שִׂיד (sid)
sid
lime
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun sid refers to lime or whitewash, a substance historically used for coating walls and tombs. In the biblical text, it appears in just four verses, primarily within Deuteronomy, Isaiah, and Amos. The sources note that this material was often produced by burning bones, creating a white powder that could be mixed with water to form a paste.
This word carries significant symbolic weight because of its appearance. Whitewash looks clean and bright on the surface, yet it can hide decay or impurity underneath. Prophets like Isaiah and Amos use sid as a metaphor for false peace or deceptive righteousness, where an outward show of purity masks inner corruption. The imagery highlights the contrast between external appearance and internal reality.
Translators typically render sid as "lime" or "whitewash," depending on the context. When used literally, it describes building materials; when used figuratively, it critiques hypocrisy. This dual usage makes the word a precise tool for prophets addressing social injustice and religious insincerity in ancient Israel.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When you see the word for lime or whitewash in Scripture, it often points to a stark contrast between how things look and what they actually are. In ancient times, this white coating made walls appear bright and clean, yet it could easily hide cracks, decay, or impurity underneath. The prophets used this image to warn against a faith that focuses only on outward appearance while ignoring the condition of the heart.
This reminds us that true righteousness is not about maintaining a perfect facade for others to see. It is about integrity that remains consistent whether anyone is watching or not. God values honesty and inner purity far more than a polished exterior that masks deeper issues.
Instead of striving for a surface-level impression of holiness, we can find peace in being genuine before Him. He sees the whole person and invites us to live with transparency, trusting that our worth comes from His grace rather than our ability to perform.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- with <the>/ lime2×
- lime1×
- into <the>/ lime1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בַּ/שִּֽׂיד\׃2×
- שִׂ֑יד1×
- לַ/שִּֽׂיד\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 33:12
The peoples will be like the burning of lime, like thorns that are cut down and burned in the fire.
This verse uses the image of burning lime to describe how nations will be consumed, highlighting the destructive nature of pride and false security.
-
Amos 2:1
Yahweh says: “For three transgressions of Moab, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime;
Here the act of burning bones into lime is cited as a grave moral failure, showing how this substance is linked to cruelty and desecration.
-
Deuteronomy 27:2
It shall be on the day when you shall pass over the Jordan to the land which Yahweh your God gives you, that you shall set yourself up great stones, and coat them with plaster.
The command to coat stones with plaster serves as a literal instruction for memorializing the covenant, grounding the metaphor in physical reality.