5489. Suph
Lexical Summary
Suph: Reed, Red Sea

Original Word: סוּף
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Cuwph
Pronunciation: soof
Phonetic Spelling: (soof)
KJV: Red Sea
NASB: Suph
Word Origin: [for H5488 (סוּף - reeds) (by ellipsis of H3220 (יָם - sea))]

1. the Reed (Sea)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Red Sea

For cuwph (by ellipsis of yam); the Reed (Sea) -- Red Sea.

see HEBREW cuwph

see HEBREW yam

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from suph
Definition
"reed," a place near which the law was given
NASB Translation
Suph (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
II. סוּף proper name, of a location (si vera lectio) named in defining location of Deuteronomic law-giving Deuteronomy 1:1 (מול סוּף, where מוֺל by dissimil. for מוּל); but read perhaps מִיַּם סוּף (ᵐ5 πλησίον ρῆς ἐρυθρᾶς, ᵐ5L + θαλάσσης, ᵑ9 contra mare rubrum), see I. סוּף.

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Setting

“Suph” is named once in the canonical text, in the preamble to Moses’ first discourse: “These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel across the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab” (Deuteronomy 1:1). By locating the scene “opposite Suph,” the inspired writer pins Moses’ address to a real point on the eastern side of the Jordan River, somewhere in the stretch of semi-arid land that slopes down to the Arabah. The verse strings together several landmarks recognizable to Israel’s wilderness generation, functioning as verbal coordinates for a covenant assembly that actually took place.

Geographical Proposals

While the precise coordinates have not been fixed with certainty, three principal proposals arise:

1. A settlement or oasis at the northern tip of the Arabah, perhaps near modern Safi in Jordan.
2. A ridge or escarpment overlooking the Arabah, marking one of the natural amphitheaters where the tribes could gather.
3. A shorthand reference to the district adjoining the southern end of the Dead Sea, where wadis converge and where Israel likely camped on its north-eastern approach to the Jordan.

Each view seeks to explain how Suph could be “opposite” the Arabah while still lying along Israel’s route from Kadesh-barnea to the plains of Moab. Regardless of the exact spot, the single mention underscores that the Deuteronomic sermons were delivered in a definable, historical location, not in mythical space.

Relationship to “Yam Suph”

Because “Suph” sounds identical to the term that forms part of the Hebrew phrase translated “Red Sea,” older commentators sometimes equated the place with those waters. Modern study, however, distinguishes the two. “Yam Suph” denotes the body of water Israel crossed in the Exodus, whereas “Suph” in Deuteronomy 1:1 refers to a land marker opposite the Arabah. The similarity of spelling invites reflection on a thematic link: the God who brought Israel through the Sea now addresses them at Suph—reminding the congregation that the journey begun in deliverance must end in obedience.

Historical and Covenant Significance

Suph frames the context of covenant renewal. Standing opposite this site, Moses reviews forty years of divine guidance, rebellion, judgment, and mercy. The geographical notice serves several purposes:
• It grounds revelation in history; the Law-giver speaks at a verifiable location.
• It signals transition: the wilderness wanderings are giving way to conquest and settlement.
• It recalls the faithfulness of God from the Sea of deliverance (Yam Suph) to the brink of inheritance (opposite Suph). Thus, Suph becomes a silent witness to the continuity of grace.

Ministry Implications

1. Preachers and teachers can draw on Suph to emphasize that Scripture is rooted in real time and space; its exhortations arise from concrete events.
2. The juxtaposition of Suph with other sites in Deuteronomy 1:1 models the importance of remembering the spiritual journey in detail, reinforcing testimony and accountability.
3. For discipleship, Suph teaches that God’s past acts of salvation (the Sea) are inseparably connected to present calls to obedience (the plains of Moab).

Contemporary Application

Believers today also stand “opposite Suph”: poised between past redemption and future promise. The location reminds the church to recount God’s dealings, to listen anew to His Word, and to step forward in faith. Suph is therefore more than an obscure geographical footnote; it is a landmark of covenant continuity, exhorting every generation to heed the voice of the Lord whose faithfulness endures from the Sea to the Jordan.

Forms and Transliterations
ס֜וּף סוף suf sūp̄
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Deuteronomy 1:1
HEB: בָּֽעֲרָבָה֩ מ֨וֹל ס֜וּף בֵּֽין־ פָּארָ֧ן
NAS: opposite Suph, between
KJV: over against the Red [sea], between Paran,
INT: the Arabah opposite Suph between Paran

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 5489
1 Occurrence


sūp̄ — 1 Occ.

5488
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