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שָׁכַם

𐤔𐤊𐤌

shâkam

H7925 verb

SILEX Entry

Root שׁכם to rise early, to shoulder a burden, to begin energetically

Definition

To rise or set out early in the morning; to undertake an activity at daybreak with purposeful intent. While the primary usage is temporal—describing the act of beginning a journey, task, or activity at dawn—there is also connotation of preparedness and diligence.

Semantic Range

to rise early in the morning, to start out early, to set out on a journey at dawn, to prepare or act promptly at daybreak, to energetically initiate a task in the early morning

Root / Etymology

From the root שׁ־כ־ם (שׁכם), which is associated with the noun שֶׁכֶם (shoulder, as in the upper back). The verb originally conveyed the act of putting the load upon the shoulder early in the day, hence the sense of rising or departing early. Though denominative from שֶׁכֶם ('shoulder'), the actual lexical sense focuses on the act of early rising/preparation more than the literal act of shouldering a burden.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שָׁכַם occurs almost exclusively in the piel and hifil stems in the Hebrew Bible, typically connoting action taken by someone intent on beginning their task or journey at the earliest opportunity. The term emphasizes not just the time but also the motivation—diligent preparation, eagerness, or urgent purpose. It is often used in narrative literature to mark the outset of significant journeys (e.g., Abraham, Moses, Samuel, etc.) or important decisions, signaling the seriousness of intent. In later biblical Hebrew and post-biblical usages, the actual sense of 'shouldering' a burden diminished, with 'rising early' retaining the main semantic force. English translations often render the word as 'rose up early' or 'got up early,' but these can flatten the sense of diligent preparation. The practice of rising early for important endeavors was culturally valued and can be contrasted with verbs for ordinary or belated rising (e.g., קוּם).

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to incline (the shoulder to a burden); but used only as denominative from שְׁכֶם; literally, to load up (on the back of man or beast), i.e. to start early in the morning; (arise, be up, get (oneself) up, rise up) early (betimes), morning.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שׁכם (š-k-m) — rise early, shoulder a burden, begin energetically

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7926 שְׁכֶם shoulder of

Word Forms

13 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7925-09 וַ/יַּשְׁכֵּ֥ם vayashekem HC/Vhw3ms and rose early and he started early 20
H7925-10 וַ/יַּשְׁכִּ֣ימוּ vayashekimu HC/Vhw3mp and they arose early and they rose early 16
H7925-02 הַשְׁכֵּ֤ם hashekem HVhv2ms rising early Cause yourself to rise early 12
H7925-03 הַשְׁכֵּ֣ים hashekeym HVha rising early to set out early 3
H7925-12 וְ/הִשְׁכַּמְתֶּ֖ם vehishekametem HC/Vhp2mp and you shall rise early and you caused yourselves to rise early 3
H7925-05 מַשְׁכִּ֥ים mashekim HVhrmsa early those who rise early 2
H7925-13 וְ/הִשְׁכִּים֙ vehishekim HC/Vhq3ms and-he-would-rise-early and he rose early 2
H7925-06 מַשְׁכִּימֵ֥י mashekimey HVhrmpc risers early those who rise early 2
H7925-07 נַשְׁכִּ֨ימָה֙ nashekimah HVhh1cp let-us-go-early let us rise early 1
H7925-01 אַשְׁכֵּ֥ים ashekeym HVha rising early to rise early 1

Occurrences in Scripture

65 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7925-12 Genesis 19:2 וְ/הִשְׁכַּמְתֶּ֖ם vehishekametem HC/Vhp2mp and rise early and you caused yourselves to rise early
H7925-09 Genesis 19:27 וַ/יַּשְׁכֵּ֥ם vayashekem HC/Vhw3ms and got up early and he started early
H7925-09 Genesis 20:8 וַ/יַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם vayashekem HC/Vhw3ms arose early and he started early
H7925-09 Genesis 21:14 וַ/יַּשְׁכֵּ֣ם vayashekem HC/Vhw3ms rose early and he started early
H7925-09 Genesis 22:3 וַ/יַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם vayashekem HC/Vhw3ms rose early and he started early
H7925-10 Genesis 26:31 וַ/יַּשְׁכִּ֣ימוּ vayashekimu HC/Vhw3mp they rose early and they rose early
H7925-09 Genesis 28:18 וַ/יַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם vayashekem HC/Vhw3ms rose early and he started early
H7925-09 Genesis 32:1 וַ/יַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם vayashekem HC/Vhw3ms and he rose early and he started early
H7925-02 Exodus 8:16 הַשְׁכֵּ֤ם hashekem HVhv2ms Rise early Cause yourself to rise early
H7925-02 Exodus 9:13 הַשְׁכֵּ֣ם hashekem HVhv2ms Rise up early Cause yourself to rise early
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