Word Study for H7847 (שָׂטָה)

sâṭâh /saw-taw'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto deviate from duty

KJV usagedecline, go aside, turn.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of sâṭâh — 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 sâṭâh, represented by H7847, is a primitive root that means to deviate from duty; decline, go aside, turn. It appears a total of 6 times in 6 unique verses, highlighting specific moments of departure from a correct path or relationship. Its meaning centers on the act of turning away from an established standard or covenant.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H7847 carries both a literal and a deeply relational meaning. The most prominent context is in the "law of jealousies" found in the book of Numbers. Here, the phrase "goeth aside" is used repeatedly to describe a wife who is suspected of being unfaithful to her husband (Numbers 5:12, Numbers 5:29). This act of "going aside" is explicitly linked with committing a trespass Numbers 5:12 and becoming defiled Numbers 5:20. In Proverbs, the term is used in a moral sense, warning a person not to let their heart decline toward the ways of a forbidden woman Proverbs 7:25 and to turn from the path of the wicked Proverbs 4:15.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the consequences and nature of "going aside":

H4603 mâʻal (to act covertly, i.e. treacherously; transgress): This word is used alongside H7847 to define a wife's deviation as a "trespass" against her husband, indicating a treacherous breach of trust Numbers 5:12.
H2930 ṭâmêʼ (to be foul...defile): The act of going aside leads directly to a state of being "defiled." This term emphasizes that deviating from one's duty results in moral and ceremonial contamination Numbers 5:20.
H8582 tâʻâh (to...stray): Used in parallel with H7847, this word reinforces the idea of moral wandering. A warning is given not to let the heart "decline" H7847 or "go not astray" H8582, framing deviation as a form of getting lost from the right path Proverbs 7:25.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7847 is centered on the concepts of faithfulness, duty, and purity.

Covenantal Unfaithfulness: The primary application in Numbers establishes "going aside" as the definitive term for breaking a covenant, specifically the marital bond. It describes the action that instigates the "law of jealousies" H7068, treating the deviation as a serious trespass (Numbers 5:12, Numbers 5:29).
Moral Deviation: Proverbs extends the concept from a specific legal case to a general principle of moral living. One must actively turn from evil Proverbs 4:15 and guard the heart from declining into sin Proverbs 7:25, illustrating a personal responsibility to stay on the path of wisdom.
Deviation and Defilement: The word consistently links the act of turning aside with a state of impurity. In Numbers, a woman who has "gone aside" is considered defiled and subject to uncleanness H2932, showing that a breach of duty has spiritual and physical consequences Numbers 5:19-20.

Summary

In summary, H7847 is a potent term for the act of deviation. Though used sparingly, it powerfully illustrates the critical moment of turning away from a prescribed duty. Whether in the legal context of marital faithfulness in Numbers or the moral warnings in Proverbs, sâṭâh defines the initial step that constitutes a trespass, leads to defilement, and breaks a sacred trust. It captures the essential idea of straying from the path of righteousness and covenant.

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 6 occurrences, inflected in 4 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.

תִשְׂטֶה
שָׂטִית
שְׂטֵה
יֵשְׂטְ

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 6 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Numbers (4 verses); never once in the other 37.

Numbers

Proverbs

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.