### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **shâthal**, represented by `{{H8362}}`, means **to transplant** or **plant**. It appears 10 times across 10 unique verses in the Bible. This word is used to describe the act of setting a plant in a new location, often with significant symbolic meaning related to stability, life, and divine purpose.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The word `{{H8362}}` is frequently used to create powerful metaphors about life and spiritual condition. In a positive sense, being **planted** by rivers of water signifies prosperity, fruitfulness, and the ability to withstand hardship ([[Psalms 1:3]], [[Jeremiah 17:8]]). This imagery extends to being **planted** in the house `{{H1004}}` of the LORD `{{H3068}}`, which leads to flourishing in God's courts `{{H2691}}` [[Psalms 92:13]]. Conversely, the word is used to illustrate judgment and desolation, such as when a nation is depicted as a vine **planted** in the wilderness `{{H4057}}`, a dry `{{H6723}}` and thirsty `{{H6772}}` ground `{{H776}}` [[Ezekiel 19:13]], or when a **planted** vine is destined to wither `{{H3001}}` [[Ezekiel 17:10]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help illustrate the full context of being **planted**:
* `{{H6086}}` **`êts`** (a tree): This is the object frequently described as being **planted** ([[Psalms 1:3]], [[Jeremiah 17:8]]). Its firmness and life-giving potential are central to the metaphor.
* `{{H4325}}` **`mayim`** (water): The presence of water is a critical factor for a successful planting, symbolizing life and sustenance. Being **planted** by the waters leads to fruitfulness and endurance [[Ezekiel 19:10]].
* `{{H6529}}` **`pᵉrîy`** (fruit): This is the desired outcome of being **planted** in a good place. A well-planted tree `{{H6086}}` is expected to bear fruit in its season `{{H6256}}` [[Psalms 1:3]].
* `{{H4057}}` **`midbâr`** (wilderness): This represents a location of judgment or hardship. To be **planted** in the wilderness is to be placed in an environment of desolation and thirst [[Ezekiel 19:13]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H8362}}` is significant and communicates several key truths:
* **The Condition of the Righteous:** The righteous person who trusts in the LORD `{{H3068}}` is compared to a tree **planted** by waters `{{H4325}}`, which prospers `{{H6743}}`, bears fruit `{{H6529}}`, and does not wither `{{H5034}}` ([[Psalms 1:3]], [[Jeremiah 17:8]]).
* **Divine Sovereignty:** God is portrayed as the one who **plants**. He takes a tender `{{H7390}}` twig from a high cedar `{{H730}}` and **plants** it on a high mountain `{{H2022}}` in Israel `{{H3478}}`, signifying His sovereign power to establish and restore [[Ezekiel 17:22-23]].
* **The Consequences of Placement:** The outcome of being **planted** is directly tied to the location. Being **planted** in the house of the LORD `{{H1004}}` leads to flourishing `{{H6524}}` [[Psalms 92:13]], while being **planted** in the wilderness `{{H4057}}` results in desolation [[Ezekiel 19:13]].
### Summary
In summary, **shâthal** `{{H8362}}` moves beyond the simple agricultural act of planting to become a profound theological metaphor. It illustrates the stark contrast between a life rooted in God, which is stable, fruitful, and prosperous like a tree by water, and a life separated from Him, which is desolate and withers like a plant in the wilderness. The word powerfully conveys that one's spiritual condition and ultimate destiny are determined by where one is **planted**.
TRV