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
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.
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
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 |