שִׁדָּה
𐤔𐤃𐤄
shiddâh
H7705 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A container or vessel, especially a chest or box; also possibly a type of carriage or litter for carrying people, particularly women. In rare and contextually specific usages, the term may denote an object or receptacle associated with female adornment or status. The semantic range includes material objects used for storage or transport, and, in debated contexts, a symbolic reference to a woman as possessor or decoration. The term does not primarily mean 'wife' in any direct sense, though later interpretations have sometimes read it this way.
Semantic Range
chest, box, casket, carriage, litter for women, container for valuables, possibly (in rare and debated interpretations) a woman as ornament, musical instrument (late and post-biblical)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root שָׁדַד (sh-d-d), traditionally meaning 'to overpower, deal violently with, destroy', but the connection between the root and the meaning of שִׁדָּה is unclear, and perhaps coincidental or based on assonance. The noun שִׁדָּה likely developed independently in its concrete sense and may be a loanword or an archaic term for a type of vessel or container. Etymology uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, שִׁדָּה occurs only in Ecclesiastes 2:8, where Solomon describes his accumulation of treasures, including 'shiddah ve-shiddot'. The precise meaning is debated: some interpret as 'concubine(s)', others as 'chests', 'litter(s)', or 'musical instruments'. Most modern lexicographers prefer the meaning 'chest', 'box', or 'casket', as context favors material objects among other treasures (gold, silver, etc.). The translation 'wife' or 'concubine' stems from post-biblical and medieval tradition and is not based on direct textual evidence. In later Hebrew, related terms shift in meaning, but the biblical sense is best understood as denoting a tangible item, likely for storage or display. Early translations (LXX, Vulgate) struggled with the word, producing varying renderings that influenced later English Bibles. The translation 'musical instrument' is based on rare medieval usage and not attested in the biblical period. The word is a hapax legomenon (occurring only once), limiting certainty of its precise referent.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from שָׁדַד; a wife (as mistress of the house); [idiom] all sorts, musical instrument.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שדד (sh-d-d) — to overpower, devastate, destroy
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6701 | צוּרִישַׁדַּי | Overpowering One |
| H7699 | שַׁד | Overpowering One |
| H7703 | שָׁדַד | to ravagers |
| H7706 | שַׁדַּי | to the Overpowering One |
| H795 | אַשְׁדּוֹד | Ashdod |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7705-01 |
שִׁדָּ֥ה | shidah | HNcfsa |
chest | 1 | |
H7705-02 |
וְ/שִׁדּֽוֹת | veshidot | HC/Ncfpa |
chests | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7705-01 |
Ecclesiastes 2:8 | שִׁדָּ֥ה | shidah | HNcfsa |
chest | |
H7705-02 |
Ecclesiastes 2:8 | וְ/שִׁדּֽוֹת | veshidot | HC/Ncfpa |
chests |