Word Study for H8250 (שִׁקּוּי)

shiqqûwy /shik-koo'-ee/ Ask about this word

Meaninga beverage; moisture, i.e. (figuratively) refreshment

KJV usagedrink, marrow.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of shiqqûwy — 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 shiqqûwy, represented by H8250, refers to a beverage or moisture. It appears only 2 times in 2 unique verses, where its meaning is extended figuratively to represent refreshment, or translated more literally as drink or marrow. This term, though rare, captures the idea of both physical sustenance and deep, internal vitality.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The two biblical occurrences of H8250 present it in contrasting contexts. In Proverbs, it is used figuratively as marrow that brings health to the bones, portraying it as a deep, internal blessing Proverbs 3:8. In Hosea, it is used literally as drink, listed among the physical provisions like water H4325 and oil H8081 that an unfaithful mother sought from her lovers instead of from God Hosea 2:5.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of H8250 in its contexts:

H7500 riphʼûwth (health): This word for a cure or health is used in parallel with shiqqûwy in Proverbs 3:8, where obedience brings health to the navel and marrow to the bones.
H6106 ʻetsem (bone): This term refers to the bone or the very substance of the body. In Proverbs 3:8, the bones are the recipients of the refreshing marrow H8250, illustrating a deep-seated vitality.
H4325 mayim (water): As a fundamental beverage, water is listed alongside drink H8250 in Hosea 2:5, grounding the term in the context of basic physical sustenance.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H8250 is found in its contrasting applications:

Divine Refreshment: As marrow, it symbolizes the profound, internal vitality and spiritual health that comes as a direct blessing for faithfulness and wisdom Proverbs 3:8.
Misplaced Dependence: As drink, it represents a basic provision. The act of seeking it from false lovers, as described in Hosea 2:5, illustrates a misplaced dependence on worldly sources rather than on God for sustenance.
A Symbol of Choice: Together, the two uses highlight a choice between receiving deep, inner refreshment from God or seeking simple, external provision from ungodly sources.

Summary

In summary, H8250 shiqqûwy is a nuanced term whose meaning shifts dramatically with its context. While it can denote a simple drink, it is also used powerfully as a metaphor for the marrow of one's bones, representing profound spiritual health. Its two appearances starkly contrast a life blessed with divine refreshment Proverbs 3:8 and one that seeks sustenance through unfaithfulness Hosea 2:5, making it a concise illustration of dependence on God versus the world.

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 3 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.

שִׁקּוּיָ
שִׁקּוּי

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 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Proverbs and Hosea (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Proverbs

Hosea

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.