שֹׁקֶת
𐤔𐤒𐤕
shôqeth
H8268 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A container or receptacle, typically constructed of wood, stone, or clay, designed to hold water for the purpose of watering animals; by extension, any trough or basin used for animals’ drinking or for holding water. The word primarily designates a watering trough set by a well, but can refer more broadly to any trough-shaped vessel for liquids.
Semantic Range
watering trough; animal trough; receptacle for watering livestock; basin for animals; sometimes: a vessel at a well or spring for flocks
Root / Etymology
Root שקה (to give to drink, to water). שֹׁקֶת is a feminine noun formation, referring to a vessel associated with giving water. The word derives functionally from the act of watering.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שֹׁקֶת appears primarily in early biblical narrative contexts (e.g., Genesis 24:20; Exodus 2:16), where troughs serve as essential watering points for flocks and herds. The typical setting is a communal well or spring where pastoralists, often women, would fill troughs for their families’ livestock. The term occurs only in a handful of passages, always referring to livestock- or animal-care settings, and does not extend to vessels for human drink. Unlike other Hebrew terms for vessels (e.g., כִּיּוֹר, basin; or כָּלִי, general vessel), שֹׁקֶת consistently refers to animal watering. Later Hebrew and Aramaic retain related terms for watering troughs, but the word is infrequent outside Pentateuchal and early narrative contexts. English translations as "trough" capture the main sense, but may omit the implicit livestock context present in the biblical usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from שָׁקָה; a trough (for watering); trough.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שקה (š-q-h) — to give to drink, to water, to cause to drink
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4945 | מַשְׁקֶה | the drink-provider |
| H8248 | שָׁקָה | I will cause to drink |
| H8249 | שִׁקֻּו | my draughts |
| H8250 | שִׁקּוּי | refreshing drink |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8268-01 |
בְּ/שִֽׁקֲת֣וֹת | beshiqatot | HR/Ncfpc |
in the watering troughs | in watering-troughs of | 1 |
H8268-02 |
הַ/שֹּׁ֔קֶת | hashoqet | HTd/Ncfsa |
the trough | the watering trough | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8268-02 |
Genesis 24:20 | הַ/שֹּׁ֔קֶת | hashoqet | HTd/Ncfsa |
the trough | the watering trough |
H8268-01 |
Genesis 30:38 | בְּ/שִֽׁקֲת֣וֹת | beshiqatot | HR/Ncfpc |
in the watering troughs | in watering-troughs of |