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שָׁחַק

𐤔𐤇𐤒

shâchaq

H7833 verb

SILEX Entry

Root שחק to grind, to crush, to pulverize, to wear down

Definition

To crush, grind, pulverize, or wear down by rubbing or pounding; to reduce to fine particles by friction or attrition. The term can describe the action of crushing substances (such as grain, dust, or materials), or metaphorically, the process of wearing down or oppressing (a person or people).

Semantic Range

to grind to powder, to pulverize, to crush (material substances), to wear or erode by friction, to oppress or wear down a person (metaphorical)

Root / Etymology

Root שָׁחַק (שׁ־ח־ק), meaning 'to crush, grind, pulverize.' The verb's core sense derives from the idea of trituration (reducing to powder by grinding or rubbing). Related nouns include שַׁחַק (shāchaq, 'powder, dust; fine rain, clouds'), indicating semantic developments around finely ground matter or that which results from such grinding.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שָׁחַק occurs primarily as a verb, describing the act of physical grinding (e.g., grinding grain, crushing stones), sometimes extending metaphorically to oppression or relentless action (e.g., wearing someone down). In poetic literature, the cognate noun refers to 'clouds' or 'dust,' linking the act of grinding to the visual image of fine particles in the air. The root is distinct from verbs meaning 'to smash' (e.g., רָצַץ) or 'to break in pieces' (e.g., שָׁבַר), emphasizing fine reduction rather than violent destruction. Later Hebrew and Aramaic also preserve this sense of reducing to small particles. Translations in English often render as 'grind,' 'crush,' or 'wear down,' but the underlying imagery is specifically that of making something into powder or dust, either literally or metaphorically. Over time, the term retains its primary concrete sense with occasional metaphorical applications, especially in poetic and wisdom texts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to comminate (by trituration or attrition); beat, wear.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שחק (sh-ḥ-q) — to grind, to crush, to pulverize, to wear down

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7834 שַׁחַק in the pulverized sky

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7833-02 וְ/אֶשְׁחָקֵ֖/ם veeshechaqem HC/Vqi1cs/Sp3mp and-I-ground-them and I will grind them down 2
H7833-03 וְ/שָֽׁחַקְתָּ֣ veshachaqeta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall grind it and you will grind down 1
H7833-01 שָׁ֥חֲקוּ shachaqu HVqp3cp wear away they pulverized 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7833-03 Exodus 30:36 וְ/שָֽׁחַקְתָּ֣ veshachaqeta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall grind it and you will grind down
H7833-02 2 Samuel 22:43 וְ/אֶשְׁחָקֵ֖/ם veeshechaqem HC/Vqi1cs/Sp3mp and-I-ground-them and I will grind them down
H7833-02 Psalms 18:43 וְֽ/אֶשְׁחָקֵ֗/ם veeshechaqem HC/Vqi1cs/Sp3mp and-I-will-grind-them and I will grind them down
H7833-01 Job 14:19 שָׁ֥חֲקוּ shachaqu HVqp3cp wear away they pulverized
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