שָׂבָע
sa.va
abundance
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# Understanding Hebrew Savaʿ (Abundance) The Hebrew word *savaʿ* (שָׂבָע) denotes abundance—a state of plenty or fullness. With eight occurrences across the biblical text, this term appears infrequently but consistently conveys the idea of sufficient supply or overflowing quantity. The word functions as a straightforward descriptor of material plenty, without apparent metaphorical layers in its basic definition. The limited frequency of *savaʿ* in the biblical corpus suggests it served a specific communicative function rather than being a primary or everyday term for abundance. Its eight appearances indicate the concept it represents—material fullness or surplus—was important enough to warrant distinct expression, yet perhaps less commonly discussed than related concepts of wealth, blessing, or sustenance. The word's stability in meaning across its usage contexts suggests biblical writers employed it with consistent purpose when abundance warranted explicit mention.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
8 total occurrences across the text
so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
Ecclesiastes 5:12The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.
Genesis 41:29Behold, seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt are coming.
Genesis 41:30Seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land,
Genesis 41:31and the plenty will not be known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it will be very grievous.
Genesis 41:34Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt’s produce in the seven plenteous years.
Genesis 41:47In the seven plenteous years the earth produced abundantly.
Genesis 41:53The seven years of plenty, that were in the land of Egypt, came to an end.