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שַׁחַק

𐤔𐤇𐤒

shachaq

H7834 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שחק to crush, to pulverize, to grind finely

Definition

Fine particulate matter; dust or powder resulting from pulverization; by extension, a visual manifestation in the atmosphere, such as clouds or the vaulted sky. In poetry and parallel language, used to denote both tangible fine dust and the heavens, sometimes emphasizing the expanse above for its ethereal or transient qualities (clouds, sky, heavens).

Semantic Range

fine dust, powder, pulverized material, thin vapor, cloud, sky, heavens, firmament

Root / Etymology

From the root שחק (to crush, pound, pulverize), שַׁחַק is a noun form meaning dust or powder, especially as an outcome of crushing. By extension, it came to connote the subtle, insubstantial forms seen in the sky, such as clouds or the visible 'vault' (the firmament), due to their perceived lightness or fineness.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, שַׁחַק primarily refers to fine dust or powder (e.g., Job 14:19) and, in poetic passages, to clouds or the expanse of the heavens (e.g., Deut 33:26; Ps 89:7; Isa 40:15). The term is especially frequent in poetry, where it juxtaposes the tangible (dust) and the intangible (sky, clouds), sometimes within a single passage. It occasionally serves as a synonym of שָׁמַיִם (shamayim, 'heavens') or עָנָן (anan, 'cloud'), but typically with a poetic nuance or emphasizing insubstantiality, transience, or the act of being scattered. Later translations sometimes render it as 'heaven,' 'sky,' or 'firmament,' while older English versions may use 'clouds' or 'dust.' The semantic drift from literal dust to the figurative or visible sky was likely influenced by the perceived visual similarity, especially in desert landscapes. This term is not used to refer to a specific location or dwelling of the divine, nor does it carry the later cosmological connotations of 'firmament' as an established structure. The word appears across various periods of biblical literature, with more metaphorical uses in poetry of the monarchic and post-exilic periods.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from שָׁחַק; a powder (as beaten small); by analogy, a thin vapor; by extension, the firmament; cloud, small dust, heaven, sky.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

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

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7833 שָׁחַק they pulverized

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7834-04 שְׁחָקִֽים shechaqim HNcmpa the skies fine dusts 13
H7834-06 וּ/שְׁחָקִ֖ים ushechaqim HC/Ncmpa and let the clouds and dust-clouds 2
H7834-02 בַּ/שְּׁחָקִֽים bashechaqim HRd/Ncmpa in the skies in the pulverized skies 2
H7834-03 לִ/שְׁחָקִ֑ים lishechaqim HR/Ncmpa the skies to fine-dust skies 1
H7834-07 בַ֭/שַּׁחַק vashachaq HRd/Ncmsa in-the-heavens pulverized dust 1
H7834-05 וּ/כְ/שַׁ֥חַק ukheshachaq HC/R/Ncmsc and like a speck of dust and like pulverized dust of 1
H7834-01 בַּ֝/שַּׁ֗חַק bashachaq HRd/Ncmsa in the sky in the pulverized sky 1

Occurrences in Scripture

21 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7834-04 Deuteronomy 33:26 שְׁחָקִֽים shechaqim HNcmpa on the skies fine dusts
H7834-04 2 Samuel 22:12 שְׁחָקִֽים shechaqim HNcmpa of the skies fine dusts
H7834-05 Isaiah 40:15 וּ/כְ/שַׁ֥חַק ukheshachaq HC/R/Ncmsc and like a speck of dust and like pulverized dust of
H7834-06 Isaiah 45:8 וּ/שְׁחָקִ֖ים ushechaqim HC/Ncmpa and let the clouds and dust-clouds
H7834-04 Jeremiah 51:9 שְׁחָקִֽים shechaqim HNcmpa the skies fine dusts
H7834-04 Psalms 18:12 שְׁחָקִֽים shechaqim HNcmpa vapors fine dusts
H7834-04 Psalms 36:6 שְׁחָקִֽים shechaqim HNcmpa the clouds fine dusts
H7834-04 Psalms 57:11 שְׁחָקִ֥ים shechaqim HNcmpa the skies fine dusts
H7834-02 Psalms 68:35 בַּ/שְּׁחָקִֽים bashechaqim HRd/Ncmpa in the skies in the pulverized skies
H7834-04 Psalms 77:18 שְׁחָקִ֑ים shechaqim HNcmpa skies fine dusts
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