שְׁכֹבֶת
𐤔𐤊𐤁𐤕
shᵉkôbeth
H7903 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Act of lying down with another person for sexual intercourse; refers to the event or state of sexual cohabitation, most commonly in legal or ritual contexts. The term emphasizes the physical act and is primarily used in prescriptive, forensic, or ritual language, rather than narrative description.
Semantic Range
sexual act, sexual intercourse, cohabitation, (ritually significant) lying with another, sexual union in legal or ritual contexts
Root / Etymology
From the root שָׁכַב, meaning 'to lie down.' The feminine noun שְׁכֹבֶת is formed by adding the feminine nominal suffix -ֶת to the verbal base, marking an instance or act of 'lying down' (specifically for sexual relations). Thus, the word denotes the condition, event, or instance of sexual cohabitation or congress.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שְׁכֹבֶת occurs in legal or ritual contexts (e.g., Leviticus 18:22; 20:13) to define types of prohibitions or ritual impurity associated with illicit sexual acts, especially with reference to prohibited unions. The term does not inherently connote violence or illicitness; its scope is determined by context—usually in legal restrictions pertaining to prohibited acts (such as same-sex intercourse or other forbidden unions). The noun does not appear in narrative accounts describing ordinary sexual relations but serves a technical purpose in laws specifying ritual or community boundaries. English translations often render it as 'lying with,' 'sexual intercourse,' or 'act of lying,' but this sometimes obscures the specifically legal-ritual function in Israelite legislation. Compared with other nouns of sexual act (e.g., תִּשְׁכַּב), שְׁכֹבֶת is more specialized in its legal usage. Its meaning did not significantly shift across biblical periods but is highly concentrated in the Priestly texts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
lemma שֶׁכֹבֶת first vowel, corrected to שְׁכֹבֶת; from שָׁכַב; a (sexual) lying with; [idiom] lie.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׁכב (š-k-b) — to lie down, recline, have sexual relations
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7903-02 |
שְׁכָבְתּ֛/וֹ | shekhaveto | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
his lying | his sexual cohabitation | 2 |
H7903-01 |
שְׁכָבְתְּ/ךָ֖ | shekhavetekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
your lying | your sexual lying | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7903-01 |
Leviticus 18:20 | שְׁכָבְתְּ/ךָ֖ | shekhavetekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
your lying (copulation) | your sexual lying |
H7903-01 |
Leviticus 18:23 | שְׁכָבְתְּ/ךָ֖ | shekhavetekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
your lying | your sexual lying |
H7903-02 |
Leviticus 20:15 | שְׁכָבְתּ֛/וֹ | shekhaveto | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
his lying | his sexual cohabitation |
H7903-02 |
Numbers 5:20 | שְׁכָבְתּ֔/וֹ | shekhaveto | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
intercourse | his sexual cohabitation |