English · KJV
H7743

שׁוּחַ

shûwach /shoo'-akh/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto sink, literally or figuratively
KJV usagebow down, incline, humble.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of shûwach — 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 shûwach, represented by H7743, is a primitive root used to mean to sink, literally or figuratively; bow down, incline, humble. Though it appears only 3 times across 3 unique verses, its usage conveys a powerful sense of being brought low, whether through humility, despair, or moral descent.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical appearances, H7743 illustrates a state of profound lowness. It is used to describe a path of destruction, where a "house inclineth unto death" Proverbs 2:18, pointing to a spiritual and moral sinking toward ruin. The term also captures deep personal anguish and humility, as when the psalmist's soul "is bowed down to the dust" Psalms 44:25. Similarly, in a state of remembrance and affliction, the soul "is humbled in me" Lamentations 3:20, showing an internal posture of being brought low.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context and consequence of being humbled or brought low:

  • H5315 nephesh (a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; soul): This is the part of a person that experiences being "humbled" Lamentations 3:20 and "bowed down" Psalms 44:25, representing the core of one's being.
  • H6083 ʻâphâr (dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mud): This is the destination of being "bowed down," a physical symbol of ultimate humility and mortality Psalms 44:25.
  • H4194 mâveth (death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades)): This is the ruin toward which a path "inclineth," showing the ultimate consequence of moral sinking Proverbs 2:18.
  • H1692 dâbaq (to impinge, i.e. cling or adhere): This action runs parallel to being bowed down, as the belly "cleaveth unto the earth" in a state of utter submission or despair Psalms 44:25.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7743 is significant despite its rarity, highlighting the connection between one's state of being and their relationship to life and death.

  • A Posture of Humility: The word describes the condition of the soul when it is humbled or brought low, whether by circumstance or an act of remembrance. The soul can be "humbled" within a person Lamentations 3:20 or "bowed down" in a posture of anguish Psalms 44:25.
  • The Path to Ruin: H7743 is used metaphorically to depict a journey toward destruction. The house that "inclineth" does so "unto death," and its paths lead to "the dead" H7496, illustrating that certain choices lead to spiritual and physical ruin Proverbs 2:18.
  • Connection to Mortality: The act of being "bowed down to the dust" vividly connects human suffering and humility with our mortal nature, created from dust and returning to it Psalms 44:25.

Summary

In summary, H7743 is a potent term that conveys a state of being brought low in its most profound sense. It encompasses both the internal experience of a humbled soul and the external reality of a path that sinks toward death. Though used sparingly, shûwach provides a stark and powerful image of literal and figurative descent, linking humility, despair, and moral decline directly to the finality of dust and death.

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 3 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — 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.

  • שָׁחָה
  • שַׁתּוּ

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.

H5315 נֶפֶשׁ from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accomm H6083 עָפָר from עָפַר; dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mud; ashes, dust, earth, ground, morter, powder, rubbish. H4194 מָוֶת from מוּת; death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence, rui H1692 דָּבַק a primitive root; properly, to impinge, i.e. cling or adhere; figuratively, to catch by pursuit; abide fast, cleave (fas H7496 רָפָא from רָפָא in the sense of רָפָה; properly, lax, i.e. (figuratively) a ghost (as dead; in plural only); dead, deceased.

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

Appears in 3 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms, Proverbs, and Lamentations (1 verse each); never once in the other 36.

1
Psalms
1
Proverbs
1
Lamentations

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.