What does שָׁעָה (šāʿāh) mean in the Bible?
שָׁעָה (šāʿāh): Looking outward in distress or wonder—seeking help, consideration, or compassionate response through intentional gaze.
Hebrew · H8159
שָׁעָה
To gaze at or about (properly, for help); by implication, to inspect , consider , compassionate , be nonplussed (as looking around in amazement) or bewildered
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שָׁעָה H8159
Pronunciation šāʿāh
What does שָׁעָה (šāʿāh) mean in the Bible?
שָׁעָה (šāʿāh): Looking outward in distress or wonder—seeking help, consideration, or compassionate response through intentional gaze.
Full entry for שָׁעָה (H8159) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H8159?
The BSB source-word alignment has 15 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include look (2), look away (2), regard (2), and pay no attention (1), be afraid (1).
Where does שָׁעָה (šāʿāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 4:4. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (7), Genesis (2), Job (2), 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 look 2× Isaiah 17:8, Isaiah 31:1
look away 2× Job 7:19, Job 14:6
regard 2× Genesis 4:5, Psalms 119:117
and pay no attention 1× Exodus 5:9
be afraid 1× Isaiah 41:10
be closed 1× Isaiah 32:3
looked with favor 1× Genesis 4:4
that we may look on together in dismay 1× Isaiah 41:23
They looked 1× 2 Samuel 22:42
Turn away 1× Isaiah 22:4
Turn Your gaze 1× Psalms 39:13
will look 1× Isaiah 17:7
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 4:4 וַיִּ֣שַׁע to looked with favor Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 4:5 שָׁעָ֑ה to regard Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 5:9 יִשְׁע֖וּ to and pay no attention Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 2 Samuel 22:42 יִשְׁע֖וּ to They looked Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Job 7:19 תִשְׁעֶ֣ה to look away Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Job 14:6 שְׁעֵ֣ה to look away Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular Psalms 39:13 הָשַׁ֣ע to Turn Your gaze Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular Psalms 119:117 וְאֶשְׁעָ֖ה to regard Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular Isaiah 17:7 יִשְׁעֶ֥ה to will look Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Isaiah 17:8 יִשְׁעֶ֔ה to look Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 4:4
Aligned rows 15
Books represented 6
Genesis 2 Exodus 1 2 Samuel 1 Job 2 Psalms 2 Isaiah 7
Source forms
יִשְׁע֖וּ 2x yiš·‘ū Exodus 5:9, 2 Samuel 22:42
הָשַׁ֣ע 1x hā·ša‘ Psalms 39:13
וְאֶשְׁעָ֖ה 1x wə·’eš·‘āh Psalms 119:117
וַיִּ֣שַׁע 1x way·yi·ša‘ Genesis 4:4
וְנִשְׁתָּ֖עָה 1x wə·niš·tā·‘āh Isaiah 41:23
יִשְׁעֶ֥ה 1x yiš·‘eh Isaiah 17:7
יִשְׁעֶ֔ה 1x yiš·‘eh Isaiah 17:8
שְׁעֵ֣ה 1x šə·‘êh Job 14:6
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 2x Job 7:19, Isaiah 41:10
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 2x Exodus 5:9, 2 Samuel 22:42
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x Isaiah 17:7, Isaiah 17:8
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural 1x Isaiah 41:23
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular 1x Psalms 119:117
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x Genesis 4:4
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular 1x Psalms 39:13
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural 1x Isaiah 22:4
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Looking outward in distress or wonder—seeking help, consideration, or compassionate response through intentional gaze.
Strong's H8159
Lexical occurrences 15 verses Word forms 2 forms 12 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Genesis 4:1-8 Source Gloss
to gaze at or about (properly, for help); by implication, to inspect , consider , compassionate , be nonplussed (as looking around in amazement) or bewildered
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Looking outward in distress or wonder—seeking help, consideration, or compassionate response through intentional gaze.
to gaze at or about (properly, for help); by implication, to inspect, consider, compassionate, be nonplussed (as looking around in amazement) or bewildered BDB: gaze Usage: depart, be dim, be dismayed, look (away), regard, have respect, spare, turn.
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 12
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 11×
Imperfect Isa 17:7 · Isa 17:8 · 2Sam 22:42 · Isa 32:3 · Job 7:19 5×
Jussive Exod 5:9 · Isa 41:10 2×
Perfect Gen 4:5 · Isa 31:1 2×
Sequential imperfect Isa 22:4 · Job 14:6 2×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 1×
Sequential imperfect Ps 39:14 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
God's attention and acceptance of an offering, looking upon with favor or disfavor
Showing 1 selected witness from 15 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שָׁעָה 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