שַׁחֶפֶת
𐤔𐤇𐤐𐤕
shachepheth
H7829 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A wasting disease characterized by gradual physical emaciation, typically rendered as 'consumption' or 'wasting' in English translations. Refers to a physical decline marked by loss of flesh, pallor, and frailty, often associated with a prolonged or incurable illness.
Semantic Range
physical emaciation, wasting disease, consumption, decline in health marked by leanness or pallor, wasting illness
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root שָׁחַף (sh-ch-f), which conveys the idea of becoming lean, wasted, or stripped off. שַׁחֶפֶת is a feminine noun form denoting the result or state of being wasted or emaciated, likely by disease. The connection to the root is in the sense of being stripped down in body or vigor.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In its biblical context, שַׁחֶפֶת occurs in lists of diseases and curses (e.g., Deuteronomy 28:22) and is associated with a wasting or consuming illness affecting primarily the body’s flesh and vigor, not specifically naming a medical condition like tuberculosis, though some later translations and interpretations equate it with such. The term is distinct from other disease words (e.g., דֶּבֶר 'plague', יָרָקוֹן 'jaundice'), emphasizing corporeal decline rather than an acute outbreak. English terms like 'consumption' capture some of the nuance, but 'wasting disease' or 'emaciation' more accurately reflect the focus on the gradual physical wasting process. There is no indication it is uniquely Israelite or differs in meaning across Israelite historical periods, but its appearance in Deuteronomic curse lists places it among the maladies threatening the agrarian and subsistence health of the population.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the same as שַׁחַף; emaciation; consumption.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שחף (sh-ḥ-f) — to become lean, to waste away, to grow thin, to be stripped down
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7828 | שַׁחַף | the slender gull |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7829-02 |
הַ/שַּׁחֶ֣פֶת | hashachefet | HTd/Ncfsa |
consumption | the wasting disease | 1 |
H7829-01 |
בַּ/שַּׁחֶ֨פֶת | bashachefet | HRd/Ncfsa |
with wasting disease | in the wasting-disease | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7829-02 |
Leviticus 26:16 | הַ/שַּׁחֶ֣פֶת | hashachefet | HTd/Ncfsa |
consumption | the wasting disease |
H7829-01 |
Deuteronomy 28:22 | בַּ/שַּׁחֶ֨פֶת | bashachefet | HRd/Ncfsa |
with wasting disease | in the wasting-disease |