שָׁכַב
to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose)
Definition
The Hebrew verb שָׁכַב (shâkab) fundamentally means 'to lie down,' but its meaning varies significantly by context. It most commonly describes lying down for sleep or rest, as when Jacob lies down to sleep at Bethel (Genesis 28:11). In numerous passages, it is a euphemism for sexual relations, such as in the account of Lot's daughters (Genesis 19:32-35) or the warning about Rebekah (Genesis 26:10). It can also refer to lying down in death, as in the idiom 'slept with his fathers.' The word's semantic range extends from simple physical repose to intimate union and final rest.
Biblical Usage
שָׁכַב appears 188 times across the Old Testament, with high frequency in narrative books like Genesis, Samuel, and Kings. Its usage patterns are clear: for literal sleep (Genesis 28:13), for sexual intercourse (often in legal or moral contexts, e.g., Leviticus 18:22), and as a metaphor for death (e.g., 1 Kings 2:10, 'David slept with his fathers'). The context—surrounding words, subjects, and objects—is essential for determining which sense is intended in any given verse.
Etymology
שָׁכַב is a primitive root verb in Hebrew. Its basic meaning is 'to lie down,' and it is related to the noun מִשְׁכָּב (mishkâb, H4296), meaning a bed or couch. Cognates exist in other Semitic languages, like Ugaritic and Akkadian, with similar meanings of lying down or dwelling. The root conveys the fundamental idea of assuming a horizontal, reclining position.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant because it bridges the mundane and the profound. It describes the vulnerability of sleep (where God often reveals Himself, as to Jacob), the sacred and covenantal context of marital intimacy, and the solemn reality of human mortality. Its use for death, 'slept with his fathers,' implies a temporary state for the body, reflecting an ancient view of death as a kind of sleep, which later informs New Testament eschatology. Understanding its range enriches reading, preventing the misinterpretation of sexual euphemisms and highlighting thematic connections between rest, relationship, and resurrection.
In ancient Israelite culture, 'lying down' for sleep was often a vulnerable, communal act within the family tent or home. Its use for sexual relations reflects a direct, non-technical vocabulary common in ancient texts, where such acts were described plainly as part of lineage, covenant, and law. The idiom for death, 'slept with his fathers,' reflects a cultural view of death as joining one's ancestors in the family tomb, a concept of continuity and rest distinct from modern clinical definitions of death.
יָשַׁן (yâshan, H3462) — specifically to sleep or be asleep, less broad than shâkab. רָבַץ (râbats, H7257) — to lie down, often used for animals crouching or people dwelling. נוּחַ (nûach, H5117) — to rest or settle, focusing on the state of repose rather than the physical posture.
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.
Full methodology & sources →