StrongerBible

shaqah

שָׁקָה

HebrewH8248give drink, water, ...

Appears 61 times · tap a cell to see the verses

Gen 2:6Gen 2:10Gen 19:32Gen 19:33Gen 19:34Gen 19:35Gen 21:19Gen 24:14Gen 24:18Gen 24:19Gen 24:43Gen 24:45Gen 24:46 (2×)Gen 29:2Gen 29:3Gen 29:7Gen 29:8Gen 29:10Exo 2:16Exo 2:17Exo 2:19Exo 32:20Num 5:24Num 5:26Num 5:27Num 20:8Deu 11:10Jdg 4:19 (2×)1Sa 30:112Sa 23:151Ch 11:172Ch 28:15Est 1:7Job 21:24Job 22:7Psa 36:8(9)Psa 60:3(5)Psa 69:21(22)Psa 78:15Psa 80:5(6)Psa 104:11Psa 104:13Pro 25:21Ecc 2:6Sng 8:2Isa 27:3Isa 43:20Jer 8:14Jer 9:15(14)Jer 16:7
Root family
Names & words formed with this
Word studyshaw-KAHverb

What shaqah means

to give something to drink: to water land, water animals, or hand a person a drink

TranslatabilityApproximateCertaintySettled

This verb is the active, causative side of the ordinary word for drinking. Where one word means "to drink," this one means "to make drink": to put water (or wine, or any liquid) to the mouth of a living thing, or to bring water to dry ground so it can take it in.

The same picture covers a wide field. A servant lowers her jar and gives a thirsty traveler water; a shepherd draws from a well and waters the flock; a stream rises and soaks a garden. In every case someone or something receives drink at another's hand, and that is the heart of the word.

From there the prophets and poets stretch it into a powerful image. To "make a person drink" can mean to fill them with wine until they are helpless, or to force on them a cup of suffering that God has poured out. The act is the same, giving drink, but the drink is judgment, and the one made to drink has no choice in it.

Because the literal and the figurative uses share one plain action, this is a single word with a single core, not several unrelated words. The senses below sort that one action by who or what is given drink, and by whether the drink is welcome or dreadful.

Nuances

1ato water the ground: to bring water to fields, gardens, or trees
Gen 2:6Gen 2:10Deu 11:10Job 21:24Psa 104:13Ecc 2:6Isa 27:3Ezk 17:7Jol 3:18(4:18)
1bto give people water or drink
Gen 21:19Gen 24:14Gen 24:18Gen 24:43Gen 24:45Gen 24:46 (2×)Exo 2:17Exo 2:191Sa 30:112Ch 28:15Job 22:7Pro 25:21
1cto water animals: to give a flock or herd water at the well or trough
Gen 24:14Gen 24:19Gen 29:2Gen 29:3Gen 29:7Gen 29:8Gen 29:10Exo 2:16Psa 104:11Isa 43:20
1dto make someone drink wine, often to the point of drunkenness
Gen 19:32Gen 19:33Gen 19:34Gen 19:35Est 1:7Sng 8:2Jer 35:2Amo 2:12Hab 2:15
1eto make someone drink a cup of suffering: God forcing wrath, poison, or bitter water on people
Num 5:24Num 5:26Num 5:27Psa 60:3(5)Psa 69:21(22)Psa 80:5(6)Jer 8:14Jer 9:15(14)Jer 23:15Jer 25:15Jer 25:17Ezk 32:6

What scholars say about shaqah

The standard lexica treat this as the hiphil (causative) stem of שׁתה "to drink," with a unified core sense "to give to drink, to cause to drink," extended to the irrigation of land and the watering of animals (BDB; HALOT). The lexicons distinguish usage by object: persons, animals, and ground, plus the well-attested figurative use of being made to drink wine (Genesis 19; Habakkuk 2:15) and the prophetic "cup" of divine wrath (Jeremiah 25:15-17; Psalm 60:5; Psalm 75). The bitter-water ordeal of Numbers 5 employs the same verb. Theological dictionaries note the prophetic cup-of-wrath motif as a developed image built on this everyday verb (TDOT, s.v. שׁתה / שׁקה).

Sources

  • BDB, s.v. שׁקהlexicon
  • HALOT, s.v. שׁקהlexicon
  • TDOT, s.v. שׁתהdictionary

All attested forms of שָׁקָה

hiphil infinitive-construct construct

הַשְׁקוֹת, הַשְׁקֹת

Gen 2:10, Exo 2:16, Est 1:7, Ecc 2:6, Isa 43:20, Ezk 17:7, Gen 24:19

hiphil consecutive-imperfect 3ms

וַיַּשְׁקְ, וַיַּשְׁקֵ

Gen 29:10, Exo 2:17, Exo 2:19, Exo 32:20, Psa 78:15, Jer 8:14

hiphil consecutive-perfect 2ms

וְהִשְׁקִיתָ, וְהִשְׁקִיתָה

Num 20:8, Deu 11:10, Jer 35:2, Jer 25:15

hiphil consecutive-perfect 3ms

וְהִשְׁקָה, וְהִשְׁקָ

Gen 2:6, Num 5:24, Jol 3:18, Num 5:27

hiphil imperfect 1cs

אַשְׁקֶה, אַשְׁקְ, אַשְׁקֶ

Gen 24:14, Gen 24:46, Sng 8:2, Isa 27:3

hiphil imperfect 3mp

יַשְׁקוּ

Gen 29:2, Psa 69:21, Psa 104:11, Jer 16:7

hiphil consecutive-imperfect 3fs

וַתַּשְׁקֵ, וַתַּשְׁקְ

Gen 24:18, Jdg 4:19, Gen 21:19

hiphil consecutive-perfect 1cs

וְהִשְׁקִיתִי, וְהִשְׁקֵיתִי, וְהִשְׁקִתִי

Jer 9:15, Ezk 32:6, Jer 23:15

hiphil imperative 2fs

הַשְׁקִי

Gen 24:43, Gen 24:45, Jdg 4:19

hiphil imperfect 3ms

יַשְׁקֵ, יַשְׁקֶה

2Sa 23:15, 1Ch 11:17, Num 5:26

hiphil consecutive-imperfect 3fp

וַתַּשְׁקֶיןָ

Gen 19:33, Gen 19:35

hiphil consecutive-imperfect 3mp

וַיַּשְׁקֻ, וַיַּשְׁקוּ

1Sa 30:11, 2Ch 28:15

hiphil imperfect 1cp

נַשְׁקֶ, נַשְׁקֶה

Gen 19:34, Gen 19:32

hiphil imperfect 2ms

תַשְׁקֵ, תַּשְׁקֶה

Psa 36:8, Job 22:7

hiphil consecutive-imperfect 1cs

וָאַשְׁקֶה

Jer 25:17

hiphil consecutive-imperfect 2mp

וַתַּשְׁקוּ

Amo 2:12

hiphil consecutive-imperfect 2ms

וַתַּשְׁקֵ

Psa 80:5

hiphil consecutive-perfect 1cp

וְהִשְׁקִינוּ

Gen 29:8

hiphil consecutive-perfect 3cp

וְהִשְׁקוּ

Gen 29:3

hiphil imperative 2mp

הַשְׁקוּ

Gen 29:7

hiphil imperative 2ms

הַשְׁקֵ

Pro 25:21

hiphil participle m s absolute

מַשְׁקֶה

Psa 104:13

hiphil participle m s construct

מַשְׁקֵה

Hab 2:15

hiphil perfect 2ms

הִשְׁקִיתָ

Psa 60:3

hiphil perfect 3fs

הִשְׁקָתָה

Gen 24:46

pual imperfect 3ms

יְשֻׁקֶּה

Job 21:24