Word Study for H8356 (שָׁתָה)

shâthâh /shaw-thaw'/ Ask about this word

Meaninga basis, i.e. (figuratively) political or moral support

KJV usagefoundation, purpose.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of shâthâh — 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 shâthâh, represented by H8356, is defined as a basis, referring figuratively to political or moral support, and can be understood as foundation or purpose. It is a rare term, appearing only 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible, giving significant weight to its specific contexts. Its meaning points to the underlying structures that uphold a society or an endeavor.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical appearances, H8356 illustrates what happens when fundamental supports are removed. In Psalms, it is used to question the stability of a society when its moral bedrock is compromised, asking, "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Psalms 11:3. In Isaiah, the word shifts to mean "purposes," describing the futility of human industry when its foundational plans are judged and "broken" by a higher power Isaiah 19:10.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the impact of a compromised foundation or purpose:

H2040 hâraç (to pull down or in pieces, break, destroy): This word is directly paired with H8356 in Psalms 11:3, describing the active destruction of the "foundations." It emphasizes a deliberate act of overthrowing or ruining a structure.
H1792 dâkâʼ (to crumble; transitively, to bruise, crush, destroy): Used in Isaiah 19:10, this term describes the state of being "broken" in one's purposes. It suggests a crushing or crumbling of plans and efforts.
H6662 tsaddîyq (just, lawful, righteous (man)): This word identifies those who are most affected when the foundations are destroyed. The crisis posed in Psalms 11:3 is specifically about what the righteous can do in the face of societal collapse.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H8356 is focused on the consequences of instability and judgment.

Moral and Societal Stability: The use of "foundations" in Psalms 11:3 suggests that righteousness requires a stable moral and political framework to operate. Its destruction creates a crisis for the just.
Fragility of Human Endeavors: The "purposes" in Isaiah 19:10 are associated with human labor ("all that make sluices and ponds"). Their being "broken" illustrates that human plans and systems are ultimately fragile and subject to being dismantled.
A Precondition for Action: The word implies that a solid basis, whether a moral foundation or a clear purpose, is a prerequisite for fruitful action. Without it, the efforts of even the righteous are called into question.

Summary

In summary, shâthâh H8356 serves as a potent, though infrequent, term for the concepts of foundation and purpose. Its two scriptural uses powerfully illustrate a single theme from two angles: the destruction of a society's moral foundations and the breaking of humanity's core purposes. The word underscores the critical importance of a solid basis for both righteous living and meaningful endeavor.

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.

שָּׁתוֹת
שָׁתֹתֶי

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 Psalms and Isaiah (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Psalms

Isaiah

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.