שָׁאַס
𐤔𐤀𐤎
shâʼaç
H7601 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To seize violently, plunder, or loot by force, typically in the context of taking goods, possessions, or livestock during raids or armed conflict. The primary lexical sense involves the forcible appropriation of property. The term is most often used of enemy actions during warfare, but can also be applied in other contexts where taking by force is prominent.
Semantic Range
to plunder, to seize forcibly in battle, to loot, to take away as spoil, to despoil
Root / Etymology
Root: שאס. The root ס-א-שׁ (shin-aleph-samekh) is attested rarely and means fundamentally 'to seize, plunder.' It relates to verbs of forceful taking or looting in Semitic languages, though outside Hebrew its cognates are minimal; the root is considered rare and possibly developed within later stages of Biblical Hebrew with the specific connotation of violent appropriation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שָׁאַס appears infrequently in the Hebrew Bible, especially in accounts of military action or societal upheaval (e.g., taking spoil after battlefield victory). The term is distinct from more common roots such as ביז (bzz, 'to plunder'), גזל (gzl, 'to rob'), and שלל (shll, 'to take as spoil'), all of which appear in similar contexts. Unlike שלל, which often refers more generically to spoils of war or goods seized, שָׁאַס has a stronger connotation of violent and forceful taking. The use of שָׁאַס is limited primarily to later biblical texts or poetic contexts, and never develops the more general meaning of 'to possess' or 'to acquire' in neutral senses. In English translations, 'plunder' and 'spoil' are typical, but these can obscure the specifically violent nature of the root. The word does not appear in non-biblical epigraphic Hebrew, and its usage does not significantly shift between periods; it consistently implies forceful, often violent, appropriation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to plunder; spoil.
Bantu Hebrew
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שׁאס (š-ʾ-s) — to plunder, to seize forcibly, to despoil
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7601-01 |
שֹׁאסַ֨יִ/ךְ֙ | shosayikhe | HVqrmpc/Sp2fs |
those who plunder you | your plunderers | those who plunder you | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7601-01 |
Jeremiah 30:16 | שֹׁאסַ֨יִ/ךְ֙ | shosayikhe | HVqrmpc/Sp2fs |
those who plunder you | your plunderers | those who plunder you |