שׁוּלַמִּית
𐤔𐤅𐤋𐤌𐤉𐤕
Shulamit
H7759 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name for a woman, used specifically as a designation or title for the female protagonist in Song of Songs (Shir HaShirim). The term likely refers to a woman from or associated with a place called Shulem or Shunem, or serves as a form derived from the concept of peace, wholeness, or well-being. Its use is singular and poetic, specifically within the love poetry of Song of Songs, where it may function as a personal name, epithet, or literary symbol for the beloved woman.
Semantic Range
proper name for a woman of (or from) Shulem or Shunem, feminine title meaning 'peaceful one' or 'complete one,' poetic epithet for the beloved woman in Song of Songs; possible literary parallel to Solomon's name
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root שָׁלַם (sh-l-m), which means 'to be whole, complete, at peace.' The specific form שׁוּלַמִּית may indicate origin ('woman of Shulem/Shunem') or be a feminine adaptation of the root's adjectival forms, conveying peacefulness or completeness; there is some uncertainty whether it is best understood as a gentilic (indicating geographical origin) or as an adjectival title.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The word שׁוּלַמִּית (Shulammith) appears only in Song of Songs 6:13, as a unique address to the female protagonist, calling on her to return or be seen. The form matches other Hebrew gentilics (place-based names, e.g. Shunammite), but the precise location Shulem is unclear and does not easily equate to known historical towns, though some link it with Shunem (cf. 1 Kings 1:3). The alternative, that it is a poetic form meaning 'peaceful one' or 'complete one' related to the root שָׁלַם, reflects the work's literary intent and plays on the name of Solomon (Shlomo), a principal male character. English translations usually use 'Shulammite,' but this fails to capture the nuance of origin or the potential allusions to Solomon and to themes of peace and wholeness in the Song. The term is not used elsewhere in biblical literature and is unique to the Song of Songs, highlighting its specialized and literary character. There is no valid basis for translating it as 'Jewish woman'; this is a much later association not present in the Hebrew Bible period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from שָׁלַם; peaceful (with the article always prefixed, making it a pet name); the Shulammith, an epithet of Solomon's queen; Shulamite.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שלם (sh-l-m) — wholeness, completeness, peace, well-being
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3824 | לֵבָב | whole, intact |
| H4919 | מְשִׁלֵּמוֹת | Recompenses |
| H4920 | מְשֶׁלֶמְיָה | and to Yahweh-has-made-whole |
| H4921 | מְשִׁלֵּמִית | Recompensing Woman |
| H4922 | מְשֻׁלֶּמֶת | Recompensed Woman |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7759-01 |
בַּ/שּׁ֣וּלַמִּ֔ית | bashulamit | HRd/Ngfsa |
in-the-Shulammite | in the Peaceful One | 1 |
H7759-02 |
הַ/שּׁ֣וּלַמִּ֔ית | hashulamit | HTd/Ngfsa |
O Shulammite | the Peaceful Woman | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7759-02 |
Song of Songs 7:1 | הַ/שּׁ֣וּלַמִּ֔ית | hashulamit | HTd/Ngfsa |
O Shulammite | the Peaceful Woman |
H7759-01 |
Song of Songs 7:1 | בַּ/שּׁ֣וּלַמִּ֔ית | bashulamit | HRd/Ngfsa |
in-the-Shulammite | in the Peaceful One |