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שְׁאֵלָה

𐤔𐤀𐤋𐤄

shᵉʼêlâh

H7596 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שאל to ask, to request, to borrow, to inquire

Definition

A formal request, prayer, petition, or appeal for something (usually addressed to a higher authority or deity). In some contexts, also refers to the object requested or, by extension, something lent or given upon request (i.e., a loan). The primary sense is that of making an earnest request, especially of the divine or a person in authority. Secondary senses may include the item or favor requested.

Semantic Range

petition, formal request, appeal, prayer, loan (something borrowed), item or favor requested

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root שָׁאַל (sha'al), meaning 'to ask, inquire, request.' The form שְׁאֵלָה (she'elah) is a feminine noun derived from this root, indicating the act or content of asking or requesting. The root itself is widely attested in Biblical Hebrew and always centers on the concept of seeking something from another.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, שְׁאֵלָה appears in contexts of formal petitioning—whether human requests to God (prayers), requests between individuals (as in Hannah's petition for a child in 1 Samuel 1), or the borrowing of an item (as in 'loan'). The nuance of 'loan' derives from the idea of asking and receiving something on request rather than from a technical legal sense of lending. The noun is less common than the verbal forms of שָׁאַל, and its use is often marked by heightened formality or solemnity. English translations often render שְׁאֵלָה as 'request' or 'petition,' but at times interpret it as 'loan,' especially in narrative contexts involving borrowed objects. In rabbinic Hebrew, the noun expands in meaning to include broader types of inquiry or questions. The distinction between שְׁאֵלָה (concrete, item or favor requested) and תְּפִלָּה (prayer, supplication) is notable: שְׁאֵלָה stresses the act and content of asking, while תְּפִלָּה emphasizes the act of prayer more generally.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or שֵׁלָה; (1 Samuel 1:17), from שָׁאַל; a petition; by implication, a loan; loan, petition, request.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שאל (sh-ʾ-l) — to ask, to request, to inquire, to borrow

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

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7596-06 שְׁאֵ֣לָתִ֔/י sheelati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my petition my petition 4
H7596-05 שְּׁאֵלָתֵ֖/ךְ sheelatekhe HNcfsc/Sp2fs is your petition your petition 3
H7596-03 שְׁאֵלָ֔ה sheelah HNcfsa a request formal request 3
H7596-07 שֵׁ֣לָתֵ֔/ךְ shelatekhe HNcfsc/Sp2fs your petition your request 1
H7596-01 בִּ/שְׁאֵ֣לָתִ֔/י bisheelati HR/Ncfsc/Sp1cs as my petition in my petition 1
H7596-02 הַ/שְּׁאֵלָ֔ה hasheelah HTd/Ncfsa the loan the petition 1
H7596-04 שֶׁאֱלָתָ֑/ם sheelatam HNcfsc/Sp3mp their request their petition 1

Occurrences in Scripture

14 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7596-03 Judges 8:24 שְׁאֵלָ֔ה sheelah HNcfsa a request formal request
H7596-07 1 Samuel 1:17 שֵׁ֣לָתֵ֔/ךְ shelatekhe HNcfsc/Sp2fs your petition your request
H7596-06 1 Samuel 1:27 שְׁאֵ֣לָתִ֔/י sheelati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my petition my petition
H7596-02 1 Samuel 2:20 הַ/שְּׁאֵלָ֔ה hasheelah HTd/Ncfsa the loan the petition
H7596-03 1 Kings 2:16 שְׁאֵלָ֤ה sheelah HNcfsa I ask formal request
H7596-03 1 Kings 2:20 שְׁאֵלָ֨ה sheelah HNcfsa request formal request
H7596-04 Psalms 106:15 שֶׁאֱלָתָ֑/ם sheelatam HNcfsc/Sp3mp their request their petition
H7596-06 Job 6:8 שֶֽׁאֱלָתִ֑/י sheelati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my request my petition
H7596-05 Esther 5:6 שְּׁאֵלָתֵ֖/ךְ sheelatekhe HNcfsc/Sp2fs is your petition your petition
H7596-06 Esther 5:7 שְׁאֵלָתִ֖/י sheelati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my petition my petition
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