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Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary: The Old Testament Hebrew word: סמך

Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Dictionary/sa/sa-m-kfin.html

סמך

Abarim Publications' online Biblical Hebrew Dictionary

סמך

The verb סמך (samak), meaning to lean or lay upon, is mostly used in the phrase, "laying on of hands" (Exodus 29:10, Numbers 8:12), but it's also used in the regular sense of leaning (like a man with his hands against the wall - Amos 5:19), or figuratively, in the sense of God's wrath leaning on someone (Psalm 88:7) or someone's aggression leaning on a nation (Ezekiel 24:2).

But often this verb is used in the sense of support, uphold or sustain - food sustains people (Genesis 27:37); works of God's hands are upheld forever (Psalm 111:8); people are saved (or not) by God (Isaiah 63:5).

A noun derived from this root, סמך (samekh), occurs as the name of the samekh, the fifteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.


Associated Biblical names