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שֵׁנָה

𐤔𐤍𐤄

shênâh

H8142 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A state of sleep; the condition of being asleep, both in literal and figurative senses. Refers to the natural physical state of rest, unconsciousness, or dormancy experienced by humans and sometimes metaphorically by nations or groups. While most commonly used for night-time or daily sleep, it may also be employed in poetic or symbolic ways, such as representing inactivity, ignorance, or death in certain settings.

Semantic Range

sleep (literal physical rest), state of being asleep, figurative state of inactivity or unawareness, symbol for death or dormancy in poetic contexts

Root / Etymology

From the root יָשֵׁן (yāshēn), meaning 'to sleep.' The noun שֵׁנָה (shênâh) is a feminine abstract formation, denoting the state or condition derived from the root verb. The form is typical for nouns indicating an ongoing state or process originating from an action verb.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שֵׁנָה appears consistently throughout the Hebrew Bible to denote ordinary sleep, with occasional figurative extensions (e.g., Genesis 28:16, Psalm 127:2). In wisdom literature and poetry, sleep can symbolize lethargy or unawareness, or function as a motif for peace and rest. In some prophetic or apocalyptic literature, sleep merges metaphorically with death, though the primary term for death remains distinct. The term is contrasted with תַּרְדֵּמָה (tardēmāh, 'deep sleep'), which more often references a divinely induced or extraordinary stupor (cf. Genesis 2:21, 1 Samuel 26:12). Standard English translations render שֵׁנָה as 'sleep,' which generally captures its literal sense, though some nuance may be lost in poetic or metaphorical contexts. The noun does not uniquely identify specific cultural or ritual acts tied to sleep, nor does it carry the later religious connotations developed in post-biblical usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or שֵׁנָא; (Psalm 127:2), from יָשֵׁן; sleep; sleep.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

ישן (Yashen) — to sleep, to become old, to remain

Root ישן to sleep, to slumber, to be dormant
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3462 יָשֵׁן I sleep
H3464 יָשֵׁן sleeping one
H3465 יָשָׁן the aged one
H3466 יְשָׁנָה the Ancient-place
H8153 שְׁנָת year-of

Word Forms

12 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H8142-03 מִ/שְּׁנָת/וֹ֒ mishenato HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms from his sleep from his sleep-state from his sleep 4
H8142-05 שֵׁנָ֕ה shenah HNcfsa sleep sleep-state sleep 4
H8142-06 שְׁנַ֣ת shenat HNcfsc a sleep year of sleep of 4
H8142-07 שְׁ֝נָתָ֗/ם shenatam HNcfsc/Sp3mp their sleep their sleep their sleep 2
H8142-10 שֵׁ֭נוֹת shenot HNcfpa sleep years of sleep 2
H8142-01 מִ/שְּׁנָתָֽ/ם mishenatam HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp from their sleep from their sleep from their sleep 1
H8142-02 מִ/שְּׁנָתֶֽ/ךָ mishenatekha HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms from your sleep from your sleep from your sleep 1
H8142-04 שֵׁנָֽא shena HNcfsa sleep sleep-state sleep 1
H8142-08 שְׁנָתֶֽ/ךָ shenatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your sleep your sleep your sleep 1
H8142-09 שְׁנָתִ֖/י shenati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my sleep my sleep my sleep 1

Occurrences in Scripture

23 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H8142-03 Genesis 28:16 מִ/שְּׁנָת/וֹ֒ mishenato HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms from his sleep from his sleep-state from his sleep
H8142-09 Genesis 31:40 שְׁנָתִ֖/י shenati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my sleep my sleep my sleep
H8142-03 Judges 16:14 מִ/שְּׁנָת֔/וֹ mishenato HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms from his sleep from his sleep-state from his sleep
H8142-03 Judges 16:20 מִ/שְּׁנָת֗/וֹ mishenato HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms from his sleep from his sleep-state from his sleep
H8142-11 Jeremiah 31:26 וּ/שְׁנָתִ֖/י ushenati HC/Ncfsc/Sp1cs and my sleep and my sleep and my sleep
H8142-06 Jeremiah 51:39 שְׁנַת shenat HNcfsc a sleep year of sleep of
H8142-06 Jeremiah 51:57 שְׁנַת shenat HNcfsc sleep-of year of sleep of
H8142-03 Zechariah 4:1 מִ/שְּׁנָתֽ/וֹ mishenato HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms from his sleep from his sleep-state from his sleep
H8142-07 Psalms 76:6 שְׁנָתָ֑/ם shenatam HNcfsc/Sp3mp their sleep their sleep their sleep
H8142-05 Psalms 90:5 שֵׁנָ֣ה shenah HNcfsa like a sleep sleep-state a sleep-state
H8142-04 Psalms 127:2 שֵׁנָֽא shena HNcfsa sleep sleep-state sleep
H8142-08 Proverbs 3:24 שְׁנָתֶֽ/ךָ shenatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your sleep your sleep your sleep
H8142-07 Proverbs 4:16 שְׁ֝נָתָ֗/ם shenatam HNcfsc/Sp3mp their sleep their sleep their sleep
H8142-05 Proverbs 6:4 שֵׁנָ֣ה shenah HNcfsa sleep sleep-state sleep
H8142-02 Proverbs 6:9 מִ/שְּׁנָתֶֽ/ךָ mishenatekha HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms from your sleep from your sleep from your sleep
H8142-10 Proverbs 6:10 שֵׁ֭נוֹת shenot HNcfpa sleep years of sleep
H8142-05 Proverbs 20:13 שֵׁ֭נָה shenah HNcfsa sleep sleep-state sleep
H8142-10 Proverbs 24:33 שֵׁ֭נוֹת shenot HNcfpa sleep years of sleep
H8142-01 Job 14:12 מִ/שְּׁנָתָֽ/ם mishenatam HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp from their sleep from their sleep from their sleep
H8142-06 Ecclesiastes 5:11 שְׁנַ֣ת shenat HNcfsc year of sleep of
H8142-05 Ecclesiastes 8:16 שֵׁנָ֕ה shenah HNcfsa sleep-state sleep-state
H8142-06 Esther 6:1 שְׁנַ֣ת shenat HNcfsc sleep year of sleep of
H8142-12 Daniel 2:1 וּ/שְׁנָת֖/וֹ ushenato HC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms and his sleep and his sleep and his sleep
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