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
'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.
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
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 |