a primitive root; to keep in memory; be unmindful. (Render Deuteronomy 32:18, 'A Rock bore thee, thou must recollect; and (yet) thou hast forgotten,' etc.)
### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **shâyâh**, represented by `{{H7876}}`, is a primitive root meaning **to keep in memory** or **be unmindful**. It appears only **1 time** in the entire Bible, yet its singular use carries significant weight. The base definition suggests a failure to actively remember, as highlighted in the interpretive note for its only appearance: "A Rock bore thee, thou must recollect; and (yet) thou hast forgotten" [[Deuteronomy 32:18]].
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its sole scriptural context, **shâyâh** powerfully rebukes Israel's spiritual negligence. The Song of Moses declares, "Of the Rock that begat thee thou art **unmindful**, and hast forgotten God that formed thee" [[Deuteronomy 32:18]]. Here, being "unmindful" is presented as a conscious disregard for God's foundational role as the creator and sustainer of His people. The word is used in parallel with "forgotten," creating a strong emphasis on Israel's culpable spiritual amnesia.
### Related Words & Concepts
The meaning of `{{H7876}}` is illuminated by the words surrounding it in [[Deuteronomy 32:18]]:
* `{{H7911}}` **shâkach** (forgotten): This primitive root means "to mislay, i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention." Its use alongside **shâyâh** intensifies the charge, suggesting a deliberate or careless act of forgetting God's works and law [[Hosea 4:6]].
* `{{H6697}}` **tsûwr** (Rock): This word, often meaning a cliff or boulder, is used figuratively for God as a refuge and source of strength. Israel was unmindful of their **Rock** [[Deuteronomy 32:4]], the unshakable foundation of their existence [[Psalms 18:2]].
* `{{H2342}}` **chûwl** (formed): This root describes God's creative act with the imagery of travailing in childbirth. To be unmindful of the God who "formed" them was to ignore the intimate and painful effort of their own creation [[Psalms 90:2]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H7876}}` is centered on the grievous sin of forgetting God.
* **Covenantal Forgetfulness:** To be "unmindful" is a direct violation of the covenant relationship, which is predicated on active remembrance. Scripture repeatedly warns against forgetting God's deeds and commandments as a path to destruction ([[Deuteronomy 4:9]], [[Hosea 4:6]]).
* **Disregarding the Creator:** The context of [[Deuteronomy 32:18]] links this unmindfulness directly to God's identity as the **Rock** `{{H6697}}` who "begat" `{{H3205}}` and "formed" `{{H2342}}` Israel. Forgetting God is therefore a denial of one's own origin and sustainer.
* **Active Negligence:** The pairing of **shâyâh** with **shâkach** `{{H7911}}` implies that this is not a passive lapse of memory but an active state of disregard. It is a failure to hold God in memory and give Him the attention He is due as the mighty God `{{H410}}`.
### Summary
In summary, while appearing only once, `{{H7876}}` **shâyâh** encapsulates the profound spiritual failure of being unmindful of God. Its use in [[Deuteronomy 32:18]] frames this as a grave offense, equivalent to forgetting the very Rock of one's salvation. It teaches that faithfulness is an act of active remembrance, and to be unmindful is to sever the connection to the divine source of life and strength.
TRV