וַ/יָּשֻׁ֖בוּ

𐤅/𐤉𐤔𐤁𐤅

vayashuvu

and they returned

a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again; ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, [idiom] certainly, come again (back), [idiom] consider, [phrase] continually, convert, deliver (again), [phrase] deny, draw back, fetch home again, [idiom] fro, get (oneself) (back) again, [idiom] give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, [idiom] needs, be past, [idiom] pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, [phrase] say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, [idiom] surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.

H7725

Genesis 21:32 · Word #10

Lexicon H7725

Lemmaשׁוּב
Lemma (Paleo)𐤔𐤅𐤁
Transliterationshûwb
Strong'sH7725
In-contextand they returned

Morphology HC/Vqw3mp All morphology codes

Part of Speech V — Verb — An action or state
Binyan q — Qal — Simple active
Conjugation w — Sequential Imperfect — Imperfect with waw-consecutive, narrating past events
Person 3 — 3rd person — Third person ("he/she/they")
Gender m — Masculine — Masculine
Number p — Plural — Plural

SIBI-P1 H7725-132

and they turned back

Rootשׁוּב (sh-w-b)
Core Meaningsturning, returning, reversing direction, restoring, going back
Semantic Rangeto turn back physically, to return to a place, to reverse a course of action, to restore something, to turn away, to turn back to God (repent), to bring back or send back in extended usages.
Conceptual Significanceשׁוּב is a central covenantal term in the Hebrew Bible, frequently describing both physical return and spiritual repentance—turning back to יהוה after straying. It conveys the dynamic movement of reversal, whether geographical, moral, or relational, and undergirds prophetic calls to covenant renewal.
Morphological NotesQal stem; waw-consecutive (vav-conversive) attached to imperfect form; 3rd person masculine plural (wayyiqtol), indicating sequential past narrative action.
Rendering RationaleThe root שׁוּב fundamentally denotes turning or returning. In the Qal stem it expresses simple active motion or change of direction. The form is waw-consecutive (wayyiqtol) 3rd masculine plural, indicating a past narrative action performed by ‘they,’ hence ‘and they turned back.’

AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)

Words from Root שׁוּב (turning, returning, reversing direction, restoring, going back)

SILEX Code Transliteration SIBI-P1
H7725-02 ashivekha I will cause you to turn back
H7725-03 ashivenah I will cause her to turn back
H7725-05 ashuv I will turn back

Word Usage (1073 occurrences of H7725)

Location Form Transliteration Meaning
Genesis 3:19 שֽׁוּבְ/ךָ֙ shuvekha your return
Genesis 3:19 תָּשֽׁוּב tashuv you shall return
Genesis 8:3 וַ/יָּשֻׁ֧בוּ vayashuvu and receded