Lexical Summary
serephah: Burning, fire, conflagration, destruction by fire
Original Word:שָׂרֵפָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:srephah
Pronunciation:seh-reh-fah'
Phonetic Spelling:(ser-ay-faw')
KJV: burning
NASB:burning, fire, blaze, burnt, burned, thoroughly
Word Origin:[fromH8313 (שָׂרַף - burned)]
1. cremation
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
burning
Fromsaraph; cremation -- burning.
see HEBREWsaraph
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
saraphDefinitiona burning
NASB Translationblaze (2), burned (1), burning (4), burnt (2), fire (3), thoroughly (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; — absolute
Isaiah 9:4 +, construct
Numbers 19:6 +; — of brick-burning
Genesis 11:3 (+ ); destructive
Amos 4:11;
Isaiah 9:4, of land
Deuteronomy 29:22, of temple,
Isaiah 64:10,
Jeremiah 51:25 i.e. a burnt-out volcano (figurative of Babylonian ); of heifer
Numbers 19:6, compare
Numbers 19:17; of spices (probably) as funeral rite 2Chronicles 16:14 (as accusative of congnate meaning with verb), 2Chronicles 21:19 (object of ),
2 Chronicles 21:19; of person (penal)
Leviticus 10:6 (accusative of congnate meaning with verb, subject),
Numbers 17:2.
Topical Lexicon
Definition and Scopeשָׂרֵפָה (serephah) denotes a burning, conflagration, or the place and aftermath of fire. Across its thirteen occurrences the term ranges from ordinary kiln‐fire to sacrificial flames, funeral pyres, and sweeping divine judgments.
Occurrences and Contexts
1. Construction fire:Genesis 11:3.
2. Sanctuary judgment:Leviticus 10:6;Numbers 16:37.
3. Red-heifer rite:Numbers 19:6,Numbers 19:17.
4. Covenant curse imagery:Deuteronomy 29:23.
5. Royal funeral pyres:2 Chronicles 16:14;2 Chronicles 21:19 (twice).
6. Military conflagration:Isaiah 9:5.
7. Temple desolation:Isaiah 64:11.
8. Prophecy against Babylon:Jeremiah 51:25.
9. Sodom-like warning:Amos 4:11.
Symbol of Divine Judgment
Serephah often marks the righteous retribution of God. Nadab and Abihu fell before “the burning of the LORD” (Leviticus 10:6). Korah’s censers were gathered “from among the flames” (Numbers 16:37) as lasting testimony that rebellion invites consuming holiness. Prophets employ the term to portray covenant curses (Deuteronomy 29:23), military devastation (Isaiah 9:5), and cosmic overthrow: “I am against you, O destroying mountain… I will make you a burnt mountain” (Jeremiah 51:25). Amos heightens the warning: “Yet you were like a firebrand snatched from the blaze” (Amos 4:11), underscoring mercy that rescues a remnant from deserved ruin.
Instrument of Ritual Purification
InNumbers 19 the serephah of the red heifer forms the core of Israel’s purification from corpse defilement. Cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet wool are thrown “onto the burning heifer” (Numbers 19:6), while “ashes from the burning” are later mixed with living water “for purification from sin” (Numbers 19:17). Fire here cleanses rather than destroys, foreshadowing the refining grace later declared: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver” (Malachi 3:3).
Funeral Honors
The Chronicler records two royal pyres. Asa was laid “on a bier filled with spices and blended perfumes, then they made a great fire in his honor” (2 Chronicles 16:14). Jehoram “died in great agony, and his people made no funeral fire for him like the fire for his fathers” (2 Chronicles 21:19). The contrast teaches that covenant fidelity, not mere position, secures honor in death.
National Catastrophe and Loss
Isaiah laments, “Our holy and glorious house… has been burned with fire” (Isaiah 64:11). The serephah of Solomon’s temple epitomizes the sorrow of exile and the consequences of collective sin. Yet even this devastation prepares the way for the promised glory of a restored house and ultimately the incarnate Temple, Jesus Christ (John 2:19-21).
Prophetic and Eschatological Echoes
Serephah imagery reaches forward to the final judgment where “the earth and its works will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10) and backward to earlier types such as Sodom (Amos 4:11). The recurring fire motif culminates in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15) for the unrepentant, while believers are refined “so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise” (1 Peter 1:7).
Practical Ministry Applications
• Preaching: Serephah passages provide solemn warnings against rebellion and powerful assurances that God’s purifying purpose outlasts judgment.
• Worship: The red-heifer ritual invites believers to rejoice in Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice that purges the conscience (Hebrews 9:13-14).
• Pastoral care: Funeral pyre contrasts encourage reflection on a legacy of faith; honor in death aligns with fidelity in life.
• Discipleship: The motif underlines the call to walk through refining trials, trusting the Lord who “brings forth righteousness through the fire.”
Christological Reflections
Every serephah text anticipates the cross where the Holy One endured the fiery wrath we deserved, fulfilling both the judgment and purification symbolism. His resurrection assures that for all who trust Him, fire no longer consumes but cleanses, and the ultimate serephah becomes the gateway to a new creation “in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).
Forms and Transliterations
הַשְּׂרֵפָ֔ה השרפה כִּשְׂרֵפַ֥ת כשרפת לִשְׂרֵ֣פַת לִשְׂרֵפָ֑ה לִשְׂרֵפָ֖ה לשרפה לשרפת מִשְּׂרֵפָ֑ה משרפה שְׂרֵפַ֣ת שְׂרֵפַ֥ת שְׂרֵפָ֖ה שְׂרֵפָ֣ה שְׂרֵפָֽה׃ שרפה שרפה׃ שרפת haś·śə·rê·p̄āh hassereFah haśśərêp̄āh kiś·rê·p̄aṯ kisreFat kiśrêp̄aṯ liś·rê·p̄āh liś·rê·p̄aṯ lisreFah lisRefat liśrêp̄āh liśrêp̄aṯ miś·śə·rê·p̄āh missereFah miśśərêp̄āh śə·rê·p̄āh śə·rê·p̄aṯ sereFah sereFat śərêp̄āh śərêp̄aṯ
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