English · KJV
H7583

שָׁאָה

shâʼâh /shaw-aw'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root (identical with through the idea of whirling to giddiness)
Meaningto stun, i.e. (intransitively) be astonished
KJV usagewonder.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of shâʼâh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word shâʼâh, represented by H7583, means to stun, be astonished, or wonder. It is a primitive root derived from the idea of whirling to giddiness. This specific term appears only 1 time in 1 unique verse in the Bible, making its single appearance highly significant.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The sole use of H7583 is found in the story of Abraham's servant seeking a wife for Isaac. In a moment of quiet anticipation, the servant is described as wondering at Rebekah while he "held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not" Genesis 24:21. The word captures a state of stunned astonishment and hopeful waiting, as the man observes the signs to discern God's guidance.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words from its only context illuminate its meaning:

  • H376 ʼîysh: a man as an individual or a male person. It is used to identify the servant as the specific man who was experiencing this state of wonder Genesis 24:21.
  • H2790 chârash: to be silent, hold peace, or conceal. This is used in parallel with H7583 to show the servant's posture: he was wondering internally while he externally "held his peace" Genesis 24:21.
  • H3045 yâdaʻ: to know, properly, to ascertain by seeing. The servant's astonished silence was for the purpose of coming to know whether God had made his journey prosperous Genesis 24:21.
  • H6743 tsâlach: to push forward, or to cause to prosper. The servant's wonder was tied to discovering if God had made his journey prosperous Genesis 24:21.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7583 is centered on the posture of discerning God's will.

  • Anticipation of Divine Will: The use of H7583 highlights a key theological stance: a person in a state of stunned wonder, silently and attentively waiting to discern God's providence Genesis 24:21.
  • Internal State vs. External Action: The word marks a moment where the internal state of astonishment is paired with external inaction ("held his peace"). This suggests that recognizing God's work sometimes requires stillness and observation before acting.
  • A Precursor to Knowledge: This state of "wondering" is the step just before "knowing" H3045. It is the human response of awe when faced with the possibility that God is making a journey prosperous H6743, as seen in the servant's mission Genesis 24:21.

Summary

In summary, while shâʼâh H7583 is used only once, its appearance is powerful. It encapsulates the profound human experience of being stunned into silent wonder while awaiting a clear sign of God's direction. It is not an expression of confusion, but of focused, awestruck anticipation, linking the act of wondering directly to the process of discerning divine will and recognizing a prosperous outcome orchestrated by God Genesis 24:21.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 1 occurrence, inflected in 1 grammatical form — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • מִשְׁתָּאֵה

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H376 אִישׁ contracted for אֱנוֹשׁ (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male pe H2790 חָרַשׁ a primitive root; to scratch, i.e. (by implication) to engrave, plough; hence (from the use of tools) to fabricate (of a H3045 יָדַע a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally H6743 צָלַח or צָלֵחַ; a primitive root; to push forward, in various senses (literal or figurative, transitive or intransitive); bre

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

1 verse, all in Genesis — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.