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שָׁתָה

𐤔𐤕𐤄

shâthâh

H8354 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To drink liquid, primarily referring to the physical act of consuming liquids, most commonly water, wine, or other beverages. The term can also extend in some contexts to figurative senses such as imbibing or partaking (e.g., of wrath, suffering, or experience). Used both in literal descriptions of drinking and, less frequently, in metaphorical or evocative language.

Semantic Range

to drink (liquid), to imbibe, to consume liquid, to partake (figuratively: of wrath, cup, or experience), to get drunk (in combination with other terms), to absorb (figurative usage)

Root / Etymology

From the root שׁתה, likely derived from a base meaning 'to drink.' The verb is distinct but related to שָׁקָה, which means 'to give drink, water, cause to drink.' שָׁתָה serves as the simple (qal) stem of the action, while שָׁקָה is causative (hiphil) or intensive. There is no evidence for further etymological layers or connections outside North-West Semitic.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שָׁתָה is the standard Biblical Hebrew verb for 'to drink.' It appears throughout the Hebrew Bible, from the patriarchal narratives (e.g., Genesis 9:21, Noah drinking wine) through the monarchy and into prophetic and wisdom literature. Its usage is almost always literal, describing the consumption of liquids, though in some passages it is used metaphorically: e.g., 'drink the cup of wrath' (Isaiah 51:17; Jeremiah 25:15), symbolizing suffering or judgment. The verb is applied both to humans and animals, and at times appears in ritual contexts (e.g., the drinking of wine in feasts or offerings). While the English 'to drink' is a straightforward translation, English may lack the idiomatic force of the Hebrew in some metaphorical uses; for instance, 'drinking' in biblical idiom can connote full participation in an experience (cf. Job 34:7, 'drinks scorn like water'). The word does not carry later connotations associated with excessive drinking or drunkenness unless specified by context. It is distinct from related terms such as רָוָה (ravah, 'to be saturated' or 'quench thirst') and serves as the basic term for drinking action in Hebrew narrative and law.

Translation Consistency

primary "drink" 50 occurrences

The primary and most natural meaning in the SILEX range is the physical act of consuming liquid. Corpus evidence shows the vast majority of renderings use forms of “drink” (133 of 217), and the verb also naturally extends to the common figurative uses (e.g. drinking a cup of wrath, partaking of an experience). “Drink” is simple, idiomatic, and covers the typical literal and metaphorical senses, so it provides consistent, natural English for all forms under H8354.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to imbibe (literally or figuratively); [idiom] assuredly, banquet, [idiom] certainly, drink(-er, -ing), drunk ([idiom] -ard), surely. (Prop. intensive of שָׁקָה.)

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

שׁתה (shâthâh) — to drink, consume (liquid), ingest (fluid)

Root שׁתה to drink, consume (liquid), ingest (fluid)
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H8360 שְׁתִיָּה and the drinking

Word Forms

54 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H8354-04 לִ/שְׁתּ֥וֹת lishetot HR/Vqc to drink to drink to drink 23
H8354-53 יִשְׁתּ֔וּ yishetu HVqi3mp they drink they drink they will drink 15
H8354-25 תִשְׁתֶּה tisheteh HVqi2ms you shall drink she drinks you will drink 12
H8354-37 וַ/יִּשְׁתּ֜וּ vayishetu HC/Vqw3mp and they drank and they drank and they drank 12
H8354-52 יִשְׁתֶּֽה yisheteh HVqi3ms drinks he will drink he will drink 12
H8354-39 וְ/לִ/שְׁתּ֑וֹת velishetot HC/R/Vqc and to drink and to drink and to drink 10
H8354-35 וַ/יֵּ֥שְׁתְּ vayeshete HC/Vqw3ms and he drank and he drank and he drank 9
H8354-28 תִשְׁתּ֖וּ tishetu HVqi2mp you shall drink you will drink you (pl.) will drink 7
H8354-15 שְׁתֵ֔ה sheteh HVqv2ms Drink Drink! Drink! 6
H8354-22 שֹׁתֶ֣ה shoteh HVqrmsa drinking drinking-one drinking-one 6

Occurrences in Scripture

217 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H8354-35 Genesis 9:21 וַ/יֵּ֥שְׁתְּ vayeshete HC/Vqw3ms he drank and he drank and he drank
H8354-38 Genesis 24:14 וְ/אֶשְׁתֶּ֔ה veesheteh HC/Vqi1cs and I will drink and I will drink and I will drink
H8354-15 Genesis 24:14 שְׁתֵ֔ה sheteh HVqv2ms drink Drink! Drink!
H8354-15 Genesis 24:18 שְׁתֵ֣ה sheteh HVqv2ms Drink Drink! Drink!
H8354-04 Genesis 24:19 לִ/שְׁתֹּֽת lishetot HR/Vqc drinking to drink to drink
H8354-04 Genesis 24:22 לִ/שְׁתּ֔וֹת lishetot HR/Vqc to drink to drink to drink
H8354-15 Genesis 24:44 שְׁתֵ֔ה sheteh HVqv2ms drink Drink! Drink!
H8354-15 Genesis 24:46 שְׁתֵ֔ה sheteh HVqv2ms Drink Drink! Drink!
H8354-33 Genesis 24:46 וָ/אֵ֕שְׁתְּ vaeshete HC/Vqw1cs so I drank I drank I drank
H8354-37 Genesis 24:54 וַ/יִּשְׁתּ֗וּ vayishetu HC/Vqw3mp and they drank and they drank and they drank
H8354-35 Genesis 25:34 וַ/יֵּ֔שְׁתְּ vayeshete HC/Vqw3ms and he drank and he drank and he drank
H8354-37 Genesis 26:30 וַ/יִּשְׁתּֽוּ vayishetu HC/Vqw3mp and they drank and they drank and they drank
H8354-35 Genesis 27:25 וַ/יֵּֽשְׁתְּ vayeshete HC/Vqw3ms and he drank and he drank and he drank
H8354-04 Genesis 30:38 לִ/שְׁתּוֹת֙ lishetot HR/Vqc to drink to drink to drink
H8354-04 Genesis 30:38 לִ/שְׁתּֽוֹת lishetot-2 HR/Vqc to drink to drink to drink
H8354-37 Genesis 43:34 וַ/יִּשְׁתּ֥וּ vayishetu HC/Vqw3mp and they drank and they drank and they drank
H8354-52 Genesis 44:5 יִשְׁתֶּ֤ה yisheteh HVqi3ms drinks he will drink he will drink
H8354-04 Exodus 7:18 לִ/שְׁתּ֥וֹת lishetot HR/Vqc to drink to drink to drink
H8354-04 Exodus 7:21 לִ/שְׁתּ֥וֹת lishetot HR/Vqc to drink to drink to drink
H8354-04 Exodus 7:24 לִ/שְׁתּ֑וֹת lishetot HR/Vqc to drink to drink to drink
H8354-04 Exodus 7:24 לִ/שְׁתֹּ֔ת lishetot-2 HR/Vqc to drink to drink to drink
H8354-04 Exodus 15:23 לִ/שְׁתֹּ֥ת lishetot HR/Vqc to drink to drink to drink
H8354-07 Exodus 15:24 נִּשְׁתֶּֽה nisheteh HVqi1cp shall we drink we will drink shall we drink
H8354-04 Exodus 17:1 לִ/שְׁתֹּ֥ת lishetot HR/Vqc to drink to drink to drink
H8354-40 Exodus 17:2 וְ/נִשְׁתֶּ֑ה venisheteh HC/Vqi1cp that we may drink and we will drink and we will drink
H8354-41 Exodus 17:6 וְ/שָׁתָ֣ה veshatah HC/Vqq3ms and drink and he drank and the people will drink
H8354-37 Exodus 24:11 וַ/יִּשְׁתּֽוּ vayishetu HC/Vqw3mp and they drank and they drank and they drank
H8354-44 Exodus 32:6 וְ/שָׁת֔וֹ veshato HC/Vqa and to drink and drink and to drink
H8354-08 Exodus 34:28 שָׁתָ֑ה shatah HVqp3ms drink he drank he drank
H8354-24 Leviticus 10:9 תֵּ֣שְׁתְּ teshete HVqj2ms drink may you drink drink
H8354-50 Leviticus 11:34 יִשָּׁתֶ֔ה yishateh HVNi3ms may be drunk he will be drunk may be drunk
H8354-52 Numbers 6:3 יִשְׁתֶּ֑ה yisheteh HVqi3ms he shall drink he will drink he will drink
H8354-52 Numbers 6:3 יִשְׁתֶּ֔ה yisheteh-2 HVqi3ms he shall drink he will drink he will drink
H8354-52 Numbers 6:20 יִשְׁתֶּ֥ה yisheteh HVqi3ms he-shall-drink he will drink he will drink
H8354-04 Numbers 20:5 לִ/שְׁתּֽוֹת lishetot HR/Vqc to-drink to drink to drink
H8354-34 Numbers 20:11 וַ/תֵּ֥שְׁתְּ vateshete HC/Vqw3fs and drank and she drank and it drank
H8354-07 Numbers 20:17 נִשְׁתֶּ֖ה nisheteh HVqi1cp we will drink we will drink we will drink
H8354-07 Numbers 20:19 נִשְׁתֶּה֙ nisheteh HVqi1cp we drink we will drink we will drink
H8354-07 Numbers 21:22 נִשְׁתֶּ֖ה nisheteh HVqi1cp we will drink we will drink we will drink
H8354-52 Numbers 23:24 יִשְׁתֶּֽה yisheteh HVqi3ms he drinks he will drink he will drink
H8354-04 Numbers 33:14 לִ/שְׁתּֽוֹת lishetot HR/Vqc to drink to drink to drink
H8354-31 Deuteronomy 2:6 וּ/שְׁתִיתֶֽם ushetitem HC/Vqq2mp and you shall drink and you drank and you shall drink
H8354-43 Deuteronomy 2:28 וְ/שָׁתִ֑יתִי veshatiti HC/Vqq1cs that I may drink and I drank that I may drink
H8354-11 Deuteronomy 9:9 שָׁתִֽיתִי shatiti HVqp1cs I drank I drank I drank
H8354-11 Deuteronomy 9:18 שָׁתִ֑יתִי shatiti HVqp1cs I drank I drank I drank
H8354-25 Deuteronomy 11:11 תִּשְׁתֶּה tisheteh HVqi3fs it drinks she drinks it will drink
H8354-25 Deuteronomy 28:39 תִשְׁתֶּה֙ tisheteh HVqi2ms you shall drink she drinks you will drink
H8354-16 Deuteronomy 29:5 שְׁתִיתֶ֑ם shetitem HVqp2mp you have drunk you drank you drank
H8354-25 Deuteronomy 32:14 תִּשְׁתֶּה tisheteh HVqi2ms you drank she drinks you drink
H8354-53 Deuteronomy 32:38 יִשְׁתּ֖וּ yishetu HVqi3mp drank they drink they drink
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