שָׂטָה (H7847) — Hebrew Lexicon

שָׂטָה

𐤔𐤈𐤄

sâṭâh

H7847 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To turn aside, deviate, or go astray from a designated path or duty, whether physically, morally, or legally. In the Hebrew Bible, שָׂטָה is used especially of turning aside morally, straying from fidelity in social or marital relationships, or deviating from loyalty and obligation. Its usage can refer to physical movement away from a path, but more often carries the figurative sense of moral or ethical deviation.

Semantic Range

to turn aside physically, to deviate morally, to go astray in conduct, to be unfaithful (especially in marital contexts), to decline from a duty or obligation

Root / Etymology

Root: שׂטה (ש-ט-ה), meaning 'to turn aside.' The verb is a derivative of this root, which conveys the idea of bending away, departing, or swerving from a standard course of action or expectation. The actual lexical meaning thus extends from the physical sense of 'turn aside' to metaphorical applications concerning moral or religious conduct.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, שָׂטָה occurs primarily in contexts of legal or moral discourse. Its best-known usage is in Numbers 5, which discusses the case of a wife suspected of deviation (infidelity) — there, the term reflects deviation from covenantal or marital faithfulness. Elsewhere, it can denote general straying from prescribed norms or duties. The nuance depends on context, and in some passages the term emphasizes the act of moving away from what is proper or expected, whether physically (rare) or more commonly in an ethical sense. The term is distinct from words like סור (to turn aside, often in a neutral or purely physical sense) and פשע (to rebel, or transgress deliberately), as שָׂטָה commonly implies a straying that may not be as overtly willful or rebellious, but still departs from obligation. In later periods, derivative forms continue in post-biblical Hebrew with similarly negative connotations of deviation. English translations such as 'go aside' or 'turn aside' sometimes obscure the moral-ethical dimension, especially regarding covenant relationships.

Translation Consistency

primary "turn" 4 occurrences

"Turn" is the most natural, versatile English verb to cover the typical SILEX range (turn aside, deviate, go astray, be unfaithful). It appears in the P2 renderings and easily accommodates both physical and figurative senses (e.g., "turn aside," "turn away," "turned from"), allowing consistent, natural translations across all forms of שָׂטָה while leaving rarer nuances to be handled by context or modifiers.

Alternatives (2 occurrences):

"gone astray" (2x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to deviate from duty; decline, go aside, turn.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שׂטה (ś-ṭ-h) — turning aside, deviating, swerving

Root שׂטה to turn aside, to deviate, to swerve

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H7847-03`	תִשְׂטֶ֣ה	tiseteh	`HVqi3fs`	goes astray	she turns aside	she will turn aside	2
`H7847-01`	שָׂטִ֛ית	satit	`HVqp2fs`	you have gone astray	you have turned aside	you have gone astray	2
`H7847-04`	יֵ֣שְׂטְ	yesete	`HVqj3ms`	let turn aside	let him turn aside	let him turn aside	1
`H7847-02`	שְׂטֵ֖ה	seteh	`HVqv2ms`	Turn away	Turn aside	turn aside	1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H7847-03`	Numbers 5:12	תִשְׂטֶ֣ה	tiseteh	`HVqi3fs`	goes astray	she turns aside	she will turn aside
`H7847-01`	Numbers 5:19	שָׂטִ֛ית	satit	`HVqp2fs`	you have gone astray	you have turned aside	you have gone astray
`H7847-01`	Numbers 5:20	שָׂטִ֛ית	satit	`HVqp2fs`	you have gone astray	you have turned aside	you have gone astray
`H7847-03`	Numbers 5:29	תִּשְׂטֶ֥ה	tiseteh	`HVqi3fs`	goes astray	she turns aside	she will turn aside
`H7847-02`	Proverbs 4:15	שְׂטֵ֖ה	seteh	`HVqv2ms`	Turn away	Turn aside	turn aside
`H7847-04`	Proverbs 7:25	יֵ֣שְׂטְ	yesete	`HVqj3ms`	let turn aside	let him turn aside	let him turn aside

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