What does שַׁחַת (šaḥaṯ) mean in the Bible?
שַׁחַת (šaḥaṯ): A pit that ensnares; metaphorically extends to moral and physical corruption, ruin, and the grave itself.
Hebrew · H7845
שַׁחַת
A pit (especially as a trap); figuratively, destruction
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שַׁחַת H7845
Pronunciation šaḥaṯ
What does שַׁחַת (šaḥaṯ) mean in the Bible?
שַׁחַת (šaḥaṯ): A pit that ensnares; metaphorically extends to moral and physical corruption, ruin, and the grave itself.
Full entry for שַׁחַת (H7845) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7845?
The BSB source-word alignment has 23 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include to the Pit (4), a pit (3), from the Pit (3), the Pit (3), decay (2).
Where does שַׁחַת (šaḥaṯ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Job 9:31. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (9), Job (7), Ezekiel (3), Isaiah (2).
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 to the Pit 4× Job 33:22, Job 33:24, Job 33:28, Ezekiel 28:8
a pit 3× Psalms 35:7, Psalms 94:13, Proverbs 26:27
from the Pit 3× Psalms 103:4, Isaiah 38:17, Jonah 2:6
the Pit 3× Job 33:18, Job 33:30, Psalms 30:9
decay 2× Psalms 16:10, Psalms 49:9
in their pit 2× Ezekiel 19:4, Ezekiel 19:8
into a pit 2× Psalms 7:15, Psalms 9:15
in the dungeon 1× Isaiah 51:14
into the pit 1× Job 9:31
of destruction 1× Psalms 55:23
to corruption 1× Job 17:14
Show sample aligned rows
Job 9:31 בַּשַּׁ֣חַת to into the pit Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular Job 17:14 לַשַּׁ֣חַת to to corruption Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular Job 33:18 שָׁ֑חַת to the Pit Noun - feminine singular Job 33:22 לַשַּׁ֣חַת to to the Pit Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular Job 33:24 שָׁ֗חַת to to the Pit Noun - feminine singular Job 33:28 בַּשָּׁ֑חַת to to the Pit Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular Job 33:30 שָׁ֑חַת to the Pit Noun - feminine singular Psalms 7:15 בְּשַׁ֣חַת to into a pit Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular Psalms 9:15 בְּשַׁ֣חַת to into a pit Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular Psalms 16:10 שָֽׁחַת׃ to decay Noun - feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Job 9:31
Aligned rows 23
Books represented 6
Job 7 Psalms 9 Proverbs 1 Isaiah 2 Ezekiel 3 Jonah 1
Source forms
בְּשַׁ֣חַת 2x bə·ša·ḥaṯ Psalms 7:15, Psalms 9:15
לַשַּׁ֣חַת 2x laš·ša·ḥaṯ Job 17:14, Job 33:22
מִשַּׁ֣חַת 2x miš·ša·ḥaṯ Psalms 103:4, Isaiah 38:17
שָׁ֑חַת 2x šā·ḥaṯ Job 33:18, Job 33:30
בַּשַּׁ֣חַת 1x baš·ša·ḥaṯ Job 9:31
בַּשָּׁ֑חַת 1x baš·šā·ḥaṯ Job 33:28
בְּשַׁחְתָּ֣ם 1x bə·šaḥ·tām Ezekiel 19:4
בְּשַׁחְתָּ֥ם 1x bə·šaḥ·tām Ezekiel 19:8
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular 8x Job 33:18, Job 33:24, Job 33:30, Psalms 16:10
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular 4x Job 17:14, Job 33:22, Isaiah 51:14, Ezekiel 28:8
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular 2x Psalms 7:15, Psalms 9:15
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural 2x Ezekiel 19:4, Ezekiel 19:8
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular 2x Job 9:31, Job 33:28
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular 2x Psalms 103:4, Jonah 2:6
Article | Noun - feminine singular 1x Psalms 49:9
Noun - feminine singular construct 1x Psalms 35:7
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. A pit that ensnares; metaphorically extends to moral and physical corruption, ruin, and the grave itself.
Source Gloss
a pit (especially as a trap); figuratively, destruction
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
A pit that ensnares; metaphorically extends to moral and physical corruption, ruin, and the grave itself.
a pit (especially as a trap); figuratively, destruction BDB: pit Usage: corruption, destruction, ditch, grave, pit.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Destruction or grave.
Decay; corruption; the pit; refers to the physical dissolution of the body in death
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 23 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שַׁחַת is built from this root:
שׁוּחַ H7743
Why This Word Matters
Depicts deliverance from death and ruin. Isaiah 38:9-20
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
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