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שׁוּם

𐤔𐤅𐤌

shûwm

H7762 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain (uncertain; word meaning is 'garlic', no clear root)

Definition

A bulbous plant used as a seasoning and food (Allium sativum); garlic. In biblical usage, denotes the plant or its bulbs, typically as a food item known for its strong aroma and distinctive taste. The term is only attested as a noun referring specifically to garlic.

Semantic Range

garlic (the plant Allium sativum), garlic bulb

Root / Etymology

Root: uncertain. The etymology is uncertain; the traditional Strong's suggestion of a root meaning 'to exhale' is not supported by other Semitic evidence. The word may be a loanword or an ancient Semitic term for garlic.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שׁוּם appears only once in the Hebrew Bible (Numbers 11:5), in the context of the Israelites' complaint about lacking certain foods they had in Egypt. The context suggests a concrete reference to the edible plant garlic, recognized in the ancient Near East for both culinary and medicinal uses. Lexically, שׁוּם does not carry extended metaphorical senses, and later rabbinic usage continues to use it solely for garlic. No distinction is made between different varieties of garlic in biblical texts. The term is precise and not a generic term for pungent plants (such as onions or leeks). English translations consistently render it as 'garlic,' accurately reflecting the Hebrew. There is no evidence that this word carried broader culinary or ritual connotations in biblical texts. In post-biblical Hebrew, שׁוּם retains this plant-specific meaning.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root meaning to exhale; garlic (from its rank odor); garlic.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שום (sh-w-m) — garlic (bulbous seasoning plant)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H8126 שֻׁמָתִי the Shumathite clansman

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7762-01 הַ/שּׁוּמִֽים hashumim HTd/Ncmpa garlic the garlic bulbs 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7762-01 Numbers 11:5 הַ/שּׁוּמִֽים hashumim HTd/Ncmpa garlic the garlic bulbs
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