Hebrew word · H5574

סְנוּאָה

hasenu'ah

Hassenuah

A Benjaminite family or clan name, written with the article ("the Senuah"). Its meaning is uncertain. Some connect it with the root s-n-', "to hate" ("the hated one"), but that is only a guess.

Appears once in the Hebrew Old Testament. · Updated November 06, 2026

What it means

Someone descended from Senaah (H5570) of the tribe of Levi before time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at 1Ch.9.7; including Hodaviah (H1938I) and Judah (H3063I); also called Hassenaah at Neh.3.3

Also named: se.na.ah (סְנָאָה "Hassenaah" H5570H)

§ Senuah or Hasenuah [with the art] = "bristling"

a Benjamite

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 Nehemiah 11:9

Range of meaning: A Benjaminite family or clan name, written with the article ("the Senuah"). Its meaning is uncertain. Some connect it with the root s-n-', "to hate" ("the hated one"), but that is only a guess.
Against the English: KJV and YLT drop the article and write "Senuah." BSB and WEB keep it as part of the name, "Hassenuah." This is a spelling choice. The person is the same.
Used elsewhere in the period: 1 Chr 9:7 names "Hodaviah son of Hassenuah" among the Benjaminites in Jerusalem. The returnees called "sons of Senaah" (Ezra 2:35; Neh 7:38) and the "sons of Hassenaah" who rebuilt the Fish Gate (Neh 3:3) are often linked with this name, but the spellings differ and the link is not certain.

Where it appears

Nehemiah · 1

Nehemiah 11:9 הַסְּנוּאָ֛ה <the> Senaah

Joel son of Zichri was the officer over them, and Judah son of Hassenuah was over the Second District of the city.

Here: A Benjaminite family name written with the Hebrew article ("the Senuah"). That is why some versions say "Hassenuah" and others "Senuah." The same family seems to appear in 1 Chronicles 9:7.

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