שָׁכַח

𐤔𐤊𐤇

shâkach

H7911 verb

SILEX Entry

Root שכח to forget, to lose memory, to disregard

Definition

To forget, to lose memory or awareness of something, whether intentionally or unintentionally; to disregard or neglect, either through inattention, lapse of memory, deliberate action, or carelessness. The verb encompasses a range of senses from literal loss of memory, to a lack of continued attention, to willful disregard. Occasionally, it can carry the sense of neglecting obligations or relationships.

Semantic Range

to forget (lose memory of), to be oblivious, to neglect, to disregard, to fail to pay attention to, to willfully ignore, to lapse in loyalty or obligation

Root / Etymology

From the root שׁ-כ-ח (שכח), which in Semitic languages carries the basic sense of 'forgetting' or 'ceasing to remember.' The verb שָׁכַח is the basic stem (qal), with forms in derived stems (e.g., the causative pi‘el, shicheach) as well, with similar meanings related to causing forgetfulness.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, שָׁכַח is used across prose and poetry for both literal forgetfulness and metaphorical disregard. It frequently appears in covenantal contexts (e.g., 'forgetting YHWH'—i.e., neglecting relationship or failing in loyalty), as well as mundane contexts of failing to remember facts, objects, or actions. The term may also denote deliberate neglect (such as 'forgetting' a command or promise). The idiomatic use in prayers or laments (e.g., 'Do not forget me' addressed to the deity) expresses concern about exclusion or abandonment, not simply a lapse in memory. While English translations use 'forget,' the Hebrew term can imply a broader failure of attention, loyalty, or action rather than a purely cognitive lapse. Related verbs, such as זכר (zakhar, 'to remember'), often function in complementary contrast: to 'forget' in Hebrew thought is often the opposite of 'remember,' which entails both cognition and faithfulness. In later Biblical texts (e.g., Psalms, Prophets), the term is frequently applied to Israelite covenant obligations and to divine-human relationships. There is no significant narrowing or expansion of meaning across biblical periods, but contexts shift from personal/mundane to communal/ritual/legal as the corpus develops.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or שָׁכֵחַ; a primitive root; to mislay, i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention; [idiom] at all, (cause to) forget.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שכח (sh-kh-ḥ) — forgetting, loss of memory, disregard

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7912 שְׁכַח I have caused to find
H7913 שָׁכֵחַ the forgetful ones

Word Forms

51 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7911-29 תִּשְׁכַּ֨ח tishekach HVqi2ms forget you will forget 15
H7911-16 שָׁכָֽחְתִּי shakhacheti HVqp1cs I have forgotten I forgot 8
H7911-18 שָׁכְח֖וּ shakhechu HVqp3cp have forgotten they forgot 6
H7911-24 שְׁכֵח֔וּ/נִי shekhechuni HVqp3cp/Sp1cs have forgotten me they have forgotten me 4
H7911-37 וַ/תִּשְׁכַּ֖ח vatishekach HC/Vqw2ms and she forgets and you forgot 4
H7911-14 שָׁכַ֨חַתְּ֙ shakhachate HVqp2fs you have forgotten you (feminine) have forgotten 4
H7911-01 אֶשְׁכַּ֥ח eshekach HVqi1cs I will forget I will forget 4
H7911-40 וַֽ/יִּשְׁכְּח֖וּ vayishekechu HC/Vqw3mp and they forgot and they forgot 3
H7911-28 תִשָּׁכֵֽחַ tishakhecha HVNi3fs be forgotten she will be forgotten 3
H7911-09 נִשְׁכָּ֔ח nishekach HVNp3ms is forgotten has been forgotten 2

Occurrences in Scripture

102 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7911-43 Genesis 27:45 וְ/שָׁכַח֙ veshakhach HC/Vqq3ms and he forgets and he forgot
H7911-39 Genesis 40:23 וַ/יִּשְׁכָּחֵֽ/הוּ vayishekachehu HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3ms but forgot him he forgot him
H7911-41 Genesis 41:30 וְ/נִשְׁכַּ֥ח venishekach HC/VNq3ms and will be forgotten and he was forgotten
H7911-29 Deuteronomy 4:9 תִּשְׁכַּ֨ח tishekach HVqi2ms you forget you will forget
H7911-36 Deuteronomy 4:23 תִּשְׁכְּחוּ֙ tishekechu HVqi2mp you forget you will forget
H7911-49 Deuteronomy 4:31 יִשְׁכַּח֙ yishekach HVqi3ms forget he will forget
H7911-29 Deuteronomy 6:12 תִּשְׁכַּ֖ח tishekach HVqi2ms you forget you will forget
H7911-29 Deuteronomy 8:11 תִּשְׁכַּ֖ח tishekach HVqi2ms you forget you will forget
H7911-44 Deuteronomy 8:14 וְ/שָֽׁכַחְתָּ֙ veshakhacheta HC/Vqq2ms and you forget and you forgot
H7911-19 Deuteronomy 8:19 שָׁכֹ֤חַ shakhocha HVqa you forget to forget