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)

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.

Word Origin
from the same as saday
Definition
field, land
NASB Translation
agricultural (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).

שָׂדַי noun masculine^{Psalm 96:12} field, land (rare original form of שָׂדֶה (q. v. below), only in poetry); — absolute ׳שׂ Jeremiah 4:17, שָׂדָ֑י Hosea 10:4 +; —

1 cultivated field Hosea 12:12, also Hosea 10:4 (si vera lectio, but see Now), yielding food Deuteronomy 32:13; Lamentations 4:9; ׳שֹׁמְרֵי שׂ Jeremiah 4:17 keepers, watchmen of a field.

2 home of wild beasts: ׳בְּהֵמוֺת שׂ Psalm 8:8; Joel 2:22, ׳חַיְתוֺ שׂ Isaiah 56:9; Psalm 104:11, ׳זִזִ שׂ Psalm 50:11; Psalm 80:14.

3 plain, opposite mountain, Jeremiah 18:14; (but dubious, Co Du שִׂרְיֹן).

4 land, opposed to sea, Psalm 96:12 (compare שָׂדֶה

3; "" תֵּבֵל Psalm 98:7).

שָׂדֶה₃₁₈ noun masculine^{Leviticus 27:24} id. (ordinary contracted form Ges^{§ 84 a f}); — absolute ׳שׂ Genesis 2:5 (twice in verse) +; construct שְׂדֵה Genesis 14:7 +; suffix שָׂדִי Jeremiah 32:7,8, שָֽׂדְךָ Deuteronomy 11:15 +, שָׂדֶ֑ךָ Deuteronomy 24:19; Leviticus 25:3, etc.; plural שָׂדוֺת 1 Samuel 22:7 +, construct שְׂדוֺת Nehemiah 12:29; also שְׂדֵי 2 Samuel 1:21; Isaiah 32:12; Ruth 1:1 8t. (some might be singular = שְׂדֵה compare Ba^{ZMG xlii (1888), 351} SS Buhl; note, e.g. שְׂדֵי Ruth 1:6a, = שְׂדֵה v^b Ruth 4:3; but see Kö^{ii. 1, 77}); suffix שְׂדֹתֶיהָ Nehemiah 11:30, etc.; also שָׂדֶיךָ 1 Kings 2:26, שָׂדֵינוּ Micah 2:4; —

1 open field, country:

a. pasture-land Genesis 29:2; Genesis 30:16; Exodus 9:3 (all J), Deuteronomy 11:15; 1 Samuel 11:5 10t. J, JE.

b. unfrequented Genesis 24:63,65, exposed to violence Genesis 4:8 (J), 2 Samuel 14:6; Deuteronomy 21:1; Deuteronomy 22:25,27, to wild beasts Exodus 22:30 (E), Ezekiel 33:27.

c. specifically home of beasts: 2 Samuel 17:8; Jeremiah 14:5; especially phrase ׳חַיַּת הַשּׂ Genesis 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 ("" חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ), + 16 t.; ׳בֶּהֱמַת הַשּׂ 1 Samuel 17:44 compare Joel 1:20; ׳אַיְלוֺת הַשּׂ Songs 2:7; Songs 3:5, compare ׳הַצְּבָיִם אֲשֶׁר בַּשּׂ 2 Samuel 2:18; hunting-ground Genesis 25:29; Genesis 27:3,5 (all J E), compare ׳אִישׁ שׂ Genesis 25:27 (J E; "" אִישׁ יֹדֵעַ צַיִד).

d. yielding plants and trees: Genesis 25:27 (JE), Genesis 30:14 (J), Exodus 10:5 (JE), 2 Kings 4:39; Ezekiel 21:2; Ezekiel 39:10; especially phrase ׳עֵשֶׂב הַשּׂ Genesis 2:5; Genesis 3:18 (both J), + 6 t. + ׳בַּשּׂ ׳ע Zechariah 10:1; ׳שִׂיח הַשּׂ Genesis 2:5, ׳גֶּפֶן שׂ 2 Kings 4:39, ׳מַּקֻּעֹת שׂ V:39, ׳צִיץ הַשּׂ Isaiah 40:15; Psalm 103:15, ׳צֶמַח הַשּׂ Ezekiel 16:7; ׳עֵץ הַשּׂ (4 t. עֲצֵי) Exodus 9:25 (JE), Deuteronomy 20:19; Leviticus 26:4 (H) Isaiah 55:12 8t.; 2 Samuel 1:21 see תְּרוּמָה, √ רום.

e. stony, ׳אַבְנֵי הַשּׂ Job 5:23.

f. open country, outside of walled city Judges 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-ground Joshua 8:24 (J), 2 Samuel 10:8 = 1 Chronicles 19:9; 2 Samuel 11:23; 2 Samuel 18:6, outside of military camp 1 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; שְׂדֵה אֶרֶץ Leviticus 25:31; as site of small town, country#NAME? 1 Samuel 27:5 (opposed to royal city), compare 1 Chronicles 27:25; of high places, ׳גְּבָעוֺת בַּשּׂ Jeremiah 13:27; quite General, 1 Samuel 30:11; Jeremiah 40:7,13; including road Judges 20:31; 1 Kings 11:29; Jeremiah 6:25; distinguished from road Numbers 22:23 (JE), 2 Samuel 20:12; outside houses and courtyards Exodus 8:9 (P), 1 Samuel 25:15; ׳בַּשּׂ nearly = outdoors Exodus 1:14 (P), Judges 13:9; of surface of country or ground, ׳בַּשּׂ Exodus 16:25 (J E; = עַלמְּֿנֵי הַמִּדְבָּר V:14), compare 1 Samuel 14:25; so ׳(אֶל) לְַמְּֿנֵי הַשּׂ 2 Kings 9:37; Jeremiah 9:22; Ezekiel 29:5 ("" הַמִּדְבָּ֫רָה), Ezekiel 32:4; Ezekiel 39:5; same phrase opposed to house, comfort, etc., 2 Samuel 11:11; Ezekiel 16:5, opposed to city Leviticus 14:7,53, opposed to tent Numbers 19:16 (all P), opposed to tent of meeting Leviticus 17:5 (H).

g. = expanse of country, opposed to mountain, in phrase ׳מְרוֺמֵי שׂ Judges 5:18; ׳הֲרָרִי בַּשּׂ Jeremiah 17:3 (of Jerusalem) is dubious; compare ׳לְעִי הַשּׂ Micah 1:6 (Jeremiah 18:14 see שָׂדַי).

2 definite portion of ground, field, land:

a. cultivated ground Genesis 37:7 (E), Genesis 47:24 (J; זֶרַע הַשָּׂדֶה), 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., + שְׂדֵי תְרוּמוֺת 2 Samuel 1:21, זָֿ֑רַע׳שׂ Ezekiel 17:5, שָׂדֶה טוֺב V:8 good soil.

b. as private property, 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 ׳חֶלְקַת (הַ)שּׂ, see חֶלְקָה; and צֹפִים ׳שׂ, see צפה.

c. city-land, adjacent to city (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 Zoan Psalm 78:12; Psalm 78:43.

d. territory of nation, tribe: Genesis 32:4; Numbers 21:20 (both J E), Judges 5:4; Ruth 1:1,2; Genesis 14:7 13t. + ׳שְׂדֵה נִחֲלַת יִשׂ Judges 20:6.

e. territory of king, 2 Samuel 9:7; 2 Samuel 13:30.

3 land, opposed to sea, 1 Chronicles 16:32 (opposed to הַיָּם; = שָׂדַי Psalm 96:12), perhaps also mainland Ezekiel 26:6,8 (Co Krae Toy and others; not Sm).

שִׂדִּים see שׂדד. שְׂדֵרָה see סדר above,

Created order and original stewardship

Genesis 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.

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 wəśāḏōwṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts