שִׁילֹה
𐤔𐤉𐤋𐤄
Shiloh
H7887 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Shiloh: A proper noun denoting a town located in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Bethel, which functioned as a central religious site for the Israelite tribes during the early period of settlement through the early monarchy. The word refers primarily to this location, which served as the site for the Tabernacle and major religious gatherings. In a few textual traditions, a variant form is interpreted as a title or reference to a person or figure, but the predominant sense in the Hebrew Bible is geographical.
Semantic Range
Shiloh (place name), location of central sanctuary, place of rest or tranquility (possible sense), potential reference to a ruler or messianic figure in some interpretive traditions but not primary
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root שלה (שׁ-ל-ה), which means 'to be tranquil, at ease'. The place name likely conveys the meaning of 'tranquility' or 'rest', though the etymological connection is somewhat uncertain due to the form of the noun. Some later interpretive traditions read the term in Genesis 49:10 as a messianic title; however, modern linguistic consensus understands the primary use as a place name.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Shiloh (שִׁילֹה) was the main Israelite religious sanctuary prior to the establishment of Jerusalem as a cultic center, with the Tabernacle stationed there from the time of Joshua (Josh 18:1) to the early monarchy. The archaeological and textual record situates Shiloh as a significant site during the Judges period, where pan-Israelite gatherings and cultic rituals occurred (Judg 21:19; 1 Sam 1:3). The destruction or decline of Shiloh is alluded to in texts such as Jeremiah 7:12, symbolizing divine judgment. In Genesis 49:10, the term is the subject of debate: in the Masoretic Text it is read as a proper name, but ancient versions (Septuagint, Targums) sometimes render it as a phrase meaning 'that which belongs to him' or read it messianically; however, within the Hebrew Bible, Shiloh consistently refers to the town, not a person. Later English translations and Christian traditions sometimes introduce theological interpretations, but these are not supported by the primary Hebrew data. Variations in the spelling (שִׁלֹה, שִׁילוֹ) reflect textual fluidity, but do not alter the core toponymic sense.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or שִׁלֹה; or שִׁילוֹ; or שִׁלוֹ; from the same as שִׁילֹה; Shiloh, a place in Palestine; Shiloh.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שלה (š-l-h) — to be tranquil, to be at ease, to rest
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7944 | שַׁל | the careless misstep |
| H7951 | שָׁלָה | I was at ease |
| H7952 | שָׁלָה | may you become complacent |
| H7953 | שָׁלָה | he will draw out |
| H7954 | שְׁלָה | at ease |
Word Forms
10 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7887-09 |
שִׁלֹ֔ה | shiloh | HNp |
to Shiloh | Tranquility-Place | 8 |
H7887-02 |
בְּ/שִׁלֹֽה | beshiloh | HR/Np |
in Shiloh | in Shiloh | 8 |
H7887-01 |
בְּ/שִׁל֜וֹ | beshilo | HR/Np |
in Shiloh | in Shiloh | 4 |
H7887-08 |
שִׁילוֹ֮ | shilo | HNp |
of Shiloh | Tranquility-town | 4 |
H7887-07 |
מִ/שִּׁלֹ֖ה | mishiloh | HR/Np |
from Shiloh | from Shiloh | 2 |
H7887-10 |
בְ/שִׁלֹ֖ה | veshiloh | HR/Np |
in Shiloh | in Shiloh | 2 |
H7887-03 |
כְּ/שִׁלוֹ֙ | keshilo | HR/Np |
Like Shiloh | like Shiloh | 1 |
H7887-05 |
לְ/שִׁלֽוֹ | leshilo | HR/Np |
to-Shiloh | to Shiloh | 1 |
H7887-04 |
כְּ/שִׁלֹ֑ה | keshiloh | HR/Np |
like-Shiloh | like Shiloh | 1 |
H7887-06 |
מִ/שִּׁל֤וֹ | mishilo | HR/Np |
from Shiloh | from Shiloh | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
32 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7887-09 |
Joshua 18:1 | שִׁלֹ֔ה | shiloh | HNp |
at Shiloh | Tranquility-Place |
H7887-02 |
Joshua 18:8 | בְּ/שִׁלֹֽה | beshiloh | HR/Np |
in Shiloh | in Shiloh |
H7887-09 |
Joshua 18:9 | שִׁלֹֽה | shiloh | HNp |
Shiloh | Tranquility-Place |
H7887-02 |
Joshua 18:10 | בְּ/שִׁלֹ֖ה | beshiloh | HR/Np |
in Shiloh | in Shiloh |
H7887-02 |
Joshua 19:51 | בְּ/שִׁלֹה֙ | beshiloh | HR/Np |
in Shiloh | in Shiloh |
H7887-02 |
Joshua 21:2 | בְּ/שִׁלֹ֗ה | beshiloh | HR/Np |
at Shiloh | in Shiloh |
H7887-07 |
Joshua 22:9 | מִ/שִּׁלֹ֖ה | mishiloh | HR/Np |
from Shiloh | from Shiloh |
H7887-09 |
Joshua 22:12 | שִׁלֹ֔ה | shiloh | HNp |
Shiloh | Tranquility-Place |
H7887-02 |
Judges 18:31 | בְּ/שִׁלֹֽה | beshiloh | HR/Np |
in Shiloh | in Shiloh |
H7887-09 |
Judges 21:12 | שִׁלֹ֔ה | shiloh | HNp |
at Shiloh | Tranquility-Place |