יָשַׁב

𐤉𐤔𐤁

yâshab

H3427 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To sit, to remain, to dwell; most commonly, to take up residence in a place, inhabit, or to settle. Frequently used in both literal and figurative contexts: literally to sit, to take a seat, and more often in extended sense, of dwelling or residing in a location, either temporarily or permanently. Also used for continuing in a condition or position. In the causative stem, to cause to settle or dwell, to establish (often of populations or cities). Rarely, to marry in the sense of 'taking up home' (especially in the context of men marrying, i.e., settling with a wife).

Semantic Range

to sit down, to be seated, to remain, to dwell, to inhabit, to reside, to settle (oneself or others), to continue, to stay, to establish (inhabitants or settlements), to marry (rare, in sense of settling with a wife), to hold office (figurative, e.g. sit in judgment), to be in ambush (to lie in wait)

Root / Etymology

Root: י-ש-ב (y-sh-b). The root meaning is 'to sit,' with basic sense of settling oneself down. From this, meanings develop into a wide semantic field encompassing both physical action (to sit) and more abstract ideas of inhabiting or establishment (dwelling, residing).

Historical & Contextual Notes

יָשַׁב figures as one of the principal verbs for the concept of dwelling or residing in Biblical Hebrew, appearing across all strata of the Hebrew Bible. In earliest narratives, it often indicates nomadic encampment or temporary habitation, later coming to describe more permanent settlement (e.g., of cities, people in the land). In legal and political contexts, it may signify holding office or governing (e.g., 'sitting in the gate' as a judge/elder). In poetic or prophetic contexts, it sometimes conveys remaining in a condition (e.g., desolation, blessing). The causative form (hiphil) is frequently used for causing settlement—either resettling populations (e.g., the return from exile, Joshua’s conquest)—or establishing people/groups in a place. Comparatively, שָׁכַן (shakan) also means 'to dwell' but often with a connotation of presence or indwelling, especially of the divine. יָשַׁב typically carries a less sacred, more general nuance. English 'dwell' or 'inhabit' often captures the core meaning, but the nuance of remaining, continuing, or settling can be lost in translation, and the use for 'marrying' (esp. as 'settling with a wife') is uncommon and context-specific, generally absent in later periods. Post-biblical Hebrew sometimes restricts meanings further. Late biblical and post-exilic uses reflect more sedentary life and administrative developments.

Translation Consistency

primary "dwell" 37 occurrences

Yâshab most often carries the sense of taking up residence, remaining, or inhabiting a place; in Biblical usage it is regularly translated as “dwell”/“dwelt.” Choosing “dwell” gives a single, neutral English verb that cleanly covers the common literal and extended senses (sit/remain/reside/inhabit/settle/continue) while matching the dominant renderings in the occurrence data. It is also easily inflected across forms (dwell(s)/dwelt/dwelling) for consistent SIBI mapping.

Alternatives (13 occurrences):
"dwelling-one of" (5x) "sat" (3x) "sitting" (1x) "dwellers of" (1x) "sit down" (1x) "stay" (1x) "among the inhabitants" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry; (make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, [idiom] fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, [idiom] marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-) sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

יָשַׁב (yâshab) — to sit, to stay, to reside, to dwell

Root יָשַׁב to sit, to stay, to reside, to dwell

Word Forms

151 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3427-142 יֹשְׁבֵ֣י yoshevey HVqrmpc inhabitants of dwellers of dwellers of 141
H3427-139 יוֹשֵׁ֣ב yoshev HVqrmsa inhabitant dwelling-one of dwelling-one of 138
H3427-84 וַ/יֵּ֥שֶׁב vayeshev HC/Vqw3ms and dwelt and he sat/dwelt and he dwelt 96
H3427-85 וַ/יֵּֽשְׁב֛וּ vayeshevu HC/Vqw3mp and dwelt and they settled and they dwelt 55
H3427-19 הַ/יֹּשְׁבִ֥ים hayoshevim HTd/Vqrmpa who dwell the ones dwelling the ones dwelling 35
H3427-135 יֵשֵׁ֣ב yeshev HVqi3ms shall sit may he dwell may he dwell 32
H3427-29 לָ/שֶׁ֗בֶת lashevet HR/Vqc to dwell to sit, to dwell to dwell 31
H3427-132 יָ֥שְׁבוּ yashevu HVqp3cp dwelt they dwelt they dwelt 31
H3427-144 יֹשְׁבִ֖ים yoshevim HVqrmpa were sitting the ones dwelling the ones dwelling 30
H3427-15 הַ/יּוֹשֵׁ֖ב hayoshev HTd/Vqrmsa who dwelt the one dwelling the one dwelling 28

Occurrences in Scripture

1092 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3427-84 Genesis 4:16 וַ/יֵּ֥שֶׁב vayeshev HC/Vqw3ms dwelt and he sat/dwelt and he dwelt
H3427-139 Genesis 4:20 יֹשֵׁ֥ב yoshev HVqrmsc those who dwell dwelling-one of dwelling-one of
H3427-85 Genesis 11:2 וַ/יֵּ֥שְׁבוּ vayeshevu HC/Vqw3mp and they settled and they settled and they dwelt
H3427-85 Genesis 11:31 וַ/יֵּ֥שְׁבוּ vayeshevu HC/Vqw3mp and they settled and they settled and they dwelt
H3427-29 Genesis 13:6 לָ/שֶׁ֣בֶת lashevet HR/Vqc to dwell to sit, to dwell to dwell
H3427-29 Genesis 13:6 לָ/שֶׁ֥בֶת lashevet-2 HR/Vqc to dwell to sit, to dwell to dwell
H3427-139 Genesis 13:7 יֹשֵׁ֥ב yoshev HVqrmsa dwelled dwelling-one of dwelling in
H3427-125 Genesis 13:12 יָשַׁ֣ב yashav HVqp3ms dwelled he sat he dwelt
H3427-125 Genesis 13:12 יָשַׁב֙ yashav-2 HVqp3ms dwelled he sat he dwelt
H3427-84 Genesis 13:18 וַ/יֵּ֛שֶׁב vayeshev HC/Vqw3ms and dwelt and he sat/dwelt and he dwelt
H3427-15 Genesis 14:7 הַ/יֹּשֵׁ֖ב hayoshev HTd/Vqrmsa who dwelt the one dwelling the one dwelling
H3427-139 Genesis 14:12 יֹשֵׁ֖ב yoshev HVqrmsa was living dwelling-one of dwelling-one of
H3427-34 Genesis 16:3 לְ/שֶׁ֥בֶת leshevet HR/Vqc had lived to dwell to dwell
H3427-139 Genesis 18:1 יֹשֵׁ֥ב yoshev HVqrmsa was sitting dwelling-one of sitting
H3427-139 Genesis 19:1 יֹשֵׁ֣ב yoshev HVqrmsa was sitting dwelling-one of dwelling-one of
H3427-142 Genesis 19:25 יֹשְׁבֵ֣י yoshevey HVqrmpc inhabitants of dwellers of dwellers of
H3427-125 Genesis 19:29 יָשַׁ֥ב yashav HVqp3ms had lived he sat he dwelt
H3427-84 Genesis 19:30 וַ/יֵּ֣שֶׁב vayeshev HC/Vqw3ms and dwelt and he sat/dwelt and he dwelt
H3427-29 Genesis 19:30 לָ/שֶׁ֣בֶת lashevet HR/Vqc to dwell to sit, to dwell to dwell
H3427-84 Genesis 19:30 וַ/יֵּ֨שֶׁב֙ vayeshev-2 HC/Vqw3ms and he dwelt and he sat/dwelt and he dwelt
H3427-84 Genesis 20:1 וַ/יֵּ֥שֶׁב vayeshev HC/Vqw3ms settled and he sat/dwelt and he dwelt
H3427-55 Genesis 20:15 שֵֽׁב shev HVqv2ms dwell Sit Dwell
H3427-80 Genesis 21:16 וַ/תֵּ֨שֶׁב vateshev HC/Vqw3fs and sat and she sat/dwelt and she sat
H3427-80 Genesis 21:16 וַ/תֵּ֣שֶׁב vateshev-2 HC/Vqw3fs and she sat and she sat/dwelt and she sat
H3427-84 Genesis 21:20 וַ/יֵּ֨שֶׁב֙ vayeshev HC/Vqw3ms and he lived and he sat/dwelt and he dwelt
H3427-84 Genesis 21:21 וַ/יֵּ֖שֶׁב vayeshev HC/Vqw3ms And he dwelt and he sat/dwelt and he dwelt
H3427-59 Genesis 22:5 שְׁבוּ shevu HVqv2mp Stay Sit down! Sit down
H3427-84 Genesis 22:19 וַ/יֵּ֥שֶׁב vayeshev HC/Vqw3ms and dwelt and he sat/dwelt and he dwelt
H3427-139 Genesis 23:10 יֹשֵׁ֖ב yoshev HVqrmsa was sitting dwelling-one of dwelling-one of
H3427-139 Genesis 24:3 יוֹשֵׁ֥ב yoshev HVqrmsa am living dwelling-one of dwelling-one of
H3427-139 Genesis 24:37 יֹשֵׁ֥ב yoshev HVqrmsa dwell dwelling-one of dwell
H3427-65 Genesis 24:55 תֵּשֵׁ֨ב teshev HVqi3fs Let [her] stay she will dwell she will dwell
H3427-139 Genesis 24:62 יוֹשֵׁ֖ב yoshev HVqrmsa was dwelling dwelling-one of dwelling in
H3427-84 Genesis 25:11 וַ/יֵּ֣שֶׁב vayeshev HC/Vqw3ms and Isaac dwelt and he sat/dwelt and he dwelt
H3427-139 Genesis 25:27 יֹשֵׁ֖ב yoshev HVqrmsa dwelling dwelling-one of dwelling
H3427-84 Genesis 26:6 וַ/יֵּ֥שֶׁב vayeshev HC/Vqw3ms And dwelt and he sat/dwelt and he dwelt
H3427-84 Genesis 26:17 וַ/יֵּ֥שֶׁב vayeshev HC/Vqw3ms and dwelt and he sat/dwelt and he dwelt
H3427-56 Genesis 27:19 שְׁבָ֗/ה shevah HVqv2ms/Sh sit sit down dwell
H3427-107 Genesis 27:44 וְ/יָשַׁבְתָּ֥ veyashaveta HC/Vqq2ms and stay and you dwelt and you stay
H3427-84 Genesis 29:14 וַ/יֵּ֥שֶׁב vayeshev HC/Vqw3ms and he stayed and he sat/dwelt and he dwelt
H3427-56 Genesis 29:19 שְׁבָ֖/ה shevah HVqv2ms/Sh Stay sit down dwell
H3427-80 Genesis 31:34 וַ/תֵּ֣שֶׁב vateshev HC/Vqw3fs and sat and she sat/dwelt and she sat
H3427-67 Genesis 34:10 תֵּשֵׁ֑בוּ teshevu HVqi2mp you shall dwell you (masc. pl.) will dwell you (masc. pl.) will dwell
H3427-59 Genesis 34:10 שְׁבוּ֙ shevu HVqv2mp dwell Sit down! Dwell!
H3427-106 Genesis 34:16 וְ/יָשַׁ֣בְנוּ veyashavenu HC/Vqq1cp and we will dwell and we will dwell and we will dwell
H3427-114 Genesis 34:21 וְ/יֵשְׁב֤וּ veyeshevu HC/Vqi3mp and let them dwell and they will dwell and they will dwell
H3427-29 Genesis 34:22 לָ/שֶׁ֣בֶת lashevet HR/Vqc to dwell to sit, to dwell to dwell
H3427-114 Genesis 34:23 וְ/יֵשְׁב֖וּ veyeshevu HC/Vqi3mp and they will live and they will dwell and they will dwell
H3427-08 Genesis 34:30 בְּ/יֹשֵׁ֣ב beyoshev HR/Vqrmsc among the inhabitants in the one dwelling among the inhabitants
H3427-102 Genesis 35:1 וְ/שֶׁב veshev HC/Vqv2ms and dwell and sit and dwell