Word Study for H7811 (שָׂחָה)

sâchâh /saw-khaw'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto swim; causatively, to inundate

KJV usage(make to) swim.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of sâchâh — 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 sâchâh, represented by H7811, is a primitive root meaning to swim or, causatively, to inundate. Though it appears only 3 times across 2 unique verses, its usage provides powerful and distinct imagery in both a literal and a figurative sense.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical occurrences, H7811 is used to illustrate concepts of overwhelming action. In a prophecy of judgment, it describes a swimmer's deliberate movements, stating, "as he that swimmeth H7811 spreadeth forth his hands to swim H7811" Isaiah 25:11. This simile portrays an unstoppable and effective action to bring down pride. In a completely different context, the psalmist uses the word figuratively to express profound grief, declaring he is so weary with groaning that he makes his bed "to swim H7811" with tears Psalms 6:6, creating an image of being inundated by sorrow.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help frame the contexts in which H7811 appears:

H3021 yâgaʻ (weary): This word captures the psalmist's state of exhaustion that leads to his bed swimming in tears Psalms 6:6. It describes being so tired from groaning and sorrow as to be faint Jeremiah 45:3.
H1832 dimʻâh (tears): This is the source of the figurative inundation in Psalms 6:6. Tears are recognized throughout scripture as a profound expression seen by God, who promises to one day wipe them away from all faces Isaiah 25:8.
H6566 pâras (spread forth): Used in direct parallel with H7811 in the phrase "spreadeth forth his hands to swim" Isaiah 25:11, this word describes a deliberate, stretching motion, often associated with reaching out in prayer or charity Proverbs 31:20.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7811 lies in its ability to create visceral and extreme imagery.

Metaphor for Overwhelming Sorrow: In Psalms 6:6, the word illustrates a grief so deep that it becomes a flood. The psalmist feels he is literally drowning in his own tears, a powerful metaphor for utter despair and weariness.
Simile for Divine Judgment: The depiction of the swimmer in Isaiah 25:11 serves as a powerful illustration of God's decisive action. Just as a swimmer purposefully moves through water, God will effectively and surely bring down the pride of his enemies.
Expression of Physicality: The word connects an intense physical action—swimming—to profound spiritual or emotional states, showing how the biblical authors used tangible experiences to describe intangible realities.

Summary

In summary, H7811 is a rare but impactful verb that vividly portrays the concept of being overwhelmed. Whether used to describe the inundating flood of personal sorrow Psalms 6:6 or the confident, unstoppable strokes of divine judgment Isaiah 25:11, sâchâh demonstrates how a single, specific action can become a powerful symbol for expressing spiritual and emotional extremes.

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 3 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.

אַשְׂחֶה
שְׂחוֹת
שֹּׂחֶה

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 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms and Isaiah (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Psalms

Isaiah

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.