שְׁאֵלָה
a petition; by implication, a loan
Definition
The noun שְׁאֵלָה (shᵉʼêlâh) primarily means 'a petition' or 'a request,' often directed toward God or a person in authority. In passages like 1 Samuel 1:17 and 1:27, it refers to Hannah's heartfelt prayer for a child, which God grants. A secondary, derived meaning is 'a loan' or 'something asked for,' as seen in Judges 8:24, where Gideon requests earrings from the spoils of war, implying a temporary request for goods. This dual sense connects the act of asking with the thing obtained through that request.
Biblical Usage
This word is used 14 times, primarily in narrative books. It appears in contexts of personal supplication to God, such as Hannah's prayer (1 Samuel 1:17, 27; 2:20) and Solomon's request on behalf of his mother (1 Kings 2:16, 20). It also denotes a formal request to a king, as with Esther before Ahasuerus (Esther 5:6, 7). The 'loan' sense is less common but significant in Judges 8:24, where it describes items requested from war spoils. The usage consistently involves a subordinate making a request of a superior.
Etymology
Derived from the common Hebrew root שָׁאַל (shā'al, H7592), meaning 'to ask, inquire, request.' The noun form שְׁאֵלָה is a feminine construct indicating the thing asked for or the petition itself. A variant spelling שֵׁלָה appears in 1 Samuel 1:17. The semantic development from the action of asking to the object (a loan) is natural, as what is asked for can be granted temporarily.
Semantic Range
This word highlights the biblical theme of prayer as petition, emphasizing dependence on God. Hannah's שְׁאֵלָה (1 Samuel 1) models earnest, faith-filled supplication, showing that God hears and answers personal requests. It also illustrates the principle that all good gifts come from God as a response to asking (James 4:2). Understanding this Hebrew term enriches reading by connecting the formal 'petition' with the relational aspect of seeking God's favor.
In ancient Israelite culture, a שְׁאֵלָה was a formal request, often made in a context of social or religious hierarchy. Petitioning a king (Esther 5) or a priest (1 Samuel 1) involved protocol and risk. The 'loan' sense reflects a communal understanding where requesting goods implied a temporary transfer, not necessarily with interest, differing from modern commercial loans. This cultural nuance shows that requests carried weight and expectation of reciprocity or divine intervention.
תְּחִנָּה (tᵊḥinnâ, H8467) — a supplication or plea for favor, often with a sense of humility. בַּקָּשָׁה (baqqāshâ, H1246) — a seeking or request, sometimes more general. תְּפִלָּה (tᵊpillâ, H8605) — prayer, a broader term for communication with God.
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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