שָׁקַץ
𐤔𐤒𐤑
shâqats
H8262 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To be or become detestable, abominable, or ritually unclean; to regard or treat as abhorrent by rendering ceremonial defilement. The verb is primarily used to denote the act of abhorring or ceremonially polluting something considered profoundly impure or offensive, especially in the context of dietary laws and ritual behavior within the Israelite sacrificial and holiness systems.
Semantic Range
to be detestable, to abhor, to treat as ritually unclean or abominable, to pollute (ceremonially), to regard with intense disgust; to render someone or something unclean (especially in a priestly or dietary sense), to loathe
Root / Etymology
Root: שׁ-ק-ץ (שָׁקַץ). The root meaning is 'to be detestable' or 'to abhor.' The verb form שָׁקַץ primarily refers to the act of regarding or making something abominable or ritually defiling, likely of onomatopoeic origin, imitating the reaction of repulsion or disgust. The noun derivative שֶׁקֶץ (sheqets, 'abomination,' 'detestable thing') is used for objects or creatures specifically forbidden or repellent within Israelite ritual context.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, שָׁקַץ is used primarily in the priestly and holiness legislation, notably in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, to designate acts or items (especially non-kosher animals or idolatrous practices) that render an Israelite ritually or morally polluted. It is closely related, though not synonymous, with תָּעֵב (taʿev, 'to abhor'), which often refers specifically to moral or ethical abominations, while שָׁקַץ emphasizes ritual impurity arising from certain acts or contact with prohibited animals. Over time, the word's association with impurity led to its usage in later periods as part of broader condemnations of both idolatry and other culturally polluting behaviors. English translations such as 'abhor,' 'detest,' and 'make abominable' sometimes reflect moral revulsion where the underlying Hebrew context is primarily ritual or ceremonial. The usage reflects Israelite concerns with boundaries of purity, distinctiveness, and communal holiness, particularly in the conduct of worship and dietary distinction. Later Jewish and non-Jewish translations sometimes used 'unclean' or 'abomination,' which can obscure the specifically ritual-legal sense.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to be filthy, i.e. (intensively) to loathe, pollute; abhor, make abominable, have in abomination, detest, [idiom] utterly.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׁקץ (sh-q-ts) — to abhor, to be detestable, to treat as ritually unclean
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H8251 | שִׁקּוּץ | the detestable object |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8262-04 |
תְּשַׁקֵּֽצוּ | teshaqetsu | HVpi2mp |
you shall detest | you shall render detestable | 4 |
H8262-01 |
שַׁקֵּ֧ץ | shaqets | HVpa |
detest | to intensely treat as detestable | 1 |
H8262-03 |
תְּשַׁקְּצֶ֛/נּוּ | teshaqetsenu | HVpi2ms/Sp3ms |
you shall utterly detest it | you will treat him as ritually detestable | 1 |
H8262-02 |
שִׁקַּ֡ץ | shiqats | HVpp3ms |
abhorred | he rendered ritually detestable | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8262-04 |
Leviticus 11:11 | תְּשַׁקֵּֽצוּ | teshaqetsu | HVpi2mp |
you shall detest | you shall render detestable |
H8262-04 |
Leviticus 11:13 | תְּשַׁקְּצ֣וּ | teshaqetsu | HVpi2mp |
you shall detest | you shall render detestable |
H8262-04 |
Leviticus 11:43 | תְּשַׁקְּצוּ֙ | teshaqetsu | HVpj2mp |
make yourselves detestable | you shall render detestable |
H8262-04 |
Leviticus 20:25 | תְשַׁקְּצ֨וּ | teshaqetsu | HVpi2mp |
you shall make detestable | you shall render detestable |
H8262-01 |
Deuteronomy 7:26 | שַׁקֵּ֧ץ | shaqets | HVpa |
detest | to intensely treat as detestable |
H8262-03 |
Deuteronomy 7:26 | תְּשַׁקְּצֶ֛/נּוּ | teshaqetsenu | HVpi2ms/Sp3ms |
you shall utterly detest it | you will treat him as ritually detestable |
H8262-02 |
Psalms 22:25 | שִׁקַּ֡ץ | shiqats | HVpp3ms |
abhorred | he rendered ritually detestable |