שְׁחוּת
𐤔𐤇𐤅𐤕
shᵉchûwth
H7816 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An excavation in the ground, often used as a pit, chasm, or cistern. In biblical usage, most commonly refers to a physical depression or hollow in the earth, which may serve for storage, as a water cistern, or as a trap/fall hazard; sometimes a metaphor for a place of ruin or destruction.
Semantic Range
physical pit, depression in the ground, muddy hole, cistern, figurative place or state of degradation or ruin
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root שחה (to bow down, sink down, be depressed, prostrate), שְׁחוּת denotes what is 'sunk' or 'hollowed out,' i.e., a pit or depression. Formed as a noun of result from the root verb.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שְׁחוּת appears infrequently in the Hebrew Bible (notably in Job 9:31), where it refers to a pit, probably in the sense of a muddy or miry hole. The nuance may differ from other common terms for 'pit' such as בּוֹר (bor), typically a large, sometimes constructed cistern, or שַׁחַת (shachat), which can denote both a grave and a pit of destruction. שְׁחוּת may emphasize the idea of being low or sunken, with a focus on the feature's physical depth or quality of depression; it can suggest filth or mire, as in Job 9:31, where it represents a muddy hole symbolizing uncleanness or degradation. Later translations at times render it as 'pit' or 'dungeon,' but context may suggest a specific kind of miry or muddy pit rather than any hollow or grave. The term is rare and largely poetic.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from שָׁחָה; pit; pit.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שחה (š-ḥ-h) — to sink, bow down, be depressed, be prostrate
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7816-01 |
בִּ/שְׁחוּת֥/וֹ | bishechuto | HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms |
into his own pit | his sunken pit | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7816-01 |
Proverbs 28:10 | בִּ/שְׁחוּת֥/וֹ | bishechuto | HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms |
into his own pit | his sunken pit |