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חָשָׁה

𐤇𐤔𐤄

châshâh

H2814 verb

SILEX Entry

Root חשה to be silent, to keep quiet, to be still

Definition

To be silent, to keep quiet, or to refrain from speech or noise, with an emphasis on conscious stillness or purposeful silence. The term can refer to literal silence (the absence of speaking or sound), or to silence in the sense of refraining from intervening or acting. In certain contexts, it can carry the nuance of being still in anticipation, awe, restraint, or submission.

Semantic Range

to be silent, to keep silence, to refrain from speaking, to be still, to await in silence, to restrain oneself from action or protest

Root / Etymology

From the root חשה (ח-ש-ה), likely conveying the sense of quietness or stillness. The verbal form חָשָׁה derives directly from the root, embodying the action of becoming or being silent. The root is not prolific and is mainly attested in poetic and prophetic passages, with related verbal forms and derivations showing a range focused on silence or absence of sound.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חָשָׁה is most commonly used in poetic and prophetic texts, such as Psalms, Isaiah, and Zephaniah, often in imperatives or descriptions of awaiting divine action or judgment. In some contexts, the word describes purposeful silence in response to awe or fear, while in others it signals restraint—refusing to speak or act, often as an expression of submission, expectation, or refusal to protest. It appears in both national and individual settings, such as the silence of the land before YHWH (e.g., Zephaniah 1:7), or the silence of a person before danger or authority figures. The standard English translation "be silent" adequately conveys the general sense but sometimes misses the depth of anticipation, awe, or purposeful restraint implied in Hebrew usage. The word contrasts with other Hebrew verbs for silence, such as דָּמַם (damam, 'to be still, to cease') and חָרַשׁ (charash, 'to be silent, deaf'), which focus more on stillness, cessation, or inability to hear, rather than intentional, responsive quietness. No significant shift in meaning is observed from earlier to later biblical periods, though its poetic and rhetorical nuances are especially marked in exilic and post-exilic prophetic literature.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to hush or keep quiet; hold peace, keep silence, be silent, (be) still.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חשה (ḥ-š-h) — silence, quietness, stillness

Word Forms

10 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2814-07 מַחְשִׁ֔ים macheshim HVhrmpa are keeping silent those who silence 4
H2814-04 הֶחֱשֽׁוּ hecheshu HVhv2mp be quiet Keep silent! 2
H2814-03 הֶחֱשֵׁ֨יתִי֙ hechesheyti HVhp1cs I have been silent I silenced 2
H2814-08 תֶּחֱשֶׁ֥ה techesheh HVqi2ms will you keep silent you will be silent 2
H2814-10 יֶחֱשׁ֑וּ yecheshu HVqi3mp be silent they will be silent 1
H2814-06 מַחְשֶׁה֙ machesheh HVhrmsa silent the one who silences 1
H2814-02 אֶחֱשֶׁ֔ה echesheh HVqi1cs will I hold my peace I will be silent 1
H2814-09 וַ֝/יֶּחֱשׁ֗וּ vayecheshu HC/Vqw3mp and they were hushed and they kept silent 1
H2814-05 לַ/חֲשׁ֖וֹת lachashot HR/Vqc to be silent 1
H2814-01 אֶחֱשֶׂה֙ echeseh HVqi1cs I will keep silent I will be silent 1

Occurrences in Scripture

16 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2814-07 Judges 18:9 מַחְשִׁ֔ים macheshim HVhrmpa hesitating those who silence
H2814-07 1 Kings 22:3 מַחְשִׁ֔ים macheshim HVhrmpa are keeping silent those who silence
H2814-04 2 Kings 2:3 הֶחֱשֽׁוּ hecheshu HVhv2mp be quiet Keep silent!
H2814-04 2 Kings 2:5 הֶחֱשֽׁוּ hecheshu HVhv2mp Keep quiet Keep silent!
H2814-07 2 Kings 7:9 מַחְשִׁ֗ים macheshim HVhrmpa are keeping silent those who silence
H2814-03 Isaiah 42:14 הֶחֱשֵׁ֨יתִי֙ hechesheyti HVhp1cs I have been silent I silenced
H2814-06 Isaiah 57:11 מַחְשֶׁה֙ machesheh HVhrmsa silent the one who silences
H2814-02 Isaiah 62:1 אֶחֱשֶׁ֔ה echesheh HVqi1cs will I hold my peace I will be silent
H2814-10 Isaiah 62:6 יֶחֱשׁ֑וּ yecheshu HVqi3mp be silent they will be silent
H2814-08 Isaiah 64:11 תֶּחֱשֶׁ֥ה techesheh HVqi2ms will you keep silent you will be silent
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