וַ/יִּשְׁכַּ֥ב
𐤅/𐤉𐤔𐤊𐤁
shâkab
lay with
To lie down, with the primary sense of reclining or resting, but frequently also as an idiom for sexual union and as a euphemism for death. Schakab is used for a range of physical states from ordinary rest or sleep, to the act of sleeping together (sexual intercourse), and for dying (particularly 'to lie with ancestors' as an idiom for death). Broader usage includes simply lying down for rest, remaining or staying in a certain position, and lodging for the night.
Genesis 34:2 · Word #11
Lexicon H7901
| Lemma | שָׁכַב |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤔𐤊𐤁 |
| Transliteration | shâkab |
| Strong's | H7901 |
| Definition | To lie down, with the primary sense of reclining or resting, but frequently also as an idiom for sexual union and as a euphemism for death. Schakab is used for a range of physical states from ordinary rest or sleep, to the act of sleeping together (sexual intercourse), and for dying (particularly 'to lie with ancestors' as an idiom for death). Broader usage includes simply lying down for rest, remaining or staying in a certain position, and lodging for the night. |
Morphology HC/Vqw3ms
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state |
| Binyan | q — Qal — Simple active |
| Conjugation | w — Sequential Imperfect — Imperfect with waw-consecutive, narrating past events |
| Person | 3 — 3rd person — Third person ("he/she/they") |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
Common Translation
| Phrase | lay with |
SIBI-P1 Translation H7901-40
and he lay down
| Morphological Notes | Verb, Qal stem, sequential imperfect (wayyiqtol), 3rd person masculine singular. |
| Rendering Rationale | The Qal sequential imperfect 3ms denotes a simple completed action in narrative sequence. "Lay down" preserves the core physical sense of reclining from the root שׁכב without narrowing it to sleep, sex, or death, which are contextual extensions. |
View full lexicon entry for H7901 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
and he lay with
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | Changed from 'and he lay down' to 'and he lay with' since the context is sexual union, a common idiomatic usage in Biblical Hebrew for וַיִּשְׁכַּב. This reflects the Hebrew idiom more faithfully in this narrative context. |