Original Word: שְׂאֵת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: s'eth
Pronunciation: seh-ayth
Phonetic Spelling: (seh-ayth')
KJV: be accepted, dignity, excellency, highness, raise up self, rising
NASB: swelling, majesty, authority, dignity, high position, lifted, raises
Word Origin: [from H5375 (נָשָׂא נָסָה - lifted)]

1. an elevation or leprous scab
2. (figuratively) elation or cheerfulness
3. exaltation in rank or character

be accepted, dignity, highness, raise up self, rising

From nasa'; an elevation or leprous scab; figuratively, elation or cheerfulness; exaltation in rank or character -- be accepted, dignity, excellency, highness, raise up self, rising.

see HEBREW nasa'

Word Origin
from nasa
Definition
exaltation, dignity, swelling, uprising
NASB Translation
authority (1), dignity (1), high position (1), lifted (1), majesty (2), raises (1), swelling (7).

שְׂאֵת noun feminine 1. exaltation, dignity.

2 swelling.

3 uprising; — ׳שׂ absolute Genesis 4:7 +, construct Leviticus 13:28 +; suffix שְׂאֵתוֺ Job 13:11 +; (מִ)שֵּׂתוֺ Job 41:17; —

1 dignity Genesis 49:3 (dignity of first-born), Psalm 62:5, of Chaldeans Habakkuk 1:7; of God, his exaltation, loftiness Job 13:11; Job 31:23.

2 swelling, eruption, בְּעוֺר בֶּשָׂר Leviticus 13:2 ( + סַמַּחַת, בַּהֶרֶת ), compare Leviticus 14:56 (+ id.); also Leviticus 13:10 (twice in verse); Leviticus 13:19,28, הַנֶּגַע Leviticus 13:43 (all P).

3 uprising, Job 41:17 at his uprising the mighty are in dread.

4 Genesis 4:7 is dubious; — is there not acceptance ? ᵑ6 ᵑ9 and others; forgiveness ᵑ7 Holz and others; uplifting of countenance, cheerfulness, Ew De Ke Di Kau.

Summary of Biblical Usage

The noun שְׂאֵת (seʾeth) gathers ideas of lifting, elevation, swelling, eminence, and majesty. Across its fourteen occurrences it oscillates between literal “swelling” on the skin and figurative “raising up” of status, power, or awe. The contexts cluster into three broad domains: (1) moral acceptance and honor, (2) ceremonial purity, and (3) impressive stature—whether divine, human, or even bestial.

Elevation, Honor, and Acceptance

• Genesis 4:7 places שְׂאֵת at the heart of the first moral crisis after Eden. “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?”. Acceptance is pictured as a “lifting of the face,” a public vindication. Cain’s rejected offering shows that honor cannot be seized; it is bestowed by God on righteousness.
• In Genesis 49:3 Jacob ascribes to Reuben “the excellence of dignity and the excellence of power.” The word twice signals the privileged elevation of the firstborn. Reuben forfeits it by sin (Genesis 49:4), illustrating that covenant elevation must be matched by covenant fidelity.
• Psalm 62:4 laments conspirators who “fully intend to topple him from his lofty height.” Human grandeur—political, social, or personal—is vulnerable unless anchored in God.
• Habakkuk 1:7 describes the Chaldeans: “Their justice and sovereignty proceed from themselves.” The prophet derides a self-generated שְׂאֵת, an arrogant autonomy that will meet divine judgment.

Majesty That Inspires Awe

• Job 13:11 asks, “Would His majesty not terrify you?” while Job 31:23 echoes, “His splendor I cannot endure.” שְׂאֵת is here the numinous weight of God’s presence, a counterpoint to human pretension.
• Job 41:25 portrays Leviathan: “When he rises up, the mighty are terrified.” The created monster’s “rising” is a faint reflection of the Creator’s own overpowering majesty, underscoring that even the most formidable creature is still subordinate to God.

Diagnostic Term in Levitical Purity

Eight uses (Leviticus 13:2, 10, 19, 28, 43; 14:56) move from metaphor to dermatology. שְׂאֵת marks a raised lesion that may be leprous. The priestly examination links physical elevation on the skin to ritual impurity, dramatizing how sin “erupts” and must be discerned, isolated, and cleansed. The term recurs in Leviticus 14:56 within the closing catalogue of skin ailments addressed by the law, assuring Israel that God provides a path from uncleanness to restoration.

Moral and Pastoral Insights

1. True elevation is God-granted. From Cain to Reuben, Scripture warns against self-exaltation and commends humble obedience that God may “lift you up in due time” (echoed later in 1 Peter 5:6).
2. Spiritual leadership—whether of a firstborn son, a king, or a nation—carries accountability. Shifting from שְׂאֵת to shame is tragically swift when holiness is neglected.
3. Levitical usage reminds the church that sin is not merely private; it is observable, contagious, and community-corrupting. The priestly model foreshadows the pastoral duty to confront and heal through the gospel.
4. The majestic sense of שְׂאֵת invites reverence. Encountering the splendor of God instills both comfort and holy fear, motivating worship and obedience.

Christological Reflection

The Son of God embodies the flawless שְׂאֵת. In rejection and crucifixion, His face was not lifted; yet in resurrection and ascension the Father “highly exalted Him” (Philippians 2:9). He cleanses the deeper “swelling” of sin (Hebrews 9:14) and secures the believer’s final elevation, “when Christ, who is your life, appears” (Colossians 3:4).

Ministry Application

• Preaching: Contrast self-seeking elevation with God-given exaltation; call hearers to repent like Cain should have.
• Counseling: Use Leviticus imagery to discuss hidden sin that must be brought to light for healing.
• Worship: Emphasize God’s overwhelming majesty that silences pride and inspires adoration.

Seʾeth therefore threads through Scripture as a vibrant testimony that the Lord alone lifts up, diagnoses, cleanses, and enthrones.

אתו בַּשְׂאֵֽת׃ בשאת׃ וְלַשְׂאֵ֥ת וּ֝מִשְּׂאֵת֗וֹ וּשְׂאֵת֖וֹ ולשאת ומשאתו ושאתו מִ֭שֵּׂתוֹ מִשְּׂאֵת֨וֹ ׀ משאתו משתו שְׂ֭אֵתוֹ שְׂאֵ֔ת שְׂאֵ֖ת שְׂאֵ֣ת שְׂאֵ֤ת שְׂאֵ֥ת שְׂאֵת־ שאת שאת־ ’ê·ṯōw ’êṯōw baś’êṯ baś·’êṯ basEt etov miś·śə·’ê·ṯōw miś·śê·ṯōw miśśə’êṯōw misseeTo misseto miśśêṯōw śə’êṯ śə’êṯ- śə·’êṯ śə·’êṯ- seEt ū·miś·śə·’ê·ṯōw ū·śə·’ê·ṯōw ūmiśśə’êṯōw umisseeTo ūśə’êṯōw useeTo velasEt wə·laś·’êṯ wəlaś’êṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts