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Sarh

  • philhoraia
  • Jun 21, 2024
  • 2 min read

This word occurs in three verses.


S 27:44 It was said to her: Enter the sarh. Then when she saw it she thought it a depth and uncovered her legs. He said: It is a sarh, polished, of crystal. She said: Lord, I have wronged myself and I have surrendered with Sulayman to Lah, lord of the ‘alamin.


This is derived from a story, a version of which may be found in Legends of the Jews.


Benaiah conducted the queen to Solomon, who had gone to sit in a house of glass to receive her. The queen was deceived by an illusion. She thought the king was sitting in water, and as she stepped across to him she raised her garment to keep it dry. On her bared feet the king noticed hair, and he said to her: "Thy beauty is the beauty of a woman, but thy hair is masculine; hair is an ornament to a man, but it disfigures a woman." Volume IV Chapter V Legends of the Jews index


S 28:38 And Fir’awn said: Chiefs, I have not known for you any god other than me. So kindle for me, Haman, on the clay and make me a sarh; perhaps I shall look at Musa’s god. And I think him of the liars.


As he might have simply used an existing building in order to chat to Allah, it would appear that this was a taller than usual structure and one might assume that the Tower of Babel is in the back of the author's mind.


S 40:36  And Fir’awn said: Haman, build me a sarh; perhaps I shall reach the cables,


The Jalalayn for this verse say:


And Pharaoh said ‘O Hāmān! Build for me a tower a lofty edifice that perhaps I may reach the routes —


and the author of the Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs:


And Pharaoh said) to his aid: (O Haman! Build for me a tower that haply I may reach the roads) that I may climb up to the gates, altafsir.com


Etymology 2

From Old South Arabian 𐩮𐩧𐩢 (ṣrḥ, “cult building”), also Old South Arabian 𐩮𐩧𐩢𐩩 (ṣrḥt, “upper floor; enclosed yard”), and passed into Ge'ez ጽርሕ (ṣərḥ, “chamber, private room; fortress; palace; temple”).

Noun

صَرْح (ṣarḥ) m (plural صُرُوح (ṣurūḥ))

  1. (rare) chamber, private room

  2. castle, palace, high building, edifice, tower quotations ▲

  • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 40:36: وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ يٰهٰمَٰنُ ٱِبْنِ لِي صَرْحًا لَّعَلِّي أَبْلُغُ الْأَسْبَٰبَ waqāla firʕawnu yāhāmānu ibni lī ṣarḥan llaʕallī ʔabluḡu l-ʔasbāba And Pharaoh said: O Haman! Build me a tower that I may reach the guardians [of heaven]!


صَرْح


- Large building fortified against attacks(formerly)


- House that was once such a fortified building or rook(chess)


- high building; edifice

 
 
 

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