English · KJV
H7918

שָׁכַךְ

shâkak /shaw-kak'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto weave (i.e. lay) a trap; figuratively, (through the idea of secreting) to allay (passions; physically, abate a flood)
KJV usageappease, assuage, make to cease, pacify, set.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of shâkak — 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 shâkak, represented by H7918, is a primitive root with a dual meaning that involves both abating and setting. It appears only 5 times across 5 unique verses, indicating its specialized use. Its core definition encompasses the ideas of weaving or laying a trap, and figuratively, allaying passions, abating a flood, or causing something to cease.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H7918 is applied to both divine actions and human emotions or schemes. God causes the flood waters to asswage Genesis 8:1, demonstrating control over the natural world. In a similar display of authority, He promises to make to cease the murmurings of the Israelites Numbers 17:5. Conversely, the word describes the actions of wicked men who set snares to trap people Jeremiah 5:26. It is also used twice to describe the calming of a king's anger, which was appeased Esther 2:1 and later pacified Esther 7:10.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which H7918 is used:

  • H2534 chêmâh (heat; figuratively, anger, poison): This word for wrath or fury is the object that is pacified by H7918 in the book of Esther, showing the power to calm intense emotion Esther 7:10.
  • H4325 mayim (water): These are the waters of the great flood that are made to asswage by God's intervention, linking H7918 to the subsidence of a physical force Genesis 8:1.
  • H3353 yâqûwsh (snare, fowler): This word for snares is used in direct connection with H7918, where wicked men set them to trap others Jeremiah 5:26.
  • H8519 tᵉlûwnâh (a grumbling; murmuring): This refers to the complaints of the Israelites, which God promises to make to cease, highlighting the use of H7918 to end a state of rebellion or discontent Numbers 17:5.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7918 is evident in its specific applications.

  • Divine Sovereignty: The word underscores God's absolute power. He is the one who can asswage the destructive waters of a global flood Genesis 8:1 and make to cease the rebellious murmurings of His people Numbers 17:5.
  • Human Malice: In contrast to God's power, H7918 is used to describe the deliberate, wicked scheming of men who set traps for others, illustrating a clear aspect of human sinfulness Jeremiah 5:26.
  • The Calming of Wrath: The appeasement of King Ahasuerus's wrath shows how H7918 can represent the resolution of intense and potentially destructive anger, a theme present in both human and divine interactions throughout scripture (Esther 2:1, Esther 7:10).

Summary

In summary, H7918 is a potent and specific verb that, despite its infrequent use, carries significant meaning. It uniquely connects the concept of causing a force to subside—be it water, anger, or rebellion—with the opposing idea of actively setting a trap. This demonstrates a range from divine, restorative power to malicious human intent, making each of its five appearances a noteworthy moment in the biblical text.

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 5 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.

  • שַׁךְ
  • הֲשִׁכֹּתִי
  • יָּשֹׁכּוּ
  • שָׁכָכָה

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H2534 חֵמָה or (Daniel 11:44) חֵמָא; from יָחַם; heat; figuratively, anger, poison (from its fever); anger, bottles, hot displeasure H4325 מַיִם dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense); water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen; [phrase H3353 יָקוּשׁ passive participle of יָקֹשׁ; properly, entangled, i.e. by implication (intransitively) a snare, or (transitive) a snare H8519 תְּלוּנָה or תּלֻנָּה; from לוּן in the sense of obstinacy; a grumbling; murmuring.

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 5 verses across 4 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Esther (2 verses); never once in the other 35.

1
Genesis
1
Numbers
2
Esther
1
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.