שְׂרִיקָה
hetchelling (or combing flax), i.e. (concretely) tow (by extension, linen cloth)
Definition
The Hebrew noun שְׂרִיקָה (sᵉrîyqâh) refers to the product of a specific step in processing flax into linen. It primarily means 'hetchelling' or 'combing,' the act of separating the long, fine fibers of flax from the shorter, coarser ones after the initial breaking and scutching. Concretely, it denotes the resulting 'tow'—the short, broken fibers—or, by extension, the fine linen cloth that could be produced from the combed fibers. Its single biblical occurrence in Isaiah 19:9 uses it to describe the high-quality linen products of Egypt that will be ruined, contrasting the valuable finished product with the waste material of its production.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Isaiah 19:9. It appears in a prophetic oracle against Egypt, specifically within a list of industries that will fail: 'Moreover those who work in combed flax (שְׂרִיקוֹת) and those who weave white cloth will be ashamed.' The context is economic and social collapse, where the prized linen industry, a source of wealth and pride for Egypt, will be devastated. The plural form (שְׂרִיקוֹת) likely refers to the workshops or the products of the combing process.
Etymology
The noun שְׂרִיקָה derives from a root meaning 'to be piercing' or 'to be bright,' related to שֹׂרֵק (śōrēq, H8321), which refers to a choice red grapevine, perhaps hinting at a sense of something choice or fine. The semantic connection likely comes from the 'piercing' or separating action of the hetchel's metal teeth as they comb the flax fibers. This process of separation produces the choice, fine fibers for linen.
Semantic Range
While the word itself is a technical term for linen production, its use in Isaiah 19 carries theological weight. It illustrates God's sovereign judgment over the pride and economic foundations of powerful nations like Egypt. The finest human industries and luxuries are subject to His decree. Understanding this term highlights the completeness of the judgment—affecting an industry from its raw materials (the flax) to its most refined, valuable products (fine linen), symbolizing total ruin.
In the ancient Near East, Egypt was renowned for producing the highest quality linen, a valuable commodity. The process was labor-intensive: flax plants were retted (soaked), beaten, scutched (scraped), and then hetcheled (combed) to extract the long fibers for spinning into thread. 'Hetchelling' was a crucial step that determined the fineness and quality of the final linen cloth. The term שְׂרִיקָה captures this specific, skilled stage of production, which would have been well-understood in an agrarian society.
פִּשְׁתָּה (pishtâh, H6593) — refers to the flax plant itself or linen as a material, a broader term. בַּד (bad, H906) — often refers to white linen cloth, especially for priestly garments, emphasizing the finished product rather than the process.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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