שׁוּעַ
𐤔𐤅𐤏
Shua
H7770 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name, Shua (Shûwaʻ), designating several individuals in the Hebrew Bible, most notably a Canaanite individual associated with the family of Judah. The name itself likely carries a connotation of wealth or prosperity, based on its root, but in biblical texts, it functions exclusively as a proper noun for named persons.
Semantic Range
personal name (male and female), possibly 'prosperous,' 'wealthy,' or 'one who calls for help'; only used as a proper noun in the biblical text
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root שׁוע, which in its verb form means 'to cry out for help,' though the noun or proper name form is commonly derived from a meaning of 'riches' or 'prosperity' (cf. שׁוּעַ H7769). The personal name's connection to the root meaning is debated, and may instead reflect an old naming tradition focused on blessing or fortune.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, Shua is used for multiple figures: 1) A Canaanite individual, the father of the unnamed wife of Judah (Genesis 38:2, 12), 2) A daughter of Heber, descendant of Asher (1 Chronicles 7:32). In Genesis, the Canaanite 'Shua' is sometimes confused in tradition with the wife of Judah herself, but careful reading of the Hebrew text treats Shua as her father. The Septuagint and later traditions vary in identifying Shua, and some older English versions use 'Shua' for both male and female names, sometimes leading to confusion. The term does not designate an ethnic identity nor does it have a broader semantic field beyond its use as a personal name. The name is not used as a common noun in the Hebrew Bible, and its precise semantics as a name are secondary to its function identifying historical or narrative figures. Later Jewish tradition sometimes conflates Shua with Tamar or otherwise adapts the figure's significance for genealogical or interpretive purposes.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as שׁוּעַ; Shua, a Canaanite; Shua, Shuah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׁוע (š-w-ʿ) — to cry for help, to be rich, to prosper
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7770-01 |
שׁ֑וּעַ | shua | HNp |
of Shua | Shua | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7770-01 |
Genesis 38:2 | שׁ֑וּעַ | shua | HNp |
Shua | Shua |
H7770-01 |
Genesis 38:12 | שׁ֣וּעַ | shua | HNp |
of Shua | Shua |