Bible Word Study
שָׂהֵד
sâhêd · a witness
שָׂהֵד
a witness
Definition
The Hebrew noun שָׂהֵד (sâhêd) means 'a witness,' specifically one who gives testimony or evidence. In its sole biblical occurrence in Job 16:19, it refers to a witness in heaven who testifies on Job's behalf before God, implying a legal or judicial context. While the basic sense is a person who attests to facts, in this poetic usage it carries a profound, almost metaphorical weight as a heavenly advocate. This contrasts with more common legal witnesses in passages like Deuteronomy 19:15, yet retains the core idea of providing truthful testimony.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Job 16:19. Here, Job, in the midst of his suffering and debate with friends, declares, 'Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me is on high.' The usage is in a legal-poetic context, where Job appeals to a divine witness to vindicate his integrity. Unlike the procedural witnesses in legal texts (e.g., Ruth 4:9-11), this is a personal, theological appeal for testimony before God Himself.
Etymology
The noun שָׂהֵד (sâhêd) is derived from an unused Hebrew root meaning 'to testify' or 'to bear witness.' It is cognate with the more common verb עוּד (ʿûd, H5749), which means 'to testify' or 'to bear witness,' and the related noun עֵד (ʿēd, H5707), the standard word for 'witness.' The development is from the verbal action of testifying to the person who performs that action.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant because its single use captures a profound moment of faith and legal metaphor in the drama of redemption. Job's cry for a 'witness in heaven' (Job 16:19) prefigures the New Testament concept of Christ as our advocate and faithful witness (Revelation 1:5). It enriches the reading of Job by highlighting the theme of divine vindication and the believer's appeal to God's own justice and testimony, moving beyond human judgment to heavenly assurance. In ancient Israelite culture, a witness was crucial in legal and covenant matters, establishing truth and facilitating justice (Deuteronomy 19:15). A witness carried serious responsibility, as false testimony was prohibited (Exodus 20:16). Job's appeal to a heavenly witness would resonate with this cultural understanding of testimony as a means of establishing truth and securing a verdict, but he transcends the earthly court to call upon the ultimate divine court. עֵד (ʿēd, H5707) — The standard, frequent noun for 'witness,' used in legal, historical, and covenant contexts (e.g., Exodus 20:16, Joshua 24:22). שָׂהֵד is a rare poetic synonym.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]