שָׁסַף
𐤔𐤎𐤐
shâçaph
H8158 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To break into pieces with force; to hew, smash, or shatter, typically with reference to violence against objects or persons, particularly in the context of execution or destruction. The word often describes the act of hacking or shattering something into fragments and, in context, is frequently used for the violent dismemberment or destruction associated with punitive action.
Semantic Range
to hew in pieces, to break in pieces, to smash, to dismember, to shatter (objects or persons), to violently fragment
Root / Etymology
Root שׁ־ס־ף (שׁסף), which primarily carries the sense of breaking apart or smashing. The verb form שָׁסַף directly conveys violent fragmentation, whether of objects or living beings.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb appears very rarely in the Hebrew Bible, most notably in 2 Kings 10:7, referring to the dismemberment of the descendants of Ahab by agents of Jehu. The action depicted is particularly violent and public, and the verb שָׁסַף connotes more than simple killing; it involves dismemberment as an act of retribution or humiliation. Later Hebrew rarely uses this verb, but related nouns and forms suggest a continuing association with breaking or smashing. In translation traditions, this act is often rendered as 'slaughter' or 'hew in pieces,' but neither captures the sense of public display and utter destruction that the Hebrew root implies. It stands distinct from other verbs like טבח ('to slaughter') or קטל ('to kill'), focusing on destruction by breaking or hacking apart, rather than the act of simple killing.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to cut in pieces, i.e. slaughter; hew in pieces.
Bantu Hebrew
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שׁסף (sh-s-p̄) — break apart, smash, shatter, hew violently
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8158-01 |
וַ/יְשַׁסֵּ֨ף | vayeshasef | HC/Vpw3ms |
And he hacked | and he violently shattered | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8158-01 |
1 Samuel 15:33 | וַ/יְשַׁסֵּ֨ף | vayeshasef | HC/Vpw3ms |
And he hacked | and he violently shattered |