שָׂחַט
𐤔𐤇𐤈
sâchaṭ
H7818 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To press or squeeze, especially to extract juice from fruit such as grapes or olives. The term encompasses the action of treading or crushing in order to separate liquid from solid matter. In biblical usage, it is particularly associated with processes related to wine or oil production, but can indicate more generally the act of pressing or squeezing out moisture or liquid.
Semantic Range
to press (fruit for juice), to tread out (grapes), to squeeze out moisture, to extract oil, to produce wine by pressing
Root / Etymology
Root: שָׂחַט (ש-ח-ט). The root appears to denote the act of pressing or squeezing, especially by treading, and is applied to agricultural processing. The derivation is directly from the action of expressing liquid by mechanical pressure. Cognates may be found in other Semitic languages with similar meanings, though the Hebrew usage is distinguishable from more common roots for 'to press' such as דָּרַךְ (darakh, 'to tread').
Historical & Contextual Notes
שָׂחַט occurs rarely in the Hebrew Bible (only a handful of times, e.g., Amos 9:13), and is relatively specialized, primarily used in contexts describing the agricultural process of extracting juice—most often of grapes, occasionally of olives. It is distinct from more common terms like דָּרַךְ, which tends to refer specifically to treading in a winepress. The semantic nuance of שָׂחַט is broader, encompassing not only treading underfoot but also squeezing by hand or other means. In post-biblical Hebrew, usage becomes rare or is replaced by other terms. Later translations sometimes generalize or conflate this root with others, occasionally narrowing it to 'winepressing' exclusively. The action described by שָׂחַט is most relevant during the harvest season, reflecting Israelite agrarian practices in monarchic and post-exilic periods.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to tread out, i.e. squeeze (grapes); press.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שחט (ś-ḥ-ṭ) — to press, to squeeze, to extract liquid
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7819 | שָׁחַט | the slaughtered one |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7818-01 |
וָֽ/אֶשְׂחַ֤ט | vaesechat | HC/Vqw1cs |
and squeezed | and I pressed out | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7818-01 |
Genesis 40:11 | וָֽ/אֶשְׂחַ֤ט | vaesechat | HC/Vqw1cs |
and squeezed | and I pressed out |