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שָׁמַט

𐤔𐤌𐤈

shâmaṭ

H8058 verb

SILEX Entry

Root שמט to let drop, to release, to loosen, to let go

Definition

To let drop, release, or cause something to loosen its hold; the primary sense is to let something fall away or desist from holding or enforcing. In legal and agricultural contexts, denotes the act of releasing rights or claims (such as debts or land), or permitting the land to lie fallow in obedience to commandment. In physical contexts, to shake out or throw down (as shaking items loose or causing something to fall). Areas of use include releasing debts, freeing from obligations, permitting rest (of the land), dropping, shaking off or out.

Semantic Range

to release claims or debts, to permit rest (of land), to let drop or shake out (objects), to desist or abandon in an official/legal sense, to overthrow or let fall, to relinquish control or rights

Root / Etymology

From the root שָׁמַט, likely carrying the sense 'to let fall' or 'to let slip.' The core meaning is that of releasing hold, primarily used in the causative sense. Cognates or parallels outside Biblical Hebrew are rare, but the form and meaning are stable in West Semitic. The word's derived nominal forms pertain to release or abandonment. No clear connection to other Hebrew roots with similar phonology; etymology is well supported within Hebrew.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Israelite law and custom, שָׁמַט most notably appears in the context of the Sabbatical year (Deuteronomy 15:2), where it refers to the release from debt and obligation—an act of relinquishing financial claims, not just a passive cessation. The verb is also used for the act of letting the land rest (Exodus 23:11), meaning ceasing cultivation for a year as required by command. Physical senses (e.g., shaking something out of the hand or causing it to fall) are less common but occur in poetic or narrative sections. In later periods, especially in Second Temple and post-exilic literature, the legal and ritual senses predominated, forming the basis for the rabbinic term shemitah. English translations often render the root as 'release,' 'let drop,' or 'abandon,' but occasionally use terms like 'remit' or 'let alone,' which may miss the active legal sense of renouncing claims or control. The term is distinct from other Hebrew verbs for abandoning or forsaking (e.g., עָזַב), as שָׁמַט emphasizes organized, permitted, or legislated release rather than mere neglect or desertion.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to fling down; incipiently to jostle; figuratively, to let alone, desist, remit; discontinue, overthrow, release, let rest, shake, stumble, throw down.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שמט (sh-m-ṭ) — to let drop, to release, to loosen, to let go

Word Forms

9 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8058-02 שָׁמְט֖וּ shametu HVqp3cp stumbled they let drop 2
H8058-04 שִׁמְט֖וּ/הָ shimetuha HVqv2mp/Sp3fs throw her down let her drop 1
H8058-08 וַֽ/יִּשְׁמְט֑וּ/הָ vayishemetuha HC/Vqw3mp/Sp3fs and they threw her down and they let her drop 1
H8058-07 תִּשְׁמְטֶ֣/נָּה tishemetenah HVqi2ms/Sp3fs you shall let it rest you shall release her 1
H8058-05 שמט/הו shmthv HVqv2mp/Sp3ms throw him down release him 1
H8058-09 וְ/שָׁמַטְתָּ֗ה veshamatetah HC/Vqq2ms And you will relinquish and you shall release 1
H8058-01 נִשְׁמְט֣וּ nishemetu HVNp3cp are thrown down were released 1
H8058-06 תַּשְׁמֵ֥ט tashemet HVhj3fs you shall release let her release 1
H8058-03 שָׁמ֗וֹט shamot HVqa he-shall-release to let drop 1

Occurrences in Scripture

10 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8058-07 Exodus 23:11 תִּשְׁמְטֶ֣/נָּה tishemetenah HVqi2ms/Sp3fs you shall let it rest you shall release her
H8058-03 Deuteronomy 15:2 שָׁמ֗וֹט shamot HVqa he-shall-release to let drop
H8058-06 Deuteronomy 15:3 תַּשְׁמֵ֥ט tashemet HVhj3fs you shall release let her release
H8058-02 2 Samuel 6:6 שָׁמְט֖וּ shametu HVqp3cp stumbled they let drop
H8058-05 2 Kings 9:33 שמט/הו shmthv HVqv2mp/Sp3ms throw him down release him
H8058-04 2 Kings 9:33 שִׁמְט֖וּ/הָ shimetuha HVqv2mp/Sp3fs throw her down let her drop
H8058-08 2 Kings 9:33 וַֽ/יִּשְׁמְט֑וּ/הָ vayishemetuha HC/Vqw3mp/Sp3fs and they threw her down and they let her drop
H8058-09 Jeremiah 17:4 וְ/שָׁמַטְתָּ֗ה veshamatetah HC/Vqq2ms And you will relinquish and you shall release
H8058-01 Psalms 141:6 נִשְׁמְט֣וּ nishemetu HVNp3cp are thrown down were released
H8058-02 1 Chronicles 13:9 שָֽׁמְט֖וּ shametu HVqp3cp stumbled they let drop
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