שָׁכֵן (H7934) — Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁכֵן

𐤔𐤊𐤍

shâkên

H7934 adjective

SILEX Entry

Root שכן to settle, dwell, reside

Definition

One who dwells or resides in a place, typically with an emphasis on settled habitation as a member of a locality. The term often refers to an inhabitant, resident, or neighbor—someone who shares proximity or communal membership within a settlement or land.

Semantic Range

resident, inhabitant, neighbor, one who dwells nearby, fellow-citizen, co-dweller

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root שָׁכַן (שׁ־כ־ן), which means 'to settle, to dwell, or to reside.' The noun שָׁכֵן is a participial form, meaning 'one who dwells' or 'resident.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical Hebrew, שָׁכֵן most frequently describes those living within a particular city, clan territory, or community, emphasizing neighborly relationship or shared locality. The term can be used both for fellow Israelites and for non-Israelites cohabiting the land (e.g., the 'resident' Canaanite populations before and after Israelite settlement). In early periods, neighborly relations were essential to communal identity and legal obligations, such as in laws regarding property or rights of redress. Later, especially in exilic and post-exilic texts, שָׁכֵן could refer more broadly to all inhabitants of a district, whether Israelite, Judahite, or member of another people group. While common English translations render the term 'neighbor,' 'inhabitant,' or 'resident,' these do not always reflect the layered communal and legal associations present in ancient Israelite society. The sense of physical proximity is often primary, but the word also implies membership within a mutually dependent community. Distinct from terms like גָּר (resident alien/sojourner) or אֹרֵחַ (traveler/guest), שָׁכֵן indicates settled, long-term residency and shared locality. Post-biblical Hebrew sometimes uses שָׁכֵן in more abstract, ethical senses (e.g., as one’s fellow or peer), but this is not primary in biblical usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from שָׁכַן; a resident; by extension, a fellow-citizen; inhabitant, neighbour, nigh.

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Root Family

שכן (sh-k-n) — to settle, dwell, reside

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H4907	מִשְׁכַּן	his dwelling-place
H4908	מִשְׁכָּן	the dwelling-place
H7931	שָׁכַן	in dwelling
H7932	שְׁכַן	he caused to dwell
H7933	שֶׁכֶן	to his dwelling-place
H7935	שְׁכַנְיָה	to Yah-dwells

Word Forms

15 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H7934-03`	לִ/שְׁכֵנֵ֑י/נוּ	lishekheneynu	`HR/Aampc/Sp1cp`	to our neighbors	to our dwelling-ones	4
`H7934-05`	שָׁכֵ֖ן	shakhen	`HAamsa`	inhabitant	he dwelt	3
`H7934-08`	שְׁכֵנָ֑יִ/ךְ	shekhenayikhe	`HAampc/Sp2fs`	your neighbors	your fellow-dwellers	2
`H7934-01`	הַ/שְּׁכֵנ֥וֹת	hashekhenot	`HTd/Aafpa`	the neighbor women	the resident women	1
`H7934-06`	שְׁכַ֣ן	shekhan	`HAamsc`	the inhabitants	resident of	1
`H7934-12`	וּ/שְׁכֵנָ֖י/ו	ushekhenayv	`HC/Aampc/Sp3ms`	and his neighbors	and his co-dwellers	1
`H7934-13`	וּ/שְׁכֵנֶ֖י/הָ	ushekheneyha	`HC/Aampc/Sp3fs`	and-neighbors-its	and her resident-dwellers	1
`H7934-10`	שְׁכֵנֶ֖י/הָ	shekheneyha	`HAampc/Sp3fs`	her-neighbors	her resident-dwellers	1
`H7934-15`	וְ/לִ/שֲׁכֵנַ֨/י	velishakhenay	`HC/R/Aampc/Sp1cs`	and to my neighbors	my co-dwellers	1
`H7934-07`	שְׁכֵנַ/י֙	shekhenay	`HAampc/Sp1cs`	my neighbors	my co-dwellers	1
`H7934-04`	מִ/שְּׁכֶנְתָּ/הּ֙	mishekhenetah	`HR/Aafsc/Sp3fs`	from her neighbor	from her female neighbor	1
`H7934-11`	שכנ/כי	shkhnkhy	`HAampc/Sp2fs`	your neighbors'	your co-dwellers	1
`H7934-14`	וּ/שְׁכֵנ֛/וֹ	ushekheno	`HC/Aamsc/Sp3ms`	and his neighbor	and his fellow-dweller	1
`H7934-02`	לִ/שְׁכֵנָֽי/ו	lishekhenayv	`HR/Aampc/Sp3ms`	to his neighbors	to his co-dwellers	1
`H7934-09`	שְׁכֵנָי/ו֒	shekhenayv	`HAampc/Sp3ms`	its-neighbors	his fellow-dwellers	1

Occurrences in Scripture

21 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H7934-04`	Exodus 3:22	מִ/שְּׁכֶנְתָּ/הּ֙	mishekhenetah	`HR/Aafsc/Sp3fs`	from her neighbor	from her female neighbor
`H7934-14`	Exodus 12:4	וּ/שְׁכֵנ֛/וֹ	ushekheno	`HC/Aamsc/Sp3ms`	and his neighbor	and his fellow-dweller
`H7934-09`	Deuteronomy 1:7	שְׁכֵנָי/ו֒	shekhenayv	`HAampc/Sp3ms`	its-neighbors	his fellow-dwellers
`H7934-11`	2 Kings 4:3	שכנ/כי	shkhnkhy	`HAampc/Sp2fs`	your neighbors'	your co-dwellers
`H7934-08`	2 Kings 4:3	שְׁכֵנָ֑יִ/ךְ	shekhenayikhe	`HAampc/Sp2fs`	your neighbors	your fellow-dwellers
`H7934-05`	Isaiah 33:24	שָׁכֵ֖ן	shakhen	`HAamsa`	inhabitant	he dwelt
`H7934-05`	Jeremiah 6:21	שָׁכֵ֥ן	shakhen	`HAamsa`	neighbor	he dwelt
`H7934-07`	Jeremiah 12:14	שְׁכֵנַ/י֙	shekhenay	`HAampc/Sp1cs`	my neighbors	my co-dwellers
`H7934-12`	Jeremiah 49:10	וּ/שְׁכֵנָ֖י/ו	ushekhenayv	`HC/Aampc/Sp3ms`	and his neighbors	and his co-dwellers
`H7934-13`	Jeremiah 49:18	וּ/שְׁכֵנֶ֖י/הָ	ushekheneyha	`HC/Aampc/Sp3fs`	and-neighbors-its	and her resident-dwellers
`H7934-10`	Jeremiah 50:40	שְׁכֵנֶ֖י/הָ	shekheneyha	`HAampc/Sp3fs`	her-neighbors	her resident-dwellers
`H7934-08`	Ezekiel 16:26	שְׁכֵנַ֖יִ/ךְ	shekhenayikhe	`HAampc/Sp2fs`	your neighbors	your fellow-dwellers
`H7934-06`	Hosea 10:5	שְׁכַ֣ן	shekhan	`HAamsc`	the inhabitants	resident of
`H7934-15`	Psalms 31:12	וְ/לִ/שֲׁכֵנַ֨/י	velishakhenay	`HC/R/Aampc/Sp1cs`	and to my neighbors	my co-dwellers
`H7934-03`	Psalms 44:14	לִ/שְׁכֵנֵ֑י/נוּ	lishekheneynu	`HR/Aampc/Sp1cp`	to-our-neighbors	to our dwelling-ones
`H7934-03`	Psalms 79:4	לִ/שְׁכֵנֵ֑י/נוּ	lishekheneynu	`HR/Aampc/Sp1cp`	to our neighbors	to our dwelling-ones
`H7934-03`	Psalms 79:12	לִ/שְׁכֵנֵ֣י/נוּ	lishekheneynu	`HR/Aampc/Sp1cp`	to our neighbors	to our dwelling-ones
`H7934-03`	Psalms 80:7	לִ/שְׁכֵנֵ֑י/נוּ	lishekheneynu	`HR/Aampc/Sp1cp`	to our neighbors	to our dwelling-ones
`H7934-02`	Psalms 89:42	לִ/שְׁכֵנָֽי/ו	lishekhenayv	`HR/Aampc/Sp3ms`	to his neighbors	to his co-dwellers
`H7934-05`	Proverbs 27:10	שָׁכֵ֥ן	shakhen	`HAamsa`	is a neighbor	he dwelt
`H7934-01`	Ruth 4:17	הַ/שְּׁכֵנ֥וֹת	hashekhenot	`HTd/Aafpa`	the neighbor women	the resident women

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