שָׁקָה
𐤔𐤒𐤄
shâqâh
H8248 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To give someone or something a drink, to supply water, to cause to drink, or to irrigate. Used both concretely (providing water or beverage for people or animals) and figuratively (providing satisfaction, abundance, or even overwhelming someone in judgment).
Semantic Range
to give to drink; to provide water for people, animals, or crops; to irrigate; to refresh by providing liquid; to overwhelm (figuratively, often in judgment); to moisten
Root / Etymology
From the triliteral root שקה, which conveys the idea of providing liquid or causing to drink. It is the causative (hiphil) form derived from the root that relates to drinking. Distinguished from שתה (H8354), which refers to the act of drinking itself, שָׁקָה emphasizes causing another to drink or facilitating the process.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, שָׁקָה is most commonly used in contexts involving giving water to people, animals, or land (e.g., Gen 24:14 'the young woman to whom I say 'let me drink...and she says...drink, and I will give your camels also''). In agricultural contexts, it extends to watering crops and fields (e.g., Deut 11:10 'the land that you water with your foot'). It appears both in literal settings (offering water, irrigation) and in metaphorical imagery (e.g., causing someone to 'drink the cup of wrath' as a form of judgment; see Isa 51:17). Later biblical and post-biblical usage sometimes broadens to mean 'to provide drink' as hospitality, or 'to make drunk' in a negative sense by overwhelming. The term is closely related to roots שׁתה and שׁכר, but should be distinguished from them; שתה pertains specifically to the one drinking, while שָׁקָה is the act of providing. English translations as 'give drink,' 'water,' or 'irrigate' capture core meanings, but may miss the nuance of causation or hospitality embedded in the biblical context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to quaff, i.e. (causatively) to irrigate or furnish apotion to; cause to (give, give to, let, make to) drink, drown, moisten, water. See שָׁכַר, שָׁתָה.
Bantu Hebrew
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שקה (sh-q-h) — to cause to drink, provide liquid, irrigate
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4945 | מַשְׁקֶה | the drink-provider |
| H8249 | שִׁקֻּו | my draughts |
| H8250 | שִׁקּוּי | refreshing drink |
| H8268 | שֹׁקֶת | in watering-troughs of |
Word Forms
39 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8248-22 |
וַ/יַּ֕שְׁקְ | vayasheqe | HC/Vhw3ms |
and watered | and he caused to drink | 5 |
H8248-09 |
לְ/הַשְׁק֖וֹת | lehasheqot | HR/Vhc |
to water | to cause to drink | 5 |
H8248-27 |
וְ/הִשְׁקָ֖ה | vehisheqah | HC/Vhq3ms |
and-he-makes-her-drink | and he gave drink | 4 |
H8248-30 |
וְ/הִשְׁקִיתָ֥ | vehisheqita | HC/Vhq2ms |
and give-to-drink | and you caused to drink | 3 |
H8248-37 |
יַשְׁק֖וּ | yashequ | HVhi3mp |
give to drink | they cause to drink | 3 |
H8248-05 |
הַשְׁקִֽי/נִי | hasheqini | HVhv2fs/Sp1cs |
give me a drink | Cause me to drink | 3 |
H8248-20 |
וַ/תַּשְׁקֶ֧יןָ | vatasheqeyna | HC/Vhw3fp |
and they made drink | and they caused to drink | 2 |
H8248-36 |
יַשְׁקֵ֣/נִי | yasheqeni | HVhi3ms/Sp1cs |
will-give-me-to-drink | he will cause me to drink | 2 |
H8248-01 |
אַשְׁקֶ֑ה | asheqeh | HVhi1cs |
I will water | I will cause to drink | 2 |
H8248-18 |
וַ/תַּשְׁקֵֽ/הוּ | vatasheqehu | HC/Vhw3fs/Sp3ms |
and gave him drink | and she caused him to drink | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
62 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8248-27 |
Genesis 2:6 | וְ/הִשְׁקָ֖ה | vehisheqah | HC/Vhq3ms |
and watered | and he gave drink |
H8248-09 |
Genesis 2:10 | לְ/הַשְׁק֖וֹת | lehasheqot | HR/Vhc |
to water | to cause to drink |
H8248-12 |
Genesis 19:32 | נַשְׁקֶ֧ה | nasheqeh | HVhi1cp |
let us make drink | we will cause to drink |
H8248-20 |
Genesis 19:33 | וַ/תַּשְׁקֶ֧יןָ | vatasheqeyna | HC/Vhw3fp |
they made drink | and they caused to drink |
H8248-13 |
Genesis 19:34 | נַשְׁקֶ֨/נּוּ | nasheqenu | HVhh1cp/Sp3ms |
let us make him drink | let us give him drink |
H8248-20 |
Genesis 19:35 | וַ/תַּשְׁקֶ֜יןָ | vatasheqeyna | HC/Vhw3fp |
and they made drink | and they caused to drink |
H8248-17 |
Genesis 21:19 | וַ/תַּ֖שְׁקְ | vatasheqe | HC/Vhw3fs |
and gave ... to drink | and she caused to drink |
H8248-01 |
Genesis 24:14 | אַשְׁקֶ֑ה | asheqeh | HVhi1cs |
I will water | I will cause to drink |
H8248-18 |
Genesis 24:18 | וַ/תַּשְׁקֵֽ/הוּ | vatasheqehu | HC/Vhw3fs/Sp3ms |
and gave him drink | and she caused him to drink |
H8248-10 |
Genesis 24:19 | לְ/הַשְׁקֹת֑/וֹ | lehasheqoto | HR/Vhc/Sp3ms |
giving him to drink | to give him drink |