שָׁכֵן (H7934) — Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁכֵן

𐤔𐤊𐤍

shâkên

H7934 adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

One who dwells or resides in a place, typically with an emphasis on settled habitation as a member of a locality. The term often refers to an inhabitant, resident, or neighbor—someone who shares proximity or communal membership within a settlement or land.

Semantic Range

resident, inhabitant, neighbor, one who dwells nearby, fellow-citizen, co-dweller

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root שָׁכַן (שׁ־כ־ן), which means 'to settle, to dwell, or to reside.' The noun שָׁכֵן is a participial form, meaning 'one who dwells' or 'resident.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical Hebrew, שָׁכֵן most frequently describes those living within a particular city, clan territory, or community, emphasizing neighborly relationship or shared locality. The term can be used both for fellow Israelites and for non-Israelites cohabiting the land (e.g., the 'resident' Canaanite populations before and after Israelite settlement). In early periods, neighborly relations were essential to communal identity and legal obligations, such as in laws regarding property or rights of redress. Later, especially in exilic and post-exilic texts, שָׁכֵן could refer more broadly to all inhabitants of a district, whether Israelite, Judahite, or member of another people group. While common English translations render the term 'neighbor,' 'inhabitant,' or 'resident,' these do not always reflect the layered communal and legal associations present in ancient Israelite society. The sense of physical proximity is often primary, but the word also implies membership within a mutually dependent community. Distinct from terms like גָּר (resident alien/sojourner) or אֹרֵחַ (traveler/guest), שָׁכֵן indicates settled, long-term residency and shared locality. Post-biblical Hebrew sometimes uses שָׁכֵן in more abstract, ethical senses (e.g., as one’s fellow or peer), but this is not primary in biblical usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from שָׁכַן; a resident; by extension, a fellow-citizen; inhabitant, neighbour, nigh.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שכן (sh-k-n) — to settle, dwell, reside

Root שכן to settle, dwell, reside

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H4907	מִשְׁכַּן	his dwelling-place
H4908	מִשְׁכָּן	the dwelling-place
H7931	שָׁכַן	in dwelling
H7932	שְׁכַן	he caused to dwell
H7933	שֶׁכֶן	to his dwelling-place
H7935	שְׁכַנְיָה	to Yah-dwells

Word Forms

15 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H7934-03`	לִ/שְׁכֵנֵ֑י/נוּ	lishekheneynu	`HR/Aampc/Sp1cp`	to our neighbors	to our dwelling-ones	to our neighbors	4
`H7934-05`	שָׁכֵ֖ן	shakhen	`HAamsa`	inhabitant	he dwelt	a neighbor	3
`H7934-08`	שְׁכֵנָ֑יִ/ךְ	shekhenayikhe	`HAampc/Sp2fs`	your neighbors	your fellow-dwellers	your fellow-dwellers	2
`H7934-01`	הַ/שְּׁכֵנ֥וֹת	hashekhenot	`HTd/Aafpa`	the neighbor women	the resident women	the neighbor women	1
`H7934-06`	שְׁכַ֣ן	shekhan	`HAamsc`	the inhabitants	resident of	the inhabitants of	1
`H7934-12`	וּ/שְׁכֵנָ֖י/ו	ushekhenayv	`HC/Aampc/Sp3ms`	and his neighbors	and his co-dwellers	and his neighbors	1
`H7934-13`	וּ/שְׁכֵנֶ֖י/הָ	ushekheneyha	`HC/Aampc/Sp3fs`	and-neighbors-its	and her resident-dwellers	and her neighbors	1
`H7934-10`	שְׁכֵנֶ֖י/הָ	shekheneyha	`HAampc/Sp3fs`	her-neighbors	her resident-dwellers	her resident-dwellers	1
`H7934-15`	וְ/לִ/שֲׁכֵנַ֨/י	velishakhenay	`HC/R/Aampc/Sp1cs`	and to my neighbors	my co-dwellers	and to my neighbors	1
`H7934-07`	שְׁכֵנַ/י֙	shekhenay	`HAampc/Sp1cs`	my neighbors	my co-dwellers	my neighbors	1
`H7934-04`	מִ/שְּׁכֶנְתָּ/הּ֙	mishekhenetah	`HR/Aafsc/Sp3fs`	from her neighbor	from her female neighbor	from her female neighbor	1
`H7934-11`	שכנ/כי	shkhnkhy	`HAampc/Sp2fs`	your neighbors'	your co-dwellers	your neighbors	1
`H7934-14`	וּ/שְׁכֵנ֛/וֹ	ushekheno	`HC/Aamsc/Sp3ms`	and his neighbor	and his fellow-dweller	and his neighbor	1
`H7934-02`	לִ/שְׁכֵנָֽי/ו	lishekhenayv	`HR/Aampc/Sp3ms`	to his neighbors	to his co-dwellers	to his neighbors	1
`H7934-09`	שְׁכֵנָי/ו֒	shekhenayv	`HAampc/Sp3ms`	its-neighbors	his fellow-dwellers	his fellow-dwellers	1

Occurrences in Scripture

21 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H7934-04`	Exodus 3:22	מִ/שְּׁכֶנְתָּ/הּ֙	mishekhenetah	`HR/Aafsc/Sp3fs`	from her neighbor	from her female neighbor	from her female neighbor
`H7934-14`	Exodus 12:4	וּ/שְׁכֵנ֛/וֹ	ushekheno	`HC/Aamsc/Sp3ms`	and his neighbor	and his fellow-dweller	and his neighbor
`H7934-09`	Deuteronomy 1:7	שְׁכֵנָי/ו֒	shekhenayv	`HAampc/Sp3ms`	its-neighbors	his fellow-dwellers	his fellow-dwellers
`H7934-11`	2 Kings 4:3	שכנ/כי	shkhnkhy	`HAampc/Sp2fs`	your neighbors'	your co-dwellers	your neighbors
`H7934-08`	2 Kings 4:3	שְׁכֵנָ֑יִ/ךְ	shekhenayikhe	`HAampc/Sp2fs`	your neighbors	your fellow-dwellers	your neighbors
`H7934-05`	Isaiah 33:24	שָׁכֵ֖ן	shakhen	`HAamsa`	inhabitant	he dwelt	inhabitant
`H7934-05`	Jeremiah 6:21	שָׁכֵ֥ן	shakhen	`HAamsa`	neighbor	he dwelt	neighbor
`H7934-07`	Jeremiah 12:14	שְׁכֵנַ/י֙	shekhenay	`HAampc/Sp1cs`	my neighbors	my co-dwellers	my neighbors
`H7934-12`	Jeremiah 49:10	וּ/שְׁכֵנָ֖י/ו	ushekhenayv	`HC/Aampc/Sp3ms`	and his neighbors	and his co-dwellers	and his neighbors
`H7934-13`	Jeremiah 49:18	וּ/שְׁכֵנֶ֖י/הָ	ushekheneyha	`HC/Aampc/Sp3fs`	and-neighbors-its	and her resident-dwellers	and her neighbors
`H7934-10`	Jeremiah 50:40	שְׁכֵנֶ֖י/הָ	shekheneyha	`HAampc/Sp3fs`	her-neighbors	her resident-dwellers	her resident-dwellers
`H7934-08`	Ezekiel 16:26	שְׁכֵנַ֖יִ/ךְ	shekhenayikhe	`HAampc/Sp2fs`	your neighbors	your fellow-dwellers	your fellow-dwellers
`H7934-06`	Hosea 10:5	שְׁכַ֣ן	shekhan	`HAamsc`	the inhabitants	resident of	the inhabitants of
`H7934-15`	Psalms 31:12	וְ/לִ/שֲׁכֵנַ֨/י	velishakhenay	`HC/R/Aampc/Sp1cs`	and to my neighbors	my co-dwellers	and to my neighbors
`H7934-03`	Psalms 44:14	לִ/שְׁכֵנֵ֑י/נוּ	lishekheneynu	`HR/Aampc/Sp1cp`	to-our-neighbors	to our dwelling-ones	to our neighbors
`H7934-03`	Psalms 79:4	לִ/שְׁכֵנֵ֑י/נוּ	lishekheneynu	`HR/Aampc/Sp1cp`	to our neighbors	to our dwelling-ones	to our neighbors
`H7934-03`	Psalms 79:12	לִ/שְׁכֵנֵ֣י/נוּ	lishekheneynu	`HR/Aampc/Sp1cp`	to our neighbors	to our dwelling-ones	to our neighbors
`H7934-03`	Psalms 80:7	לִ/שְׁכֵנֵ֑י/נוּ	lishekheneynu	`HR/Aampc/Sp1cp`	to our neighbors	to our dwelling-ones	to our neighbors
`H7934-02`	Psalms 89:42	לִ/שְׁכֵנָֽי/ו	lishekhenayv	`HR/Aampc/Sp3ms`	to his neighbors	to his co-dwellers	to his neighbors
`H7934-05`	Proverbs 27:10	שָׁכֵ֥ן	shakhen	`HAamsa`	is a neighbor	he dwelt	a neighbor
`H7934-01`	Ruth 4:17	הַ/שְּׁכֵנ֥וֹת	hashekhenot	`HTd/Aafpa`	the neighbor women	the resident women	the neighbor women

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