סִינִים (si.nim)
si.nim
Syene
N:N--LGQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--LG
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun sinim appears only once in Scripture, in Isaiah 49:12. Most scholars identify it as an alternative spelling for Syene (H5482), the ancient city known today as Aswan in southern Egypt. In this context, it represents a distant southern border of the known world, marking the farthest extent to which God’s people would be gathered.
While some older translations and lexical notes have suggested a connection to "thorns" or even identified the term with inhabitants of China, the consensus among modern biblical scholars favors the Egyptian identification. This reading aligns with the geographical symmetry in Isaiah 49:12, which lists distant north (Tarshish) and south (Syene/Sinim) points, emphasizing the universal scope of God’s restoration.
The word serves as a literary marker of extremity rather than a detailed ethnographic description. By invoking Sinim alongside Tarshish, the prophet illustrates that no matter how far Israel has been scattered, God’s reach extends to the very edges of the earth. The term highlights the comprehensive nature of divine redemption, spanning from the known boundaries of the ancient Near East to its furthest limits.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sinim appears only once in the Bible, located in Isaiah 49:12. It refers to Syene, an ancient city in southern Egypt known today as Aswan. In this verse, it serves as a geographical marker for the farthest known point to the south.
This single mention carries a powerful message about the reach of God’s care. By pairing the distant south with the distant north and west, the text illustrates that no one is too far gone or too remote from divine attention. The promise extends to every edge of the known world, assuring believers that restoration is not limited by distance or circumstance.
For your faith, this offers a quiet comfort. It suggests that wherever you find yourself—whether in familiar surroundings or in places that feel distant and isolated—you are within the scope of God’s gathering love. The horizon of grace is wider than we often imagine.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Sinim1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- סִינִֽים\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 49:12
Behold, these shall come from afar, and behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim.”
This verse uses Sinim to mark the southern boundary, contrasting it with northern and western locations to show the comprehensive scope of God's restoration.