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שָׁאַב

𐤔𐤀𐤁

shâʼab

H7579 verb

SILEX Entry

Root שאב to draw, scoop, extract (liquid)

Definition

To draw out water, to scoop or dip up liquid, especially from a well, cistern, or spring. The verb is most often used of the act of drawing water by use of a vessel, such as a jar or bucket, for domestic or communal use. In certain contexts, it can refer more generally to the action of gathering or extracting liquids.

Semantic Range

to draw water, to scoop up liquid, to bail liquid from a container, to fetch water (especially from wells or cisterns)

Root / Etymology

From the root שׁ-א-ב, which conveys the sense of drawing, scooping, or extracting. The form שָׁאַב is the Qal stem of the verb, reflecting the basic sense of the root. The root itself occurs sparingly in the Hebrew Bible, and related Semitic languages do not have close cognates, making its deeper etymology uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שָׁאַב is used in contexts describing ordinary daily life in ancient Israelite society, particularly emphasizing the labor of drawing water from wells or cisterns, a task often undertaken by women as noted in several narrative passages (Genesis 24:11–20; Exodus 2:16–19). It is distinct from terms associated with ritual sprinkling, pouring, or irrigating, which use different roots (e.g., נסך 'to pour out,' קבה 'to scoop'). Across the biblical corpus, the term does not acquire metaphorical or ritualized overtones—it remains a straightforward reference to the physical act of drawing water. In later Hebrew and rabbinic usage, derivatives (like משׁאב, 'water carrier') emphasize the same basic activity. Standard English translations commonly use 'draw (water),' which accurately reflects the Hebrew meaning in context. No significant semantic shift is observable across the chronology of biblical Hebrew texts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to bale up water; (woman to) draw(-er, water).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שאב (š-ʾ-b) — to draw, scoop, extract (liquid)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4857 מַשְׁאָב water-drawing troughs

Word Forms

10 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7579-03 לִ/שְׁאֹ֥ב lisheov HR/Vqc to draw to draw water 4
H7579-08 וַ/יִּֽשְׁאֲבוּ vayisheavu HC/Vqw3mp and drew and they drew liquid 3
H7579-09 וְ/שֹֽׁאֲבֵי veshoavey HC/Vqrmpc and drawers and drawers-of 3
H7579-07 וַ/תִּשְׁאַ֖ב vatisheav HC/Vqw3fs and drew and she drew 2
H7579-01 אֶשְׁאָ֔ב esheav HVqi1cs I will draw I will draw water 2
H7579-02 הַ/שֹּׁאֲבֹֽת hashoavot HTd/Vqrfpa of the drawers the women who draw 1
H7579-10 יִשְׁאֲב֖וּ/ן yisheavun HVqi3mp/Sn they draw they will draw liquid 1
H7579-05 שֹׁאֵ֥ב shoev HVqrmsc a water drawer liquid-drawer of 1
H7579-04 שַֽׁאֲבִי shaavi HVqv2fs Draw Draw out water 1
H7579-06 וּ/שְׁאַבְתֶּם usheavetem HC/Vqq2mp you will draw and you will draw 1

Occurrences in Scripture

19 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7579-02 Genesis 24:11 הַ/שֹּׁאֲבֹֽת hashoavot HTd/Vqrfpa of the drawers the women who draw
H7579-03 Genesis 24:13 לִ/שְׁאֹ֥ב lisheov HR/Vqc to draw to draw water
H7579-01 Genesis 24:19 אֶשְׁאָ֔ב esheav HVqi1cs I will draw I will draw water
H7579-03 Genesis 24:20 לִ/שְׁאֹ֑ב lisheov HR/Vqc to draw to draw water
H7579-07 Genesis 24:20 וַ/תִּשְׁאַ֖ב vatisheav HC/Vqw3fs and drew and she drew
H7579-03 Genesis 24:43 לִ/שְׁאֹ֔ב lisheov HR/Vqc to draw to draw water
H7579-01 Genesis 24:44 אֶשְׁאָ֑ב esheav HVqi1cs I will draw I will draw water
H7579-07 Genesis 24:45 וַ/תִּשְׁאָ֑ב vatisheav HC/Vqw3fs and drew water and she drew
H7579-05 Deuteronomy 29:10 שֹׁאֵ֥ב shoev HVqrmsc a water drawer liquid-drawer of
H7579-09 Joshua 9:21 וְ/שֹֽׁאֲבֵי veshoavey HC/Vqrmpc and drawers and drawers-of
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