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שׂוּם

𐤔𐤅𐤌

sûwm

H7760 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To set, place, or put something in a location or position, either concretely (objects, persons) or abstractly (thoughts, intentions, honor, blame, laws, boundaries). The verb is highly versatile, expressing a range from literal physical placement to figurative acts of appointing, assigning value, ascribing action or reputation, planning, imposing, or designating. Its usage can span from setting a physical object in place, through the allocation of responsibility or decision, to the attribution of qualities, states, or purposes.

Semantic Range

to place, to set, to put, to appoint, to ascribe (a name or quality), to impose, to establish, to assign, to determine, to lay (down), to impose (a law, punishment, etc.), to take (an attitude or stance), to set aside, to impose (a condition), to ascribe, to consider, to regard, to bestow, to charge, to designate

Root / Etymology

From the root שׂוּם (שׂ-ו-ם), a primary or primitive verb meaning 'to place, set, put.' The root expresses the idea of positioning or assigning, but the lexical verb's applications broaden to the transfer or allocation of qualities, identities, responsibilities, and more. No clear cognates with the same function exist elsewhere in Semitic languages, but related roots may have similar semantics of placing or establishing.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שׂוּם is one of the most broadly used and flexible verbs in Biblical Hebrew, appearing throughout narratives, legal texts, poetry, and prophetic literature. Its literal usage includes physical placing (e.g., Genesis 3:15, setting enmity), while figurative applications are widespread: imposing laws (Exodus 21:1), assigning names (Genesis 2:19), ascribing blame or honor (2 Samuel 19:19), determining fates or judgments (Isaiah 53:6), or placing thoughts or feelings in someone's heart (Nehemiah 2:12). In later periods, particularly exilic and post-exilic literature, the verb sometimes takes on constructions reflecting Aramaic influence, including causative nuances. English translations often render שׂוּם with a wide variety of verbs (place, set, appoint, consider, impose, make, etc.) depending on context, but may not fully convey the full semantic breadth or the nuance between personal, legal, or official acts the original carries. שׂוּם sometimes overlaps in meaning with נתן (to give), especially in cases of assigning or bestowing, but נתן commonly has a stronger emphasis on the transfer of possession.

Translation Consistency

primary "set" 492 occurrences

"Set" is the most natural, versatile choice for שׂוּם. It covers literal placement and the wide range of figurative senses (establish, appoint, impose, ascribe, assign, lay down) and is also the most frequent rendering in the corpus. More specific senses like "appoint" or "ascribe" can be handled by context or compounds, while "set" preserves consistency and readability.

Alternatives (94 occurrences):
"placed" (22x) "set, all of you" (15x) "places" (13x) "placing" (9x) "put" (7x) "place" (7x) "make" (6x) "made" (5x) "appoint" (2x) "give" (1x) "pay attention" (1x) "since i appointed" (1x) "setting-one" (1x) "makes" (1x) "who keeps" (1x) "noticing" (1x) "commit" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or שִׂים; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שׂום (ś-w-m) — to place, set, put, assign

Root שׂום to place, set, put, assign
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3450 יְשִׁימָאֵל And Yeshimael
H7761 שׂוּם the one setting himself
H8667 תְּשׂוּמֶת in deposit-of

Word Forms

108 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7760-67 וַ/יָּ֣שֶׂם vayasem HC/Vqw3ms and he set and he placed and he set 84
H7760-21 שָׂ֧ם sam HVqrmsa he put the one who places the one who sets 39
H7760-68 וַ/יָּשִׂ֨ימוּ֙ vayasimu HC/Vqw3mp and they put and they set and they set 35
H7760-44 שִֽׂים sim HVqv2ms set Place Set 27
H7760-87 וְ/שַׂמְתִּ֥י vesameti HC/Vqq1cs and-I-will-make and I will set and I will set 26
H7760-16 לָ/שׂ֥וּם lasum HR/Vqc to put to set, to place to set 25
H7760-103 יָשִׂ֑ים yasim HVqi3ms he sets he places he places 21
H7760-01 אָשִׂ֣ים asim HVqi1cs I will make I will set I will set 21
H7760-83 וְ/שַׂמְתָּ֥ vesameta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall put and you shall set and you shall set 20
H7760-48 שִׂ֥ימוּ simu HVqv2mp put Place! Set, all of you! 15

Occurrences in Scripture

586 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7760-67 Genesis 2:8 וַ/יָּ֣שֶׂם vayasem HC/Vqw3ms and placed and he placed and he set
H7760-67 Genesis 4:15 וַ/יָּ֨שֶׂם vayasem HC/Vqw3ms and set and he placed and he set
H7760-53 Genesis 6:16 תָּשִׂ֑ים tasim HVqi2ms you shall set you will set you will set
H7760-68 Genesis 9:23 וַ/יָּשִׂ֨ימוּ֙ vayasimu HC/Vqw3mp and placed and they set and they set
H7760-87 Genesis 13:16 וְ/שַׂמְתִּ֥י vesameti HC/Vqq1cs and I will make and I will set and I will set
H7760-07 Genesis 21:13 אֲשִׂימֶ֑/נּוּ asimenu HVqi1cs/Sp3ms I will make I will set him I will make him
H7760-21 Genesis 21:14 שָׂ֧ם sam HVqrmsa putting the one who places placing
H7760-07 Genesis 21:18 אֲשִׂימֶֽ/נּוּ asimenu HVqi1cs/Sp3ms I will make him I will set him I will make him
H7760-67 Genesis 22:6 וַ/יָּ֨שֶׂם֙ vayasem HC/Vqw3ms and laid and he placed and he set
H7760-67 Genesis 22:9 וַ/יָּ֤שֶׂם vayasem HC/Vqw3ms he laid and he placed and he set
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