שָׁחַט (H7819) — Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁחַט

𐤔𐤇𐤈

shâchaṭ

H7819 verb

SILEX Entry

Root שחט to slaughter, to kill (by cutting), to slay

Definition

To slaughter, especially of animals, often in the context of ritual sacrifice, but also generally referring to the killing of animals or people with a cutting instrument. The term primarily denotes the deliberate act of slaying, typically by means of cutting the throat as part of ritual procedures, but can extend to non-sacrificial and even violent (massacre-like) killings.

Semantic Range

to slaughter animals for sacrifice, to slaughter animals for food, to kill or slay (humans), to massacre, to ritually prepare an animal by killing

Root / Etymology

From the root שׁ-ח-ט (שָׁחַט), which appears to be a root meaning 'to slaughter or kill with a sharp implement.' The root is attested primarily in forms relating to killing by cutting, particularly in controlled or ritual settings.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שָׁחַט is most frequently used in the Hebrew Bible to describe ritual slaughter of animals for sacrifice in Israelite worship (e.g., Leviticus 1:5, 3:13), closely associated with cultic procedure where proper technique (slitting the throat) was essential for ritual purity. It also appears in contexts describing the slaughter of animals for non-sacrificial food purposes (Deuteronomy 12:21) and, at times, for the killing of humans, often en masse or with violent connotation (Judges 12:6; 1 Kings 18:40), though ritual connotation is less prominent there. Over time, the word's association with ritual sacrifice became more pronounced, distinguishing it from other Hebrew verbs for killing (e.g., הרג 'harag'—to kill, typically not ritual; קטל 'qatal'—to slay). In post-biblical Hebrew, שחט comes exclusively to mean 'to slaughter animals for food in a ritually approved manner' (as in rabbinic 'shechita'), but in the biblical texts its scope is broader, though still primarily non-human targets. English translations often render שָׁחַט as 'slay,' 'kill,' or 'slaughter,' but 'slaughter' best preserves the sense of controlled killing with a blade, especially for animals. When used in narratives of violence or massacre, the term emphasizes the methodical or thorough nature of the killing. Distinct from זָבַח (zabach—'to sacrifice'), which focuses on the act of offering and ritual, שָׁחַט emphasizes the physical act of slaughter.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to slaughter (in sacrifice or massacre); kill, offer, shoot out, slay, slaughter.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שחט (š-ḥ-ṭ) — to slaughter, to kill by cutting, to slay

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H7818	שָׂחַט	and I pressed out

Word Forms

29 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H7819-22`	וְ/שָׁחַ֛ט	veshachat	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and he shall slaughter	and he slaughtered	16
`H7819-19`	וַֽ/יִּשְׁחֲטוּ֙	vayishechatu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and they slaughtered	and they slaughtered	12
`H7819-16`	וַ/יִּשְׁחָ֗ט	vayishechat	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and he slaughtered	and he slaughtered	8
`H7819-28`	יִשְׁחַ֥ט	yishechat	`HVqi3ms`	they slaughter	he will slaughter	6
`H7819-29`	יִשְׁחֲטוּ֙	yishechatu	`HVqi3mp`	shall slaughter	they will slaughter	5
`H7819-18`	וַ/יִּשְׁחָטֵ֖/ם	vayishechatem	`HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3mp`	and he slaughtered them	and he slaughtered them	3
`H7819-24`	וְ/שָׁחַטְתָּ֥	veshachateta	`HC/Vqq2ms`	and you shall slaughter	and you slaughtered	3
`H7819-25`	וְ/שָׁחֲט֣וּ	veshachatu	`HC/Vqq3cp`	and kill	and they slaughtered	3
`H7819-02`	לִ/שְׁחֹ֖ט	lishechot	`HR/Vqc`	to slaughter	to slaughter	2
`H7819-03`	שָׁחַ֖ט	shachat	`HVqp3ms`	he slaughtered	he slaughtered	2
`H7819-21`	וַֽ/יִּשְׁחָט֞וּ/ם	vayishechatum	`HC/Vqw3mp/Sp3mp`	and slaughtered them	and they slaughtered them	2
`H7819-01`	הַ/שְּׁחֻטָ֔ה	hashechutah	`HTd/Vqsfsa`	that was killed	the slaughtered one	2
`H7819-09`	תִּשָּׁחֵ֨ט	tishachet	`HVNi3fs`	is slaughtered	she will be slaughtered	2
`H7819-15`	וַֽ/תִּשְׁחֲטִ֖י	vatishechati	`HC/Vqw2fs`	and-you-slaughtered	and you slaughtered	1
`H7819-04`	שָׁחֲט֖וּ	shachatu	`HVqp3cp`	they-slaughtered	they slaughtered	1
`H7819-07`	שׁוֹחֵ֨ט	shochet	`HVqrmsa`	slaughters	slaughtering one	1
`H7819-17`	וַ/יִּשְׁחָטֵ֥/הוּ	vayishechatehu	`HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3ms`	and he slaughtered it	and he slaughtered him	1
`H7819-11`	תִשְׁחֲט֖וּ	tishechatu	`HVqi2mp`	shall you slaughter	you all will slaughter	1
`H7819-05`	שָׁח֛וּט	shachut	`HVqsmsa`	that is shot	slaughtered one	1
`H7819-26`	וְ/שָׁחֹ֣ט	veshachot	`HC/Vqa`	and killing	and slaughtering	1
`H7819-10`	תִשְׁחַ֥ט	tishechat	`HVqi2ms`	you shall offer	you will slaughter	1
`H7819-20`	וַ/יִּשְׁחָט֖וּ/הוּ	vayishechatuhu	`HC/Vqw3mp/Sp3ms`	and slew him	they slaughtered him	1
`H7819-12`	וּ/שְׁחַטְתֶּ֤ם	ushechatetem	`HC/Vqq2mp`	and slaughter them	and you slaughtered	1
`H7819-23`	וְ/שַׁחֲטָ֥ה	veshachatah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and-slaughter	slaughter	1
`H7819-06`	שֹׁחֲטֵ֤י	shochatey	`HVqrmpc`	slaughtering	slaughterers of	1
`H7819-27`	יִשָּׁחֵ֥ט	yishachet	`HVNi3ms`	be slaughtered	he will be slaughtered	1
`H7819-13`	וּ/שְׁחָט֕/וֹ	ushechato	`HC/Vqq3ms/Sp3ms`	and he shall slaughter it	and he slaughtered him	1
`H7819-08`	שוחט	shvcht	`HVqrmsa`	shooting	the one who slaughters	1
`H7819-14`	וּֽ/בְ/שַׁחֲטָ֤/ם	uveshachatam	`HC/R/Vqc/Sp3mp`	and when they slaughtered them	and in slaughtering them	1

Occurrences in Scripture

82 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H7819-02`	Genesis 22:10	לִ/שְׁחֹ֖ט	lishechot	`HR/Vqc`	to slaughter	to slaughter
`H7819-19`	Genesis 37:31	וַֽ/יִּשְׁחֲטוּ֙	vayishechatu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	they slaughtered	and they slaughtered
`H7819-25`	Exodus 12:6	וְ/שָׁחֲט֣וּ	veshachatu	`HC/Vqq3cp`	and they shall slaughter	and they slaughtered
`H7819-25`	Exodus 12:21	וְ/שַׁחֲט֥וּ	veshachatu	`HC/Vqv2mp`	and kill	and they slaughtered
`H7819-24`	Exodus 29:11	וְ/שָׁחַטְתָּ֥	veshachateta	`HC/Vqq2ms`	you shall kill	and you slaughtered
`H7819-24`	Exodus 29:16	וְ/שָׁחַטְתָּ֖	veshachateta	`HC/Vqq2ms`	and you shall slaughter	and you slaughtered
`H7819-24`	Exodus 29:20	וְ/שָׁחַטְתָּ֣	veshachateta	`HC/Vqq2ms`	you shall slaughter	and you slaughtered
`H7819-10`	Exodus 34:25	תִשְׁחַ֥ט	tishechat	`HVqi2ms`	you shall offer	you will slaughter
`H7819-22`	Leviticus 1:5	וְ/שָׁחַ֛ט	veshachat	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and he shall slaughter	and he slaughtered
`H7819-22`	Leviticus 1:11	וְ/שָׁחַ֨ט	veshachat	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and he shall slaughter	and he slaughtered
`H7819-13`	Leviticus 3:2	וּ/שְׁחָט֕/וֹ	ushechato	`HC/Vqq3ms/Sp3ms`	and he shall slaughter it	and he slaughtered him
`H7819-22`	Leviticus 3:8	וְ/שָׁחַ֣ט	veshachat	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and he shall slaughter	and he slaughtered
`H7819-22`	Leviticus 3:13	וְ/שָׁחַ֣ט	veshachat	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and slaughter	and he slaughtered
`H7819-22`	Leviticus 4:4	וְ/שָׁחַ֥ט	veshachat	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and he shall slaughter	and he slaughtered
`H7819-22`	Leviticus 4:15	וְ/שָׁחַ֥ט	veshachat	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and shall slaughter	and he slaughtered
`H7819-22`	Leviticus 4:24	וְ/שָׁחַ֣ט	veshachat	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and he shall slaughter	and he slaughtered
`H7819-28`	Leviticus 4:24	יִשְׁחַ֥ט	yishechat	`HVqi3ms`	they slaughter	he will slaughter
`H7819-22`	Leviticus 4:29	וְ/שָׁחַט֙	veshachat	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and he shall slaughter	and he slaughtered
`H7819-22`	Leviticus 4:33	וְ/שָׁחַ֤ט	veshachat	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and he shall slaughter	and he slaughtered
`H7819-28`	Leviticus 4:33	יִשְׁחַ֖ט	yishechat	`HVqi3ms`	they slaughter	he will slaughter
`H7819-09`	Leviticus 6:18	תִּשָּׁחֵ֨ט	tishachet	`HVNi3fs`	is slaughtered	she will be slaughtered
`H7819-09`	Leviticus 6:18	תִּשָּׁחֵ֤ט	tishachet-2	`HVNi3fs`	shall be slaughtered	she will be slaughtered
`H7819-29`	Leviticus 7:2	יִשְׁחֲטוּ֙	yishechatu	`HVqi3mp`	they kill	they will slaughter
`H7819-29`	Leviticus 7:2	יִשְׁחֲט֖וּ	yishechatu-2	`HVqi3mp`	they shall kill	they will slaughter
`H7819-16`	Leviticus 8:15	וַ/יִּשְׁחָ֗ט	vayishechat	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and he slaughtered [it]	and he slaughtered
`H7819-16`	Leviticus 8:19	וַ/יִּשְׁחָ֑ט	vayishechat	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and he slaughtered	and he slaughtered
`H7819-16`	Leviticus 8:23	וַ/יִּשְׁחָ֓ט	vayishechat	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and he slaughtered	and he slaughtered
`H7819-16`	Leviticus 9:8	וַ/יִּשְׁחַ֛ט	vayishechat	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and killed	and he slaughtered
`H7819-16`	Leviticus 9:12	וַ/יִּשְׁחַ֖ט	vayishechat	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and he slaughtered	and he slaughtered
`H7819-17`	Leviticus 9:15	וַ/יִּשְׁחָטֵ֥/הוּ	vayishechatehu	`HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3ms`	and he slaughtered it	and he slaughtered him
`H7819-16`	Leviticus 9:18	וַ/יִּשְׁחַ֤ט	vayishechat	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and he slaughtered	and he slaughtered
`H7819-22`	Leviticus 14:5	וְ/שָׁחַ֖ט	veshachat	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and slaughter	and he slaughtered
`H7819-01`	Leviticus 14:6	הַ/שְּׁחֻטָ֔ה	hashechutah	`HTd/Vqsfsa`	that was killed	the slaughtered one
`H7819-22`	Leviticus 14:13	וְ/שָׁחַ֣ט	veshachat	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and he shall slaughter	and he slaughtered
`H7819-28`	Leviticus 14:13	יִשְׁחַ֧ט	yishechat	`HVqi3ms`	he slaughters	he will slaughter
`H7819-28`	Leviticus 14:19	יִשְׁחַ֥ט	yishechat	`HVqi3ms`	he shall kill/slaughter	he will slaughter
`H7819-22`	Leviticus 14:25	וְ/שָׁחַט֮	veshachat	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and he shall slaughter	and he slaughtered
`H7819-22`	Leviticus 14:50	וְ/שָׁחַ֖ט	veshachat	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and he shall slaughter	and he slaughtered
`H7819-01`	Leviticus 14:51	הַ/שְּׁחוּטָ֔ה	hashechutah	`HTd/Vqsfsa`	the-slain	the slaughtered one
`H7819-22`	Leviticus 16:11	וְ/שָׁחַ֛ט	veshachat	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and he shall slaughter	and he slaughtered
`H7819-22`	Leviticus 16:15	וְ/שָׁחַ֞ט	veshachat	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and-he-slaughters	and he slaughtered
`H7819-28`	Leviticus 17:3	יִשְׁחַ֜ט	yishechat	`HVqi3ms`	slaughters	he will slaughter
`H7819-28`	Leviticus 17:3	יִשְׁחַ֔ט	yishechat-2	`HVqi3ms`	slaughters	he will slaughter
`H7819-11`	Leviticus 22:28	תִשְׁחֲט֖וּ	tishechatu	`HVqi2mp`	shall you slaughter	you all will slaughter
`H7819-27`	Numbers 11:22	יִשָּׁחֵ֥ט	yishachet	`HVNi3ms`	be slaughtered	he will be slaughtered
`H7819-18`	Numbers 14:16	וַ/יִּשְׁחָטֵ֖/ם	vayishechatem	`HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3mp`	and slaughtered them	and he slaughtered them
`H7819-22`	Numbers 19:3	וְ/שָׁחַ֥ט	veshachat	`HC/Vqq3ms`	and slaughter	and he slaughtered
`H7819-20`	Judges 12:6	וַ/יִּשְׁחָט֖וּ/הוּ	vayishechatuhu	`HC/Vqw3mp/Sp3ms`	and slew him	they slaughtered him
`H7819-19`	1 Samuel 1:25	וַֽ/יִּשְׁחֲט֖וּ	vayishechatu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and they slaughtered	and they slaughtered
`H7819-19`	1 Samuel 14:32	וַ/יִּשְׁחֲטוּ	vayishechatu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and they slaughtered	and they slaughtered
`H7819-12`	1 Samuel 14:34	וּ/שְׁחַטְתֶּ֤ם	ushechatetem	`HC/Vqq2mp`	and slaughter them	and you slaughtered
`H7819-19`	1 Samuel 14:34	וַ/יִּשְׁחֲטוּ	vayishechatu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and slaughtered them	and they slaughtered
`H7819-18`	1 Kings 18:40	וַ/יִּשְׁחָטֵ֖/ם	vayishechatem	`HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3mp`	and he slaughtered them	and he slaughtered them
`H7819-19`	2 Kings 10:7	וַֽ/יִּשְׁחֲט֖וּ	vayishechatu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and slaughtered	and they slaughtered
`H7819-21`	2 Kings 10:14	וַֽ/יִּשְׁחָט֞וּ/ם	vayishechatum	`HC/Vqw3mp/Sp3mp`	and slaughtered them	and they slaughtered them
`H7819-04`	2 Kings 25:7	שָׁחֲט֖וּ	shachatu	`HVqp3cp`	they-slaughtered	they slaughtered
`H7819-26`	Isaiah 22:13	וְ/שָׁחֹ֣ט	veshachot	`HC/Vqa`	and killing	and slaughtering
`H7819-06`	Isaiah 57:5	שֹׁחֲטֵ֤י	shochatey	`HVqrmpc`	slaughtering	slaughterers of
`H7819-07`	Isaiah 66:3	שׁוֹחֵ֨ט	shochet	`HVqrmsa`	slaughters	slaughtering one
`H7819-08`	Jeremiah 9:7	שוחט	shvcht	`HVqrmsa`	shooting	the one who slaughters
`H7819-05`	Jeremiah 9:7	שָׁח֛וּט	shachut	`HVqsmsa`	that is shot	slaughtered one
`H7819-16`	Jeremiah 39:6	וַ/יִּשְׁחַט֩	vayishechat	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and slaughtered	and he slaughtered
`H7819-03`	Jeremiah 39:6	שָׁחַ֖ט	shachat	`HVqp3ms`	he slaughtered	he slaughtered
`H7819-18`	Jeremiah 41:7	וַ/יִּשְׁחָטֵ֞/ם	vayishechatem	`HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3mp`	that he slaughtered them	and he slaughtered them
`H7819-16`	Jeremiah 52:10	וַ/יִּשְׁחַ֧ט	vayishechat	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and slaughtered	and he slaughtered
`H7819-03`	Jeremiah 52:10	שָׁחַ֥ט	shachat	`HVqp3ms`	he slaughtered	he slaughtered
`H7819-15`	Ezekiel 16:21	וַֽ/תִּשְׁחֲטִ֖י	vatishechati	`HC/Vqw2fs`	and-you-slaughtered	and you slaughtered
`H7819-14`	Ezekiel 23:39	וּֽ/בְ/שַׁחֲטָ֤/ם	uveshachatam	`HC/R/Vqc/Sp3mp`	and when they slaughtered them	and in slaughtering them
`H7819-02`	Ezekiel 40:39	לִ/שְׁח֤וֹט	lishechot	`HR/Vqc`	to-slaughter	to slaughter
`H7819-29`	Ezekiel 40:41	יִשְׁחָֽטוּ	yishechatu	`HVqi3mp`	they slaughtered	they will slaughter
`H7819-29`	Ezekiel 40:42	יִשְׁחֲט֧וּ	yishechatu	`HVqi3mp`	they-slaughter	they will slaughter
`H7819-29`	Ezekiel 44:11	יִשְׁחֲט֨וּ	yishechatu	`HVqi3mp`	shall slaughter	they will slaughter
`H7819-23`	Hosea 5:2	וְ/שַׁחֲטָ֥ה	veshachatah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and-slaughter	slaughter
`H7819-19`	Ezra 6:20	וַ/יִּשְׁחֲט֤וּ	vayishechatu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and they slaughtered	and they slaughtered
`H7819-19`	2 Chronicles 29:22	וַֽ/יִּשְׁחֲטוּ֙	vayishechatu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and they slaughtered	and they slaughtered
`H7819-19`	2 Chronicles 29:22	וַ/יִּשְׁחֲט֣וּ	vayishechatu-2	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and they slaughtered	and they slaughtered
`H7819-19`	2 Chronicles 29:22	וַֽ/יִּשְׁחֲטוּ֙	vayishechatu-3	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and they slaughtered	and they slaughtered
`H7819-21`	2 Chronicles 29:24	וַ/יִּשְׁחָטוּ/ם֙	vayishechatum	`HC/Vqw3mp/Sp3mp`	and they slaughtered them	and they slaughtered them
`H7819-19`	2 Chronicles 30:15	וַ/יִּשְׁחֲט֣וּ	vayishechatu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and they slaughtered	and they slaughtered
`H7819-19`	2 Chronicles 35:1	וַ/יִּשְׁחֲט֣וּ	vayishechatu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	and they slaughtered	and they slaughtered
`H7819-25`	2 Chronicles 35:6	וְ/שַׁחֲט֖וּ	veshachatu	`HC/Vqv2mp`	and slaughter	and they slaughtered
`H7819-19`	2 Chronicles 35:11	וַֽ/יִּשְׁחֲט֖וּ	vayishechatu	`HC/Vqw3mp`	And they slaughtered	and they slaughtered

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