Word Study for H7867 (שִׂיב) | Strong's Concordance

sîyb /seeb/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningproperly, to become aged, i.e. (by implication) to grow gray

KJV usage(be) grayheaded.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of sîyb — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word sîyb, represented by H7867, is a primitive root meaning to become aged or to grow gray. It specifically refers to being grayheaded. It appears 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible, consistently linking the physical sign of gray hair with advanced age and the experience it implies.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The two uses of H7867 occur in contexts of authority and wisdom. In Samuel's farewell address, he states, "I am old and grayheaded" to signify the full length of his service to Israel from childhood to that day, as he hands leadership over to a king 1 Samuel 12:2. In the book of Job, Eliphaz attempts to assert the validity of his arguments by stating, "With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men," suggesting their counsel is backed by the wisdom of elders who are even older than Job's father Job 15:10.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help frame the concept of age and the passage of time associated with being grayheaded:

H2204 zâqên (be old): This word is used in direct parallel with sîyb when Samuel describes his advanced age to the people of Israel, emphasizing his long life of leadership 1 Samuel 12:2.
H3453 yâshîysh (very aged man): This term appears alongside sîyb in Job's narrative, where Eliphaz uses the presence of "grayheaded and very aged men" to lend weight to his arguments Job 15:10.
H5271 nâʻûwr (childhood, youth): Samuel uses this word to create a stark contrast with his grayheaded state, highlighting the full duration of his life's work "from my childhood unto this day" 1 Samuel 12:2.

Theological Significance

While appearing infrequently, the concept carried by H7867 has significant weight. It underscores key themes related to age and authority.

A Marker of a Complete Life of Service: Being grayheaded is presented by Samuel as evidence of a long and full life lived in service to God and Israel, spanning from youth to old age 1 Samuel 12:2.
An Appeal to Wisdom and Experience: The presence of gray hair is used as a basis for claiming wisdom. Eliphaz leverages the authority of the "grayheaded" to suggest that his perspective is more seasoned and credible than Job's Job 15:10.
The Point of Transition: In Samuel's case, being grayheaded marks a pivotal moment of transition, signaling the end of his era as a judge and the beginning of the monarchy in Israel 1 Samuel 12:2.

Summary

In summary, H7867 sîyb is a precise term for the physical evidence of a long life. Though rare, its usage in scripture is impactful, serving as a powerful visual symbol of accumulated experience, authority, and the natural progression of life from youth to old age. It is used to validate a lifetime of leadership and to claim the wisdom that comes with advanced years.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

שָׂב
שַׂבְתִּי

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 1 Samuel and Job (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

1 Samuel

Job

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.