שָׁגַל
to copulate with
Definition
The Hebrew verb שָׁגַל (shâgal) specifically denotes the act of sexual intercourse, often with a connotation of force or violation. In its biblical usage, it describes a man having sexual relations with a woman, but typically in contexts of rape, conquest, or illicit relations, rather than consensual marital intimacy. For example, in Deuteronomy 28:30, it is used in a curse describing another man violating one's betrothed wife. In prophetic oracles of judgment, such as Isaiah 13:16 and Zechariah 14:2, it depicts the brutal treatment of women by invading armies.
Biblical Usage
This verb appears only four times in the Old Testament, exclusively in contexts of violence, judgment, or metaphor for idolatry. It is used in legal curse (Deuteronomy 28:30), in prophecies of military conquest and its horrors (Isaiah 13:16; Zechariah 14:2), and metaphorically for Judah's unfaithfulness to God through idolatry (Jeremiah 3:2). Its usage is consistently severe, never describing normative marital relations.
Etymology
A primitive root, its basic meaning is 'to lie with.' It is a specific term for sexual intercourse, distinct from the more common יָדַע (yada', H3045, 'to know') or the euphemistic שָׁכַב (shakav, H7901, 'to lie down'). Its root conveys the physical act itself.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it highlights the severe consequences of covenant disobedience, where violation becomes a judgment (Deuteronomy 28:30). In prophetic literature, it underscores the horrific reality of God's judgment on sin, even against his own people. In Jeremiah 3:2, it is used metaphorically to graphically portray spiritual adultery (idolatry), emphasizing the profound breach of covenant relationship with Yahweh.
In the ancient Near East, the rape of women was a tragically common weapon of war, intended to terrorize populations, humiliate defeated men, and claim dominance. The biblical use of שָׁגַל in oracles of judgment (Isaiah 13:16, Zechariah 14:2) reflects this brutal reality. Its use in a covenant curse (Deuteronomy 28:30) shows that the violation of one's wife was considered a supreme personal and social catastrophe, a complete inversion of the security and blessing the covenant was meant to provide.
יָדַע (yada', H3045) — often a euphemism for sexual relations, sometimes with a sense of intimate knowing. שָׁכַב (shakav, H7901) — a general term for 'to lie down,' frequently used as a euphemism for sexual intercourse, with a broader range of contexts (consensual, illicit, or violent).
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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