What does שְׁכֶם (šĕkem) mean in the Bible?
שְׁכֶם (šĕkem): Neck/shoulder as the physical locus of burden-bearing, extending figuratively to landscape features that bear weight
Hebrew · H7926
שְׁכֶם
The neck (between the shoulders) as the place of burdens; figuratively, the spur of a hill
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שְׁכֶם H7926
Pronunciation šĕkem
What does שְׁכֶם (šĕkem) mean in the Bible?
שְׁכֶם (šĕkem): Neck/shoulder as the physical locus of burden-bearing, extending figuratively to landscape features that bear weight
Full entry for שְׁכֶם (H7926) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7926?
The BSB source-word alignment has 21 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include his shoulder (5), their shoulders (4), . . . (2), her shoulder (2), a head (1).
Where does שְׁכֶם (šĕkem) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 9:23. Its strongest book concentrations include Genesis (6), Isaiah (5), 1 Samuel (3), Psalms (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 his shoulder 5× Genesis 49:15, Joshua 4:5, Judges 9:48, Psalms 81:6
their shoulders 4× Genesis 9:23, Exodus 12:34, Isaiah 9:4, Isaiah 14:25
. . . 2× 1 Samuel 10:9, Psalms 21:12
her shoulder 2× Genesis 24:15, Genesis 24:45
a head 1× 1 Samuel 9:2
he was a head 1× 1 Samuel 10:23
His shoulders 1× Isaiah 9:6
my shoulder 1× Job 31:36
ridge of land 1× Genesis 48:22
shoulder 1× Zephaniah 3:9
shoulders 1× Genesis 21:14
your shoulders 1× Isaiah 10:27
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 9:23 שְׁכֶ֣ם to their shoulders Noun - masculine singular construct Genesis 21:14 שִׁכְמָ֛הּ to shoulders Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular Genesis 24:15 שִׁכְמָֽהּ׃ to her shoulder Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular Genesis 24:45 שִׁכְמָ֔הּ to her shoulder Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular Genesis 48:22 שְׁכֶ֥ם to ridge of land Noun - masculine singular Genesis 49:15 שִׁכְמוֹ֙ to his shoulder Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Exodus 12:34 שִׁכְמָֽם׃ to their shoulders Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural Joshua 4:5 שִׁכְמ֔וֹ to his shoulder Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Judges 9:48 שִׁכְמ֑וֹ to his shoulder Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1 Samuel 9:2 מִשִּׁכְמ֣וֹ to a head Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 9:23
Aligned rows 21
Books represented 9
Genesis 6 Exodus 1 Joshua 1 Judges 1 1 Samuel 3 Job 1 Psalms 2 Isaiah 5 Zephaniah 1
Source forms
שִׁכְמ֑וֹ 4x šiḵ·mōw Judges 9:48, Psalms 81:6, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 22:22
שְׁכֶ֥ם 2x šə·ḵem Genesis 48:22, Zephaniah 3:9
שִׁכְמוֹ֙ 2x šiḵ·mōw Genesis 49:15, 1 Samuel 10:9
שִׁכְמ֔וֹ 2x šiḵ·mōw Joshua 4:5, Isaiah 9:4
מִשִּׁכְמ֣וֹ 1x miš·šiḵ·mōw 1 Samuel 9:2
מִשִּׁכְמ֖וֹ 1x miš·šiḵ·mōw 1 Samuel 10:23
שְׁכֶ֣ם 1x šə·ḵem Genesis 9:23
שֶׁ֑כֶם 1x še·ḵem Psalms 21:12
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 9x Genesis 49:15, Joshua 4:5, Judges 9:48, 1 Samuel 10:9
Noun - masculine singular 3x Genesis 48:22, Psalms 21:12, Zephaniah 3:9
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular 3x Genesis 21:14, Genesis 24:15, Genesis 24:45
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 2x 1 Samuel 9:2, 1 Samuel 10:23
Noun - masculine singular construct 1x Genesis 9:23
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular 1x Job 31:36
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular 1x Isaiah 10:27
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural 1x Exodus 12:34
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Neck/shoulder as the physical locus of burden-bearing, extending figuratively to landscape features that bear weight
Source Gloss
the neck (between the shoulders) as the place of burdens; figuratively, the spur of a hill
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Neck/shoulder as the physical locus of burden-bearing, extending figuratively to landscape features that bear weight
the neck (between the shoulders) as the place of burdens; figuratively, the spur of a hill BDB: shoulder Usage: back, × consent, portion, shoulder.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Authority and responsibility placed upon one as burden or office
Showing 1 selected witness from 21 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שְׁכֶם is built from this root:
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