סִיג
dross
‘dross’ is one of 2 main senses fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Absolute-state word in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Noun
- A naming word — a person, place, thing, or idea.
Noun type
- Common
- A common noun — a general class of person, place, or thing (“king,” “city,” “water”), not a specific name.
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
Number
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
- Singular
- One.
1 verse where H5509 appears in the Absolute state in the Book of Isaiah. Filtered view — show all forms. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Isaiah
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
“dross” is the headline sense of the Hebrew noun סיג (çîyg). First canonically at Psalms 119:119, it enters the text early. It turns up in 7 verses across 4 books, an uncommon footprint. It concentrates in Proverbs, which alone accounts for 29% of its uses. Carrying more than one sense, it rewards its full sense range. See the sense tree, 7-verse concordance, and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H5509 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 7
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 7 distinct verses.
- 4 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 4 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #2,481
- by frequency
- Top 2500 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 2,481 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 7 occurrences in the concordance →
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 7 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 4 verses · 57%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 3 verses · 43%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
BDB lists this Strong’s number as 3 distinct words (homographs). Each count above pools all of them and is not split by sense — see the Senses section below. A low-frequency rendering may belong to a different one of those words, not the primary meaning.
- King James Version†: Dross 3×
- American Standard Version†: Dross 3×, Is become dross 2×
- Berean Standard Bible†: Dross 6×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text†: Dross 6×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H5509 across 8† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 5 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H5509 across 8† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 3 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H5509 across 7† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 1 rendering that appears only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 1 further occurrence.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H5509 across 8† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 2 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
13 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
Hebrew verbs can shift meaning by stem (binyan): Qal is the basic action, Niphal is often passive or reflexive, Piel often intensifies or makes it factitive, and Hiphil is typically causative. The senses below are grouped under the stem BDB assigns to each. This entry also uses Hophal (the passive of Hiphil) and one or more reduplicated stems (the Pōlēl/Pilpēl type), which for hollow or geminate roots behave much like Piel — often intensive or iterative.
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 13 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
סיג I move away, backslide (שׂ׳ erron.
Qal
- Pf. 3 ms. סָג ψ 53:4; Impf. 1 pl. נָסוֹג ψ 80:19; Pt. act. cstr. סוּג Pr 14:14 (BaNB § 124 c Ges§ § 50 f, 72 p);—backslide, prove recreant to י׳, c. מִן ψ 80:19; so abs. 53:4; סוּג לֵב Pr 14:14 a backslider in heart. e.g. Psalms 53:4
Niphal
- Pf. 3 ms. נָסוֹג ψ 44:19, נָשׂוֹג 2 S 1:22 (שׂ for ס); 1 s. נְסוּגֹתִי Is 50:5; 3 pl. נָסֹ֫גוּ Is 42:17 Je 38:22; Impf. 3 ms. יִסַּג Mi 2:6 (Ges§ 72 dd, but v. infr.); 3 mpl. יִסֹּ֫גוּ ψ 35:4 + 3 times, וַיִּסֹּ֫גוּ ψ 78:57; Inf. abs. נָסוֹג Is 59:13; Pt. pl. נְסוֹגִים Zp 1:6 Je 46:5;— e.g. Psalms 44:19
- 1. refl. turn oneself away, turn back:
- a. lit. of Jonathan’s bow 2 S 1:22, c. מִן (v HPS). e.g. 2 Samuel 1:22
- b. fig. = prove faithless (as Qal): (1) of human friends, נס׳ אָחוֹר Je 38:22 (abs.); usually (2) נס׳ מֵאַחֲרֵי י׳ Zp 1:6 cf. Is 59:13; so abs. ψ 78:57 (+ בָּגַד), c. אָחוֹר Is 50:5 (‖ מָרִיתִי), ψ 44:19 (‖ נָטָה מִן).—לֹא יִסַּג כְּלִמּוֹת Mi 2:6 could mean reproaches do not depart, i.e. cease (Hi-St Che GASm Now RV); Now proposes also (emending foll. v.) shall not disgrace depart from Jacob’s house? BuhlLex 13 conj., plausibly, יַשִּׂיג (√ נשׂג) disgrace shall not overtake us. e.g. Jeremiah 38:22
- 2. be turned or driven back, be repulsed, of י׳’s foes: + אָחוֹר Je 46:5; Is 42:17 ψ 35:4; 40:15 = 70:3, 129:5. e.g. Jeremiah 46:5
Hiphil
- 1. usually of displacing, moving back a boundary mark (גְּבוּל), Impf. 2 ms. תַּסִּיג Dt 19:14, juss. תַּסֵּג Pr 22:28; 23:10; 3 mpl. יַשִּׂיגוּ Jb 24:2 (שׂ for ס); Pt. מַסִּיג ג׳ Dt 27:17, מַסִּיגֵי ג׳ Ho 5:10. e.g. Deuteronomy 19:14
- 2. remove, carry away, valuables, to rescue them, juss., 2 ms. תַּסֵּג Mi 6:14 si vera l. (on synt. v. Dr§ § 152, 1. 2; 155 Obs.). e.g. Micah 6:14
Hophal
- Pf. 3 ms. וְהֻסַּג אָחוֹר מִשְׁפָּט Is 59:14 and justice is driven back (‖ צְדָקָה מֵרָחוֹק תַּעֲמֹד). e.g. Isaiah 59:14
סיג II fence about (Aramaic word
Qal
- Pt. pass. f. בִּטְנֵךְ עֲרֵמַת חִטִּים סוּגָה בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים Ct 7:3 thy body a heap of wheat fenced about with lilies (cf. especially De Bu). e.g. Song of Solomon 7:3
Pilp
- intens. Impf. 2 fs. תְּשַׂגְֿשֵׂ֑גִי Is 17:11 thou dost fence it carefully about (> make it grow, as if שׂוג = שׂגה, AE Ki Brd Du). e.g. Isaiah 17:11
סיג III [m.] 1. a moving back or away
- 1. a moving back, away: שִׂיג לוֹ 1 K 18:27 om. 𝔊L, dittogr. for שִׂיחַ Klo Bur. there is a moving back to him = he has moved back, away (proposes of temporary withdrawal, diff. from דֶּרֶךְ journey). e.g. 1 Kings 18:27
- 2. dross, usually of silver Pr 25:4 (מִכָּ֑סֶף), 26:23 (כֶּסֶף ס׳), so (fig. of Isr.) Is 1:22 cf. v 25, Ez 22:18b (סִיגִים כֶּסֶף MT, בְּתוֹךְ כ׳ ס׳ 𝔊 Co Berthol;—Co del. ס׳, not so Berthol Toy), cf. v 18a. 19; indef. ψ 119:119. e.g. Proverbs 25:4
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
I. vb. move away, backslide (שׂ׳ erron.; Arabic ((سوج), سَاجَ), go and come Lane 1459, سَوْجَانٌ abitus et adventus Frey (Kam.));—
II. vb. fence about (Aramaic word; ܣܘܓ, ܣܳܓ sepsit, circumsepsit, clausit, ܣܝܳܓܳܐ sepes, cf. 𝔗 סיג Pa. fence about, סְיָיגָא fence; NH סוג fence about; Arabic سَيَاجٌ enclosure made with thorns, etc., around grape-vines, etc. Lane1460, سوّج ii. make a سِيَاجٌ );—only
I. n.[m.] 1. a moving back or away; 2. dross (what is removed from metal);—abs. סִיג Ez 22:18 Qr (סוג Kt), שִׂיג 1 K 18:27 (שׂ for ס, but v. infr.); pl. סִיגִים (van d. H. סִגִּים) Is 1:22 + 3 times; סִגִֿים Ez 22:18 + 2 times; sf. סִינָ֑יִךָ Is 1:25;—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from סוג (çûwg) (H5472) — to backslide.
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
סִיג I
- [that which is to be removed; cmp. בְּדִיל,] dross, base metal; refuse. Bekh. 51ᵃ שלא יביא ס׳ לעזרה Ar. (ed. סִיגָה) in order that one may not bring base metal to the Temple (therefore stamped silver coins had to be brought along; Rashi: סיגה וכסף סיגים base metal or non-purified silver).—Pl. סִיגִים, סִגִּים. Num. R. s. 14 (ref. to סוג לב, Prov. XIV, 14) אותו הלב שהוא מלא ס׳ וכ׳ the heart full of base things, will get sick of its own ways. Ib. s. 13 יחזקאל קורא אותם ס׳ Ezekiel calls them base metal (ref. to Ez. XXII, 18). Midr. Till. to Ps. CXIX, 119) אכל הענבים נעשה ס׳ ed. Bub. (ed. עושה סוגים, corr. acc.) after he has eaten the grapes, it (the cluster) becomes refuse. e.g. Proverbs 14:14
סִיג II
- (v. סְגֵי I; cmp. סוּגְיָינָא; for the apocopate form cmp. רֵעַ a. רֵעֶה) growth, sproutings, esp. luxuriant growth (in good or bad sense). Tosef. Ukts. I, 2 (T’bul Yom III) הס׳ של אשכלות the foliage covering the clusters of grapes, של רצפות the cobweb-like covering of fruits; Ukts. I, 2.—Pl. סִיגִּים, סִגִּים. Deut. R. s. 3 (ref. to Deut. VII, 13) מה פרי אדמתך ס׳ וכ׳ as the fruit of thy ground will be of luxuriant growth, so will be the fruit of thy womb (strong people). Num. R. s. 16; Tanḥ. Sh’laḥ 12 (ref. to Is.XVII, 11) ביום שאמר … (נ) עשיתם ס׳ on the day that he intended to plant you in the land, you became a luxuriant growth (degenerated); Num. R. s. 7.—[Sifra Sh’mini, ch. VII, Par. 6, v. סוּג II.]. e.g. Deuteronomy 7:13
סְיָג
- , v. סְיָיג, סְיָיגָא.
סְיָיג
- (סוּג I) fence, hedge. Orl. I, 1 הנוטע לס׳ he that plants for the sake of forming a hedge (not for the fruit); a. fr.—Trnsf. (cmp. גֶּדֶר) guard, preventive measure, protection. Nidd. 3ᵇ … ומיהו עשה ס׳ לדבריך דעבדינן ס׳ but at least set a guard to thy words (add a restriction), for wherein does this case differ from other Biblical laws around which we (the Rabbis) place a fence? Y. ib. I, beg. 48ᵈ. Ab. d’R. N. ch. I, v. סוּג I. Ab. I, 1 עשו ס׳ לתורה make a fence around the Law. Ib. III, 13 מסורת ס׳ וכ׳, v. מַסּוֹרֶת; מעשרות ס׳ לעושר tithe-giving is a preserver of wealth; נדרים ס׳ וכ׳ vows are a help to self-control; ס׳ לחכמה וכ׳ a protection of wisdom is silence; a. fr.
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 9 distinct written forms H5509 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
| Form | Parsing | Example | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| ל/סוג | Noun, Common, Masculine, Singular, Absolute | Ezekiel 22:18 | 1 |
| לְ/סִ֑יג | Noun, Common, Masculine, Singular, Absolute | Ezekiel 22:18 | 1 |
| לְ/סִגִ֑ים | Noun, Common, Masculine, Plural, Absolute | Ezekiel 22:19 | 1 |
| לְ/סִיגִ֑ים | Noun, Common, Masculine, Plural, Absolute | Isaiah 1:22 | 1 |
| סִ֭יגִים | Noun, Common, Masculine, Plural, Absolute | Proverbs 26:23 | 1 |
| סִגִ֗ים | Noun, Common, Masculine, Plural, Absolute | Psalms 119:119 | 1 |
| סִגִ֥ים | Noun, Common, Masculine, Plural, Absolute | Ezekiel 22:18 | 1 |
| סִיגִ֣ים | Noun, Common, Masculine, Plural, Absolute | Proverbs 25:4 | 1 |
| סִיגָ֑יִ/ךְ | Noun, Common, Masculine, Plural, Construct | Isaiah 1:25 | 1 |
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H5509, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
Compare all same-root words → They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 6 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 7 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
