Who was Sippai in the bible?

Sippai (Hebrew סִפַּי, transliterated Cippay, pronounced sip-pah’-ee) is identified as a Philistine and is described as being “of the sons of the giant.” The name is explained in a lexicon-derived sense as connected with something “bason-like,” built from a component that can refer to a “vestibule (as a limit)” and also “a dish.”

Sippai in Scripture

Sippai appears once, in a brief notice within a larger sequence of war reports in 1 Chronicles 20. The chapter opens by placing events in a time “when kings go out,” and it describes a campaign led by Joab against the children of Ammon while David remains in Jerusalem.

“At the time of the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, Joab led out the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. Joab struck Rabbah, and overthrew it.” (1 Chronicles 20:1, WEB)

The narrative continues with David taking the crown of the Ammonite king and bringing plunder out of the city, and it reports severe treatment of the people of Rabbah and of other Ammonite cities. The chapter then turns from Ammon to a new theater of conflict: war with the Philistines.

“David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it. It was set on David’s head, and he brought very much plunder out of the city.” (1 Chronicles 20:2, WEB)

After the account of Rabbah and the return to Jerusalem, the chronicler introduces Sippai in a succinct battle report set at Gezer. Sippai is not presented as speaking or acting; instead, he is named as the one killed by Sibbecai, and his description links him to the group called “the sons of the giant.” The outcome of this encounter is described as the subduing of the Philistines.

“After this, war arose at Gezer with the Philistines. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, of the sons of the giant; and they were subdued.” (1 Chronicles 20:4, WEB)

The verse situates Sippai within a series of clashes. Immediately after Sippai’s death, the text reports “Again there was war with the Philistines,” and it names another Philistine opponent connected to a famous giant figure. This pattern helps frame Sippai’s mention as one item in a set of Philistine conflicts involving men described in extraordinary terms or linked to “the giant.”

“Again there was war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.” (1 Chronicles 20:5, WEB)

The sequence continues with another war scene at Gath, where the chronicler describes a man “of great stature” with an unusual number of fingers and toes, and states that “he also was born to the giant.” This man is said to have “defied Israel,” and he is killed by Jonathan. The chapter concludes by gathering these separate notices into a summary that ties the defeats of these figures to David and his servants.

“There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand, and six on each foot; and he also was born to the giant.” (1 Chronicles 20:6, WEB)

“These were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.” (1 Chronicles 20:8, WEB)

Within this arrangement, Sippai’s identity is defined by three concise markers: he is associated with the Philistines (the war in which he is killed is “with the Philistines”), he is counted among “the sons of the giant,” and he falls in battle to a named Israelite warrior (“Sibbecai the Hushathite”). The narration’s focus stays on the progress of conflicts and the defeat of formidable enemies, rather than offering personal details about Sippai beyond his designation and death.

Name and Meaning

The name is given as סִפַּי (Cippay), pronounced sip-pah’-ee. A lexicon-derived explanation traces it to a root presented as conveying the sense “bason-like,” and it notes a component term (סַף) that can denote “a vestibule (as a limit)” and also “a dish.”

Brief Observation

In the chronicler’s sequence of Philistine wars, Sippai is one of those described as “born to the giant,” and his fall is included among defeats that “fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants” (1 Chronicles 20:8, WEB).

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name Sippai mean?

The name Sippai means “bason-like.”

How many times does Sippai appear in the Bible?

Sippai appears 1 time.

Who was Sippai?

Sippai was a Philistine. In 1 Chronicles 20:4, he is described as being “of the sons of the giant.”

What happened to Sippai in the war at Gezer?

During a war at Gezer with the Philistines, Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai (1 Chronicles 20:4).

Explore Further

If you found this page about Sippai interesting and would like to discover more about other biblical characters, explore our comprehensive Encyclopedia of Biblical Characters. For those looking to delve deeper into the Greek origins of these names and terms, our Greek Lexicon is an invaluable resource.

Sources: Name and occurrence data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and STEPBible reference data (CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).