שִׁטִּים
𐤔𐤈𐤉𐤌
Shitim
H7851 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun designating a geographic location, also used for the plural of 'acacia' trees (Acacia seyal or Acacia tortilis species prevalent in the region). As a place name, 'Shittim' refers to a site in the plains of Moab near the east side of the Jordan River, significant as an encampment point for the Israelites prior to their crossing into Canaan. Lexically, the primary sense is 'acacias' (the trees themselves), but as a toponym, it conveys the idea of 'acacia groves/place of acacias.'
Semantic Range
acacia trees, acacias (in general), place/grove of acacias (toponym); geographical location east of the Jordan associated with Israelite encampment, Shittim
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root שָׁטַת (sh-t-t), which means 'to pierce, to sharpen,' referring to the acacia's thorny or spiky characteristics. The noun שִׁטָּה (shiṭṭâ) means 'acacia tree.' שִׁטִּים (shiṭṭîm) is the plural form, literally 'acacias,' and by metonymy came to designate a region distinguished by such trees.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, שִׁטִּים appears primarily as a place name in the wilderness narratives (e.g., Numbers 25:1, Joshua 2:1), marking the last campsite of Israelites before crossing the Jordan. Its identification as a toponym derives from the prevalence of acacia trees in the location, with 'Shittim' thus meaning 'place of acacias.' The same Hebrew word elsewhere can denote simply 'acacias' in the plural, detached from its toponymic usage. In English Bibles, 'Shittim' has been maintained in place names, but the word 'shittim wood' often appears for acacia timber in descriptions of the tabernacle furnishings, though the same Hebrew term is not used for those wood references (which occur with the singular שִׁטָּה). The gloss 'Shittim' as a proper noun does not specify the ethnic or religious identity of its inhabitants; in pre-monarchic and monarchic contexts, it simply marks a geographic location east of the Jordan. Later tradition sometimes applies the term to broader plains in Moab.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as the plural of שִׁטָּה; acacia trees; Shittim, a place East of the Jordan; Shittim.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׁטט (sh-ṭ-ṭ) — to pierce, to sharpen, to be spiky
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7848 | שִׁטָּה | acacia tree |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7851-02 |
הַ/שִּׁטִּ֞ים | hashitim | HTd/Np |
Shittim | the acacias | the Shitim | 3 |
H7851-01 |
בַּ/שִּׁטִּ֑ים | bashitim | HRd/Np |
in Shittim | in the Acacias | in Shitim | 1 |
H7851-03 |
מֵֽ/הַ/שִּׁטִּ֗ים | mehashitim | HR/Td/Np |
from the Shittim | from the acacias | from the Shitim | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7851-01 |
Numbers 25:1 | בַּ/שִּׁטִּ֑ים | bashitim | HRd/Np |
in Shittim | in the Acacias | in Shitim |
H7851-02 |
Joshua 2:1 | הַ/שִּׁטִּ֞ים | hashitim | HTd/Np |
Shittim | the acacias | the Shitim |
H7851-03 |
Joshua 3:1 | מֵֽ/הַ/שִּׁטִּ֗ים | mehashitim | HR/Td/Np |
from the Shittim | from the acacias | from the Shitim |
H7851-02 |
Joel 4:18 | הַ/שִּׁטִּֽים | hashitim | HTd/Np |
of the Shittim | the acacias | the Shitim |
H7851-02 |
Micah 6:5 | הַ/שִּׁטִּים֙ | hashitim | HTd/Np |
Shittim | the acacias | the Shitim |