שָׁכַב
To lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose)
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.
Canonical witness: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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What does שָׁכַב (šākab) mean in the Bible?
שָׁכַב (šākab) is a Hebrew word meaning "to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose)". 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.
Meaning
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.
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 91×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 2×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 3×
Hophal causative passive — the subject is caused to perform the action 1×
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 1×
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
Biblical Witnesses
Showing 8 of 213 occurrences in the biblical text.