שֵׂ֫כוּ

# Secu: A Hapax Legomenon in Hebrew Scripture The Hebrew word *sekhú* (שֵׂ֫כוּ) appears only once in the entire Hebrew Bible, making it what scholars call a "hapax legomenon"—a term that occurs only a single time in a text. This single occurrence provides the only direct biblical evidence for understanding this word. Given the extreme rarity of its attestation, the word's precise meaning remains difficult to establish with certainty, as there are no parallel uses within scripture to clarify its semantic range or confirm its exact definition. The lexicon identifies this term as "Secu," which appears to be a proper noun rather than a common word with general meaning. This identification suggests the word likely functions as a place name in its biblical context. Without additional occurrences to compare, the word's specific geographic location or significance cannot be fully elaborated from the biblical text alone. Such isolated place names in scripture often derive from geographical or linguistic features of ancient Palestine, but the single occurrence of *sekhú* limits what can be definitively stated about its origin or importance. The existence of this hapax underscores the challenges of biblical lexicography: some words appear too infrequently to allow confident linguistic analysis within scripture itself. For terms like *sekhú*, interpreters must rely on external sources such as ancient geography, cognate