שָׁכַח
𐤔𐤊𐤇
shâkach
H7911 verb
SILEX Entry
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
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שכח (sh-kh-ḥ) — forgetting, loss of memory, disregard
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 |