שׁוּב

𐤔𐤅𐤁

shûwb

H7725 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To turn back, return, or go back; by extension, to restore, bring back, or reverse an action or state; to turn away from a direction, action, or condition, with a range of nuance from literal physical movement to metaphorical or spiritual turning (such as repentance, restoration, or change in relationship). Used both transitively (to cause to return or restore) and intransitively (to return oneself or revert).

Semantic Range

to return (to a place or state), to turn back (away from), to restore someone or something, to bring back, to reverse a previous condition or decision, to relent, to turn away (from wrongdoing), to be brought back (passive usage), to recover, to repeat or do again, to withdraw

Root / Etymology

From the triliteral root שׁ־וּ־ב (שׁוּב), meaning 'to return, turn back.' The root primarily connotes a change in movement or direction, either physical or metaphorical.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שׁוּב is a foundational verb in Biblical Hebrew, appearing in all periods of the Hebrew Bible. In narrative texts, it often denotes literal physical return (e.g., from a journey or exile), while in prophetic and wisdom literature, it develops important metaphorical senses, such as religious or ethical turning (repentance, i.e., 'turning back' to YHWH). In the monarchy and later periods, שׁוּב could refer to both social and religious restoration. The term contrasts with related roots such as פנה (to turn aside) or סור (to turn away in the sense of depart, desist). English translations sometimes restrict שׁוּב to 'return,' but in context it often conveys the nuance of restoration or a reversal of a previous state. In later Jewish interpretive tradition, שׁוּב is foundational for the concept of 'teshuvah' (return/repentance), but these later religious connotations should not be anachronistically applied to earlier biblical usage. The breadth of use is extensive, encompassing acts as varied as returning from exile, reversing judgment, being restored to status or favor, and turning from wrongdoing.

Translation Consistency

primary "return" 44 occurrences

'Return' best captures the primary and most common sense of שׁוּב—literally to go back or come back and metaphorically to turn back/repent or be brought back. It is the most frequent natural-English rendering in the data, works for both intransitive and passive senses, and is broad enough to cover restorative senses without sounding overly formal.

Alternatives (6 occurrences):
"brought back" (1x) "turns back" (1x) "turns away" (1x) "bring you back" (1x) "drawing back" (1x) "restore" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

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.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

שׁוב (shûwb) — to return, turn back, restore

Root שׁוב to return, turn back, restore

Word Forms

194 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7725-128 וַ/יָּ֧שָׁב vayashav HC/Vqw3ms and returned and he turned back and he returned 81
H7725-185 יָשׁ֑וּב yashuv HVqi3ms will return he will return he will return 53
H7725-132 וַ/יָּשֻׁ֥בוּ vayashuvu HC/Vqw3mp and they returned and they turned back and they returned 52
H7725-55 שָׁ֣ב shav HVqp3ms turned he returned he returned 38
H7725-85 תָּשׁ֥וּב tashuv HVqi3fs you return you will return you will return 33
H7725-41 לְ/הָשִׁ֥יב lehashiv HR/Vhc to restore to cause to return to cause to return 31
H7725-155 וְ֠/שָׁב veshav HC/Vqq3ms and he shall return and he returned and he returned 31
H7725-75 שׁ֥וּבוּ shuvu HVqv2mp Return Turn back! Return! 30
H7725-68 שֻׁ֖ב shuv HVqv2ms return to return return 28
H7725-01 אָשִׁ֥יב ashiv HVhi1cs I will restore I will bring back I will cause to return 25

Occurrences in Scripture

1073 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7725-70 Genesis 3:19 שֽׁוּבְ/ךָ֙ shuvekha HVqc/Sp2ms your return your turning back your return
H7725-85 Genesis 3:19 תָּשֽׁוּב tashuv HVqi2ms you shall return you will return you will return
H7725-132 Genesis 8:3 וַ/יָּשֻׁ֧בוּ vayashuvu HC/Vqw3mp and receded and they turned back and they returned
H7725-121 Genesis 8:3 וָ/שׁ֑וֹב vashov HC/Vqa and returning and returning and returning
H7725-121 Genesis 8:7 וָ/שׁ֔וֹב vashov HC/Vqa and returning and returning and returning
H7725-124 Genesis 8:9 וַ/תָּ֤שָׁב vatashav HC/Vqw3fs and she returned and she turned back and she returned
H7725-68 Genesis 8:12 שׁוּב shuv HVqc to him to return to return
H7725-132 Genesis 14:7 וַ֠/יָּשֻׁבוּ vayashuvu HC/Vqw3mp And they returned and they turned back and they returned
H7725-129 Genesis 14:16 וַ/יָּ֕שֶׁב vayashev HC/Vhw3ms he brought back and he caused to return and he brought back
H7725-28 Genesis 14:16 הֵשִׁ֔יב heshiv HVhp3ms he brought back he caused to return he caused to return
H7725-74 Genesis 14:17 שׁוּב֗/וֹ shuvo HVqc/Sp3ms his return his returning his returning
H7725-186 Genesis 15:16 יָשׁ֣וּבוּ yashuvu HVqi3mp they shall return they will return they will return
H7725-73 Genesis 16:9 שׁ֖וּבִי shuvi HVqv2fs return Turn back! Return!
H7725-63 Genesis 18:10 שׁ֣וֹב shov HVqa returning returning returning
H7725-05 Genesis 18:10 אָשׁ֤וּב ashuv HVqi1cs I will return I will return I will return
H7725-05 Genesis 18:14 אָשׁ֥וּב ashuv HVqi1cs I will return I will return I will return
H7725-55 Genesis 18:33 שָׁ֥ב shav HVqp3ms returned he returned he returned
H7725-17 Genesis 20:7 הָשֵׁ֤ב hashev HVhv2ms restore Bring back! Cause to return!
H7725-45 Genesis 20:7 מֵשִׁ֗יב meshiv HVhrmsa restoring one causing to return one causing to return
H7725-129 Genesis 20:14 וַ/יָּ֣שֶׁב vayashev HC/Vhw3ms returned and he caused to return and he caused to return
H7725-132 Genesis 21:32 וַ/יָּשֻׁ֖בוּ vayashuvu HC/Vqw3mp and they returned and they turned back and they returned
H7725-154 Genesis 22:5 וְ/נָשׁ֥וּבָה venashuvah HC/Vqh1cp and come back and let us turn back and let us return
H7725-128 Genesis 22:19 וַ/יָּ֤שָׁב vayashav HC/Vqw3ms So Abraham returned and he turned back and he returned
H7725-27 Genesis 24:5 הֶֽ/הָשֵׁ֤ב hehashev HTi/Vha take back cause to return cause to return
H7725-01 Genesis 24:5 אָשִׁיב֙ ashiv HVhi1cs should I return I will bring back I will cause to return
H7725-80 Genesis 24:6 תָּשִׁ֥יב tashiv HVhi2ms you bring back / you take you will cause to return you will cause to return
H7725-78 Genesis 24:8 תָשֵׁ֖ב tashev HVhi2ms bring back you will cause to return you will cause to return
H7725-128 Genesis 26:18 וַ/יָּ֨שָׁב vayashav HC/Vqw3ms and he dug again and he turned back and he returned
H7725-85 Genesis 27:44 תָּשׁ֖וּב tashuv HVqi3fs turns away you will return he turns back
H7725-68 Genesis 27:45 שׁ֨וּב shuv HVqc turns away to return turns away
H7725-114 Genesis 28:15 וַ/הֲשִׁ֣בֹתִ֔י/ךָ vahashivotikha HC/Vhq1cs/Sp2ms and will bring you back and I brought you back and I will bring you back
H7725-160 Genesis 28:21 וְ/שַׁבְתִּ֥י veshaveti HC/Vqq1cs and I return and I will return and I will return
H7725-148 Genesis 29:3 וְ/הֵשִׁ֧יבוּ veheshivu HC/Vhp3cp and put and they caused to return and they caused to return
H7725-06 Genesis 30:31 אָשׁ֛וּבָה ashuvah HVqh1cs I will return let me turn back I will return
H7725-68 Genesis 31:3 שׁ֛וּב shuv HVqv2ms Return to return return
H7725-166 Genesis 31:13 וְ/שׁ֖וּב veshuv HC/Vqv2ms and return and turn back and return
H7725-128 Genesis 32:1 וַ/יָּ֥שָׁב vayashav HC/Vqw3ms and he returned and he turned back and he returned
H7725-132 Genesis 32:7 וַ/יָּשֻׁ֨בוּ֙ vayashuvu HC/Vqw3mp and the messengers returned and they turned back and they returned
H7725-68 Genesis 32:10 שׁ֧וּב shuv HVqv2ms return to return return
H7725-128 Genesis 33:16 וַ/יָּשָׁב֩ vayashav HC/Vqw3ms returned and he turned back and he returned
H7725-112 Genesis 37:14 וַ/הֲשִׁבֵ֖/נִי vahashiveni HC/Vhv2ms/Sp1cs bring back to me cause me to return and cause me to return
H7725-39 Genesis 37:22 לַ/הֲשִׁיב֖/וֹ lahashivo HR/Vhc/Sp3ms to return him to cause him to return to cause him to return
H7725-128 Genesis 37:29 וַ/יָּ֤שָׁב vayashav HC/Vqw3ms returned and he turned back and he returned
H7725-128 Genesis 37:30 וַ/יָּ֥שָׁב vayashav HC/Vqw3ms and he returned and he turned back and he returned
H7725-128 Genesis 38:22 וַ/יָּ֨שָׁב֙ vayashav HC/Vqw3ms and he returned and he turned back and he returned
H7725-35 Genesis 38:29 כְּ/מֵשִׁ֣יב kemeshiv HR/Vhrmsa as he was drawing back as one who restores as he was drawing back
H7725-111 Genesis 40:13 וַ/הֲשִֽׁיבְ/ךָ֖ vahashivekha HC/Vhq3ms/Sp2ms and will restore you and he brought you back and will restore you
H7725-129 Genesis 40:21 וַ/יָּ֛שֶׁב vayashev HC/Vhw3ms and he restored and he caused to return and he caused to return
H7725-28 Genesis 41:13 הֵשִׁ֥יב heshiv HVhp3ms he restored he caused to return he caused to return
H7725-128 Genesis 42:24 וַ/יָּ֤שָׁב vayashav HC/Vqw3ms and returned and he turned back and he returned