שֹׁקֶת
a trough (for watering)
Definition
The Hebrew noun שֹׁקֶת (shôqeth) refers to a watering trough or a stone basin used for providing water to livestock. In its two biblical occurrences, it specifically denotes the containers from which Rebekah drew water for Abraham's servant's camels (Genesis 24:20) and the troughs by which Jacob placed peeled branches to influence the breeding of Laban's flocks (Genesis 30:38). The word consistently carries the sense of a man-made receptacle designed to hold water for animals, with no significant variation in meaning between its uses.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only twice in the Old Testament, both times in the book of Genesis within pastoral and domestic narratives. It appears in the context of hospitality and animal husbandry. In Genesis 24:20, Rebekah uses the trough to water the camels, demonstrating her industrious character. In Genesis 30:38, Jacob places the troughs before the flocks as part of his breeding strategy with Laban's livestock. Both instances involve key patriarchal figures and their management of resources.
Etymology
The noun שֹׁקֶת (shôqeth) is derived from the root verb שָׁקָה (shāqāh, H8248), which means 'to give to drink' or 'to water.' This root connection clearly shows the word's function as an instrument for the act of watering. It is a feminine noun formed from the verbal root, indicating the object used to perform the action.
Semantic Range
In the ancient Near Eastern pastoral setting, a watering trough was a vital piece of infrastructure for sustaining livestock, especially in semi-arid regions. These troughs were likely carved from stone or constructed from other durable materials to hold water drawn from a well or spring. The scenes in Genesis highlight the daily, labor-intensive tasks of drawing water and caring for animals, which were central to the economic and social life of the patriarchs. The trough represents a point of connection between human provision (drawing the water) and animal need.
רַהַט (rahaṭ, H7298) — a similar term for a watering trough, often translated as 'trough' or 'watering place,' used in Genesis 30:38 in parallel with שֹׁקֶת.
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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