שְׂבָכָה (se.va.khah)
se.va.khah
latticework
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 12 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun sevakah refers to a network or lattice, specifically describing intricate open-work patterns. In the Hebrew Bible, it most commonly appears in architectural descriptions, particularly within the detailed accounts of Solomon’s Temple and later royal buildings found in Kings and Chronicles.
Its primary usage is concrete: it denotes the ornamental latticework that adorned the bronze pillars Jachin and Boaz at the temple entrance (1 Kings 7:17-20). This decorative netting created a visual contrast between solid stone and airy, crafted metal. The term can also extend to literal nets used for trapping animals, highlighting its root meaning of interwoven strands.
The word appears twelve times in Scripture, with the vast majority concentrated in the historical books that detail the construction and restoration of the Temple. This distribution underscores its significance in describing the sacred space’s physical beauty. Translators often render it as "network," "latticework," or "chainwork" to capture this specific type of structured, open design.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sevakah describes an intricate lattice or woven net, a structure that is both open and strong. In Solomon’s Temple, this latticework adorned the bronze pillars at the entrance, creating a beautiful contrast between solid stone and airy metal. It reminds us that beauty often lies in the spaces between, where light can pass through and shape is defined by what is left out.
This imagery extends beyond architecture to describe nets used for trapping animals, highlighting the power of interconnected strands. For your faith, it suggests that our lives are woven together with others and with God’s purposes. Just as a lattice holds its form through tension and connection, we find stability in community and trust. The intricate design points to a Creator who cares about detail and beauty in the sacred spaces we inhabit.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 12 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ network4×
- the/ networks2×
- and/ the/ networks2×
- and/ a network2×
- a network2×
- the/ window-lattice1×
- networks1×
- for the/ network1×
- [belonged] to the/ network1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לַ/שְּׂבָכָ֣ה2×
- וּ/שְׂבָכָ֨ה2×
- וְ/הַ/שְּׂבָכ֣וֹת2×
- הַ/שְּׂבָכ֑וֹת2×
- שְׂבָכָ֗ה1×
- שְׂבָכִ֞ים1×
- שְׂ֝בָכָ֗ה1×
- הַ/שְּׂבָכָֽה\׃1×
- הַ/שְּׂבָכָ֣ה1×
- הַ/שְּׂבָכָ֗ה1×
- הַ/שְּׂבָכָ֖ה1×
- הַ/שְּׂבָכָ֑ה1×
Key Verses
-
I Kings 7:17
There were nets of checker work and wreaths of chain work for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars: seven for the one capital, and seven for the other capital.
This verse introduces the checker work lattice as part of the temple pillars, establishing the term's primary architectural context.
-
II Kings 1:2
Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper room that was in Samaria, and was sick. So he sent messengers, and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this sickness.”
Here the word shifts to a domestic setting, describing a window lattice in King Ahaziah’s room, showing its use outside the temple.
-
Job 18:8
For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he wanders into its mesh.
In Job, the lattice becomes a net of destruction, illustrating how interconnected structures can also represent danger and entrapment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does sevakah mean in the Bible?
Where does sevakah appear in Scripture?
How is sevakah different from other words for 'net'?
Every Occurrence (12 verses across 5 books)
I Kings 5 verses
There were nets of checker work and wreaths of chain work for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars: seven…
I Kings 7:18So he made the pillars; and there were two rows of pomegranates around the one network, to cover the capitals that were…
I Kings 7:20There were capitals above also on the two pillars, close by the belly which was beside the network. There were two…
I Kings 7:41the two pillars; the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; the two networks to cover the two…
I Kings 7:42the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks; two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls…