### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **shênâh**, represented by `{{H8142}}`, is a term for **sleep**. It appears 23 times across 23 unique verses in the Bible. Derived from the verb "to sleep," **shênâh** describes the state of physical rest, but is also used metaphorically to represent concepts ranging from a divine blessing to the finality of death.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical narratives, **shênâh** carries different connotations depending on the context. It is portrayed as a gift from God, who gives his beloved **sleep** [[Psalms 127:2]], and as a sweet reward for the laboring man [[Ecclesiastes 5:12]]. Conversely, a lack of **sleep** can signify distress, as when King Ahasuerus could not **sleep** [[Esther 6:1]] or when Jacob’s **sleep** departed from his eyes due to hardship [[Genesis 31:40]]. The word is also used in warnings against laziness, cautioning not to love **sleep** lest it lead to poverty [[Proverbs 20:13]]. Metaphorically, **shênâh** is used to describe a permanent, death-like state, as when God’s judgment causes enemies to "sleep a perpetual **sleep**, and not wake" [[Jeremiah 51:57]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide a fuller picture of the concepts of rest and wakefulness:
* `{{H3462}}` **yâshên** (to sleep): The root verb from which **shênâh** is derived, meaning to be slack or languid. It describes the action of sleeping, whether in peace [[Psalms 4:8]], as a metaphor for death [[Psalms 13:3]], or the restless state of the wicked who "sleep not, except they have done mischief" [[Proverbs 4:16]].
* `{{H3364}}` **yâqats** (to awake): This verb is the direct counterpart to sleeping. It is used when Jacob "awaked out of his sleep" after his vision [[Genesis 28:16]] and when Samson "awoke out of his sleep" to face the Philistines [[Judges 16:20]].
* `{{H6974}}` **qûwts** (to awake): A similar term for waking up, often used in a more profound or eschatological sense. It describes the final awakening from the "sleep" of death [[Daniel 12:2]] and the state of man who, after death, "shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep" until the heavens are no more [[Job 14:12]].
* `{{H8572}}` **tᵉnûwmâh** (slumber): Signifying drowsiness or a light sleep, this word is frequently paired with **shênâh** in the wisdom literature. The sluggard is described as desiring "a little **slumber**" [[Proverbs 6:10]], and the diligent are warned, "Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor **slumber** to thine eyelids" [[Proverbs 6:4]].
### Theological Significance
The theological and ethical weight of `{{H8142}}` is significant and multifaceted.
* **A Sign of Divine Favor:** Sweet **sleep** is presented as a blessing bestowed by God upon His beloved and upon the righteous laborer, contrasting with the anxious toil of those who rely on their own strength ([[Psalms 127:2]], [[Ecclesiastes 5:12]]). Jeremiah's prophetic experience concludes with his **sleep** being "sweet" to him [[Jeremiah 31:26]].
* **A Metaphor for Death:** Scripture frequently uses **sleep** as a euphemism for death. This "perpetual **sleep**" is a state of finality from which one cannot be woken by natural means, often depicted as a form of divine judgment [[Jeremiah 51:57]]. Job uses the imagery to describe the long wait for resurrection [[Job 14:12]].
* **A Warning Against Sloth:** The book of Proverbs repeatedly uses the love of **sleep** to symbolize laziness and a lack of diligence that leads to poverty and ruin ([[Proverbs 6:9-10]], [[Proverbs 20:13]], [[Proverbs 24:33]]).
* **An Indicator of a Troubled Spirit:** The inability to **sleep** often reveals inner turmoil, divine disturbance, or urgent circumstances. This is seen in the accounts of Nebuchadnezzar [[Daniel 2:1]] and King Ahasuerus [[Esther 6:1]], whose sleepless nights led to pivotal events.
### Summary
In summary, **shênâh** is more than just a word for physical rest. It serves as a powerful biblical symbol representing the spectrum of human experience. It can be a peaceful gift from God, a sign of trust and contentment, or a metaphor for the profound stillness of death. At the same time, it can represent the moral failing of the sluggard or the anxious state of a troubled mind, demonstrating how a common human state is imbued with deep theological meaning.
TRV