Word Study for H7882 (שִׁיחָה)

shîychâh /shee-khaw'/ Ask about this word

Meaninga pit-fall

KJV usagepit.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of shîychâh — 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 shîychâh, represented by H7882, is a term for a pit or pit-fall. It appears 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible. The word is an alternative form for H7745 shûwchâh and consistently refers to a trap, often one dug with malicious intent by an adversary.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, H7882 is consistently used to describe a trap dug by enemies. In Psalms 57:6, the psalmist laments that adversaries have "digged a pit before me," only to fall into it themselves. This theme of a malicious plot is echoed in Jeremiah 18:22, where the people have "digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet." Similarly, the psalmist in Psalms 119:85 states that the proud have "digged pits for me," highlighting this act as a violation of God's law.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help illustrate the concept of creating a hidden trap:

H3738 kârâh (to dig; figuratively, to plot): This verb is used in every instance where a pit H7882 is mentioned, signifying the deliberate action of creating a trap for another (Psalms 119:85, Jeremiah 18:22, Psalms 57:6).
H7568 resheth (a net): This word is used in parallel with a pit to describe the methods of an adversary. In Psalms 57:6, enemies are said to have "prepared a net for my steps" just before it is said they "digged a pit."
H2934 ṭâman (to hide): This term emphasizes the deceptive nature of the traps. In Jeremiah 18:22, the digging of a pit is paired with the action to "hid snares for my feet," underscoring the theme of secret plots.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7882 is found in its consistent context of persecution and justice.

Symbol of Malicious Intent: The act of digging a pit H7882 is never neutral; it is always portrayed as a malicious and deliberate plot by the "proud" or enemies against the speaker (Psalms 119:85, Jeremiah 18:22).
A Violation of Divine Law: The creation of such a trap is explicitly defined as an act that is "not after thy law," setting the actions of the wicked in direct opposition to God's commands Psalms 119:85.
Theme of Retributive Justice: A key theological point is that those who dig a pit for the righteous often become the victims of their own scheme. Psalms 57:6 provides a clear example, stating, "they are fallen themselves" into the very pit they prepared.

Summary

In summary, H7882 shîychâh is a specific term that carries a strong negative connotation. Though used only a few times, it consistently illustrates a method of persecution used by the wicked against the righteous. The digging of a pit represents a premeditated, hidden danger, an act that stands in defiance of God's law. The use of this word in scripture not only highlights the psalmist's distress but also points to a theme of divine justice, where evil plots are ultimately turned back upon their creators.

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 noun across 2 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.

שִׁיחוֹת
שִׁיחָה

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 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (2 verses); never once in the other 37.

Psalms

Jeremiah

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.