### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **shûwq**, represented by `{{H7784}}`, refers to a **street**, particularly one that is run over or frequently traveled. It appears **4 times** across **4 unique verses** in the Bible, indicating a specific but meaningful application of the term.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical usage, `{{H7784}}` designates a public thoroughfare within a city. It serves as the setting for a determined search, as in Song of Solomon where the speaker resolves to "go about the city in the **streets**" to find a loved one [[Song of Solomon 3:2]]. The term also appears in the context of temptation, describing a path leading to danger as someone passes "through the **street** near her corner" [[Proverbs 7:8]]. In Ecclesiastes, the **street** is used metaphorically to depict the end of life, a place where "the doors shall be shut" and where "the mourners go about" ([[Ecclesiastes 12:4]], [[Ecclesiastes 12:5]]).
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help to define the context of `{{H7784}}`:
* `{{H5892}}` **ʻîyr** (city): This word for a city or town provides the larger setting where a **street** is located. In Song of Solomon, the search takes place throughout the **city** and its **streets** [[Song of Solomon 3:2]].
* `{{H7339}}` **rᵉchôb** (broad place, street): Often used in parallel with `{{H7784}}`, this term describes a wide avenue or area. The two are used together to paint a fuller picture of the public spaces being traversed during a search [[Song of Solomon 3:2]].
* `{{H1870}}` **derek** (way): This term for a road or a course of life is connected to the **street** as a path of movement. It can describe a physical journey through a **street** toward a house [[Proverbs 7:8]] or a figurative journey where fears exist "in the **way**" [[Ecclesiastes 12:5]].
### Theological Significance
The significance of `{{H7784}}` is found in its contextual usage to illustrate aspects of human experience.
* **Arena for Public Life:** The **street** is portrayed as a public space where life's significant events, such as mourning, are openly displayed [[Ecclesiastes 12:5]]. It is also the setting for choices and interactions, including encounters with temptation [[Proverbs 7:8]].
* **A Place of Searching:** The term is used to depict a location of earnest seeking. The passionate search "in the streets, and in the broad ways" highlights a deep sense of longing and determination [[Song of Solomon 3:2]].
* **Symbol of Mortality:** In the allegorical language of Ecclesiastes, the state of the **street** reflects the decline of human life. The shutting of doors in the streets and the gathering of mourners there serve as powerful metaphors for the finality of death ([[Ecclesiastes 12:4]], [[Ecclesiastes 12:5]]).
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7784}}` **shûwq** is more than a simple geographical marker for a **street**. Though used infrequently, it consistently serves as a backdrop for profound human moments. It functions as the stage for public life, a field for determined searching, and a potent symbol in allegories about the journey toward life's end, illustrating how Scripture uses common settings to explore deep truths about mortality, choice, and longing.
TRV