שׂוּם
to make
‘to make’ is one of 2 main senses fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Qal verb in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Verb
- An action or state-of-being word.
Stem
- Qal
- The basic, simple active stem — the plain form of the verb (“he wrote”). Here: ‘set’
- Qal Passive
- An archaic passive of the Qal, preserved in a few forms.
Form
- Perfect
- A completed action or state — Hebrew marks aspect (completeness) more than strict tense (“he wrote”).
- Imperative
- A direct command (“write!”).
- Imperfect
- An incomplete, ongoing, or future action (“he will / would write”).
- Participle Active
- A verbal adjective expressing ongoing or characteristic action (“writing / one who writes”).
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
Person
- 3rd Person
- The one spoken about (“he / she / it / they”).
- 1st Person
- The speaker (“I / we”).
- 2nd Person
- The one addressed (“you”).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
- Feminine
- Grammatically feminine.
- Common
- Either gender — not distinguished for this form.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
Grammatical forms 10 distinct
- Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular 10 times (38%)
- Verb, Qal Passive, Perfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular 8 times (31%)
- Verb, Qal Passive, Perfect, 3rd Person, Feminine, Singular 1 time (4%)
- Verb, Qal, Perfect, 1st Person, Common, Singular 1 time (4%)
- Verb, Qal, Perfect, 2nd Person, Masculine, Singular 1 time (4%)
- Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Plural 1 time (4%)
- Verb, Qal, Imperative, 2nd Person, Masculine, Plural 1 time (4%)
- Verb, Hothpaal, Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Plural 1 time (4%)
+2 more forms (2 occurrences)
Parsed forms decoded from the imported morphology (morphhb / Westminster Leningrad Codex — WLC text public domain, morphhb tagging CC BY 4.0), counted across 26 parsed occurrences — not distinct verses.
Every verse where H7761 appears — 25 distinct verses across 2 books. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Ezra 15 verses
- Ezra 4:19 שִׂ֣ים Qal Passive pf 3ms I decreed, and search has been made, and it is found that this city of old time has made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.
- Ezra 4:21 שִׂ֣ימוּ יִתְּשָֽׂם Qal impv 2mp Hothpaal impf 3ms Make you now a decree to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be built, until a decree shall be made by me.
- Ezra 5:3 שָׂ֨ם Qal pf 3ms At the same time came to them Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shetharbozenai, and their companions, and said thus to them, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?
- Ezra 5:8 מִתְּשָׂ֣ם Hothpaal ptcp.act ms Be it known to the king, that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is built with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls; and this work goes on with diligence and prospers in their hands.
- Ezra 5:9 שָׂ֨ם Qal pf 3ms Then asked we those elders, and said to them thus, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?
- Ezra 5:13 שָׂ֣ם Qal pf 3ms But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God.
- Ezra 5:14 שָׂמֵֽ/הּ Qal pf 3ms + sfx pers 3ms The gold and silver vessels also of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;
- Ezra 5:17 שִׂ֣ים Qal Passive pf 3ms Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasure-house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
- Ezra 6:1 שָׂ֣ם Qal pf 3ms Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the archives, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.
- Ezra 6:3 שָׂ֣ם Qal pf 3ms In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be built, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let the foundations of it be strongly laid; the height of it sixty cubits, and the breadth of it sixty cubits;
- Ezra 6:8 שִׂ֣ים Qal Passive pf 3ms Moreover I make a decree what you shall do to these elders of the Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the River, expenses be given with all diligence to these men, that they be not hindered.
- Ezra 6:11 שִׂ֣ים Qal Passive pf 3ms Also I have made a decree, that whoever shall alter this word, let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and fastened thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this:
- Ezra 6:12 שָׂ֣מֶת Qal pf 1cs and the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples who shall put forth their hand to alter [the same], to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with all diligence.
- Ezra 7:13 שִׂ֣ים Qal Passive pf 3ms I make a decree, that all those of the people of Israel, and their priests and the Levites, in my realm, who are minded of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with you.
- Ezra 7:21 שִׂ֣ים Qal Passive pf 3ms I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done with all diligence,
Daniel 10 verses
- Daniel 2:5 יִתְּשָׂמֽוּן Hothpaal impf 3mp The king answered the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if you don't make known to me the dream and the interpretation of it, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
- Daniel 3:10 שָׂ֣מְתָּ Qal pf 2ms You, O king, have made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image;
- Daniel 3:12 שָׂ֨מֽוּ Qal pf 3mp There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded you: they don't serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.
- Daniel 3:29 שִׂ֣ים Qal Passive pf 3ms Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak anything evil against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other god who is able to deliver after this sort.
- Daniel 4:6 שִׂ֣ים Qal Passive pf 3ms Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
- Daniel 5:12 שָׂם Qal pf 3ms because an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of dark sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.
- Daniel 6:13 שָׂ֨ם Qal pf 3ms Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, doesn't regard you, O king, nor the interdict that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.
- Daniel 6:14 שָׂ֥ם Qal pf 3ms Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored until the going down of the sun to rescue him.
- Daniel 6:17 וְ/שֻׂמַ֖ת conj + Qal Passive pf 3fs A stone was brought, and laid on the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.
- Daniel 6:26 שִׂ֣ים Qal pf 3ms I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast forever, His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed; and his dominion shall be even to the end.
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
שום — transliterated sûwm — is a Hebrew verb carrying the sense “to make.” Its uses cluster heavily in Ezra (60% of all occurrences). With 25 verses in 2 books, it is an uncommon word in the Hebrew Bible. Debuting at Ezra 4:19, it then recurs through the corpus. Read the stem: it spans 3 stems, including Qal and Hiphil. Each statement above links to its evidence; the full detail follows below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H7761 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 25
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 25 distinct verses.
- 2 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 2 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #1,251
- by frequency
- Top 2500 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 1,251 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 25 occurrences in the concordance →
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 25 distinct verses.
- Writings (Ketuvim) 25 verses · 100%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
BDB lists this Strong’s number as 2 distinct words (homographs). Each count above pools all of them and is not split by sense — see the Senses section below. A low-frequency rendering may belong to a different one of those words, not the primary meaning.
- King James Version†: Made 4×, Make 4×, Commanded 2×
- American Standard Version†: Make 5×, Made 4×, Gave you a decree 2×
- Berean Standard Bible†: Decree 2×, Have issued 2×, I issued 2×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text†: Set 6×, Is set 5×, Make 2×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H7761 across 26† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 16 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H7761 across 26† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 13 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H7761 across 22† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 14 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 2 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H7761 across 27† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 12 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
26 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
Hebrew verbs can shift meaning by stem (binyan): Qal is the basic action, Niphal is often passive or reflexive, Piel often intensifies or makes it factitive, and Hiphil is typically causative. The senses below are grouped under the stem BDB assigns to each. This entry also uses Hophal (the passive of Hiphil).
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 26 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
Qal
- Pf. 3 ms. שָׂם Gn 21:14 + (2 Ch 1:5 read שָׂם 𝔊 𝔙 Gi Be Kau Benz), sf. שָׂמוֹ Ez 17:4 +, שָׂמָ֫הוּ 7:20; 3 fs. שָׂ֫מָה 1 S 19:13, sf. שָׂמָ֫תְהוּ Ez 19:5; 24:7; 2 ms. שַׂמְתָּ Je 32:20 +; 3 pl. שָׂמוּ Gn 40:15 +; 1 pl. שַׂמְנוּ Is 28:15, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יָשׂוּם Ex 4:11, יָשִׂים Gn 30:42 +, יָשִׂם Jb 23:6; juss. יָשֵׂם 1 S 22:15 +; וַיָּ֫שֶׂם Gn 2:8 +; sf. יְשִׂמֵנִי 2 S 15:4, וַיְשִׂימְךָ 1 K 10:9; 2 fs. וַתָּשִׂימִי Is 51:23; וָאָשִׂים 1 S 28:21 +, וָאָשִׂ֫ימָה Ezr 8:17; Ju 12:3 Qr (Kt ואישׂמה); 2 mpl. תָּשִׂימוּ Gn 32:17 +, תְּשִׂימ֫וּן Ex 22:24 +, etc.; Imv. ms. שִׂים Gn 24:2 +, etc.; Inf. abs. שׂוֹם Dt 17:15 +, cstr. שׂוּם 44:7 +, שִׂים Jb 20:4 + 2 S 14:7 Qr (Kt שׂום), שׂימו Is 10:6 Kt (Qr שׂוּמוֹ), etc.; Pt. שָׂם Am 7:8 +, fs. הַשָּׂמָ֫ה Is 51:10 (so read for MT הַשָּׂ֫מָה); pl. שָׂמִים Mal 2:2 +; pass. שִׂים Nu 24:21 (cf. Di), Ob 4; f. according to most שׂוּמָה 2 S 13:32 (van d. H. שׂימה Kt), but v. infr.; שִׂימָ֫ה ψ 56:9 Bae Buhl, but most Imv. ms.;—put, set (often ‖ נָתָן 2, q.v.), c. acc. pers. vel rei (expr. or impl.): e.g. Genesis 21:14
- 1.
- a. put, set, in a place, + שָׁם Gn 2:8 (J), + acc. loc. 28:11 (E) + 5 times +, c. 2 acc. + loc., 2 K 10:8 heads (in) heaps at (acc. loc.), cf. Lv 24:6 (עַל); + ב 40:15 (E), fig. of י׳, put his name, בִּירוּשׁ׳ 2 K 21:7 = 2 Ch 33:7, cf. c. שָׁם 1 K 9:3; Dt 12:5 + 6 times; especially ב of receptacle Gn 31:34 (E), Ex 2:3 (E), Ju 6:19 + often; sackcloth on (ב) loins Gn 37:34 (J), 1 K 20:31, crown on head Zc 6:11; Est 1:17, shoes on feet Ez 24:17; hook, etc., in nose 2 K 19:28 = Is 37:29; Jb 40:26, incense בְּאַפֶּ֑ךָ Dt 33:10, i.e. cause thee (י׳) to smell it; feet in stocks (fig.) Jb 13:27; 33:11; knife into throat Pr 23:2 (fig. of self-restraint, Fl in De); words into mouth Ex 4:15 (J), Nu 22:38 (E) + 8 times, + Dt 31:19 teach to say or sing; into heart Jb 22:22, ins. also 1 S 29:10 𝔊 Th We Dr Kit Bu HPS; trust in God ψ 78:7; (guilt of) blood into house Dt 22:8, cf. Ju 9:24 (עַל pers.; so, c. נָתַן Dt 21:8; Je 26:15; Jon 1:14); something into hand Ex 4:21 (E), of wonders, i.e. enable hand to do them; elsewhere = take, of hammer Ju 4:21, booty 1 K 20:6, so (fig.) take one’s life (נֶפֶשׁ) into one’s palm (i.e. risk it) Ju 12:3; 1 S 19:5; 28:21; Jb 13:14; put eyes בַּפּוּךְ 2 K 9:30 (v. פּוּךְ, cf. Is 54:11); נֶפֶשׁ (= person), בַּחַיִּים ψ 66:9 (subj. י׳); set men at (the use of) implements 2 S 12:31 (prob., cf. Dr HPS; > וַיָּשַׂר(ם) sawed them with, as ‖ 1 Ch 20:3, Th We); 1 K 2:5 (‖ נתן) is dub.; 𝔊L Klo Kit read וַיִּקֹּם; charge something against (ב pers.; properly put in, i.e. attribute, impute, to) 1 S 22:15; Jb 4:18; so, c. ל pers. Dt 22:14, cf. (ל om.) v 17; put בְּקֶרֶב Am 7:8; Is 63:11, בְּתוֹךְ Ez 26:12. e.g. Genesis 2:8
- b. put something upon (עַל) Nu 21:8, 9 (E) + often; jewels, clothes, on person Gn 24:17 (J), 41:42 (E), Lv 8:8 (P), Ru 3:3, turban Zc 3:5(×2); Ex 29:5 (P), Lv 8:9 (P) cf. (prep. om.) Jb 24:15; 36:13 (fig.), girdle Je 13:1, 2, sackcloth 1 K 21:27; שׂ׳ אָדָם עַל־הָאָרֶץ Jb 20:4 (of man’s creation); of siege and siege engines, עַל = against, Mi 4:14; Ez 4:2; 23:24; put, lay, upon (עַל), 2 K 4:29 +; hand Gn 48:18 (J) + 3 times, + upon mouth, in silence Ju 18:19; Jb 21:5, and awe Mi 7:16, so c. ל Jb 29:9, לְמוֹ 40:4, 40, upon (עַל) head 2 S 13:19 (in despair, cf. Je 2:37); acc. of disease Ex 15:26 (J), so (ב pers.) v 26 Dt 7:16; fig., spirit (עַל) Nu 11:17 (JE), name 6:27 (P), duty Jb 37:15 (?), reproach 1 S 11:2, רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה ψ 109:5 (𝔖 Bae וַיָשִׁיבוּ, so, or וַיְשַׁלְּמוּ, Hup Che); שׂ׳ עַל לֵב Ct 8:6 (sim.), so, fig., = remember, treasure up, Is 42:25; 47:7 (‖ זָכַר), + 6 times, c. אֶל 2 S 13:33; 19:20 (‖ id.); c. ב 1 S 21:13; cf. שׂ׳ בְּאָזְנֵי Ex 17:14 (E), impress upon. e.g. Numbers 21:8
- c. put, lay, set, c. ל, 2 K 11:16 lay (violent) hands on = 2 Ch 23:15; put end to Jb 18:2; 28:3; set לְמָרוֹם 5:11; render glory to Jos 7:19 (JE; ‖ נָתַן), Is 42:12; make covenant with 2 S 23:5; set food for Gn 43:32 (J), 2 S 12:20, prep. om. Gn 43:31 (J), so c. לִפְנֵי 1 S 9:24; 28:22; 2 K 6:22; שׂ׳ לִפְנֵי elsewhere Ju 18:21, of precedence Gn 48:20b (E); set laws (as authoritative) לִפְנֵי Ex 19:7; 21:1 (both E), Dt 4:44; God (as moral ruler) לְנֶגְדָּם ψ 54:5; 86:14; שׂ׳ נֶגֶד also Gn 31:37 (E), נֹכַח Ez 14:4, 7; לְעֵינֵי Gn 30:41 (J). e.g. 2 Kings 11:16
- d. put, c. בֵּין Jos 24:7 (E) + 5 times (Ex 8:19 v. פְּדוּת p. 804), + Gn 30:36 (J), 32:17 (E), put space between; c. תַּחַת Ex 17:12 (E), + 3 times (Ob 7 del. לַחְמְךָ We GASm Now al.) + שׂ׳ יָד תַּחַת יָרֵךְ in oath Gn 24:2, 9; 47:29 (all J); put, c. אֶל loc. 1 S 6:11, 15; 19:13a Hb 2:15, אֶל pers. Jb 5:8 commit unto; c. אֵצֶל rei Lv 6:3 (P), מִצַּד rei Dt 31:26 (P); שׂ׳ עִמְּךָ 1 S 9:23 lay up something with thee, reserve it; put, c. יַחַד Mi 2:12 put together = collect (‖ אָסַף, קִבֵּץ); without modifier 1 K 18:23, 25; Jb 14:15; Ez 30:21 apply bandage (‖ נָתַן). e.g. Joshua 24:7
- 2. set, direct:
- a. sword against (ב) Ju 7:22; fig. extend compassion, ל pers. Is 47:6 e.g. Judges 7:22
- b. direct לֵב, לֵבָב (mind) toward, pay attention to, c. ל, Dt 32:46; 1 S 9:20; Ez 40:4; 44:5b; c. אֶל Ex 9:21 (J), 1 S 25:25; 2 S 18:3(×2); Jb 2:3; 34:14 (Bu Du del. לֵב and read יָשִׁיב רוּחוֹ); c. עַל Hg 1:5, 7; Jb 1:8; compl. om. Ez 44:5 a Hg 2:15, 18(×2); Is 41:22; Ju 19:30 read perhaps לְבַבְכֶם for לָכֶם (or עֵצָה for עֻצוּ); לֵב om. Jb 4:20, Is 41:20 (+ רָאָה, יָדַע, הִשְׂכִּיל), c. ב pers. Jb 23:6 (so Bu, who cps. 4:20; 24:12; 34:23, but all cases dub.); שִׂים לֵב, c. עַל = intend Dn 1:8 (obj. cl.). e.g. Deuteronomy 32:46
- c. set face (פָּנִים) toward (acc. loc.) Gn 31:21 (E), + לָבוֹא Je 42:15(×2), 17; 44:12, cf. 2 K 12:18; Dn 11:17; c. אֶל, toward or against (implying opposition) Ez 6:2 + 5 times Ez, c. עַל Ez 29:2; 35:2, c. דֶּרֶךְ of direction 21:2; c. ב (fig. of oppos., subj. י׳): הִנְנִי שָׂם פָּנַי בָּכֶם לְרָעָה Je 44:11, cf. 21:10 Ez 15:7 (‖ נתן), Lv 20:5 (P); c. ל rei (human subj.) Dn 11:18 Qr (ישׁב); c. עַל pers. + לִמְלֹךְ of purpose 1 K 2:15; set eyes (עֵינַים) upon, c. עַל pers. = behold Gn 44:21 (J), = look after, take care of, Je 39:12; 40:4, לְטוֹבָה 24:6, but לְרָעָה Am 9:4. e.g. Genesis 31:21
- 3.
- a. set, ordain, c. acc. rei Nu 24:23 (> acc. pers. Di). e.g. Numbers 24:23
- b. set, establish a law, statute, + ל pers. Ex 15:25; Jos 24:25 (both E), cf. Pr 8:29; + ב loc. Is 42:4 ψ 78:5 (‖ הֵקִים), also 81:6; Je 33:25 + 2 S 20:19 (שָׂמוּ for שְׁלֻמֵי 𝔊 Ew We Kit Bu HPS, cf. Dr); establish something as (ל) law Gn 47:26 (J), 1 S 30:25 (+ ל pers.); establish bazaars (as a right), ב loc., 1 K 20:34; appoint a set time Ex 9:5 (J), Jb 34:23 (reading מוֹעֵד for עוֹד GHBWr Bu), ins. (perhaps) 1 S 13:8 so Dr Klo HPS (> ins. אמר Th We Bu Kit, after 𝔊 𝔗); a place, + ל pers. Ex 21:13; 2 S 7:10 = 1 Ch 17:9, ל rei 1 K 8:21 (+ שָׁם). e.g. Exodus 15:25
- c. set, found a nation, Is 44:7 (si vera l.), establish it ψ 89:30 (לָעַד). e.g. Isaiah 44:7
- d. set, appoint (as ruler, official) + עַל pers. vel gent., Ex 1:11; 18:21 (all E), Dt 17:14, 15(×3); Ju 11:11 (+ ל of office), 2 S 17:25 (+ תַּחַת instead of) + 6 times + Gn 47:6 (J; second acc. = ruler, expressed), 2 S 23:23 (אֶל), עַל in ‖ 1 Ch 11:25; also 2 acc. + ל and ב loc. ψ 105:21, ב loc. 2 S 15:4; 2 Ch 33:14, בְּרֹאשׁ at the head of, Dt 1:13, 2 acc. alone Ct 1:6; c.acc. pers. + ל pers. Gn 27:37 (E), Ho 2:2; 1 S 8:5 (+ inf.); + ל of title Gn 45:8, 9 Ex 2:14 (+ עַל; all E) + 4 times + Ju 8:33 (+ ל pers.), + Ez 44:8 (perhaps read וַתְּשִׂימוּם Hi Sm Co and most); + ל of purpose Hb 1:12; + ב of position, ל pers. 1 S 8:11; c. acc. of office alone 1 S 8:12 (+ ל pers.), so Co Ez 21:27a (שָׂרִים for כָּרִים, v. כַּר sub כרר), 1 K 20:24 (+ תחת), cf. 2 Ch 23:18, + עַל, אֶל, of task Nu 4:19 (P); Jb 7:20 set me as (ל) mark for (ל) him. e.g. Exodus 1:11
- e. set, constitute, make, c. כ pers. vel rei, Gn 13:16 (J) I will make thy seed as the dust, 32:13 (J) 48:20 (E), Dt 10:22; Ho 11:8 + 16 times + (bad sense) Ho 2:5; Na 3:6; 1 K 19:2. e.g. Genesis 13:16
- f. set, determine, fix, bounds Je 5:22 (2 acc.) Jb 38:5, 33 ψ 104:9; pass. determined, settled, + עַל־פֶּה 2 S 13:32 (but v. II. שׂום); appoint, send, frogs לְפַרְעֹה Ex 8:8 (J), c. acc. pers. + עַל against 2 K 18:14. e.g. Jeremiah 5:22
- 4.
- a. set, station, at a post, etc., acc. pers. Jos 8:13 (JE), + ב loc. 2 K 10:24; Je 9:7 + 5 times, + adv. acc. Gn 33:2 (J), + בֵּין loc. Jos 8:12, + ל (against) and אַחֲרֵי loc. v 2 (both JE), + ל against Ju 9:25 (+ עַל loc.), + אֶל against 20:29, 36; doubtful are 1 S 15:2 (c.ל pers.), 1 K 20:12(×2) (עַל־הָעִיר), where no obj. expr. (in MT); either an obj. has fallen out, or vb. (in techn. military sense), here intrans. or inwardly trans. (Dl ZK ii. 397 forward! take direction toward; cf.also [on Sm] We Dr Löhr), or else שׂ׳ is corrupt (cf.HPSSm). e.g. Joshua 8:13
- b. put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars, c.acc. 1 S 21:7; Ez 21:27; Nu 4:6, 8, 11, 14 + 4 times P, Jb 38:10; + עַל Ex 32:27 (E), 40:20 (P), מִמַּעַל ל Je 43:10, מֵעַל Est 3:1; + (various modifiers) 8 times; set in place, תֵּבֵל Jb 34:13 (De al.), but context favours שָׁמַר Bu; Du שׂ׳ לִבּוֹ בְּתֵבֵל. e.g. 1 Samuel 21:7
- c. set up throne 1 K 2:19, altars Je 11:13, memorial stone Gn 18:18 (J), 28:22 (E), 1 S 7:12 (cf.הֵקִים Gn 31:45 +), image, etc. Ju 18:31 (‖ הֵקִים), Dt 27:15; 1 K 12:29 (ב loc., ‖ נָתַן), 2 K 21:7 (ב loc.) = 2 Ch 33:7, cf. ψ 74:4; Is 57:8 and, + ב loc., Je 7:30; 32:34; rods before (לְעֵינֵי) cattle Gn 30:41 (‖ וַיַּצֵּג v 38), cf. v 42, guide-posts Je 31:21, bed 2 K 4:10 (+ ל pers.). e.g. 1 Kings 2:19
- d. = plant, wheat Is 28:25, tree 41:19 (ב loc.; ‖ נָתַן), slip Ez 17:5 (עַל by). e.g. Isaiah 28:25
- e. set, fix (countenance) 2 K 8:11, so usually, but acc. om., and sense dub.; read perhaps וַיִּשֹּׁם (√ שׁמם, cf. e.g. 1 K 9:8), so Klo Kmp Kit Benz. e.g. 2 Kings 8:11
- 5.
- a. make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for transform into (ל), Jos 6:18 (J) make camp לְחֵרֶם, Mi 1:6 make Samaria לְעִי, Gn 21:13, 18 (E), Ex 14:21 (JE), Mi 4:7 (both good sense), Is 28:17; 42:15, 16 + 12 times Is. (25:2 read עִיר for מֵעִיר Vrss Comm.), Je 2:7 + 8 times Je, + 14 times + Ju 1:28 they made the Can. into the corvée; וְיָשֵׂם לְדֶרֶךְ פְּעָמָיו ψ 85:14 maketh his steps into a way (so RV Hup Che Dr, but meaning obscure; De Bae attend to the way of (לֵב om.); Schr Hup-Now read וְיִשְׁמֹר ד׳); c. 2 acc. Jos 8:28 (J), ψ 39:9; 66:2 Mi 1:7; 4:13 1 K 5:23 (prægn. c. עַד loc.), + 29 times e.g. Joshua 6:18
- b. make, constitute, 2 acc., 1 S 8:1; 18:13 (+ ל pers.) 22:7 (לְכֻלְּכֶם, ל of acc.; or וְכֻלְּכֶם), Is 3:7; 60:17 + 6 times, + 1 S 11:11 form people in bands, cf. Jb 1:17 (one acc., form bands), + (acc. pers. om.) Ex 4:11b (J), cf. (beast, in fig.) Ez 19:5; 2 acc. and acc. + ל in same ver., Is 54:12 I will make rubies thy pinnacles, and (transform) thy gates into carbuncles; in phr. of naming, שָׂם שְׁמוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל 2 K 17:34, cf. Ju 8:31; Ne 9:7; c. ל, וַיָּשֶׂם לָהֶם שֵׁמוֹת Dn 1:7, וַיּ׳ לְדָנִיֵּאל בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר v 7; make, fashion, c. acc. rei + ל pers. Ex 4:11a (J; י׳ subj.); grave Na 1:14 (but on text and meaning v. Now Bi SB Wiener Akkadian 1894, Abh. v); c. acc. דֶּרֶךְ Is 43:19 (ב loc.), cf. Ez 21:24, 25 (+ ל inf.); ψ 50:23 is dub., usually order (one’s) way, De Dr prepare way (which), etc., Gr Che תֹּם for שָׂם; make name + ל pers. 2 S 7:23 = 1 Ch 17:21, 2 S 14:7; make for, ל pers. (or give to), c.acc. of posterity Gn 45:7 (E); 1 S 2:20 read prob. יְשַׁלֵּם 𝔊 We Kit Bu HPS, cf. Dr; Ezr 10:44 b is obscure, Gu-Batten del. וַיָּשִׂימוּ and read וַיְשַׁלְּחוּ bef. נָשִׁים, cf. 3 Esdr 9:36 Be Ry Ryle. e.g. 1 Samuel 8:1
- c. work, bring to pass, c. acc. rei, of י׳’s signs, etc., + ב loc. Ex 10:2 (J), Je 32:20; Is 66:19 ψ 46:9; 78:43; 105:27. e.g. Exodus 10:2
- d. appoint, give, acc. rei Nu 6:26 (P), Is 61:3 (‖ נָתַן; both c. ל pers.); a pledge Jb 17:3 (‖ עָרְבֵנִי go surety for me, but read perhaps עֶרְבֹנִי as obj., v. p. 786 b); וְשׂוֹם שֵׂכֶל Ne 8:3 giving understanding (making sense clear). e.g. Numbers 6:26
Hiphil
- Pf. 1 s. consec. וַהֲשִׂמֹתִיהוּ Ez 14:8, acc. pers. + ל, I will make him for a sign (שׁ for שׂ van d. H., √ שׁמם; Co Berthol Toy וְשַׂמְתִּיהוּ (Qal), Krae וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּיהוּ); Imv. fs. הָשִׂימִי 21:21, prob. del as dittogr. Co Krae after 𝔊 𝔖 𝔙 𝔗 Nö ZMG xxxvii (1883), 530 (> Bö Toy al. הִקְדִּימוּ); Pt. מֵשִׂים Jb 4:20 = Qal (לֵב) שׂום (v 2 b), but phr. dub., and text perhaps crpt., v. Me Nöl.c.. e.g. Ezekiel 14:8
Hophal
- Impf. 3 ms. וַיּוּשַׂם Gn 24:33 Qr (Kt ויישׂם Ges§ 73 f) there was set before him (לְפָנָיו) to eat, cf. Ol MB Ak. 1870, 389 Kö i. 435, who read also וַיּוּשַׂם 50:26 he was laid in (ב) a mummycase (for MT וַיִּישֶׂם Di (ed. 4.5.6) allows this. e.g. Genesis 24:33
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
I. vb. put, place, set (cf. NöZMG xxxvii (1883), 532; NH סוּם Pi. designate, fix, שׂום Ecclus 45:5c; 49:6; Ph. שם, Assyrian šâmu, fix, determine; Sab. שׂים set, set up, SabDenkmNo. 7, 1. 6 CISiv. 1; Arabic شَامَ (ى) is insert, sheathe, also compute; Ethiopic ሤመ: put, place; 𝔗 שׂוּם, Syriac ܣܳܡ, Old Aramaic שים);—
I. etc., v. I, II. שׂום.
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from שום (sûwm) (H7760) — to put.
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
שׂוּם
- v. סוּם) to place, put, appoint, make. Ber. 39ᵇ ששַׂמְתָּ שלום וכ׳ thou hast made peace between the scholars. Mekh. B’shall. introd. במקום הזה שָׂמוּהוּ in this place they (the Egyptians) have put him (Joseph). Ber. 28ᵇ מודה … ששמת חלקי וכ׳ I thank thee, O Lord, that thou hast appointed my lot to be with those who sit in the school-house, and not with those who abide at the corners (idlers); a. fr.
- same. Yeb. 45ᵇ שאתה מֵשִׂים, v. מְשִׂימָה. Ber. 16ᵇ ותָשִׂים חלקנו וכ׳ and that thou mayest place our lot in paradise. Ib. שתשים שלום וכ׳, v. פַּמִילְיָא. Snh. 99ᵇ כל העוסק … משים שלום וכ׳ whosoever is engaged in the study of the Law for its own sake, causes peace to reign &c.; a. e.
שׂוּם ²
- Targ. O. Lev. XIX, 14 (v. סוּם I ch.; Y. תְשַׁוּוּן). Targ. O. Gen. L, 26 (ed. Berl. וסמוהי); Y. II ושמוהי (Y. I ושַׁוּוּן). Targ. Prov. XXII, 17. Ib. XXIV, 32; a. fr.—V. סוּם I ch.
- to be placed. Targ. Hag. II, 15. Targ. Esth. IV, 3.
שׁוּם I
- (cmp. preced.) [to arrange; cmp. עָרַךְ, סָדַר,] to value, estimate; to mark, name. Gitt. V, 1; Tosef. Keth. XII, 2 שָׁמִין להן, v. עִידִּית. Keth. 67ᵃ, v. שְׁוִי. Macc. 3ᵃ כיצד שמין how do we assess (the fine)? Y. Kidd. I, 60ᵈ bot. (expl. נעשח דמים באחר, Mish. Kidd. I, 6) דבר שהוא צריך לָשׁוּם that which has to be prized (which is not itself a standard value). B. Mets. IX, 3 המקבל … שמין אותה וכ׳ if one rents a field on shares and lets it lie waste, we estimate how much it ought to yield &c. Tosef. ib. IX, 9 השָׁם, v. שׁוּם II; a. v. fr.—M. Kat. 5ᵃ (ref. to וְשָׂם, Ps. L, 23) כל השָׁם אורחותיו וכ׳ he who calculates his ways (weighs the consequences of his doings) will be allowed to see the salvation of the Lord (in the hereafter); אל תקרי וְשָׂם אלא וְשָׁם וכ׳ read not v’sam but v’sham &c.; Sot. 5ᵇ; Yalk. Ps. 763; (Lev. R. s. 9 דשָׁיֵים אורחיה).—Part. pass. שׁוּם; f. שׁוּמָה; pl. שׁוּמִים; שׁוּמוֹת. Tosef. B. Kam. X, 1 רואין אוֹתן כאילו הן ש׳ אצל אחרים we consider them (the forcibly taken animals) as if they had been valued (sold for their value) with others, i.e. the robber pays the value of the animals as it was at the time of the robbery; B. Kam. 95ᵃ כאילו היא שומה אצלו בכסף as if the animal had been sold at its value to him (the robber), for cash; ib.ᵇ שומא (Chald. form); ib. רואין … ש׳ אצלו למחצה וכ׳ we consider it, as if it had been valued &c., for the purpose of establishing the additional amount which he has to pay for the increase in value, which is either one half, or one third, or one fourth (according to local usage). Arakh. 21ᵇ וכך היא שומה וכ׳ Rashi (ed. שומא) and so much has it been appraised; whosoever wishes to buy &c.; a. e. e.g. Psalms 50:23
- to be valued, assessed. Kidd. 28ᵃ, v. דָּמִים. Keth. 66ᵇ במנה הנִישּׁוֹם … המתקבל when saying ‘for each Maneh’ (Mish. ib. VI, 4), does that mean for each Maneh as it is valued (by the woman’s relatives), or for each Maneh with which he charges himself (one fifth less)?, v. שׁוּם II; a. e.
שׁוּם
- —Part. שָׁיֵים. Lev. R. s. 9 (ref. to וְשָׂם, Ps. L, 23, v. preced.) דשיים אורחיה סגי שוי (some ed. שגי) he who calculates his way, will be worth much; Yalk. Ps. 763 שגי שוי. B. Kam. 47ᵃ פרה … שָׁיֵימְנָא לך I injured a pregnant cow of thine, and I will estimate (and pay thee) the value of a pregnant cow; a. e.—Part. pass. שׁוּם; f. שׁוּמָא, v. preced. e.g. Psalms 50:23
- to tax, impose fine. Lam. R. to II, 1 (expl. יעיב, ib.) איך ש׳ ה׳ ברוגזיה וכ׳ how heavily the Lord in his anger taxed the daughter of Zion!, v. חוּב ch., a. עִיב.
שׁוּם II
- (preced.)
- 1. valuation, estimate. B. Kam. I, 3 ש׳ כסף, v. שָׁוֶה. Tosef. B. Mets. IX, 9 השם קמתו … את שׁוּמוֹ וכ׳ if one prizes (and buys) his neighbor’s standing corn as ten Cors of wheat, and it yields less or more, the seller has to deliver the estimated quantity (no more nor less); Rabbi Judah says, עשה בפחות נותן לו את שומו וכ׳ if it yielded less, he has to deliver the estimated quantity, if more, he has to deliver whatever it yielded; a. fr.—Esp. the description and valuation of seized property and its advertisement for public sale. Arakh. VI, 1 ש׳ היתומים שלשים יום the advertisement of orphans’ property must be made thirty days in succession (before the sale); Tosef. ib. IV, 1. Tosef. Keth. XI, 2; B. Bath. 107ᵃ שלשה שירדו לש׳ וכ׳ if of three experts called to appraise seized property, one says, it is worth a Maneh &c.; a. fr.
- 2. appraised goods brought into marriage by the wife. Keth. VI, 3 (66ᵃ) פסקה … וכנגד הש׳ וכ׳ if she promises to bring him a thousand Denars, he must obligate himself for fifteen Maneh (as her jointure); but for appraised goods brought to him, he obligates himself for one fifth less than the appraised value. Ib. ש׳ במנה ושוה מנה וכ׳ (Y. ed. ש׳ מנה) if the agreement reads, ‘the goods are charged to the husband for one Maneh and worth a Maneh’, he can claim only one Maneh’s worth of goods; ש׳ במנה היא וכ׳ but if it reads merely, ‘the goods are charged for one Maneh’, she must bring in the value of thirty-one Selaim and one Denar (Tosaf.; differ. in Rashi). Tosef. ib. VI, 6 מקום … מן הש׳ וכ׳ where the usage is not to charge the husband less than the appraised value &c.; a. fr.
- 3. (Chaldaism) name, title; לְשׁוּם in the name of, for the sake of, for the purpose of, in the capacity of. Gitt. IV, 4 עבד … אם לש׳ עבד וכ׳ if a slave was taken captive, and some one redeemed him: if he redeemed him as a slave, he may be held as a slave (of his redeemer), if as a freed man &c. Ib. III, 1 כל גט שנכתב שלא לש׳ אשה a letter of divorce not written with the intention to be used for a special woman. Ib. VIII, 5 כתב לש׳ מלכות אחרת if a letter of divorce is dated in the name of a strange government; (Bab. ed. 79ᵇ שאינה הוגנת, v. הוּגָּן). Yeb. 24ᵇ איש שנתגייר לש׳ אשה a man that embraced the Jewish religion for the sake of a woman; לש׳ שולחן מלכים for the sake of the royal table (v. שׁוּלְחָן); לש׳ עבדי שלמה for the sake of being one of Solomon’s servants; a. v. fr.— [Ib. 47ᵇ לשֵׁם שפחות in her capacity as a slave; לשם שחרור with the purpose of making her a freed woman; a. fr.]—מִשּׁוּם a) in the name of. Maas. Sh. III, 6 ר"ש … מש׳ ר׳ יוסי R. S. ben J. says in behalf of R. José (quoting R. J. as author). Eduy. VIII, 5; a. v. fr.—b) because of, as coming under the category of; for the sake of (preventing). Bets. 2ᵇ, a. fr. גזדה מש׳, v. גְּזֵרָה. Sabb. 17ᵇ מש׳ שמנן, v. גָּזַר. Ab. Zar. 26ᵃ, a. fr. מש׳ איבה, v. אֵיבָה. Sabb. 70ᵇ כלום פריש … מש׳ מלאכות … מש׳ שבת does any one abstain from doing a thing on the Sabbath for any reason but because of the prohibition of labors, and does one abstain from any labor for any reason, but because of the Sabbath? Ib. 73ᵇ חייב מש׳ נוטע is guilty, because the act comes under the category of planting. Kil. I, 9 אינו חושש לא מש׳ כלאים וכ׳ he need not hesitate to use it either on the ground of forbidden mixture, or on the ground of the Sabbatical year (in which planting is forbidden), or because it is subject to tithes. Ib. IX, 8 אין אפור מש׳ וכ׳ nothing is forbidden as mixture of wool and linen unless it is spun &c.; a. v. fr.—Ber. 5ᵇ מש׳ תורה דלא וכ׳ (dost thou weep) on account of the Law, that thou hast not attained much?; או מש׳ מזוני or on account of thy support (that thou art poor)?—משום שֶׁ־, (Chald.) מש׳ דְּ־; על שום שֶׁ־, (Chald.) על ש׳ ד־ because. Pes. X, 5 פסח על ש׳ שפסח וכ׳ the Passover sacrifice is eaten, because the Lord passed over &c. Y. Naz. II, beg. 51ᵈ מש׳ שהוציא וכ׳ because he uttered the word nazir. Keth. 63ᵇ מש׳ דרב זביד וכ׳ because Rab Zebid is a great man &c.; a. v. fr.
שׁוּם ²
- , name. Targ. Gen. II, 11. Targ. Y. ib. V, 2. Targ. I Chr. XVI, 2; a. fr.—V. שְׁמָא.—עַל שׁ׳, מִשּׁ׳, v. preced.
שׁוּם III
- (b. h.) garlic. Maasr. V, 8, v. בְּכִי II; Tosef. ib. III, 14 איזהו ש׳ בעל וכ׳ what species of garlic is named Baal (bek) garlic?, v. זוּר II. Ber. 51ᵃ. Kil. I, 3 הש׳ והשומנית (garden) garlic and wild garlic; Tosef. ib. I, 2; a. fr.—Pl. שׁוּמִים, שׁוּמִין. Sabb. 118ᵇ; a. e.
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 14 distinct written forms H7761 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that stem’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H7761, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 5 — not the complete family. 1 of the same-root words is a proper name (a person or place). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 25 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 25 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
