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שָׁאוֹן

𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤍

shâʼôwn

H7588 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שָׁאֹן to roar, crash, be desolate

Definition

A loud noise or tumult, often describing the roar or din of a crowd, the rushing sound of water, or commotion during conflict. In extended contexts, it can refer to chaos, confusion, or even the destructive tumult of invading armies or natural disasters.

Semantic Range

uproar, tumult, din, commotion, roar (of water or crowds), rushing sound, destructive tumult, chaos, agitation, catastrophic noise

Root / Etymology

From the root שָׁאָה (shaʾa), meaning 'to roar, crash, desolate.' The form שָׁאוֹן (shāʼôn) is a noun deriving from this root with a focus on the effect: the sound or tumult caused by roaring or rushing forces.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שָׁאוֹן occurs throughout the Hebrew Bible to denote both literal noise (e.g., rivers in Psalm 65:8; Isaiah 17:12-13) and metaphorical tumult (e.g., uproar of nations, Isaiah 13:4). Its usage spans from descriptions of natural phenomena (e.g., floods, storms, earthquakes) to social or military commotion (e.g., battle, invasion). Over time, the term broadened to encapsulate not only the physical sound but also a sense of agitation and chaos characteristic of divine judgment or warfare. In post-exilic and later biblical literature, the metaphorical sense sometimes predominates. Standard English translations often render it as 'uproar,' 'tumult,' 'noise,' or 'roar,' but these do not always convey its frequent connotation of impending destruction or calamity. The word can overlap with related terms like הָמָה (hamah, 'to murmur, roar') or רַעַשׁ (raʿash, 'quake, shake'), though שָׁאוֹן often emphasizes the overwhelming, destructive quality of the noise or tumult.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from שָׁאָה; uproar (as of rushing); by implication, destruction; [idiom] horrible, noise, pomp, rushing, tumult ([idiom] -uous).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שׁאה (š-ʾ-h) — to roar, crash, be desolate

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7588-04 שְׁא֞וֹן sheon HNcmsc roar roar of 7
H7588-03 שָׁאוֹן֙ shaon HNcmsa a clamor roaring tumult 6
H7588-02 כִּ/שְׁא֛וֹן kisheon HR/Ncmsc like the roaring like roaring tumult 2
H7588-06 וּ/שְׁאוֹנָ֖/הּ usheonah HC/Ncmsc/Sp3fs and its uproar and her tumult 1
H7588-05 וּ/שְׁא֣וֹן usheon HC/Ncmsc and roar and tumult of 1
H7588-01 בְּ/שָׁאוֹן֙ beshaon HR/Ncmsa in-tumult in roaring tumult 1

Occurrences in Scripture

18 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7588-06 Isaiah 5:14 וּ/שְׁאוֹנָ֖/הּ usheonah HC/Ncmsc/Sp3fs and its uproar and her tumult
H7588-04 Isaiah 13:4 שְׁא֞וֹן sheon HNcmsc of uproar roar of
H7588-05 Isaiah 17:12 וּ/שְׁא֣וֹן usheon HC/Ncmsc and roar and tumult of
H7588-02 Isaiah 17:12 כִּ/שְׁא֛וֹן kisheon HR/Ncmsc like the roar like roaring tumult
H7588-02 Isaiah 17:13 כִּ/שְׁא֞וֹן kisheon HR/Ncmsc like the roaring like roaring tumult
H7588-04 Isaiah 24:8 שְׁא֣וֹן sheon HNcmsc the noise roar of
H7588-04 Isaiah 25:5 שְׁא֥וֹן sheon HNcmsc the noise roar of
H7588-03 Isaiah 66:6 שָׁאוֹן֙ shaon HNcmsa of uproar roaring tumult
H7588-03 Jeremiah 25:31 שָׁאוֹן֙ shaon HNcmsa a clamor roaring tumult
H7588-03 Jeremiah 46:17 שָׁא֔וֹן shaon HNcmsa a noise roaring tumult
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