שׁוּעָל
𐤔𐤅𐤏𐤋
Shual
H7777 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun used as both a personal name and a place name; likely derived from the term for 'fox,' thus potentially connoting craftiness, adaptability, or an association with wildness. As a personal name, it designates an Israelite; as a place name, it designates a district or region, likely meaning 'place of foxes.' The word does not carry the literal meaning of 'fox' in these contexts but rather serves as a proper noun.
Semantic Range
personal name (of an Israelite), place name (district north of Benjamin), possibly allusive to the animal 'fox' but not used as a common noun in these contexts
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root שׁוּעַל (sho‘al), meaning 'fox'; the same letters as the common noun 'fox.' The use as a name for a person or place represents a common biblical naming pattern in which animal or natural features are used as names (e.g., Deborah 'bee,' Jonah 'dove'). The core root is שׁ־ו־ע־ל.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The personal name שׁוּעָל (Shual) is listed among the genealogies of Israelites (cf. 1 Chronicles 7:36), indicating its use as an authentic Israelite name in the monarchic period. The place name refers to 'the land of Shual' near Ophrah north of the territory of Benjamin (cf. 1 Samuel 13:17), potentially reflecting either the presence of foxes or metaphorical association with the qualities attributed to foxes. Both uses reflect ancient West Semitic onomastic practices, not the later English use of 'fox' as a metaphor for cunning, though some symbolic nuance is possible. The English term 'fox' is present only as a background meaning and is not the substantive referent in these contexts. Later translations sometimes gloss the place name with a definite article (e.g., 'the land of Shual'), but it is best understood as a proper place name, not as a descriptive term ('fox region'). In LXX, the word is transliterated, not translated, underscoring its significance as a name rather than a common noun.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as שׁוּעָל; Shual, the name of an Israelite and of a place in Palestine; Shual.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שועל (sh-w-ʿ-l) — to move stealthily, to be crafty, to dig; fox
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7777-02 |
וְ/שׁוּעָ֖ל | veshual | HC/Np |
and Shual | and Shual | and Shual | 1 |
H7777-01 |
שׁוּעָֽל | shual | HNp |
Shual | Foxland | Shual | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7777-01 |
1 Samuel 13:17 | שׁוּעָֽל | shual | HNp |
Shual | Foxland | Shual |
H7777-02 |
1 Chronicles 7:36 | וְ/שׁוּעָ֖ל | veshual | HC/Np |
and Shual | and Shual | and Shual |