שִׁפְרָה (shiph.rah)
shiph.rah
clearness
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun shiphrah denotes a quality of clarity or brightness, specifically describing visual distinctness. In the biblical text, it appears only once in Job 26:13, where it modifies the sky to convey its serene and unclouded nature.
This rare usage highlights how ancient writers used weather imagery to describe divine power. The verse suggests that God’s breath cleared the heavens, making them bright and transparent. By choosing this specific word for fairness or clearness, the text emphasizes the majesty of creation as a visible sign of God’s activity.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word shiprah appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, found in Job 26:13. It describes a quality of clearness or brightness, specifically applied to the heavens. The text says that by God’s Spirit, the skies are garnished with this clarity. This rare term paints a picture of a serene, unclouded sky, revealing divine power through the beauty of creation.
When you look up at a bright, cloudless day, you might sense something greater than just weather. Ancient writers used such imagery to show how God’s breath orders the cosmos. For your faith, this reminds us that the world around us is not chaotic but made with intention. The clarity of the heavens points to a Creator who brings order and light.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [are] clearness1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שִׁפְרָ֑ה1×
Key Verses
-
Job 26:13
By his Spirit the heavens are garnished. His hand has pierced the swift serpent.
This verse uses shiprah to describe how God’s Spirit garnishes the heavens with clearness, linking divine power directly to the brightness of the sky.