שָׁלַךְ

𐤔𐤋𐤊

shâlak

H7993 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To throw, cast, or hurl something physically from one place to another; also used figuratively to denote the act of rejecting, expelling, or disposing of something or someone. In various contexts, it can convey the idea of forcibly tossing an object or a person, or symbolically of dismissing, abandoning, or forsaking.

Semantic Range

to physically throw or cast (an object, a person), to hurl with force, to cast aside, to dispose of, to expel or reject, to dump, to abandon

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root שׁ־ל־ךְ (שלך), whose core meaning relates to the act of throwing or casting. The word שָׁלַךְ is a verb in the Qal stem with the basic sense of physically propelling something away from oneself. Related forms extend the semantic field to broader meanings such as disposing or rejecting.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שָׁלַךְ appears throughout the Hebrew Bible in narratives involving literal throwing (e.g., casting objects into water, casting persons into pits or prisons) as well as metaphorical expulsion (e.g., YHWH 'casting away' Israel due to disobedience). It is occasionally synonymous with verbs like הִשְׁלִיךְ (hishlikh), which also means 'to throw/cast,' but שָׁלַךְ tends to emphasize the physical, forceful aspect. In exilic and post-exilic texts, it often connotes rejection or abandonment, and some later translations (Septuagint, Vulgate) sometimes render it with terms meaning 'send out' or 'exile.' However, unlike terms derived from גָּרַשׁ (to drive out, expel), שָׁלַךְ retains the sense of a sudden or violent action. The nuances can vary across poetic texts, where the imagery may relate to chaos or divine action. English translations vary; 'cast' is most frequent but sometimes narrows the forceful sense. The word is associated with both animate and inanimate objects.

Translation Consistency

primary "throw" 20 occurrences

"Throw" is a simple, natural English verb that covers the primary physical sense (to cast or hurl) and the common figurative senses (to throw away/out, to reject or abandon). It is broadly usable across contexts and reads naturally in modern English while preserving the range of שָׁלַךְ.

Alternatives (105 occurrences):
"threw" (47x) "cast" (19x) "hurled" (7x) "cast away" (7x) "thrown-out one" (4x) "hurl" (3x) "threw away" (3x) "caused to be thrown" (3x) "cast down" (2x) "cast me away" (2x) "hurled away" (1x) "thrown away" (1x) "casters of" (1x) "thrown out" (1x) "thrown" (1x) "cast it away" (1x) "us hurl" (1x) "cast out" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to throw out, down or away (literally or figuratively); adventure, cast (away, down, forth, off, out), hurl, pluck, throw.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שלך (sh-l-k) — to throw, to cast, to hurl

Root שלך to throw, to cast, to hurl
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7994 שָׁלָךְ the plunging waterbird
H7995 שַׁלֶּכֶת in cast-off refuse

Word Forms

56 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7993-33 וַ/יַּשְׁלֵ֨ךְ vayashelekhe HC/Vhw3ms and he threw and he hurled and he threw 16
H7993-36 וַ/יַּשְׁלִ֥כוּ vayashelikhu HC/Vhw3mp and they threw and they hurled away and they threw 12
H7993-12 הִשְׁלִ֥יךְ hishelikhe HVhp3ms He has cast he hurled he threw 6
H7993-01 אַשְׁלִ֨יךְ ashelikhe HVhi1cs I cast I will cast out I will throw out 5
H7993-14 הִשְׁלִ֥יכוּ hishelikhu HVhp3cp did they cast away they caused to be thrown they caused to be thrown 4
H7993-21 מֻשְׁלֶ֣כֶת mushelekhet HVHsfsa thrown cast-out one thrown-out one 4
H7993-05 הַשְׁלִיכֵ֣/הוּ hashelikhehu HVhv2ms/Sp3ms throw it Hurl him Throw him 4
H7993-44 וְ/הִשְׁלִ֨יךְ vehishelikhe HC/Vhq3ms and cast and he caused to cast away and he caused to throw away 4
H7993-34 וַ/יַּשְׁלִיכֵ֥/הוּ vayashelikhehu HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3ms and cast him and he hurled him and he threw him 3
H7993-29 וַ/תַּשְׁלֵ֣ךְ vatashelekhe HC/Vhw3fs and threw and she hurled and she threw 3

Occurrences in Scripture

125 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7993-29 Genesis 21:15 וַ/תַּשְׁלֵ֣ךְ vatashelekhe HC/Vhw3fs she cast and she hurled and she threw
H7993-49 Genesis 37:20 וְ/נַשְׁלִכֵ֨/הוּ֙ venashelikhehu HC/Vhh1cp/Sp3ms and throw him let us cast him away let us throw him
H7993-06 Genesis 37:22 הַשְׁלִ֣יכוּ hashelikhu HVhv2mp cast/throw Cast out! Throw out!
H7993-36 Genesis 37:24 וַ/יַּשְׁלִ֥כוּ vayashelikhu HC/Vhw3mp and threw and they hurled away and they threw
H7993-23 Exodus 1:22 תַּשְׁלִיכֻ֔/הוּ tashelikhuhu HVhi2mp/Sp3ms you shall cast, you will hurl him you shall cast him
H7993-05 Exodus 4:3 הַשְׁלִיכֵ֣/הוּ hashelikhehu HVhv2ms/Sp3ms throw it Hurl him Throw it
H7993-34 Exodus 4:3 וַ/יַּשְׁלִיכֵ֥/הוּ vayashelikhehu HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3ms and he threw it and he hurled him and he threw it
H7993-38 Exodus 7:9 וְ/הַשְׁלֵ֥ךְ vehashelekhe HC/Vhv2ms and cast it and hurl away and cast
H7993-33 Exodus 7:10 וַ/יַּשְׁלֵ֨ךְ vayashelekhe HC/Vhw3ms and cast down and he hurled and he threw
H7993-36 Exodus 7:12 וַ/יַּשְׁלִ֨יכוּ֙ vayashelikhu HC/Vhw3mp For they cast down and they hurled away and they threw