Genesis 11 (4), Numbers 30 (3), 1 Kings 7 (3), Psalms 12 (3), Proverbs 12 (3), Proverbs 14 (3), Proverbs 17 (3), Proverbs 18 (3)

Forms

• שׂפת 39
• שׂפתי 36
• שׂפתים 16
• שׂפתיו 14
• שׂפה 9
• שׂפתיך 7
• שׂפתו 6
• שׂפתיה 5
• בשׂפתיו 4
• בשׂפתיך 3

Words used with it

Words that share verses with saphah more often than their overall frequency would suggest:

• פֶּה peh “lip” 31
• לָשׁוֹן lashon “tongue” 16
• דָבַר davar “to speak” 21
• לֵב lev “heart” 15
• יָם yam “sea” 11
• שָׁמַע shama “to hear” 14
• שֶׁקֶר sheqer “deception” 8
• נַחַל nachal “torrent” 8
• כְּסִיל kesil “fool” 7
• אֶחָד echad “one” 11
• עֲרֹעֵר aroer “Aroer” 5
• חָכָם chakham “wise” 7

Key verses

The verses using saphah that are most connected by cross-references (King James Version):

• Genesis 22:17 — That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and…
• Psalms 12:2 — They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
• Ecclesiastes 10:12 — The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
• Isaiah 6:5 — Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the…
• Isaiah 11:4 — But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and…
• Isaiah 29:13 — Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me,…
• Isaiah 37:29 — Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn…
• Isaiah 57:19 — I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.
• Daniel 10:16 — And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord,…
• Hosea 14:2 — Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
• Habakkuk 3:16 — When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of…
• Malachi 2:7 — For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

See all 164 verses in the Word Atlas

Hebrew and Greek text, tagging, glosses and lexicon definitions: STEPBible.org, Tyndale House Cambridge (TAHOT, TAGNT, TBESH, TBESG; CC BY 4.0), adapted. Counts follow King James verse numbering; a word counts each time it is written.