What does שָׁחַט (šāḥaṭ) mean in the Bible?
שָׁחַט (šāḥaṭ): Sacrificial slaughter or violent killing; the context—altar or battlefield—determines moral valence
Hebrew · H7819
שָׁחַט
To slaughter (in sacrifice or massacre)
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
שָׁחַט H7819
Pronunciation šāḥaṭ
What does שָׁחַט (šāḥaṭ) mean in the Bible?
שָׁחַט (šāḥaṭ): Sacrificial slaughter or violent killing; the context—altar or battlefield—determines moral valence
Full entry for שָׁחַט (H7819) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7819?
The BSB source-word alignment has 81 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and slaughter (8), and slaughtered (4), is slaughtered (4), they slaughtered (4), Slaughter (3).
Where does שָׁחַט (šāḥaṭ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 22:10. Its strongest book concentrations include Leviticus (36), 2 Chronicles (8), Exodus (6), Ezekiel (6).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It and slaughter 8× Exodus 12:21, Leviticus 3:2, Leviticus 3:8, Leviticus 3:13
and slaughtered 4× Leviticus 9:8, Numbers 19:3, 1 Samuel 14:34, 2 Kings 10:7
is slaughtered 4× Leviticus 4:24, Leviticus 4:33, Leviticus 6:25, Leviticus 7:2
they slaughtered 4× 2 Kings 25:7, 2 Chronicles 29:22, 2 Chronicles 30:15, Ezekiel 23:39
Slaughter 3× Exodus 29:20, Leviticus 22:28, 2 Chronicles 35:6
slaughtered 3× Genesis 37:31, Jeremiah 39:6, Jeremiah 52:10
And he shall slaughter 2× Leviticus 1:5, Leviticus 14:50
And they slaughtered 2× 2 Chronicles 29:22, 2 Chronicles 35:11
shall be slaughtered 2× Leviticus 4:15, Leviticus 6:25
slaughtered [the ram] 2× Leviticus 8:19, Leviticus 8:23
- 1× Leviticus 17:3
[Aaron] shall then slaughter 1× Leviticus 16:15
[the priest] shall slaughter 1× Leviticus 14:19
also killed 1× Jeremiah 39:6
And [the Levites] slaughtered 1× Ezra 6:20
And after he slaughters 1× Leviticus 14:25
and killed him 1× Judges 12:6
and slaughtered them 1× 1 Kings 18:40
and slaughtering 1× Isaiah 22:13
And when they had slaughtered 1× 1 Samuel 1:25
And you shall slaughter 1× Exodus 29:11
are deadly 1× Jeremiah 9:8
are slaughtered 1× Leviticus 14:13
be slaughtered 1× Leviticus 14:5
He has slaughtered them 1× Numbers 14:16
he is to slaughter 1× Leviticus 16:11
He shall slaughter 1× Leviticus 1:11
in slaughter 1× Hosea 5:2
killed 1× Jeremiah 52:10
must be slaughtered 1× Leviticus 7:2
of the slaughtered 1× Leviticus 14:51
offer 1× Exodus 34:25
on which the sacrifices were to be slaughtered 1× Ezekiel 40:41
shall slaughter 1× Ezekiel 44:11
slaughter [them] 1× 1 Samuel 14:34
slaughtered [the bull] 1× Leviticus 8:15
slaughtered it 1× Leviticus 9:15
slaughtered the goats 1× 2 Chronicles 29:24
slaughtered them 1× Jeremiah 41:7
slaughters 1× Leviticus 17:3
So they slaughtered 1× 2 Chronicles 29:22
that was slaughtered 1× Leviticus 14:6
Then [Aaron] slaughtered 1× Leviticus 9:12
Then he is to slaughter 1× Leviticus 14:13
Then he slaughtered 1× Leviticus 9:18
then slaughtered them 1× 2 Kings 10:14
They slaughtered them 1× 1 Samuel 14:32
to slaughter 1× Genesis 22:10
used to slaughter 1× Ezekiel 40:42
was slaughtered 1× 2 Chronicles 35:1
were slaughtered 1× Numbers 11:22
were to be slaughtered 1× Ezekiel 40:39
who slaughter 1× Isaiah 57:5
Whoever slaughters 1× Isaiah 66:3
will slaughter 1× Exodus 12:6
You are to slaughter 1× Exodus 29:16
You slaughtered 1× Ezekiel 16:21
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 22:10 לִשְׁחֹ֖ט to to slaughter Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Genesis 37:31 וַֽיִּשְׁחֲטוּ֙ to slaughtered Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Exodus 12:6 וְשָׁחֲט֣וּ to will slaughter Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Exodus 12:21 וְשַׁחֲט֥וּ to and slaughter Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Exodus 29:11 וְשָׁחַטְתָּ֥ to And you shall slaughter Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular Exodus 29:16 וְשָׁחַטְתָּ֖ to You are to slaughter Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular Exodus 29:20 וְשָׁחַטְתָּ֣ to Slaughter Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular Exodus 34:25 תִשְׁחַ֥ט to offer Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Leviticus 1:5 וְשָׁחַ֛ט to And he shall slaughter Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Leviticus 1:11 וְשָׁחַ֨ט to He shall slaughter Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 22:10
Aligned rows 81
Books represented 14
Genesis 2 Exodus 6 Leviticus 36 Numbers 3 Judges 1 1 Samuel 4 1 Kings 1 2 Kings 3 2 Chronicles 8 Ezra 1 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 6 Ezekiel 6 Hosea 1
Source forms
וְשָׁחַ֣ט 4x wə·šā·ḥaṭ Leviticus 3:8, Leviticus 3:13, Leviticus 4:24, Leviticus 14:13
וַֽיִּשְׁחֲטוּ֙ 3x way·yiš·ḥă·ṭū Genesis 37:31, 2 Chronicles 29:22
וַֽיִּשְׁחֲט֖וּ 3x way·yiš·ḥă·ṭū 1 Samuel 1:25, 2 Kings 10:7, 2 Chronicles 35:11
וַיִּשְׁחֲט֣וּ 3x way·yiš·ḥă·ṭū 2 Chronicles 29:22, 2 Chronicles 30:15, 2 Chronicles 35:1
וְשָׁחַ֥ט 3x wə·šā·ḥaṭ Leviticus 4:4, Leviticus 4:15, Numbers 19:3
וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ־ 2x way·yiš·ḥă·ṭū- 1 Samuel 14:32, 1 Samuel 14:34
וַיִּשְׁחָטֵ֖ם 2x way·yiš·ḥā·ṭêm Numbers 14:16, 1 Kings 18:40
וְשָׁחַ֛ט 2x wə·šā·ḥaṭ Leviticus 1:5, Leviticus 16:11
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 16x Leviticus 1:5, Leviticus 1:11, Leviticus 3:8, Leviticus 3:13
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 12x Genesis 37:31, 1 Samuel 1:25, 1 Samuel 14:32, 1 Samuel 14:34
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 8x Leviticus 8:15, Leviticus 8:19, Leviticus 8:23, Leviticus 9:8
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 6x Leviticus 4:24, Leviticus 4:33, Leviticus 14:13, Leviticus 14:19
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 5x Leviticus 7:2, Ezekiel 40:41, Ezekiel 40:42, Ezekiel 44:11
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular 3x Exodus 29:11, Exodus 29:16, Exodus 29:20
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural 3x Numbers 14:16, 1 Kings 18:40, Jeremiah 41:7
Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular 2x Leviticus 14:6, Leviticus 14:51
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Sacrificial slaughter or violent killing; the context—altar or battlefield—determines moral valence
Strong's H7819
Lexical occurrences 82 verses Word forms 2 forms 23 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Leviticus 7:1-10 Source Gloss
to slaughter (in sacrifice or massacre)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Sacrificial slaughter or violent killing; the context—altar or battlefield—determines moral valence
to slaughter (in sacrifice or massacre) BDB: slaughter Usage: kill, offer, shoot out, slay, slaughter.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 23
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 20×
Imperfect Lev 4:24 · Lev 4:33 · Lev 14:13 · Lev 14:19 · Lev 17:3 · Ezek 40:41 · Ezek 40:42 · Ezek 44:11 · Lev 7:2 · Exod 34:25 · Lev 22:28 13×
Participle active Isa 57:5 · Isa 66:3 · Jer 9:7 3×
Perfect Jer 39:6 · Jer 52:10 · 2Kgs 25:7 3×
Participle passive Jer 9:7 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 3×
Imperfect Lev 6:18 · Num 11:22 3×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Instructions for slaughtering the guilt offering in ritual sacrifice
Aaron and priests slaughter animals for consecration offerings and atonement
Aaron slaughters sin offering and burnt offering in public priestly service
Regulations requiring all animal slaughter for consumption to occur at the sanctuary
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 82 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שָׁחַט is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain