שָׁטַף (H7857) — Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁטַף

𐤔𐤈𐤐

shâṭaph

H7857 verb

SILEX Entry

Root שטף to overflow, to flood, to sweep away, to rush

Definition

To overflow, inundate, or sweep away; used of water or other forces physically or figuratively moving rapidly over or through something. Can denote literal flooding, a stream surging forth, or metaphorically describe invading armies or calamities sweeping over a land or people.

Semantic Range

to overflow, to inundate, to sweep away, to pour out (water or forces), to wash over, to cleanse by flooding, to run rapidly (of water or cavalry), to overwhelm (literal or figurative), to burst forth

Root / Etymology

The root is שטף (shin-tet-peh), which fundamentally conveys the idea of overflowing or rushing forcefully. The verb form שָׁטַף builds directly from this root, focusing on the action of rapidly spreading or sweeping away. Related nouns and forms carry similar themes of overwhelming movement or force.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שָׁטַף is used both in literal contexts (floodwaters, flowing streams, washing) and metaphorically (calamities, enemy armies, overwhelming events). In prophetic and poetic texts, it sometimes describes military invasions likened to floods (e.g., Isaiah 8:7–8). The verb can also refer to the act of washing or cleansing by means of abundant water, though this is a secondary nuance. The use of this root is distinct from other Hebrew words for flood (such as נָהָר 'nahar', river, or מַבּוּל 'mabbul', deluge/flood), emphasizing dynamic motion or force rather than the event of flooding itself. English translations sometimes narrow the force of שָׁטַף to 'wash,' but the Hebrew often emphasizes overwhelming force, not mere cleansing. Usage persists across different periods in the Hebrew Bible, especially in poetic and prophetic literature, with metaphoric senses more common in exilic and post-exilic texts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to gush; by implication, to inundate, cleanse; by analogy, to gallop, conquer; drown, (over-) flow(-whelm, rinse, run, rush, (throughly) wash (away).

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Root Family

שטף (sh-ṭ-p̄) — to overflow, to flood, to sweep away, to rush

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H7858	שֶׁטֶף	the sweeping flood
H8241	שֶׁצֶף	in a fleeting surge of

Word Forms

19 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H7857-05`	שׁוֹטֵ֥ף	shotef	`HVqrmsa`	overflowing	the one flooding	10
`H7857-19`	יִשְׁטֹֽפוּ	yishetofu	`HVqi3mp`	overflowed	they will overflow	2
`H7857-11`	וְ/שָׁטַ֣ף	veshataf	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and overflow	and he swept away	2
`H7857-02`	שָׁטַ֣ף	shataf	`HVqp3ms`	it will overflow	he overflowed	2
`H7857-16`	יִשְׁטְפ֑וּ/הָ	yishetefuha	`HVqi3mp/Sp3fs`	sweep it away	they will sweep her away	1
`H7857-15`	יִשָּׁטְפ֥וּ	yishatefu	`HVNi3mp`	shall be swept away	they will be inundated	1
`H7857-08`	תִּשְׁטֹֽף	tishetof	`HVqi3fs`	wash away	she will overflow	1
`H7857-13`	וְ/יִשְׁטְפוּ֙	veyishetefu	`HC/Vqi3mp`	and they shall overflow	and they will overflow	1
`H7857-01`	הַ/שּׁוֹטֵ֥ף	hashotef	`HTd/Vqrmsa`	that flows	the overflowing one	1
`H7857-12`	וְ/שֻׁטַּ֖ף	veshutaf	`HC/VPq3ms`	and-rinsed	and he was swept away	1
`H7857-06`	שֹׁטְפִ֛ים	shotefim	`HVqrmpa`	overflowing	overflowing ones	1
`H7857-09`	וָ/אֶשְׁטֹ֥ף	vaeshetof	`HC/Vqw1cs`	and I washed off	and I swept away	1
`H7857-03`	שְׁטָפָֽתְ/נִי	shetafateni	`HVqp3fs/Sp1cs`	has swept me away	she swept me away	1
`H7857-17`	יִשְׁטְפ֑וּ/ךָ	yishetefukha	`HVqi3mp/Sp2ms`	overflow you	they will sweep you away	1
`H7857-04`	שְׁטָפ֑וּ/נוּ	shetafunu	`HVqp3cp/Sp1cp`	had overwhelmed us	they swept us away	1
`H7857-07`	תִּשְׁטְפֵ֤/נִי	tishetefeni	`HVqj3fs/Sp1cs`	flood me	may she overflow me	1
`H7857-10`	וַ/יִּשְׁטֹ֨ף	vayishetof	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and-washed	and he swept away	1
`H7857-18`	יִשְׁט֑וֹף	yishetof	`HVqi3ms`	will overflow	he will overflow	1
`H7857-14`	יִשָּׁטֵ֖ף	yishatef	`HVNi3ms`	shall-be-rinsed	he will be swept away	1

Occurrences in Scripture

31 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H7857-12`	Leviticus 6:21	וְ/שֻׁטַּ֖ף	veshutaf	`HC/VPq3ms`	and-rinsed	and he was swept away
`H7857-02`	Leviticus 15:11	שָׁטַ֣ף	shataf	`HVqp3ms`	rinsed	he overflowed
`H7857-14`	Leviticus 15:12	יִשָּׁטֵ֖ף	yishatef	`HVNi3ms`	shall-be-rinsed	he will be swept away
`H7857-10`	1 Kings 22:38	וַ/יִּשְׁטֹ֨ף	vayishetof	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and-washed	and he swept away
`H7857-02`	Isaiah 8:8	שָׁטַ֣ף	shataf	`HVqp3ms`	it will overflow	he overflowed
`H7857-05`	Isaiah 10:22	שׁוֹטֵ֥ף	shotef	`HVqrmsa`	overflowing	the one flooding
`H7857-06`	Isaiah 28:2	שֹׁטְפִ֛ים	shotefim	`HVqrmpa`	overflowing	overflowing ones
`H7857-05`	Isaiah 28:15	שׁוֹטֵ֤ף	shotef	`HVqrmsa`	overwhelming	the one flooding
`H7857-19`	Isaiah 28:17	יִשְׁטֹֽפוּ	yishetofu	`HVqi3mp`	will overflow	they will overflow
`H7857-05`	Isaiah 28:18	שׁוֹטֵף֙	shotef	`HVqrmsa`	overflowing	the one flooding
`H7857-05`	Isaiah 30:28	שׁוֹטֵף֙	shotef	`HVqrmsa`	overflowing	the one flooding
`H7857-17`	Isaiah 43:2	יִשְׁטְפ֑וּ/ךָ	yishetefukha	`HVqi3mp/Sp2ms`	overflow you	they will sweep you away
`H7857-05`	Isaiah 66:12	שׁוֹטֵ֛ף	shotef	`HVqrmsa`	overflowing	the one flooding
`H7857-05`	Jeremiah 8:6	שׁוֹטֵ֖ף	shotef	`HVqrmsa`	rushing	the one flooding
`H7857-05`	Jeremiah 47:2	שׁוֹטֵ֔ף	shotef	`HVqrmsa`	overflowing	the one flooding
`H7857-13`	Jeremiah 47:2	וְ/יִשְׁטְפוּ֙	veyishetefu	`HC/Vqi3mp`	and they shall overflow	and they will overflow
`H7857-05`	Ezekiel 13:11	שׁוֹטֵ֗ף	shotef	`HVqrmsa`	overflowing	the one flooding
`H7857-05`	Ezekiel 13:13	שֹׁטֵף֙	shotef	`HVqrmsa`	flooding	the one flooding
`H7857-09`	Ezekiel 16:9	וָ/אֶשְׁטֹ֥ף	vaeshetof	`HC/Vqw1cs`	and I washed off	and I swept away
`H7857-05`	Ezekiel 38:22	שׁוֹטֵף֩	shotef	`HVqrmsa`	overflowing	the one flooding
`H7857-03`	Psalms 69:3	שְׁטָפָֽתְ/נִי	shetafateni	`HVqp3fs/Sp1cs`	has swept me away	she swept me away
`H7857-07`	Psalms 69:16	תִּשְׁטְפֵ֤/נִי	tishetefeni	`HVqj3fs/Sp1cs`	flood me	may she overflow me
`H7857-19`	Psalms 78:20	יִ֫שְׁטֹ֥פוּ	yishetofu	`HVqi3mp`	overflowed	they will overflow
`H7857-04`	Psalms 124:4	שְׁטָפ֑וּ/נוּ	shetafunu	`HVqp3cp/Sp1cp`	had overwhelmed us	they swept us away
`H7857-08`	Job 14:19	תִּשְׁטֹֽף	tishetof	`HVqi3fs`	wash away	she will overflow
`H7857-16`	Song of Songs 8:7	יִשְׁטְפ֑וּ/הָ	yishetefuha	`HVqi3mp/Sp3fs`	sweep it away	they will sweep her away
`H7857-11`	Daniel 11:10	וְ/שָׁטַ֣ף	veshataf	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and overflow	and he swept away
`H7857-15`	Daniel 11:22	יִשָּׁטְפ֥וּ	yishatefu	`HVNi3mp`	shall be swept away	they will be inundated
`H7857-18`	Daniel 11:26	יִשְׁט֑וֹף	yishetof	`HVqi3ms`	will overflow	he will overflow
`H7857-11`	Daniel 11:40	וְ/שָׁטַ֥ף	veshataf	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and-will-overflow	and he swept away
`H7857-01`	2 Chronicles 32:4	הַ/שּׁוֹטֵ֥ף	hashotef	`HTd/Vqrmsa`	that flows	the overflowing one

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