שׂוּם
𐤔𐤅𐤌
sûwm
H7760 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To set, place, or put something in a location or position, either concretely (objects, persons) or abstractly (thoughts, intentions, honor, blame, laws, boundaries). The verb is highly versatile, expressing a range from literal physical placement to figurative acts of appointing, assigning value, ascribing action or reputation, planning, imposing, or designating. Its usage can span from setting a physical object in place, through the allocation of responsibility or decision, to the attribution of qualities, states, or purposes.
Semantic Range
to place, to set, to put, to appoint, to ascribe (a name or quality), to impose, to establish, to assign, to determine, to lay (down), to impose (a law, punishment, etc.), to take (an attitude or stance), to set aside, to impose (a condition), to ascribe, to consider, to regard, to bestow, to charge, to designate
Root / Etymology
From the root שׂוּם (שׂ-ו-ם), a primary or primitive verb meaning 'to place, set, put.' The root expresses the idea of positioning or assigning, but the lexical verb's applications broaden to the transfer or allocation of qualities, identities, responsibilities, and more. No clear cognates with the same function exist elsewhere in Semitic languages, but related roots may have similar semantics of placing or establishing.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שׂוּם is one of the most broadly used and flexible verbs in Biblical Hebrew, appearing throughout narratives, legal texts, poetry, and prophetic literature. Its literal usage includes physical placing (e.g., Genesis 3:15, setting enmity), while figurative applications are widespread: imposing laws (Exodus 21:1), assigning names (Genesis 2:19), ascribing blame or honor (2 Samuel 19:19), determining fates or judgments (Isaiah 53:6), or placing thoughts or feelings in someone's heart (Nehemiah 2:12). In later periods, particularly exilic and post-exilic literature, the verb sometimes takes on constructions reflecting Aramaic influence, including causative nuances. English translations often render שׂוּם with a wide variety of verbs (place, set, appoint, consider, impose, make, etc.) depending on context, but may not fully convey the full semantic breadth or the nuance between personal, legal, or official acts the original carries. שׂוּם sometimes overlaps in meaning with נתן (to give), especially in cases of assigning or bestowing, but נתן commonly has a stronger emphasis on the transfer of possession.
Translation Consistency
"Set" is the most natural, versatile choice for שׂוּם. It covers literal placement and the wide range of figurative senses (establish, appoint, impose, ascribe, assign, lay down) and is also the most frequent rendering in the corpus. More specific senses like "appoint" or "ascribe" can be handled by context or compounds, while "set" preserves consistency and readability.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or שִׂים; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
שׂום (Yeshimael) — to place, set, put, establish
Word Forms
108 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7760-67 |
וַ/יָּ֤שֶׂם | vayasem | HC/Vqw3ms |
and he set | and he placed | and he set | 84 |
H7760-21 |
שָׂ֤ם | sam | HVqp3ms |
he put | the one who places | the one who sets | 39 |
H7760-68 |
וַ/יָּשִׂ֨ימוּ֙ | vayasimu | HC/Vqw3mp |
and they put | and they set | and they set | 35 |
H7760-44 |
שִׂ֥ים | sim | HVqv2ms |
set | Place | Set | 27 |
H7760-87 |
וְ/שַׂמְתִּ֣י | vesameti | HC/Vqq1cs |
and-I-will-make | and I will set | and I will set | 26 |
H7760-16 |
לָ/שׂ֤וּם | lasum | HR/Vqc |
to put | to set, to place | to set | 25 |
H7760-01 |
אָשִֽׂים | asim | HVqi1cs |
I will make | I will set | I will set | 21 |
H7760-103 |
יָשִׂ֔ים | yasim | HVqi3ms |
he sets | he places | he places | 21 |
H7760-83 |
וְ/שַׂמְתָּ֥ | vesameta | HC/Vqq2ms |
and you shall put | and you shall set | and you shall set | 20 |
H7760-48 |
שִׂ֔ימוּ | simu | HVqv2mp |
put | Place! | Set, all of you! | 15 |
Occurrences in Scripture
586 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7760-67 |
Genesis 2:8 | וַ/יָּ֣שֶׂם | vayasem | HC/Vqw3ms |
and placed | and he placed | and he set |
H7760-67 |
Genesis 4:15 | וַ/יָּ֨שֶׂם | vayasem | HC/Vqw3ms |
and set | and he placed | and he set |
H7760-53 |
Genesis 6:16 | תָּשִׂ֑ים | tasim | HVqi2ms |
you shall set | you will set | you will set |
H7760-68 |
Genesis 9:23 | וַ/יָּשִׂ֨ימוּ֙ | vayasimu | HC/Vqw3mp |
and placed | and they set | and they set |
H7760-87 |
Genesis 13:16 | וְ/שַׂמְתִּ֥י | vesameti | HC/Vqq1cs |
and I will make | and I will set | and I will set |
H7760-07 |
Genesis 21:13 | אֲשִׂימֶ֑/נּוּ | asimenu | HVqi1cs/Sp3ms |
I will make | I will set him | I will make him |
H7760-21 |
Genesis 21:14 | שָׂ֧ם | sam | HVqrmsa |
putting | the one who places | placing |
H7760-07 |
Genesis 21:18 | אֲשִׂימֶֽ/נּוּ | asimenu | HVqi1cs/Sp3ms |
I will make him | I will set him | I will make him |
H7760-67 |
Genesis 22:6 | וַ/יָּ֨שֶׂם֙ | vayasem | HC/Vqw3ms |
and laid | and he placed | and he set |
H7760-67 |
Genesis 22:9 | וַ/יָּ֤שֶׂם | vayasem | HC/Vqw3ms |
he laid | and he placed | and he set |
H7760-44 |
Genesis 24:2 | שִֽׂים | sim | HVqv2ms |
Put | Place | Set |
H7760-67 |
Genesis 24:9 | וַ/יָּ֤שֶׂם | vayasem | HC/Vqw3ms |
placed | and he placed | and he set |
H7760-75 |
Genesis 24:33 | וַ/יּוּשַׂ֤ם | vayusam | HC/VHw3ms |
and was set | and he was placed | and it was placed |
H7760-60 |
Genesis 24:47 | וָ/אָשִׂ֤ם | vaasim | HC/Vqw1cs |
And I put | and I set | and I set |
H7760-36 |
Genesis 27:37 | שַׂמְתִּ֥י/ו | sametiv | HVqp1cs/Sp3ms |
I have made him | I placed him | I placed him |
H7760-67 |
Genesis 28:11 | וַ/יָּ֖שֶׂם | vayasem | HC/Vqw3ms |
and put | and he placed | and he set |
H7760-21 |
Genesis 28:18 | שָׂ֣ם | sam | HVqp3ms |
he had put | the one who places | he had put |
H7760-67 |
Genesis 28:18 | וַ/יָּ֥שֶׂם | vayasem | HC/Vqw3ms |
set it up | and he placed | and he set |
H7760-33 |
Genesis 28:22 | שַׂ֨מְתִּי֙ | sameti | HVqp1cs |
I have set up | I placed | I set |
H7760-67 |
Genesis 30:36 | וַ/יָּ֗שֶׂם | vayasem | HC/Vqw3ms |
And he set | and he placed | and he set |
H7760-81 |
Genesis 30:41 | וְ/שָׂ֨ם | vesam | HC/Vqp3ms |
placed | and he set | and he set |
H7760-103 |
Genesis 30:42 | יָשִׂ֑ים | yasim | HVqi3ms |
he put | he places | he put |
H7760-67 |
Genesis 31:21 | וַ/יָּ֥שֶׂם | vayasem | HC/Vqw3ms |
and set | and he placed | and he set |
H7760-65 |
Genesis 31:34 | וַ/תְּשִׂמֵ֛/ם | vatesimem | HC/Vqw3fs/Sp3mp |
and put them | and she set them | and she set them |
H7760-44 |
Genesis 31:37 | שִׂ֣ים | sim | HVqv2ms |
put | Place | Set |
H7760-87 |
Genesis 32:13 | וְ/שַׂמְתִּ֤י | vesameti | HC/Vqq1cs |
and I will make | and I will set | and I will set |
H7760-54 |
Genesis 32:17 | תָּשִׂ֔ימוּ | tasimu | HVqi2mp |
put | you shall place | you shall set |
H7760-67 |
Genesis 33:2 | וַ/יָּ֧שֶׂם | vayasem | HC/Vqw3ms |
he put | and he placed | and he set |
H7760-67 |
Genesis 37:34 | וַ/יָּ֥שֶׂם | vayasem | HC/Vqw3ms |
put | and he placed | and he set |
H7760-40 |
Genesis 40:15 | שָׂמ֥וּ | samu | HVqp3cp |
they have put | they placed | they set |
H7760-67 |
Genesis 41:42 | וַ/יָּ֛שֶׂם | vayasem | HC/Vqw3ms |
and put | and he placed | and he set |
H7760-21 |
Genesis 43:22 | שָׂ֥ם | sam | HVqp3ms |
put | the one who places | placed |
H7760-48 |
Genesis 43:31 | שִׂ֥ימוּ | simu | HVqv2mp |
Serve | Place! | Set, all of you! |
H7760-68 |
Genesis 43:32 | וַ/יָּשִׂ֥ימוּ | vayasimu | HC/Vqw3mp |
And they set | and they set | and they set |
H7760-95 |
Genesis 44:1 | וְ/שִׂ֥ים | vesim | HC/Vqv2ms |
and put | and set | and set |
H7760-53 |
Genesis 44:2 | תָּשִׂים֙ | tasim | HVqi2ms |
put | you will set | you will set |
H7760-77 |
Genesis 44:21 | וְ/אָשִׂ֥ימָה | veasimah | HC/Vqi1cs |
that I may set | and I will set | and I will set |
H7760-16 |
Genesis 45:7 | לָ/שׂ֥וּם | lasum | HR/Vqc |
to preserve | to set, to place | to set |
H7760-73 |
Genesis 45:8 | וַ/יְשִׂימֵ֨/נִֽי | vayesimeni | HC/Vqw3ms/Sp1cs |
He has made me | and he set me | and he set me |
H7760-24 |
Genesis 45:9 | שָׂמַ֧/נִי | samani | HVqp3ms/Sp1cs |
has made me | he placed me | he set me |
H7760-03 |
Genesis 46:3 | אֲשִֽׂימְ/ךָ֥ | asimekha | HVqi1cs/Sp2ms |
I will make you | I will place you | I will set you |
H7760-84 |
Genesis 47:6 | וְ/שַׂמְתָּ֛/ם | vesametam | HC/Vqq2ms/Sp3mp |
and put them | and you set them | and you set them |
H7760-67 |
Genesis 47:26 | וַ/יָּ֣שֶׂם | vayasem | HC/Vqw3ms |
And he set | and he placed | and he set |
H7760-44 |
Genesis 47:29 | שִֽׂים | sim | HVqv2ms |
put | Place | Set |
H7760-44 |
Genesis 48:18 | שִׂ֥ים | sim | HVqv2ms |
put | Place | Set |
H7760-107 |
Genesis 48:20 | יְשִֽׂמְ/ךָ֣ | yesimekha | HVqi3ms/Sp2ms |
may God make you | he will set you | may he set you |
H7760-67 |
Genesis 48:20 | וַ/יָּ֥שֶׂם | vayasem | HC/Vqw3ms |
and he set | and he placed | and he set |
H7760-68 |
Exodus 1:11 | וַ/יָּשִׂ֤ימוּ | vayasimu | HC/Vqw3mp |
So they set | and they set | and they set |
H7760-63 |
Exodus 2:3 | וַ/תָּ֤שֶׂם | vatasem | HC/Vqw3fs |
and placed | and she set | and she set |
H7760-63 |
Exodus 2:3 | וַ/תָּ֥שֶׂם | vatasem-2 | HC/Vqw3fs |
and placed [it] | and she set | and she set |