שְׁמִטָּה
𐤔𐤌𐤈𐤄
shᵉmiṭṭâh
H8059 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Remission, particularly the mandated release from debt or cessation of agricultural activity occurring at fixed intervals (every seventh year, as described in the Torah); the legal or ritualized 'release' of financial or agricultural obligations, especially as part of the sabbatical year practice. The term denotes both the act and the period of suspension, release, or letting drop.
Semantic Range
remission (of debts), release (from obligations), suspension (of agricultural labor), sabbatical year, the act or period of release
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root שׁמט (sh-m-ṭ), which carries the core sense of 'to let drop, release, let fall.' The noun שְׁמִטָּה derives from the verbal root, signifying 'a letting go' or 'release.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
שְׁמִטָּה is chiefly used in the context of the Israelite legal and agricultural practice known as the sabbatical year (Leviticus 25:2-7; Deuteronomy 15:1-11), when land is left fallow and debts are released. The term appears primarily in post-patriarchal, Torah legislation contexts, where it represents an important socio-economic institution designed to provide relief and reset inequalities. The use of שְׁמִטָּה outside legal codes is rare in the Hebrew Bible. In much later Jewish tradition, 'shemittah' continues as the rabbinic term for the sabbatical year, with expanded interpretations, but these reflect post-biblical developments. English translations such as 'release' or 'remission' capture part of the meaning, but do not reflect the full ritual and social connotations the term carried for Israelites.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from שָׁמַט; remission (of debt) or suspension of labor); release.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׁמט (sh-m-ṭ) — to let drop, to release, to let fall
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8059-01 |
הַ/שְּׁמִטָּה֒ | hashemitah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of release | the release | 3 |
H8059-02 |
שְׁמִטָּֽה | shemitah | HNcfsa |
a release | mandated release | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8059-02 |
Deuteronomy 15:1 | שְׁמִטָּֽה | shemitah | HNcfsa |
a release | mandated release |
H8059-01 |
Deuteronomy 15:2 | הַ/שְּׁמִטָּה֒ | hashemitah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the-release | the release |
H8059-02 |
Deuteronomy 15:2 | שְׁמִטָּ֖ה | shemitah | HNcfsa |
release | mandated release |
H8059-01 |
Deuteronomy 15:9 | הַ/שְּׁמִטָּה֒ | hashemitah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of-release | the release |
H8059-01 |
Deuteronomy 31:10 | הַ/שְּׁמִטָּ֖ה | hashemitah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of release | the release |