Hebrew word · H5572

סְנֶה

seneh

bush

A bush or shrub, most likely a thorny one. Related words in Aramaic, Syriac and Arabic name thorny or desert shrubs. Suggested identifications include a bramble (Rubus), an acacia, or the senna shrub, but none is certain.

Appears 6 times in 4 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) a bush, thorny bush

1a) the burning bush of Moses

1b) perhaps a blackberry bush

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Exodus 3:2

Range of meaning

A bush or shrub, most likely a thorny one. Related words in Aramaic, Syriac and Arabic name thorny or desert shrubs. Suggested identifications include a bramble (Rubus), an acacia, or the senna shrub, but none is certain. Outside this passage it occurs only in Deuteronomy 33:16, where Yahweh is "the one who dwelt in the bush" (shokhnî sᵉneh).

Against the English

"Bush" is fine. "Thornbush" or "bramble" may be closer. The Septuagint's batos, "bramble", is the word Jesus uses in Mark 12:26 and Luke 20:37 ("at the bush").

Used elsewhere in the period

The Septuagint has batos. Philo (Life of Moses 1.65–68) describes a thorny, frail plant. The rabbis of Exodus Rabbah 2:5 stress that God chose a lowly thornbush rather than a grand tree. Many scholars (e.g. Sarna, Propp) note the sound-play between seneh and Sinai.

From the study of Exodus 3:4

Range of meaning

A thorny bush or bramble of the dry country. It is found only in Exod 3:2–4 and Deut 33:16, where Moses' blessing speaks of 'the favor of him who dwelt in the bush (shokhni seneh).' Related words in other Semitic languages (Arabic sana, Syriac sanya) name thorny plants. The exact species is unknown. Suggestions include a bramble (Rubus sanctus) and various acacias.

Against the English

'Bush' is accurate but colourless. The Hebrew points to a lowly, thorny scrub plant, not a stately tree. Greek bátos and Latin rubus both mean bramble.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Septuagint has bátos ('bramble'), and so does the New Testament ('at the bush,' Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37; Acts 7:30–35). The Vulgate has rubus. The midrash collection Exodus Rabbah (2:5) asks why God chose a thorn bush. One answer is that it shows God sharing Israel's affliction. That is a later reflection, not the text's own explanation.

Where it appears

Exodus · 5

  1. Exodus 3:2 הַסְּנֶ֑ה הַסְּנֶה֙ וְהַסְּנֶ֖ה the bush, and the bush

    There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed.

    Here: "The bush", most likely a thorny desert shrub or bramble. The Hebrew has "the", pointing to this one particular bush in the story. The word seneh sounds like Sinai, the mountain where this happens.

  2. Exodus 3:3 הַסְּנֶֽה׃ the bush

    So Moses thought, “I must go over and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burning up?”

  3. Exodus 3:4 הַסְּנֶ֗ה the bush

    When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered.

    Here: A low thorny desert shrub, a bramble. The word appears only in this scene and in Deut 33:16. It sounds like 'Sinai,' the mountain where this God will later meet all Israel.

Deuteronomy · 1

  1. Deuteronomy 33:16 סְנֶ֑ה <of> [the] bush

    with the choice gifts of the land and everything in it, and with the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush. May these rest on the head of Joseph and crown the brow of the prince of his brothers.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.