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Hebrew noun (feminine) · H8198

שִׁפְחָה

shiphchahshif-khaw'

maidservant

63 uses in the Hebrew text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key

Concordance spelling: shiphchâh

Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's H8198is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.

  • 16 of 39
    Old Testament books
  • 49
    spellings

The definition in full

Strong's key (1890) · H8198

a female slave (as a member of the household)

The King James renders it: (bond-, hand-) maid(-en, -servant), wench, bondwoman, womanservant.

James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.

Summary

shiphchah is rendered "maidservant". It stands 63 times in the Hebrew text, across sixteen books.

  • Twenty-eight of the uses stand in Genesis, more than in any other book.
  • Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Genesis 12:16He treated Abram well on her account, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.
  • The Greek text spells it forty-nine different ways.

The first use

He treated Abram well on her account, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.

Genesis 12:16וּשְׁפָחֹ֔ת

The first use, in the order of the Old Testament's books.

Where the word stands

Twenty-eight of the word's sixty-three uses are in Genesis.

The other 23 Old Testament books never use the word.

What the word means

Each meaning, and the words it is translated by

How the Greek text is glossed, word by word

  • maidservant your11
  • maidservant of7
  • and female servants4
  • and to female slaves3
  • female slave his3
  • maidservant her3
  • maidservant my3
  • the maidservants3
  • a female slave2
  • a maidservant2
  • maidservant his2
  • the maidservant2

and 17 more, 63 uses in all

The words built on the same word-part

Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.

שִׁפְעָהshiphahabundanceUses6
שִׁפְלָהshiphlahhumiliationUses1
שִׁפְמִיShiphmiShiphmiteUses1
שִׁפְרָהshiphrahclearnessUses1
שִׁפְלוּתshiphluthidlenessUses1

All 63, in canonical order

Every use, in order

Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.

49 spellings and their grammar

STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.

How it is spelled

  • שִׁפְחַ֥ת4
  • וּשְׁפָחֹ֔ת3
  • שִׁפְחַ֣ת3
  • הַשְּׁפָח֛וֹת2
  • וְלִשְׁפָח֖וֹת2
  • וְלִשְׁפָחֽוֹת׃ ס2
  • שִׁפְחָתָ֔הּ2
  • שִׁפְחָת֑וֹ2
  • שִׁפְחָתְךָ֛2
  • שִׁפְחָֽתְךָ֙2
  • בְּשִׁפְחָתֶֽךָ׃1
  • הַשִּׁפְחָ֔ה1

and 37 more spellings in the ledger below.

The grammar of each form

  • noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singular10HNcfsc/Sp2ms
  • noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)7HNcfsc
  • conjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine plural6HC/Ncfpa
  • conjunction (“and”) + preposition + noun · feminine plural6HC/R/Ncfpa
  • noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singular5HNcfsc/Sp3ms
  • the definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine plural5HTd/Ncfpa
  • noun · feminine singular4HNcfsa
  • noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singular3HNcfsc/Sp1bs
  • noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person feminine singular3HNcfsc/Sp3fs
  • conjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular2HC/Ncfsa
  • preposition + noun · feminine singular2HR/Ncfsa
  • preposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singular2HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms

Genesis

twenty-eight uses
  • He treated Abram well on her account, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.

    Genesis 12:16

    • וּשְׁפָחֹ֔תushefachotconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine pluraltagged: and female servants
  • Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.

    Genesis 16:1

    • שִׁפְחָ֥הshifchahnoun · feminine singulartagged: a maidservant
  • So Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

    Genesis 16:2

    • שִׁפְחָתִ֔יshifchatinoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singulartagged: maidservant my
  • So after he had lived in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to Abram to be his wife.

    Genesis 16:3

    • שִׁפְחָתָ֔הּshifchatahnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person feminine singulartagged: maidservant her
  • Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be upon you! I delivered my servant into your arms, and ever since she saw that she was pregnant, she has treated me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me.”

    Genesis 16:5

    • שִׁפְחָתִי֙shifchatinoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singulartagged: maidservant my
  • “Here,” said Abram, “your servant is in your hands. Do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she fled from her.

    Genesis 16:6

    • שִׁפְחָתֵךְ֙shifchatekhnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person feminine singulartagged: maidservant your
  • “Hagar, servant of Sarai,” he said, “where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I am running away from my mistress Sarai,” she replied.

    Genesis 16:8

    • שִׁפְחַ֥תshifchatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: maidservant of
  • So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him.

    Genesis 20:14

    • וּשְׁפָחֹ֔תushefachotconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine pluraltagged: and female servants
  • “The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become rich. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and donkeys.

    Genesis 24:35

    • וּשְׁפָחֹ֔תushefachotconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine pluraltagged: and female servants
  • This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.

    Genesis 25:12

    • שִׁפְחַ֥תshifchatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: maidservant of
  • And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant.

    Genesis 29:24

    • שִׁפְחָת֑וֹshifchatonoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: maidservant his
    • שִׁפְחָֽה׃shifchahnoun · feminine singulartagged: a maidservant
  • Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.

    Genesis 29:29

    • שִׁפְחָת֑וֹshifchatonoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: maidservant his
    • לְשִׁפְחָֽה׃leshifchahpreposition + noun · feminine singulartagged: to a maidservant
  • So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife, and he slept with her,

    Genesis 30:4

    • שִׁפְחָתָ֖הּshifchatahnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person feminine singulartagged: maidservant her
  • And Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

    Genesis 30:7

    • שִׁפְחַ֣תshifchatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: maidservant of
  • When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.

    Genesis 30:9

    • שִׁפְחָתָ֔הּshifchatahnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person feminine singulartagged: maidservant her
  • And Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son.

    Genesis 30:10

    • שִׁפְחַ֥תshifchatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: maidservant of
  • When Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son,

    Genesis 30:12

    • שִׁפְחַ֣תshifchatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: maidservant of
  • Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

    Genesis 30:18

    • שִׁפְחָתִ֖יshifchatinoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singulartagged: maidservant my
  • Thus Jacob became exceedingly prosperous. He owned large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.

    Genesis 30:43

    • וּשְׁפָחוֹת֙ushefachotconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine pluraltagged: and female servants
  • I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, menservants, and maidservants. I have sent this message to inform my master, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”

    Genesis 32:5

    • וְשִׁפְחָ֑הveshifchahconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: and female servant
  • During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven sons, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.

    Genesis 32:22

    • שִׁפְחֹתָ֔יוshifchotavnoun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: maidservants his
  • Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming toward him with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants.

    Genesis 33:1

    • הַשְּׁפָחֽוֹת׃hashefachotthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine pluraltagged: the maidservants
  • He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.

    Genesis 33:2

    • הַשְּׁפָח֛וֹתhashefachotthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine pluraltagged: the maidservants
  • Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down.

    Genesis 33:6

    • הַשְּׁפָח֛וֹתhashefachotthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine pluraltagged: the maidservants
  • The sons of Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali.

    Genesis 35:25

    • שִׁפְחַ֣תshifchatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: maidservant of
  • And the sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah were Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

    Genesis 35:26

    • שִׁפְחַ֥תshifchatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: maidservant of

Exodus

one use
  • and every firstborn son in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the servant girl behind the hand mill, as well as the firstborn of all the cattle.

    Exodus 11:5

    • הַשִּׁפְחָ֔הhashifchahthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: the maidservant

Leviticus

one use
  • If a man lies carnally with a slave girl promised to another man but who has not been redeemed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment. But they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed.

    Leviticus 19:20

    • שִׁפְחָה֙shifchahnoun · feminine singulartagged: a female slave

Deuteronomy

one use
  • The LORD will return you to Egypt in ships by a route that I said you should never see again. There you will sell yourselves to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.”

    Deuteronomy 28:68

    • וְלִשְׁפָח֖וֹתvelishfachotconjunction (“and”) + preposition + noun · feminine pluraltagged: and to female slaves

Ruth

two uses
  • “My lord,” she said, “may I continue to find favor in your eyes, for you have comforted and spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your servant girls.”

    Ruth 2:13

    • שִׁפְחָתֶ֑ךָshifchatekhanoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: maidservant your
    • שִׁפְחֹתֶֽיךָ׃shifchoteikhanoun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: maidservants your

1 Samuel

six uses
  • “May your maidservant find favor with you,” said Hannah. Then she went on her way, and she began eating again, and her face was no longer downcast.

    1 Samuel 1:18

    • שִׁפְחָתְךָ֛shifchatekhanoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: maidservant your
  • And he will take your menservants and maidservants and your best cattle and donkeys and put them to his own use.

    1 Samuel 8:16

    • שִׁפְח֨וֹתֵיכֶ֜םshifchoteikhemnoun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: female servants your
  • Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you.

    1 Samuel 25:27

    • שִׁפְחָתְךָ֖shifchatekhanoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: maidservant your
  • She arose, then bowed facedown and said, “Here is your maidservant, ready to serve and to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.”

    1 Samuel 25:41

    • לְשִׁפְחָ֔הleshifchahpreposition + noun · feminine singulartagged: to a maid
  • When the woman came to Saul and saw how distraught he was, she said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice. I took my life in my hands and did as you told me.

    1 Samuel 28:21

    • שִׁפְחָֽתְךָ֙shifchatekhanoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: maidservant your
  • Now please listen to your servant and let me set a morsel of bread before you so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.”

    1 Samuel 28:22

    • שִׁפְחָתֶ֔ךָshifchatekhanoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: maidservant your

2 Samuel

seven uses
  • And your maidservant had two sons who were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.

    2 Samuel 14:6

    • וּלְשִׁפְחָֽתְךָ֙uleshifchatekhaconjunction (“and”) + preposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: and to maidservant your
  • Now the whole clan has risen up against your maidservant and said, ‘Hand over the one who struck down his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of the brother whom he killed. Then we will cut off the heir as well!’ So they would extinguish my one remaining ember by not preserving my husband’s name or posterity on the earth.”

    2 Samuel 14:7

    • שִׁפְחָתֶ֗ךָshifchatekhanoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: maidservant your
  • Then the woman said, “Please, may your servant speak a word to my lord the king?” “Speak,” he replied.

    2 Samuel 14:12

    • שִׁפְחָתְךָ֛shifchatekhanoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: maidservant your
  • Now therefore, I have come to present this matter to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant the request of his maidservant.

    2 Samuel 14:15

    • שִׁפְחָֽתְךָ֙shifchatekhanoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: maidservant your
  • And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is able to discern good and evil, just like the angel of God. May the LORD your God be with you.’”

    2 Samuel 14:17

    • שִׁפְחָ֣תְךָ֔shifchatekhanoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: maidservant your
  • So the king asked, “Is the hand of Joab behind all this?” The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king says. Yes, your servant Joab is the one who gave me orders; he told your maidservant exactly what to say.

    2 Samuel 14:19

    • שִׁפְחָֽתְךָ֔shifchatekhanoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: maidservant your
  • Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En-rogel, where a servant girl would come and pass along information to them. They in turn would go and inform King David, for they dared not be seen entering the city.

    2 Samuel 17:17

    • הַשִּׁפְחָה֙hashifchahthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: the maidservant

2 Kings

three uses
  • “How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

    2 Kings 4:2

    • לְשִׁפְחָתְךָ֥leshifchatekhapreposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: to maidservant your
  • And Elisha declared, “At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord,” she said. “Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God.”

    2 Kings 4:16

    • בְּשִׁפְחָתֶֽךָ׃beshifchatekhapreposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: to maidservant your
  • But Elisha questioned him, “Did not my spirit go with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to accept money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, menservants and maidservants?

    2 Kings 5:26

    • וּשְׁפָחֽוֹת׃ushefachotconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine pluraltagged: and maidservants

2 Chronicles

one use
  • And now you intend to reduce to slavery the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem. But are you not also guilty before the LORD your God?

    2 Chronicles 28:10

    • וְלִשְׁפָח֖וֹתvelishfachotconjunction (“and”) + preposition + noun · feminine pluraltagged: and to female slaves

Esther

one use
  • For my people and I have been sold out to destruction, death, and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as menservants and maidservants, I would have remained silent, because no such distress would justify burdening the king.”

    Esther 7:4

    • וְלִשְׁפָח֤וֹתvelishfachotconjunction (“and”) + preposition + noun · feminine pluraltagged: and to female slaves

Psalms

one use
  • As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the LORD our God until He shows us mercy.

    Psalms 123:2

    • שִׁפְחָה֮shifchahnoun · feminine singulartagged: a female slave

Proverbs

one use
  • an unloved woman who marries, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress.

    Proverbs 30:23

    • וְ֝שִׁפְחָ֗הveshifchahconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: and a female servant

Ecclesiastes

one use
  • I acquired menservants and maidservants, and servants were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me,

    Ecclesiastes 2:7

    • וּשְׁפָח֔וֹתushefachotconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine pluraltagged: and female slaves

Isaiah

two uses
  • The nations will escort Israel and bring it to its homeland. Then the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD’s land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.

    Isaiah 14:2

    • וְלִשְׁפָח֑וֹתvelishfachotconjunction (“and”) + preposition + noun · feminine pluraltagged: and to female servants
  • people and priest alike, servant and master, maid and mistress, buyer and seller, lender and borrower, creditor and debtor.

    Isaiah 24:2

    • כַּשִּׁפְחָ֖הkashifchahpreposition with the article + noun · feminine singulartagged: as the maidservant

Jeremiah

six uses
  • that each man should free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, and no one should hold his fellow Jew in bondage.

    Jeremiah 34:9

    • שִׁפְחָת֛וֹshifchatonoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: female slave his
  • So all the officials and all the people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their menservants and maidservants and no longer hold them in bondage. They obeyed and released them,

    Jeremiah 34:10

    • שִׁפְחָתוֹ֙shifchatonoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: female slave his
  • but later they changed their minds and took back the menservants and maidservants they had freed, and they forced them to become slaves again.

    Jeremiah 34:11

    • הַשְּׁפָח֔וֹתhashefachotthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine pluraltagged: the female slaves
    • וְלִשְׁפָחֽוֹת׃ סvelishfachotconjunction (“and”) + preposition + noun · feminine pluraltagged: and for female slaves
  • But now you have changed your minds and profaned My name. Each of you has taken back the menservants and maidservants whom you had set at liberty to go wherever they wanted, and you have again forced them to be your slaves.

    Jeremiah 34:16

    • שִׁפְחָת֔וֹshifchatonoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: female slave his
    • וְלִשְׁפָחֽוֹת׃ סvelishfachotconjunction (“and”) + preposition + noun · feminine pluraltagged: and into female slaves

Joel

one use
  • Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

    Joel 2:29

    • הַשְּׁפָח֑וֹתhashefachotthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine pluraltagged: the female servants

The letters

Where it leads

How the numbers are counted

Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.

Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.

The words it stands beside are the nouns, verbs and adjectives immediately before or after it, counted in every verse where the word stands. The article, the conjunctions and the prepositions are left out, because they stand beside every word.

The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.

Hebrew and Greek text, word tagging and grammar: STEP Bible (www.STEPBible.org), Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0. Their grammar codes are written out in English here and shown as tagged beside each one.

Meaning and senses: STEP Bible TBESH gloss (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary key: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890, public domain). English verse text: Berean Standard Bible (public domain, 2023).

Revised 2026-09-05. Every cited work, the sources registry →