Lexical Summary
sadeh: Field, countryside, open country
Original Word:שָׂדֶה
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:sadeh
Pronunciation:sah-DEH
Phonetic Spelling:(saw-deh')
KJV: country, field, ground, land, soil, X wild
NASB:field, fields, land, country, wild, ground, mainland
Word Origin:[from an unused root meaning to spread out]
1. a field (as flat)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
country, field, ground, land, soil, wild
Or saday {saw-dah'-ee}; from an unused root meaning to spread out; a field (as flat) -- country, field, ground, land, soil, X wild.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
sadayDefinitionfield, land
NASB Translationagricultural (1), battlefield* (1), country (14), countryside (1), countryside* (1), field (235), fields (32), ground (3), ground* (1), land (16), lands (1), mainland (2), soil (2), territory (2), wild (7).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Psalm 96:12 (rare original form of (q. v. below), only in poetry); — absolute
Jeremiah 4:17,
Hosea 10:4 +; —
fieldHosea 12:12, alsoHosea 10:4 (si vera lectio, but see Now), yielding foodDeuteronomy 32:13;Lamentations 4:9;Jeremiah 4:17keepers, watchmen of a field.
Psalm 8:8;Joel 2:22,Isaiah 56:9;Psalm 104:11,Psalm 50:11;Psalm 80:14.
).
land, opposed to sea,Psalm 96:12 (compare
; ""Psalm 98:7).
318Leviticus 27:24 id. (ordinary contracted form Ges§ 84 a f); — absoluteGenesis 2:5 (twice in verse) +; constructGenesis 14:7 +; suffixJeremiah 32:7,8,Deuteronomy 11:15 +,Deuteronomy 24:19;Leviticus 25:3, etc.; plural1 Samuel 22:7 +, constructNehemiah 12:29; also2 Samuel 1:21;Isaiah 32:12;Ruth 1:1 8t. (some might be singular = compare BaZMG xlii (1888), 351 SS Buhl; note, e.g.Ruth 1:6a, = vbRuth 4:3; but see Köii. 1, 77); suffixNehemiah 11:30, etc.; also1 Kings 2:26,Micah 2:4; —
field, country:
Genesis 29:2;Genesis 30:16;Exodus 9:3 (all J),Deuteronomy 11:15;1 Samuel 11:5 10t. J, JE.
Genesis 24:63,65, exposed to violenceGenesis 4:8 (J),2 Samuel 14:6;Deuteronomy 21:1;Deuteronomy 22:25,27, to wild beastsExodus 22:30 (E),Ezekiel 33:27.
specifically2 Samuel 17:8;Jeremiah 14:5; especially phraseGenesis 2:19,20;Genesis 3:1,14 (all J) of beasts in General, and, of wild beasts,Exodus 23:11,29 (E),Hosea 2:14;Hosea 2:20;Hosea 4:3;Hosea 13:8;Deuteronomy 7:22;Leviticus 26:22 (H),Job 5:23 ("" ), + 16 t.;1 Samuel 17:44 compareJoel 1:20;Songs 2:7;Songs 3:5, compare2 Samuel 2:18; hunting-groundGenesis 25:29;Genesis 27:3,5 (all J E), compareGenesis 25:27 (J E; "" ).
Genesis 25:27 (JE),Genesis 30:14 (J),Exodus 10:5 (JE),2 Kings 4:39;Ezekiel 21:2;Ezekiel 39:10; especially phraseGenesis 2:5;Genesis 3:18 (both J), + 6 t. +Zechariah 10:1;Genesis 2:5,2 Kings 4:39, V:39,Isaiah 40:15;Psalm 103:15,Ezekiel 16:7; (4 t. )Exodus 9:25 (JE),Deuteronomy 20:19;Leviticus 26:4 (H)Isaiah 55:12 8t.;2 Samuel 1:21 see , √ .
,Job 5:23.
open country, outside of walled cityJudges 9:32,42,43,44;Judges 19:16;1 Samuel 19:3;1 Samuel 20:5,11 (twice in verse);1 Samuel 20:24,35;2 Kings 7:12;Micah 4:10; as battle-groundJoshua 8:24 (J),2 Samuel 10:8 =1 Chronicles 19:9;2 Samuel 11:23;2 Samuel 18:6, outside of military camp1 Samuel 4:2;1 Samuel 14:15; opposed to city (in formula)1 Kings 14:11;1 Kings 16:4;1 Kings 21:24;Jeremiah 14:18;Ezekiel 7:15;Leviticus 25:31; as site of small town,country#NAME?1 Samuel 27:5 (opposed to royal city), compare1 Chronicles 27:25; of high places,Jeremiah 13:27; quite General,1 Samuel 30:11;Jeremiah 40:7,13; including roadJudges 20:31;1 Kings 11:29;Jeremiah 6:25; distinguished from roadNumbers 22:23 (JE),2 Samuel 20:12; outside houses and courtyardsExodus 8:9 (P),1 Samuel 25:15; nearly =outdoorsExodus 1:14 (P),Judges 13:9; of surface of country or ground,Exodus 16:25 (J E; = V:14), compare1 Samuel 14:25; so2 Kings 9:37;Jeremiah 9:22;Ezekiel 29:5 ("" ),Ezekiel 32:4;Ezekiel 39:5; same phrase opposed to house, comfort, etc.,2 Samuel 11:11;Ezekiel 16:5, opposed to cityLeviticus 14:7,53, opposed to tentNumbers 19:16 (all P), opposed to tent of meetingLeviticus 17:5 (H).
= expanse of country, opposed to mountain, in phraseJudges 5:18;Jeremiah 17:3 (of Jerusalem) is dubious; compareMicah 1:6 (Jeremiah 18:14 see ).
,field, land:
Genesis 37:7 (E),Genesis 47:24 (J; ),Exodus 22:4 (3 t. in verse);Exodus 22:5 (E),Leviticus 27:16,17 (P),Micah 3:12 (in simile)Ruth 2:2 47t., +2 Samuel 1:21,Ezekiel 17:5, V:8good soil.
,Micah 5:2;Micah 5:4;Isaiah 5:8 (twice in verse);Genesis 47:20 (J),Genesis 23:9,11,13 (P) + 50 t., + 2 Chronicles 26:23 (as burial-place); also , see ; and , see .
(town) and subject to its control:Genesis 41:48 (E),Leviticus 25:34 (P),Joshua 21:12 (P) =1 Chronicles 6:41;Nehemiah 11:25,30;Nehemiah 12:29,44; specifically of ZoanPsalm 78:12;Psalm 78:43.
Genesis 32:4;Numbers 21:20 (both J E),Judges 5:4;Ruth 1:1,2;Genesis 14:7 13t. +Judges 20:6.
,2 Samuel 9:7;2 Samuel 13:30.
land, opposed to sea,1 Chronicles 16:32 (opposed to ; =Psalm 96:12), perhaps alsomainlandEzekiel 26:6,8 (Co Krae Toy and others; not Sm).
see . see above,
Topical Lexicon
Created order and original stewardshipGenesis 2 introduces the field before sin enters the world: “no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth” (Genesis 2:5). Humanity’s first vocational call is agricultural—Adam is placed “to work it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). After the fall, the field becomes both the arena of toil (“cursed is the ground… by the sweat of your brow,”Genesis 3:17-19) and of conflict, as Cain murders Abel “while they were in the field” (Genesis 4:8). From the outset, שָׂדֶה functions as a stage on which obedience, sin, and redemption are displayed.
Provision, livelihood, and covenant blessing
Throughout the Pentateuch the field embodies God’s ordinary means of feeding His people. Isaac “sowed seed in that land and reaped a hundredfold” (Genesis 26:12). The covenant promises of Deuteronomy tie fruitfulness of the field to Israel’s fidelity: “The LORD will bless…the fruit of your ground” (Deuteronomy 28:4). Conversely, disobedience brings blight and barrenness (Deuteronomy 28:18, 38-40). Thus the field’s condition becomes a barometer of spiritual health.
Social justice and gleaning laws
Leviticus 19:9-10 and 23:22 command Israel not to reap to the edges of the field but to leave gleanings “for the poor and the foreigner.”Ruth 2 illustrates these statutes in action, revealing God’s heart for marginalized people and showcasing the field as a place where hesed (covenant kindness) is practiced. Ministry application: agricultural generosity models gospel compassion, reminding believers that their resources are held in trust for God’s wider purposes.
Land tenure, boundaries, and redemption
Property limits were sacred: “Do not move your neighbor’s boundary stone in the field” (Deuteronomy 19:14). The field could be sold, yet every Jubilee it returned to the original clan (Leviticus 25:23-28), underscoring divine ownership. Jeremiah’s purchase of a field at Anathoth during the Babylonian siege (Jeremiah 32:6-15) becomes a prophetic pledge of restoration—fields would once again be bought and cultivated in the land.
The field as venue of divine encounter
Patriarchs met God outside city walls: “Isaac went out to meditate in the field at evening” (Genesis 24:63). The Angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon in an open place where the barley was threshed (Judges 6:11-24). These episodes affirm that sacred moments are not confined to temples; God breaks in amid ordinary labor.
Warfare and national destiny
Open country often formed battlegrounds (1 Samuel 17:1-3;2 Samuel 1:21). David’s victory over Goliath in the Valley of Elah turns a pasture into a defining theological statement: “the battle belongs to the LORD” (1 Samuel 17:47). Fields therefore witness both harvest and holy war, reinforcing Yahweh’s sovereignty over Israel’s security and sustenance.
Poetic and prophetic imagery
Psalms and Prophets personify the field in praise and lament. “Let the fields exult, and all that is in them” (Psalm 96:12). Joel forecasts eschatological renewal: “The pastures of the wilderness are turning green” (Joel 2:22). Conversely, Micah warns that fields will be stripped by invaders (Micah 2:4). Such imagery keeps theological focus on the Creator who judges and restores the land.
Wisdom literature and moral exhortation
Proverbs employs the field to teach diligence and discernment: “I passed by the field of a slacker… thorns had grown up everywhere” (Proverbs 24:30-31). Ecclesiastes stresses the cycle of sowing and reaping under divine providence (Ecclesiastes 11:4-6). The field thus becomes a classroom for character formation.
Typological and messianic overtones
While שָׂדֶה is Hebrew, the Old Testament prepares for Jesus’ “parables of the field” (Matthew 13). Isaiah foresees deserts blossoming (Isaiah 35:1-2), anticipating the Messiah’s restorative reign. Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer who meets Ruth in the fields of Bethlehem, foreshadows Christ who gathers outsiders into covenant family.
Eschatological hope
Amos envisions days when “the plowman will overtake the reaper” (Amos 9:13), a picture of uninterrupted abundance.Ezekiel 36:9-11 promises that Israel’s fields will again be cultivated and multiplied, tying land renewal to national resurrection (Ezekiel 37). Revelation consummates this hope with a harvest motif (Revelation 14:15-16), revealing the field as a global symbol of final ingathering.
Contemporary ministry implications
1. Stewardship: Believers are called to cultivate creation responsibly, seeing vocation—agricultural or otherwise—as worship.
2. Compassion: Leaving “edges” for the needy translates into deliberate generosity with finances, time, and gospel witness.
3. Mission: Jesus’ declaration, “The harvest is plentiful” (Luke 10:2), echoes Old Testament field theology, urging workers into every culture.
4. Hope: As God can make desolate fields flourish, He can revive barren hearts and communities.
From Eden to New Jerusalem, שָׂדֶה traces a theological line of cultivation, covenant, judgment, and restoration, inviting God’s people to labor faithfully while anticipating the ultimate harvest.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּשָׂדְךָ֖ בְּשָׂדֶ֣ה בְּשָׂדֶ֥ה בְשָׂדֶ֖ה בְשָׂדֶ֜ךָ בִּשְׂדֵ֖ה בִּשְׂדֵ֣ה בִּשְׂדֵ֣י בִּשְׂדֵ֤ה בִּשְׂדֵ֥ה בִּשְׂדֵ֧ה בִּשְׂדֵ֨י בִּשְׂדֵה־ בִּשְׂדֵי־ בִּשְׂדֹתָ֑ם בַּ֭שָּׂדֶה בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֖ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֗ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֞ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֣ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֤ה בַּשָּׂדֶֽה׃ בַּשָּׂדֶה֙ בַשָּׂדֶ֔ה בַשָּׂדֶ֖ה בַשָּׂדֶ֗ה בַשָּׂדֶה֙ בַשָּׂדֶה֙ בשדה בשדה־ בשדה׃ בשדי בשדי־ בשדך בשדתם דה דות דותיכם די הַ֝שָּׂדֶ֗ה הַ֨שָּׂדֶ֔ה הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה הַשָּׂדֶ֛ה הַשָּׂדֶ֜ה הַשָּׂדֶ֣ה הַשָּׂדֶ֧ה הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃ הַשָּׂדֶה֒ הַשָּׂדֶה֙ הַשָּׂדֶה֮ הַשָּׂדֹֽת׃ השדה השדה׃ השדת׃ וְשָׂד֥וֹת וְשָׂדֶ֖ה וְשָׂדֶ֛ה וּֽשְׂדֵ֛ה וּבִשְׂדֵ֥י וּבַשָּׂדֶֽה׃ וּמִשְּׂד֥וֹת וּמִשְּׂדֵ֣ה וּשְׂדֵ֣י וּשְׂדֹתֵ֥ינוּ וּשְׂדֹתֶ֔יהָ ובשדה׃ ובשדי ומשדה ומשדות ושדה ושדות ושדי ושדתיה ושדתינו כִּשְׂדֵ֣ה כשדה לְשָׂדֵ֛הוּ לְשָׂדֶ֖ה לִשְׂדֵ֤י לשדה לשדהו לשדי מִשְּׂדֵ֣ה מִשְּׂדֵ֣י מִשְּׂדֵ֥ה משדה משדי שְׂ֠דֽוֹתֵיכֶם שְׂדֵ֖ה שְׂדֵ֞ה שְׂדֵ֣ה שְׂדֵ֥ה שְׂדֵ֧ה שְׂדֵ֨ה שְׂדֵה־ שְׂדֵי־ שְׂדֹתֵ֖ינוּ שְׂדֹתֵ֛ינוּ שְׂדֹתֵיהֶ֛ם שְׂדֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ שָֽׂדְךָ֙ שָׂ֝דֶ֗ה שָׂ֝דַ֗י שָׂ֥דֶה שָׂ֭דֶה שָׂ֭דַי שָׂ֭דוֹת שָׂד֞וֹת שָׂד֣וֹת שָׂד֥וֹת שָׂדְךָ֖ שָׂדִ֨י שָׂדִי֙ שָׂדֵ֑הוּ שָׂדֵ֔הוּ שָׂדֵ֖ינוּ שָׂדֵ֛הוּ שָׂדֵ֜הוּ שָׂדֵהוּ֒ שָׂדֶ֑ה שָׂדֶ֔ה שָׂדֶ֔יךָ שָׂדֶ֔ךָ שָׂדֶ֖ה שָׂדֶ֣ה שָׂדֶ֤ה שָׂדֶ֥ה שָׂדֶֽה׃ שָׂדֶה֙ שָׂדַ֔י שָׂדַ֖י שָׂדַ֣י שָׂדָ֑הּ שָׂדָ֑י שָׂדָֽהּ׃ שָׂדָֽי׃ שָׂדוֹת֙ שדה שדה־ שדה׃ שדהו שדות שדותיהם שדי שדי־ שדי׃ שדיך שדינו שדך שדתיהם שדתינו baś·śā·ḏeh ḇaś·śā·ḏeh bassaDeh baśśāḏeh ḇaśśāḏeh bə·śā·ḏə·ḵā ḇə·śā·ḏe·ḵā bə·śā·ḏeh ḇə·śā·ḏeh besadeCha besaDeh bəśāḏeh ḇəśāḏeh bəśāḏəḵā ḇəśāḏeḵā biś·ḏê biś·ḏê- biś·ḏêh biś·ḏêh- biś·ḏō·ṯām biśḏê biśḏê- bisDeh biśḏêh biśḏêh- bisDei bisdoTam biśḏōṯām Dai ḏay Deh ḏeh ḏō·w·ṯê·ḵem ḏō·wṯ dot Doteichem ḏōwṯ ḏōwṯêḵem haś·śā·ḏeh haś·śā·ḏōṯ hassaDeh haśśāḏeh hassaDot haśśāḏōṯ kiś·ḏêh kisDeh kiśḏêh lə·śā·ḏê·hū lə·śā·ḏeh lesaDeh ləśāḏeh lesaDehu ləśāḏêhū liś·ḏê liśḏê lisDei miś·śə·ḏê miś·śə·ḏêh miśśəḏê misseDeh miśśəḏêh misseDei śā·ḏāh śā·ḏay śā·ḏāy śā·ḏê·hū śā·ḏe·ḵā śā·ḏə·ḵā śā·ḏê·nū śā·ḏeh śā·ḏî śā·ḏō·wṯ saDah śāḏāh saDai śāḏay śāḏāy sadeCha saDeh śāḏeh saDehu śāḏêhū saDeicha saDeinu śāḏeḵā śāḏəḵā śāḏênū saDi śāḏî saDot śāḏōwṯ śə·ḏê- śə·ḏêh śə·ḏêh- śə·ḏō·ṯê·hem śə·ḏō·ṯê·nū śə·ḏō·w·ṯê·hem śəḏê- seDeh śəḏêh śəḏêh- sedei śəḏōṯêhem sedoteiHem sedoTeinu śəḏōṯênū śəḏōwṯêhem ū·ḇaś·śā·ḏeh ū·ḇiś·ḏê ū·miś·śə·ḏêh ū·miś·śə·ḏō·wṯ ū·śə·ḏê ū·śə·ḏêh ū·śə·ḏō·ṯe·hā ū·śə·ḏō·ṯê·nū ūḇaśśāḏeh ūḇiśḏê umisseDeh ūmiśśəḏêh umisseDot ūmiśśəḏōwṯ ūśəḏê useDeh ūśəḏêh useDei ūśəḏōṯehā usedoTeiha usedoTeinu ūśəḏōṯênū uvassaDeh uvisDei vassaDeh vesaDecha vesaDeh vesaDot wə·śā·ḏeh wə·śā·ḏō·wṯ wəśāḏeh wəśāḏōwṯ
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