← H8158 H8160 →

שָׁעָה

𐤔𐤏𐤄

shâʻâh

H8159 verb

SILEX Entry

Root שׁעה to look, to attend, to turn (one's attention)

Definition

To look intently or with focused attention, often with an implication of regard or favor; in other contexts, to turn attention toward someone or something. The verb expresses various forms of looking or attending, including to gaze expectantly, to consider with interest, or to show regard or acceptance, especially in contexts where one responds to a need, prayer, or offering.

Semantic Range

to look intently, to gaze with expectation or need, to turn toward, to pay attention to, to accept (favorably), to attend to (prayer or offering), to show regard, to look with disfavor or to ignore (negated or with prepositions)

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root שׁעה, probably meaning 'to gaze' or 'to look intently.' The word is a verbal root and is directly used to form the verb שָׁעָה. The root meaning is 'to look' or 'to attend to,' but the biblical usage expands to include the idea of showing regard, favor, or acceptance through such attention.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שָׁעָה appears across various biblical corpora, primarily in poetic or narrative texts. Its earliest uses (e.g., Gen 4:4-5) show the sense of God 'turning with favor' toward an offering—implying acceptance rather than simply 'looking.' In the Psalms and Prophets, it often expresses God’s act of attending to prayers or distress, emphasizing divine attention as favor or acceptance (Ps 102:18; Isa 17:7). The term may also be used in the negative or in withdrawal (e.g., failing to look or respond, thus rejecting). English translations often flatten the nuance, rendering it simply as 'look,' 'regard,' or 'have respect,' but the sense is closer to 'look with favor' or 'pay favorable attention.' It is distinct from verbs like ראה ('to see, perceive') or הביט ('to gaze, look down'), which may lack the connotations of concern, acceptance, or favor. Over time, the verb did not significantly shift in meaning but retains a character of purposeful, attending vision, whether human or divine. Later interpretive traditions occasionally imported the sense of 'compassion' or 'regard with mercy,' but this is contextually implied rather than inherent to the root.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to gaze at or about (properly, for help); by implication, to inspect, consider, compassionate, be nonplussed (as looking around in amazement) or bewildered; depart, be dim, be dismayed, look (away), regard, have respect, spare, turn.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

שׁעה (sh-ʿ-h) — to look, to attend, to turn attention

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4936 מִשְׁעָם and Mish'am

Word Forms

13 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8159-13 יִשְׁע֖וּ yisheu HVqj3mp pay attention let them look intently 2
H8159-12 יִשְׁעֶ֥ה yisheeh HVqi3ms he-will-regard he will attend 2
H8159-09 וַ/יִּ֣שַׁע vayisha HC/Vqw3ms had regard and he looked intently 1
H8159-08 תִּשְׁתָּ֖ע tisheta HVqj2ms be dismayed may you look intently 1
H8159-05 שְׁע֥וּ sheu HVqv2mp Turn away Turn your attention! 1
H8159-01 הָשַׁ֣ע hasha HVhv2ms turn away your gaze Direct attention 1
H8159-10 וְ/אֶשְׁעָ֖ה veesheah HC/Vqi1cs and I will have regard and I will look attentively 1
H8159-06 תִשְׁעֶ֣ה tisheeh HVqi2ms will you look away you will turn your attention 1
H8159-04 שְׁעֵ֣ה sheeh HVqv2ms turn away Attend intently! 1
H8159-11 וְ/נִשְׁתָּ֖עָה venishetaah HC/Vqh1cp that we may be dismayed let us attend 1

Occurrences in Scripture

15 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8159-09 Genesis 4:4 וַ/יִּ֣שַׁע vayisha HC/Vqw3ms had regard and he looked intently
H8159-02 Genesis 4:5 שָׁעָ֑ה shaah HVqp3ms regard he looked intently
H8159-13 Exodus 5:9 יִשְׁע֖וּ yisheu HVqj3mp pay attention let them look intently
H8159-13 2 Samuel 22:42 יִשְׁע֖וּ yisheu HVqi3mp They looked let them look intently
H8159-12 Isaiah 17:7 יִשְׁעֶ֥ה yisheeh HVqi3ms will look he will attend
H8159-12 Isaiah 17:8 יִשְׁעֶ֔ה yisheeh HVqi3ms he-will-regard he will attend
H8159-05 Isaiah 22:4 שְׁע֥וּ sheu HVqv2mp Turn away Turn your attention!
H8159-03 Isaiah 31:1 שָׁעוּ֙ shau HVqp3cp look they looked intently
H8159-07 Isaiah 32:3 תִשְׁעֶ֖ינָה tisheeynah HVqi3fp will be blinded they will look intently
H8159-08 Isaiah 41:10 תִּשְׁתָּ֖ע tisheta HVqj2ms be dismayed may you look intently
← H8158 Hebrew Lexicon H8160 →