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שְׁאֵלָא

𐤔𐤀𐤋𐤀

shᵉʼêlâʼ

H7595 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שׁאל to ask, to request, to inquire

Definition

Properly, a request or inquiry, with particular reference to formal petitions or questions, especially within legal or administrative contexts. In biblical Aramaic, the term denotes a formal request, demand, or petition, frequently used in settings involving appeals to authority or requests for rulings (e.g., by a monarch or official). The word can also refer to a question posed (including legal or judicial inquiries).

Semantic Range

request, petition, question, formal inquiry, legal demand, judicial question, official request

Root / Etymology

From the root שׁאל ('to ask, inquire, request' in Hebrew and Aramaic). The Aramaic form שְׁאֵלָא is derived from this root with the common abstract noun ending -ָא. The root expresses the act of asking, and this noun formation denotes the thing asked—thus, 'request,' 'petition,' or 'question.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

שְׁאֵלָא appears primarily in Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Daniel, Ezra), reflecting the administrative and legal language of Persian-period imperial decree and communication. It is distinct from Hebrew שְׁאֵלָה, though both derive from the same root and carry similar nuances. In biblical Aramaic usage, שְׁאֵלָא often represents formal petitions addressed to a superior (such as the king's commands or decrees) and sometimes the questions or challenges posed in judicial settings. Later translations sometimes rendered it as 'question' or 'mandate,' but the original usage often had a broader sense involving requests, petitions, or official inquiries. There is overlap and distinction with related terms: for example, פִּתְגָּם (pitgam) can denote an official word or decree, while שְׁאֵלָא is more closely linked to the act of asking or making requests. The term's meaning did not experience significant semantic shift during the biblical period but does reflect the formalized legal-administrative context of imperial Aramaic used in the Achaemenid Empire's bureaucracy.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) from שְׁאֵל; properly, a question (at law), i.e. judicial decision or mandate; demand.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שאל (š-ʾ-l) — ask, request, inquire

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4861 מִשְׁאָל Asking-town
H4862 מִשְׁאָלָה petitions of
H7585 שְׁאוֹל in the underworld
H7586 שָׁאוּל to Shaul
H7587 שָׁאוּלִי the Shaulite

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7595-01 שְׁאֵֽלְתָ֑/א sheeleta ANcfsd/Td is the request the formal petition 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7595-01 Daniel 4:14 שְׁאֵֽלְתָ֑/א sheeleta ANcfsd/Td is the request the formal petition
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