שָׂחָה
𐤔𐤇𐤄
sâchâh
H7811 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To swim in water; to move or propel oneself through water by bodily motions. The word also occurs in causative forms, meaning to make something or someone swim, or to submerge and cause to move as if swimming. Less commonly, it may refer to inundating or overflowing in poetic or figurative contexts.
Semantic Range
to swim, to cause to swim, to inundate, to overwhelm with water, to propel through water by bodily movement
Root / Etymology
Root: שח״ה. Derived from the root meaning 'to swim', the verb is primarily attested in contexts describing movement through water by swimming. The etymology is primarily onomatopoeic or imitative in nature, perhaps reflecting the sound or action of moving through water. Cognate forms are not widely attested in other Semitic languages; etymology uncertain beyond Biblical Hebrew attestation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שָׂחָה appears infrequently in the Hebrew Bible, notably in Isaiah 25:11 to describe the act of swimming, and in some instances as a causative (hiphil binyan) to indicate causing to swim or submerging. Its usage is typically literal, describing physical motion in water, without figurative or extended religious connotation. The causative forms may imply inundation or being overwhelmed by water. The term is distinct from verbs of immersion, drowning, or floating, such as טבע (to sink/drown) or צוף (to float). Standard English translations render the word as 'to swim' or 'cause to swim,' generally capturing the full lexical range in biblical contexts. There is little change in meaning across historical periods, given the scarcity of occurrences.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to swim; causatively, to inundate; (make to) swim.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שחה (s-ḥ-h) — to swim, move in water, submerge
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7811-01 |
אַשְׂחֶ֣ה | asecheh | HVhi1cs |
I flood | I will cause to swim | 1 |
H7811-03 |
לִ/שְׂח֑וֹת | lisechot | HR/Vqc |
to swim | to swim | 1 |
H7811-02 |
הַ/שֹּׂחֶ֖ה | hasocheh | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the swimmer | the one who swims | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7811-02 |
Isaiah 25:11 | הַ/שֹּׂחֶ֖ה | hasocheh | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the swimmer | the one who swims |
H7811-03 |
Isaiah 25:11 | לִ/שְׂח֑וֹת | lisechot | HR/Vqc |
to swim | to swim |
H7811-01 |
Psalms 6:7 | אַשְׂחֶ֣ה | asecheh | HVhi1cs |
I flood | I will cause to swim |