What does שָׁכַב (šākab) mean in the Bible?
שָׁכַב (šākab): Foundational posture encompassing rest, vulnerability, intimacy, and death—the horizontal position of human dependence.
Hebrew · H7901
שָׁכַב
To lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose)
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שָׁכַב H7901
Pronunciation šākab
What does שָׁכַב (šākab) mean in the Bible?
שָׁכַב (šākab): Foundational posture encompassing rest, vulnerability, intimacy, and death—the horizontal position of human dependence.
Full entry for שָׁכַב (H7901) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7901?
The BSB source-word alignment has 208 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include rested (32), lies (9), Lie down (8), and lay down (6), and lie down (6).
Where does שָׁכַב (šākab) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 19:4. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Kings (21), Genesis (21), 2 Kings (19), 2 Samuel (18).
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 rested 32× 1 Kings 2:10, 1 Kings 11:43, 1 Kings 14:31, 1 Kings 15:8
lies 9× Exodus 22:19, Leviticus 15:4, Leviticus 15:33, Leviticus 19:20
Lie down 8× 2 Samuel 13:5, Psalms 3:5, Psalms 4:8, Proverbs 6:22
and lay down 6× Genesis 28:11, Ruth 3:7, 1 Samuel 3:5, 1 Samuel 3:9
and lie down 6× Ruth 3:4, 1 Samuel 3:5, 1 Samuel 3:6, 1 Samuel 3:9
he lies 4× Leviticus 15:24, Ruth 3:4, Job 40:21, Psalms 41:8
to lie down 4× Ruth 3:7, 2 Samuel 11:13, 2 Kings 4:11, Isaiah 43:17
was lying 4× 1 Samuel 3:2, 1 Samuel 26:5, 1 Samuel 26:7, 2 Samuel 4:7
and lay 3× Genesis 34:2, 2 Samuel 12:24, 2 Kings 4:34
he who sleeps 3× Deuteronomy 27:20, Deuteronomy 27:22, Deuteronomy 27:23
lie 3× Leviticus 18:22, 2 Samuel 13:11, Isaiah 14:18
lying 3× Deuteronomy 22:22, Ruth 3:8, 2 Kings 4:32
rest 3× Deuteronomy 31:16, Job 30:17, Ecclesiastes 2:23
and laid him 2× 1 Kings 17:19, 2 Kings 4:21
and lie 2× 1 Kings 1:2, Ezekiel 32:21
and lies 2× Deuteronomy 22:25, Deuteronomy 22:28
and sleeps 2× Exodus 22:16, Deuteronomy 22:23
and slept with 2× Genesis 19:33, Genesis 35:22
He lay down 2× 1 Kings 21:4, 1 Kings 21:27
he lies down 2× Numbers 24:9, Job 27:19
I lie down 2× Job 7:4, Psalms 57:4
lay down 2× 1 Samuel 3:15, 2 Samuel 13:6
lies with 2× Leviticus 15:18, Leviticus 15:24
she lies 2× Leviticus 15:20, Leviticus 15:26
Sleep 2× Genesis 39:7, Genesis 39:12
they lie 2× Isaiah 51:20, Ezekiel 32:30
to rest 2× Proverbs 6:10, Proverbs 24:33
was lying down 2× 1 Samuel 3:3, 2 Samuel 13:8
when she lay down 2× Genesis 19:33, Genesis 19:35
when you lie down 2× Deuteronomy 6:7, Deuteronomy 11:19
you lie 2× Ezekiel 4:9, Amos 6:4
you lie down 2× Psalms 68:13, Proverbs 3:24
[and] sleep 1× Genesis 19:34
[has done this] 1× Deuteronomy 22:25
And anyone who sleeps 1× Leviticus 14:47
and be placed 1× Ezekiel 32:19
and he rested 1× 1 Kings 14:20
and he will lie 1× 2 Samuel 12:11
And Hezekiah rested 1× 2 Chronicles 32:33
and lay with 1× 2 Samuel 13:14
and put 1× 1 Kings 3:20
and rested 1× 2 Chronicles 16:13
and sleep 1× 2 Samuel 11:11
and slept 1× Genesis 19:35
and stayed 1× Joshua 2:1
and will make them lie down 1× Hosea 2:18
and you rest 1× 2 Samuel 7:12
and you will lie down 1× Leviticus 26:6
but when I lie down 1× Genesis 47:30
by lying 1× Genesis 34:7
by sleeping with 1× Numbers 5:13
can tilt 1× Job 38:37
from her who lies 1× Micah 7:5
go to sleep 1× Deuteronomy 24:12
had lain down 1× 1 Samuel 26:5
had rested 1× 1 Kings 11:21
has slept with you 1× Numbers 5:19
have slept with 1× Genesis 26:10
he may sleep 1× Genesis 30:15
he slept 1× 2 Samuel 11:4
he who lies 1× Deuteronomy 27:21
her 1× Leviticus 15:24
I slept with 1× Genesis 19:34
I will lie down 1× Job 7:21
I would be lying down 1× Job 3:13
it slept 1× 2 Samuel 12:3
lay down for the night 1× Joshua 2:8
lay there 1× Judges 16:3
Let us lie down 1× Jeremiah 3:25
lie down together 1× Ecclesiastes 4:11
lie together 1× Lamentations 2:21
lies down 1× Job 14:12
like one sleeping 1× Proverbs 23:34
lying [in sackcloth] 1× 2 Samuel 12:16
lying around 1× Isaiah 56:10
made them lie down 1× 2 Samuel 8:2
men slept 1× Ezekiel 23:8
nap 1× 2 Samuel 4:5
now lie 1× Genesis 28:13
Now lie here 1× Ruth 3:13
or lying 1× Proverbs 23:34
resting 1× Numbers 23:24
rests 1× 1 Kings 1:21
She laid him 1× 1 Kings 3:20
she rolled over 1× 1 Kings 3:19
slept 1× 2 Samuel 11:9
So [he] slept 1× Genesis 30:16
so he could sleep 1× Genesis 39:14
So she lay down 1× Ruth 3:14
so that he may sleep 1× Deuteronomy 24:13
so we can sleep 1× Genesis 19:32
Then he lay down 1× 1 Kings 19:5
there he lay still 1× Judges 5:27
they had gone to bed 1× Genesis 19:4
They laid him 1× 2 Chronicles 16:14
they lie down 1× Job 21:26
they were sleeping 1× 1 Samuel 2:22
to go to bed 1× Genesis 39:10
was laid up 1× 2 Kings 9:16
were lying 1× 1 Samuel 26:7
When he lies down 1× Ruth 3:4
when you rest 1× Proverbs 3:24
where he lay down 1× Jonah 1:5
who lay 1× Deuteronomy 22:29
who lie 1× Psalms 88:5
who slept 1× Deuteronomy 22:22
will be laid to rest 1× Ezekiel 32:32
will he sleep in 1× Exodus 22:27
will lie down 1× Job 20:11
will you lie there 1× Proverbs 6:9
you have been laid low 1× Isaiah 14:8
you lie on your side 1× Ezekiel 4:4
You will lie 1× Ezekiel 31:18
You will lie down 1× Isaiah 50:11
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 19:4 יִשְׁכָּבוּ֒ to they had gone to bed Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Genesis 19:32 וְנִשְׁכְּבָ֣ה to so we can sleep Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural Genesis 19:33 וַתִּשְׁכַּ֣ב to and slept with Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular Genesis 19:33 בְּשִׁכְבָ֖הּ to when she lay down Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular Genesis 19:34 שָׁכַ֥בְתִּי to I slept with Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Genesis 19:34 שִׁכְבִ֣י to [and] sleep Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular Genesis 19:35 וַתִּשְׁכַּ֣ב to and slept Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular Genesis 19:35 בְּשִׁכְבָ֖הּ to when she lay down Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular Genesis 26:10 שָׁכַ֞ב to have slept with Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 28:11 וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב to and lay down Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 19:4
Aligned rows 208
Books represented 25
Genesis 21 Exodus 3 Leviticus 17 Numbers 4 Deuteronomy 16 Joshua 2 Judges 2 Ruth 8 1 Samuel 13 2 Samuel 18 1 Kings 21 2 Kings 19 2 Chronicles 12 Job 11 Psalms 6 Proverbs 8 Ecclesiastes 2 Isaiah 6 Jeremiah 1 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 13 Hosea 1 Amos 1 Jonah 1 Micah 1
Source forms
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֤ב 22x way·yiš·kaḇ 1 Samuel 3:15, 1 Kings 11:43, 1 Kings 15:8, 1 Kings 15:24
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב 9x way·yiš·kaḇ Genesis 30:16, Genesis 34:2, 2 Samuel 13:6, 1 Kings 2:10
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֣ב 7x way·yiš·kaḇ Judges 16:3, 2 Samuel 11:4, 2 Samuel 11:9, 2 Samuel 12:24
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֨ב 5x way·yiš·kaḇ 1 Kings 14:31, 2 Chronicles 14:1, 2 Chronicles 26:23, 2 Chronicles 28:27
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב 4x way·yiš·kaḇ Genesis 28:11, 1 Samuel 3:9, 2 Samuel 13:14, Jonah 1:5
יִשְׁכַּב֙ 4x yiš·kaḇ Leviticus 20:11, Leviticus 20:12, Leviticus 20:20, Numbers 23:24
שֹׁכֵ֣ב 4x šō·ḵêḇ Genesis 28:13, 1 Samuel 3:2, 1 Samuel 26:5, 2 Kings 9:16
וַיִּשְׁכַּב֙ 3x way·yiš·kaḇ 1 Kings 14:20, 1 Kings 19:5, 1 Kings 21:4
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 54x Genesis 28:11, Genesis 30:16, Genesis 34:2, Genesis 35:22
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 17x Genesis 30:15, Exodus 22:27, Leviticus 15:4, Leviticus 15:18
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 17x Genesis 28:13, Exodus 22:19, Deuteronomy 22:22, Deuteronomy 27:20
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 10x Genesis 26:10, Numbers 5:19, Numbers 24:9, Deuteronomy 22:25
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 8x Exodus 22:16, Numbers 5:13, Deuteronomy 22:23, Deuteronomy 22:25
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct 7x Genesis 34:7, Genesis 39:10, Genesis 39:14, Ruth 3:7
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 7x Leviticus 18:22, Deuteronomy 24:12, Job 11:18, Proverbs 3:24
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 6x Genesis 19:4, Job 21:26, Ecclesiastes 4:11, Isaiah 43:17
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Foundational posture encompassing rest, vulnerability, intimacy, and death—the horizontal position of human dependence.
Strong's H7901
Lexical occurrences 213 verses Word forms 5 forms 98 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Genesis 19:30-38 Source Gloss
to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Foundational posture encompassing rest, vulnerability, intimacy, and death—the horizontal position of human dependence.
to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose) BDB: lie down Usage: × at all, cast down, (lover-)lay (self) (down), (make to) lie (down, down to sleep, still with), lodge, ravish, take rest, sleep, stay.
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 5 Aligned forms 98
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 91×
Imperfect Exod 22:26 · Gen 30:15 · Job 27:19 · Job 40:21 · Lev 15:4 · Lev 15:18 · Lev 15:24 · Lev 15:33 · Lev 19:20 · Lev 20:11 · Lev 20:12 · Lev 20:13 · Lev 20:18 · Lev 20:20 · Num 23:24 · Ruth 3:4 35×
Participle active 1Sam 3:2 · 1Sam 3:3 · 1Sam 26:5 · 1Sam 26:7 · 2Kgs 9:16 · 2Sam 4:5 · 2Sam 4:7 · 2Sam 13:8 · Deut 22:22 · Deut 27:20 · Deut 27:21 · Deut 27:22 · Deut 27:23 · Deut 31:16 · Exod 22:18 · Ezek 4:9 21×
Perfect 1Kgs 11:21 · 1Sam 26:5 · Deut 22:25 · Eccl 2:23 · Gen 26:10 · Job 14:12 · Judg 5:27 · Num 5:19 · Num 24:9 · Ps 41:9 · Ezek 23:8 · Ezek 32:21 · Isa 14:18 · Isa 51:20 · Lam 2:21 · Gen 19:34 21×
Sequential imperfect 1Sam 3:5 · 1Sam 3:6 · 1Sam 3:9 · 2Sam 13:5 · Ezek 4:4 · 2Sam 13:11 · Gen 19:34 · Ruth 3:13 8×
Cohortative Ps 4:9 · Ps 57:5 · Jer 3:25 3×
Infinitive construct 2Chr 26:2 · 2Kgs 14:22 2×
Infinitive absolute Lev 15:24 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 2×
Imperfect Isa 13:16 · Zech 14:2 2×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 3×
Perfect 1Kgs 3:20 1×
Infinitive absolute 2Sam 8:2 1×
Imperfect Job 38:37 1×
Hophal causative passive — the subject is caused to perform the action 1×
Participle passive 2Kgs 4:32 1×
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 1×
Perfect Jer 3:2 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
sexual intercourse, specifically incestuous relations between father and daughters
reclining or resting, used of Jacob lying with his wife Rachel during childbirth
lying down during menstruation, with ritual impurity implications for sexual relations
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 213 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שָׁכַב is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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