סָבִיב
sa.viv
around
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# The Hebrew Word סָבִיב (Saviv): "Around" The Hebrew word סָבִיב appears 285 times throughout the Bible, making it a frequently used spatial term. Its basic meaning is "around," functioning as a preposition that indicates position or movement in a circular pattern relative to something else. This spatial sense forms the foundation for how the word operates across biblical texts. Given its high frequency of occurrence, סָבִיב was essential to biblical writers for describing physical arrangements and spatial relationships. The word would have been used to indicate when something surrounded something else, when people gathered in a circle, or when an action occurred in the vicinity of a place or object. This widespread usage reflects how fundamental circular or surrounding concepts were to describing scenes, events, and layouts in the biblical narrative and legal material. The word's consistent definition as "around" with no competing senses listed suggests it maintained a stable, concrete spatial meaning throughout biblical Hebrew. Rather than carrying theological weight or undergoing semantic shift, סָבִיב served as a straightforward descriptive tool for situating objects, people, and events within physical space.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
285 total occurrences across the text — showing 50
So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.
2 Chronicles 23:7The Levites shall surround the king, every man with his weapons in his hand. Whoever comes into the house, let him be slain. Be with the king when he comes in, and when he goes out.”
2 Chronicles 23:10He set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, near the altar and the house, around the king.
2 Chronicles 34:6He did this in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, even to Naphtali, around in their ruins.
Ezra 1:6All those who were around them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with animals, and with precious things, in addition to all that was willingly offered.
Nehemiah 5:17Moreover there were at my table, of the Jews and the rulers, one hundred fifty men, in addition to those who came to us from among the nations that were around us.
Nehemiah 6:16When all our enemies heard of it, all the nations that were around us were afraid, and they lost their confidence; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.
Nehemiah 12:28The sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites;
Nehemiah 12:29also from Beth Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem.
Job 10:8“ ‘Your hands have framed me and fashioned me altogether, yet you destroy me.
Job 19:12His troops come on together, build a siege ramp against me, and encamp around my tent.
Job 22:10Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,
Job 29:5when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me,
Job 41:14Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror.
Psalms 3:6I will not be afraid of tens of thousands of people who have set themselves against me on every side.
Psalms 18:11He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
Psalms 27:6Now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me. I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tent. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh.
Psalms 34:7Yahweh’s angel encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Psalms 44:13You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us.
Psalms 50:3Our God comes, and does not keep silent. A fire devours before him. It is very stormy around him.
Psalms 76:11Make vows to Yahweh your God, and fulfill them! Let all of his neighbors bring presents to him who is to be feared.
Psalms 78:28He let them fall in the middle of their camp, around their habitations.
Psalms 79:3They have shed their blood like water around Jerusalem. There was no one to bury them.
Psalms 79:4We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and derision to those who are around us.
Psalms 89:7a very awesome God in the council of the holy ones, to be feared above all those who are around him?
Psalms 89:8Yahweh, God of Armies, who is a mighty one, like you? Yah, your faithfulness is around you.
Psalms 97:2Clouds and darkness are around him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Psalms 97:3A fire goes before him, and burns up his adversaries on every side.
Psalms 125:2As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so Yahweh surrounds his people from this time forward and forever more.
Psalms 125:2As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so Yahweh surrounds his people from this time forward and forever more.
Psalms 128:3Your wife will be as a fruitful vine in the innermost parts of your house, your children like olive plants around your table.
Ecclesiastes 1:6The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses.
Song of Solomon 3:7Behold, it is Solomon’s carriage! Sixty mighty men are around it, of the mighty men of Israel.
Isaiah 42:25Therefore he poured the fierceness of his anger on him, and the strength of battle. It set him on fire all around, but he didn’t know. It burned him, but he didn’t take it to heart.”
Isaiah 49:18Lift up your eyes all around, and see: all these gather themselves together, and come to you. As I live,” says Yahweh, “you shall surely clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament, and dress yourself with them, like a bride.
Isaiah 60:4“Lift up your eyes all around, and see: they all gather themselves together. They come to you. Your sons will come from far away, and your daughters will be carried in arms.
Jeremiah 1:15For, behold, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says Yahweh. “They will come, and they will each set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah.
Jeremiah 4:17As keepers of a field, they are against her all around, because she has been rebellious against me,’ ” says Yahweh.
Jeremiah 6:3Shepherds with their flocks will come to her. They will pitch their tents against her all around. They will feed everyone in his place.”
Jeremiah 12:9Is my heritage to me as a speckled bird of prey? Are the birds of prey against her all around? Go, assemble all the animals of the field. Bring them to devour.
Jeremiah 17:26They will come from the cities of Judah, and from the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country, and from the South, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, meal offerings, and frankincense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving, to Yahweh’s house.
Jeremiah 21:14I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, says Yahweh; and I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it will devour all that is around her.’ ”
Jeremiah 25:9behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,” says Yahweh, “and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations around. I will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations.
Jeremiah 32:44Men will buy fields for money, sign the deeds, seal them, and call witnesses, in the land of Benjamin, and in the places around Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South; for I will cause their captivity to be reversed,” says Yahweh.
Jeremiah 33:13In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the South, in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again pass under the hands of him who counts them,” says Yahweh.
Jeremiah 46:14“Declare in Egypt, publish in Migdol, and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes: say, ‘Stand up, and prepare; for the sword has devoured around you.’
Jeremiah 48:17All you who are around him, bemoan him, and all you who know his name; say, ‘How the strong staff is broken, the beautiful rod!’
Jeremiah 48:39“How it is broken down! How they wail! How Moab has turned the back with shame! So will Moab become a derision and a terror to all who are around him.”
Jeremiah 49:5Behold, I will bring a terror on you,” says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, “from all who are around you. All of you will be driven completely out, and there will be no one to gather together the fugitives.
Jeremiah 50:14Set yourselves in array against Babylon all around, all you who bend the bow; shoot at her. Spare no arrows; for she has sinned against Yahweh.