שָׁכֵחַ
𐤔𐤊𐤇
shâkêach
H7913 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
To lose memory or awareness of something; to forget, neglect, or fail to remember. In the Hebrew Bible, שָׁכֵחַ (shâkêach) refers to a person who has forgotten or become oblivious, whether through negligence, distraction, or lack of recollection. The sense encompasses both active and passive forgetting, including overlooking duties, relationships, or covenantal obligations.
Semantic Range
forgetful, one who forgets, oblivious, neglectful, unmindful, fails to remember, disregards (duties or relationships)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root שָׁכַח, which means 'to forget, lose remembrance.' שָׁכֵחַ is the qal active participle form, describing one who is forgetful or has forgotten.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term appears primarily in wisdom and poetic literature (e.g., Psalms, Job) to characterize individuals who have lost awareness of the divine or moral order, or who have neglected social or ethical responsibilities. Occasionally, it is used to describe the absence of remembrance in situations of mourning or in the context of divine-human relationship (as when Israel is described as 'forgetting' YHWH or the commandments). The participial form sharpens the description, representing either ongoing or characteristic forgetfulness, rather than a singular act of forgetting. While standard translations render שָׁכֵחַ as 'forgetful' or 'he who forgets,' the participle form can denote more than a mere accidental lapse in memory — it can imply neglect, disregard, or even willful ignorance depending on context. In the exilic and post-exilic periods, the emphasis on remembrance and covenantal loyalty gave the term additional weight in admonitions against forgetting YHWH or his deeds. In contrast to other Hebrew terms for memory loss (e.g., נָשָׁה, 'to neglect, disregard'), שָׁכֵחַ centers on personal or communal lapse with relational and ethical overtones.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from שָׁכַח; oblivious; forget.
Bantu Hebrew
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+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שכח (sh-kh-ḥ) — to forget, lose remembrance, neglect
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7913-01 |
הַ/שְּׁכֵחִ֖ים | hashekhechim | HTd/Aampa |
forgetters | the forgetful ones | 1 |
H7913-02 |
שְׁכֵחֵ֥י | shekhechey | HAampc |
forgetters of | forgetters of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7913-01 |
Isaiah 65:11 | הַ/שְּׁכֵחִ֖ים | hashekhechim | HTd/Aampa |
forgetters | the forgetful ones |
H7913-02 |
Psalms 9:18 | שְׁכֵחֵ֥י | shekhechey | HAampc |
forgetters of | forgetters of |