סְתָיו (se.tav)
se.tav
winter
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun setav refers to the winter rainy season, a distinct period in the ancient Near Eastern agricultural calendar. Unlike the dry summer months, this time brings essential water to the land, marking a shift from dormancy to renewal. In Scripture, it appears only once, in Song of Solomon 2:11.
The setting describes the poet’s beloved declaring that winter has passed and flowers are blooming. Here, setav symbolizes an era of waiting or hardship that is giving way to springtime vitality. The word captures not just a season on the calendar, but a specific phase of natural change that listeners would immediately recognize as a time of transition.
Translators typically render this term simply as "winter," though it specifically denotes the rainy period rather than cold temperatures alone. This usage highlights how biblical poetry often uses agricultural cycles to express emotional and relational shifts, grounding spiritual truths in the observable rhythms of the land.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word setav points to the rainy season in ancient Israel, a time when the dry earth finally received the water it needed to survive. It is not merely about cold weather, but about a necessary pause that precedes new life. In Song of Solomon 2:11, the beloved declares that this winter has passed, signaling a shift from hardship to renewal.
When you face seasons that feel long or difficult, remember that these periods often prepare the ground for what comes next. Just as the land rests and drinks in the rain before blooming, your own life may be undergoing a quiet transformation. This word reminds us that change is real and that waiting has an end.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ winter1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/סְּתָ֖יו1×
Key Verses
-
Song of Solomon 2:11
For behold, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone.
This verse marks the turning point where the season of waiting ends, allowing the poet to celebrate the arrival of new growth and beauty.