שָׁלַח
to send
also: send away, let go, stretch out 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.
- Preposition
- A relational word (e.g. “in,” “to,” “from”) governing a noun.
Stem
- Qal
- The basic, simple active stem — the plain form of the verb (“he wrote”). Here: ‘send’
- Piel
- An intensive or resultative active stem. Here: ‘send off’
- Hiphil
- The causative active stem (“he caused / brought about”).
- Pual
- The passive counterpart of the Piel.
- Niphal
- Usually the simple passive or reflexive of the Qal (“he was written”).
Form
- Sequential Imperfect
- An imperfect with prefixed waw — the standard past-narrative form (waw-consecutive imperfect).
- Perfect
- A completed action or state — Hebrew marks aspect (completeness) more than strict tense (“he wrote”).
- Sequential Perfect
- A perfect with prefixed waw continuing a preceding imperfect or command (waw-consecutive perfect).
- Participle Active
- A verbal adjective expressing ongoing or characteristic action (“writing / one who writes”).
- Infinitive Construct
- A bound verbal noun, frequently with prepositions (“to write / in writing”).
- Imperfect
- An incomplete, ongoing, or future action (“he will / would write”).
- Imperative
- A direct command (“write!”).
- Infinitive Absolute
- An unbound verbal noun, often intensifying or standing in for a finite verb.
- Participle Passive
- A verbal adjective expressing action received (“written”).
- Cohortative
- A first-person volitional form expressing wish or resolve (“let me / let us write”).
- Jussive
- A third- or second-person volitional form expressing wish or command (“let him write”).
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
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.
- Common
- Either gender — not distinguished for this form.
- Feminine
- Grammatically feminine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
Every verse where H7971 appears in the Book of 2 Samuel — 56 distinct verses. 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.
2 Samuel
- 2 Samuel 1:14 לִ/שְׁלֹ֨חַ֙ prep + Qal inf.cs David said to him, How were you not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy Yahweh's anointed?
- 2 Samuel 2:5 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֤ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, Blessed be you of Yahweh, that you have shown this kindness to your lord, even to Saul, and have buried him.
- 2 Samuel 3:12 וַ/יִּשְׁלַח֩ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying [also], Make your league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with you, to bring about all Israel to you.
- 2 Samuel 3:14 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֤ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I pledged to be married to me for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
- 2 Samuel 3:15 וַ/יִּשְׁלַח֙ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Ish-bosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Paltiel the son of Laish.
- 2 Samuel 3:21 וַ/יְּשַׁלַּ֥ח conj + Piel wimpf 3ms Abner said to David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires. David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.
- 2 Samuel 3:22 שִׁלְּח֖/וֹ Piel pf 3ms + sfx pers 3ms Behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a foray, and brought in a great spoil with them: but Abner was not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace.
- 2 Samuel 3:23 וַֽ/יְשַׁלְּחֵ֖/הוּ conj + Piel wimpf 3ms + sfx pers 3ms When Joab and all the host who was with him had come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he is gone in peace.
- 2 Samuel 3:24 שִׁלַּחְתּ֖/וֹ Piel pf 2ms + sfx pers 3ms Then Joab came to the king, and said, What have you done? behold, Abner came to you; why is it that you have sent him away, and he is quite gone?
- 2 Samuel 3:26 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֤ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms When Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah: but David didn't know it.
- 2 Samuel 5:11 וַ֠/יִּשְׁלַח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house.
- 2 Samuel 6:6 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֨ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put forth [his hand] to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen stumbled.
- 2 Samuel 8:10 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֣ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms then Toi sent Joram his son to king David, to Greet him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. [Joram] brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass:
- 2 Samuel 9:5 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֖ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.
- 2 Samuel 10:2 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֨ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shown kindness to me. So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
- 2 Samuel 10:3 שָׁלַ֥ח שָׁלַ֥ח Qal pf 3ms Qal pf 3ms But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Hasn't David sent his servants to you to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?
- 2 Samuel 10:4 וַֽ/יְשַׁלְּחֵֽ/ם conj + Piel wimpf 3ms + sfx pers 3mp So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
- 2 Samuel 10:5 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֣ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms When they told it to David, he sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said, Wait at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.
- 2 Samuel 10:6 וַ/יִּשְׁלְח֣וּ conj + Qal wimpf 3mp When the children of Ammon saw that they were become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with one thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men.
- 2 Samuel 10:7 וַ/יִּשְׁלַח֙ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms When David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.
- 2 Samuel 10:16 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֣ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the River: and they came to Helam, with Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer at their head.
- 2 Samuel 11:1 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֣ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms It happened, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out [to battle], that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.
- 2 Samuel 11:3 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֣ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms David send and inquired after the woman. One said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
- 2 Samuel 11:4 וַ/יִּשְׁלַח֩ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her (for she was purified from her uncleanness); and she returned to her house.
- 2 Samuel 11:5 וַ/תִּשְׁלַח֙ conj + Qal wimpf 3fs The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
- 2 Samuel 11:6 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֤ח שְׁלַ֣ח וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֥ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Qal impv 2ms conj + Qal wimpf 3ms David sent to Joab, [saying], Send me Uriah the Hittite. Joab sent Uriah to David.
- 2 Samuel 11:12 אֲשַׁלְּחֶ֑/ךָּ Piel impf 1cs + sfx pers 2cs David said to Uriah, Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the next day.
- 2 Samuel 11:14 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֖ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms It happened in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
- 2 Samuel 11:18 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֖ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;
- 2 Samuel 11:22 שְׁלָח֖/וֹ Qal pf 3ms + sfx pers 3ms So the messenger went, and came and shown David all that Joab had sent him for.
- 2 Samuel 11:27 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֨ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms When the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased Yahweh.
- 2 Samuel 12:1 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֧ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Yahweh sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, "There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
- 2 Samuel 12:25 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֗ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he named him Jedidiah, for Yahweh's sake.
- 2 Samuel 12:27 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֥ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah; yes, I have taken the city of waters.
- 2 Samuel 13:7 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֥ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to your brother Amnon's house, and dress him food.
- 2 Samuel 13:16 לְ/שַׁלְּחֵ֑/נִי prep + Piel inf.cs + sfx pers 1cs She said to him, Not so, because this great wrong in putting me forth is [worse] than the other that you did to me. But he would not listen to her.
- 2 Samuel 13:17 שִׁלְחוּ Qal impv 2mp Then he called his servant who ministered to him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.
- 2 Samuel 13:27 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֤ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms But Absalom pressed him, and he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.
- 2 Samuel 14:2 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֤ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched there a wise woman, and said to her, please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, Please, and don't anoint yourself with oil, but be as a woman who has a long time mourned for the dead:
- 2 Samuel 14:29 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֨ח לִ/שְׁלֹ֤חַ וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֥ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms prep + Qal inf.cs conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but he would not come to him: and he sent again a second time, but he would not come.
- 2 Samuel 14:32 שָׁלַ֣חְתִּי וְ/אֶשְׁלְחָה֩ Qal pf 1cs conj + Qal coh 1cs Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent to you, saying, Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, Why am I come from Geshur? it were better for me to be there still. Now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there be iniquity in me, let him kill me.
- 2 Samuel 15:5 וְ/שָׁלַ֧ח conj + Qal wpf 3ms It was so, that when any man came near to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took hold of him, and kissed him.
- 2 Samuel 15:10 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֤ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, Absalom is king in Hebron.
- 2 Samuel 15:12 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֣ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. The conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.
- 2 Samuel 15:36 וּ/שְׁלַחְתֶּ֤ם conj + Qal pf 2mp Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and by them you shall send to me everything that you shall hear.
- 2 Samuel 17:16 שִׁלְח֣וּ Qal impv 2mp Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Don't lodge this night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people who are with him.
- 2 Samuel 18:2 וַ/יְשַׁלַּ֨ח conj + Piel wimpf 3ms David sent forth the people, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.
- 2 Samuel 18:12 אֶשְׁלַ֥ח Qal impf 1cs The man said to Joab, Though I should receive a thousand [pieces of] silver in my hand, I still wouldn't put forth my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.
- 2 Samuel 18:29 לִ֠/שְׁלֹחַ prep + Qal inf.cs The king said, Is it well with the young man Absalom? Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, even me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I don't know what it was.
- 2 Samuel 19:11 שָׁ֠לַח Qal pf 3ms King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, [to bring him] to his house.
- 2 Samuel 19:14 וַֽ/יִּשְׁלְחוּ֙ conj + Qal wimpf 3mp He bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as [the heart of] one man; so that they sent to the king, [saying], Return you, and all your servants.
- 2 Samuel 19:31 לְ/שַׁלְּח֖/וֹ prep + Piel inf.cs + sfx pers 3ms Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim; and he went over the Jordan with the king, to conduct him over the Jordan.
- 2 Samuel 22:15 וַ/יִּשְׁלַ֥ח conj + Qal wimpf 3ms He sent out arrows, and scattered them; Lightning, and confused them.
- 2 Samuel 22:17 יִשְׁלַ֥ח Qal impf 3ms He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters;
- 2 Samuel 24:13 שֹׁלְחִ֖/י Qal ptcp.act ms cs + sfx pers 1cs So Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land? now advise you, and consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me.
- 2 Samuel 24:16 וַ/יִּשְׁלַח֩ conj + Qal wimpf 3ms When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Yahweh repented him of the evil, and said to the angel who destroyed the people, It is enough; now stay your hand. The angel of Yahweh was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
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.
At its core, שלח (shâlach) means “to send.” Across 5 stems, its meaning turns on the binyan (Qal, Niphal). It turns up in 790 verses across 34 books, one of the most common footprint. It first appears in Genesis 3:22. It clusters with משלוח, שלוח and שלח under a shared root. 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 H7971 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 →
- 790
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 790 distinct verses.
- 34 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 34 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #52
- by frequency
- Top 100 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 52 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 790 occurrences in the concordance →
By section of the Old Testament
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 790 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 456 verses · 58%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 185 verses · 23%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 149 verses · 19%
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).
- King James Version: Sent 211×, He sent 53×, Send 35×
- American Standard Version: Sent 194×, He sent 48×, Send 35×
- Berean Standard Bible: Sent 148×, I will send 34×, Send 28×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: Sent 176×, And 106×, He sent 69×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H7971 across 852 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 223 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 H7971 across 851 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 242 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 H7971 across 827 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 253 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 19 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H7971 across 1,063 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 170 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
35 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 Pual (the passive of Piel).
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 35 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. שׁ׳ Gn 42:4 +, 2 ms. sf. שְׁלַחְתָּ֑נִי Ex 5:22, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִשְׁלַח Gn 3:22 +, 2 fpl. תִּשְׁלַ֫חְנָה Ez 23:40 (Ju 5:26 read תִּשְׁלָחֶנָּה? Ob 3 תִּשְׁלַח יָד? Ges§ 47 k); Imv. ms. שְׁלַח 1 S 20:31 +, mpl. שְׁלָ֑חוּ 2 K 2:17; Inf. abs. שָׁל(וֹ)חַ Nu 22:37 +; cstr. שְׁלֹחַ v 15 +, שְׁלַח Is 58:9, sf. שָׁלְחֶ֑ךָ Gn 38:17, etc.; Pt. act. שֹׁלֵחַ Ex 9:14 +, etc.; שָׁלוּחַ 1 K 14:6 +, etc.;— e.g. Genesis 42:4
- 1. send: human subj., especially
- a. acc. pers. Gn 42:4; 43:8 (both J; c. אֵת with, pers.) Nu 22:15 (E) + often, c. ל rei for which Je 14:3; 16:16; sq. אֶל pers. Gn 37:13 (J), 2 S 11:6; Ne 6:5 +; rarely c. ל pers. Gn 32:19 (J; pass.), אֶל loc. 2 Ch 16:4, ב loc. 1 S 11:3, acc. loc. 2 K 22:3, -ה loc. 1 K 5:28, -ה loc. + מֵעַל pers. 2 S 13:17, מִן loc. Gn 37:14 (J), Nu 13:3 (P), etc.; sq. inf. purpose 1 S 25:14 (+ מִן loc.), 2 K 1:16 Je 40:14 +, אֶל pers. c. inf. purpose 2 S 10:3; Je 42:9 +, c. ו subord. 2 K 5:6, c. vb. fin. actionis Ex 2:5 (E), sent her maid and took, +, etc. (many combinations); acc. pers. alone 24:5 (E), Jos 7:22 (E), 2 S 10:7 + often e.g. Genesis 42:4
- b. less often acc. rei (sometimes c. בְּיַד of agent), c. אֶל pers. 1 S 16:20; 2 K 5:5; 20:12 +, 1 K 5:23 (= designate by sending unto), ל pers. Ju 3:15; 1 K 5:22 +, אֶל loc. Est 1:22, שָׁ֫מָּה 2 K 6:14; + inf. purpose 1 Ch 19:4; Est 4:4; + vb. fin. action. ψ 105:28; acc. of kid, alone, Gn 38:23 also (acc. om.) v 17, etc. e.g. 1 Samuel 16:20
- c. very often without obj.: + vb. fin. action., send and do so and so, Gn 27:45 (E), 2 K 11:4; Jb 1:5 +; c. אֶל pers. Ho 5:13; 2 S 11:6 +, especially + לֵאמֹר Gn 38:25 (J), 1 K 20:5 (often S K), Je 29:28 +; c. inf. purpose Gn 32:6 (J), Nu 21:32 (J), 1 S 22:11 +, etc. (and so 1 S 31:9, reading וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ, for Pi., Th We Dr Now, not HPS Bu); abs. 2 K 2:16, 17; 2 S 14:29; = send to inquire 1 K 20:17, etc. e.g. Genesis 27:45
- 2. send: subj. י׳ (God),
- a. acc. pers. Gn 45:5 (E; לִפְנֵי pers.), 1 S 15:18 (בְּדָ֑רֶךְ), + אֶל pers. 2 S 12:1; acc. of angel, לִפְנֵי pers. Gn 24:7; Ex 33:2 (both J), אֵת with Gn 24:40 (J), etc.; c. acc. pers. = commission Ex 3:12 (E), Ju 6:14; Is 6:8; Je 14:14, 15 + often Je, Zc 2:13 +; also (c. אֶל pers.) Ex 3:13 (E), Je 25:4; Ez 3:6 +, etc.; especially of sending prophet, (שָׁלַח), הַשְׁכֵּם וְשָׁלוֹחַ Je 7:25 + (v. [שָׁכַם]); acc. pers. + inf. purpose 1 S 15:1; Je 19:14 +; + עַד loc. 2 K 2:2, acc. loc. v 4, ה—ָ loc. v 6, etc. e.g. Genesis 45:5
- b. c. acc. rei, plagues Ex 9:14 (c. אֶל־לֵב, ב pers.), fig. arrows 2 S 22:15 = ψ 18:15 (+ vb. fin. action.), ψ 144:6, cf. Je 25:16 al.; his word Is 9:7 (ב gent.), 55:11 (אשׁר to which), Zc 7:12 (ב agent.), ψ 107:20 (+ vb. fin. action.), 147:15 (+ acc. אֶרֶץ); acc. help 20:3 (מִן loc.), light and truth 43:3 (+ vb. fin. action.), cf. 57:4. e.g. Exodus 9:14
- 3. stretch out, especially acc. hand:
- a. human subj., c. ב pers. against, Gn 37:22 (E), 1 S 24:11; Est 2:21 +; c. ב rei (property of others) Ex 22:7, 10 (E), Est 9:10 +, בַּחַלָּמִישׁ Jb 28:9; c. אֶל pers. against Gn 22:12 (E), 2 S 18:12, עַל pers. 1 K 13:4, etc.; אֶל rei (for good) 2 S 6:6 (יָד om.); from outside, inward, Ct 5:4 (מִן loc.); abs. Jb 30:24 (read טֹבֵעַ for בְּעִי Di Bi Bu). + inf. purpose 1 S 22:17; 2 S 1:14; 1 Ch 13:9; + vb. fin. act. Gn 3:22 (J) Dt 25:11; Ju 15:15 +; שׁ׳ אֶצְבַּע Is 58:9, in token of scorn; c. acc. of rod 1 S 14:27; שִׁלֳחוּ מַגָּל Jo 4:13 stretch out (the) sickle. e.g. Genesis 37:22
- b. י׳ subj., acc. hand, + אֶל pers. against Ex 24:11 (E), cf. (עַל) ψ 138:7; + vb. fin. act. †Ex 3:20 (JE), 9:15 (J), Jb 1:11; 2:5; in favour, Je 1:9, abs. ψ 144:7 (מִן loc.), also (pass.) Ez 2:9 and (acc. תַּבְנִית יָד), 8:3. e.g. Exodus 24:11
- c. acc. hand, subj. angel, + acc. loc., inf. purpose 2 S 24:16, cherub, אֶל rei, מִן loc. Ez 10:7; adversary, אֶל pers. Jb 1:12; subj. angle, acc. rod Ju 6:21. e.g. 2 Samuel 24:16
- d. stretched out, slender, of tree Gn 49:21 (poem in J), v. i. אֵלָה supr. p. 18b. e.g. Genesis 49:21
- e. perhaps extend, direct, acc. rei Ez 8:17 (v. זְמוֹרָה supr. p. 274b, also conj. in Toy Krae). e.g. Ezekiel 8:17
- 4. rarely send away (v. Pi.): human subj., acc. pers. Ju 11:38 (+ acc. temp.), Gn 28:5 (P). e.g. Judges 11:38
- 5. let loose (v. Pi.), perhaps only ψ 50:19 (fig.) thy mouth hast thou let loose in evil. e.g. Psalms 50:19
Niphal
- Inf. abs. וְנִשְׁלוֹחַ סְפָרִים = letters were sent (Ges§ 114 z gg) Est 3:13 (+ אֶל pers., בְּיַד agent., inf. purpose). e.g. Esther 3:13
Piel
- Pf. 3 ms. שִׁלַּח Ex 8:28 +, sf. שִׁלַּחֲךָ 1 S 20:22, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יְשַׁלַּח Je 3:1 +, יְשַׁלֵּ֑חַ Is 45:13; Pr 6:14; 1 s. sf. אֲשַׁלֵּחֲךָ Gn 32:27, אֲשַׁלְּחֶ֫ךָּ 2 S 11:12 1 K 20:34, etc.; Imv. ms. שַׁלַּח Ex 4:23 +, etc.; Inf. abs. Dt 22:7 1 K 11:22; cstr. שַׁלַּח Gn 8:10 +, שַׁלֵּ֑חַ Ex 7:27 +, etc.; Pt. מְשַׁלֵּחַ Gn 43:4 +, etc.;— e.g. Exodus 8:28
- 1. send off, away, human subj.:
- a. acc. pers. + ל loc. Jos 24:28 (E), Ju 7:8; 1 S 10:25 +; + ל pers. Je 48:12; + -ה loc. Ju 12:9 and (c. inf. purpose) Gn 28:6 (P); acc. of goat, לַעֲזָאזֵל Lv 16:10 (-ה loc.), v 26; send out, different ways, acc. pers., ב loc. Ju 19:29; 20:6; send into exile, י׳ subj., c. מִן loc. Je 24:5, -ה loc. 29:20. e.g. Joshua 24:28
- b. send away, dismiss, acc. pers. Gn 21:14 (E), 25:6 (J; מֵעַל pers.), 2 S 13:16 +; specif., c. acc. of wife (= divorce), Dt 22:19, 29; 24:1, 3; Je 3:1 +, abs. Mal 2:16. e.g. Genesis 21:14
- c. send away empty (-handed) רֵיקָם, + acc. pers. Gn 31:42 (E), Dt 15:13; Jb 22:9. e.g. Genesis 31:41
- d. send off, give a ‘send-off’ (sometimes escort part way), acc. pers., Gn 18:16; 24:59; 31:27 (all J), 1 S 9:26; 2 S 19:32; 2 K 5:24; 6:23; Ob 7. e.g. Genesis 18:16
- e. acc. rei 1 S 6:8 Ne 8:12 +, c. acc. loc. 1 S 5:10; 6:3, אֶל pers. Je 27:3, etc. e.g. 1 Samuel 6:8
- 2.
- a. send away, subj. י׳, acc. pers. Gn 19:29 (J; מִתּוֹךְ), 1 K 9:7 (מֵעַל פְּנֵי). e.g. Genesis 19:29
- b. give over, acc. pers. ψ 81:13 (ב of evil). e.g. Psalms 81:13
- c. cast out, acc. pers. Je 28:16 (מֵעַל־פְּנֵי), Lv 18:24; 20:23 (both מִפְּנֵי). e.g. Jeremiah 28:16
- d. send out, forth, send on a mission, especially of י׳, c. acc. of hornet Dt 7:20, cf. 28:20; 32:24 (all ב pers.), serpents Nu 21:6 (E; ב pers.), lions 2 K 17:25, 26 (both id.), foes 2 K 24:2(×2) (+ inf. purpose); pestilence Am 4:10; Ez 28:23 (ב pers.), etc.; also springs into (ב) channel ψ 104:10. e.g. Deuteronomy 7:20
- 3. let go, set free (sometimes c. חָפְשִׁי) Ex 4:23; 5:2(×2) (all JE), 2 S 3:21, 23, 24 +; = cease to abuse Ju 19:25; + inf. purpose Gn 24:56 (J), Ex 5:1 (E; + 10 times Ex), 1 S 5:11; c. acc. of bird Gn 8:7, 8 (+ מֵאִתּוֹ) +; + עַל־פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה Lv 14:7, cf. v 53 (both P); = let loose, acc. of beast, Ex 22:4 (E), Lv 16:22 (ב loc.); acc. of bridle Jb 30:11 (fig.); metaph. of strife Pr 6:14, 19; 16:28; let loose waters, subj. י׳, Jb 12:15. e.g. Exodus 4:23
- 4. shoot forth branches, Je 17:8 ψ 80:12 Ez 31:5 (but v. i. שֶׁלַח 2); cf. of locks (פֶּרַע) Ez 44:20 = let grow long. e.g. Jeremiah 17:8
- 5. let down, acc. pers. Je 38:6 (ב instr.), acc. rei v 11 (id. + אֶל pers. et loc.). e.g. Jeremiah 38:6
- 6. shoot (acc. of arrow om.), לְשַׁ׳ לִי לְמַטָּרָה 1 S 20:20. e.g. 1 Samuel 20:20
- 7. phrases: שִׁלַּח (אֶת־)הָעִיר בָּאֵשׁ †Ju 1:8; 20:48, cf. 2 K 8:12 ψ 74:7; but also שׁ׳ אֵשׁ בְּ †Am 1:4, 7, 10, 12; 2:2, 5; Ho 8:14; Ez 39:6; rare expressions are: וַיְשַׁלְּחֵם בְּיַד־פִּשְׁעָם Jb 8:4 (God subj.); stretch out hand, ב rei (for use) Pr 31:19, ל pers. (charity) v 20; חֶבְלֵיהֶם תְּשַׁלַּחְנָה Jb 39:3 (of hinds, bearing); שַׁלַּח לַחְמְךָ עַל־פְּנֵי הַמָּ֑יִם Ec 11:1.—רַגְלַי שִׁלֵּ֑חוּ Jb 30:12 is corrupt; Theod Ew Di רַגְלָם שִׁלֵּ֑חוּ; Me Bu Be al. dittogr. from v 11 b. e.g. Judges 1:8
Pual
- Pf. 3 ms. שֻׁלַּח Ju 5:15; Jb 18:8, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יְשֻׁלַּח Pr 17:11; Pt. מְשֻׁלָּח Is 16:2 +;—be sent off (started on journey) Gn 44:3 (J); with commission, ב pers. Ob 1; Pr 17:11, אֶל pers. Dn 10:11; be put away, divorced, of wife Is 50:1 (fig.); be impelled (?), בְּרַגְלָיו (= at his heels?), c. ב loc. Ju 5:15 (vb. dub.), cf. שֻׁלַּח בְּרֶשֶׁת בְּרַגְלָיו Jb 18:8 he is hurried into the net with his feet (? 𝔊 Du שֻׁלְּחָה רַגְלוֹ); קֵן מְשֻׁלָּח Is 16:2 a driven (scattered) nest (‖ עוֹף נוֹדֵד), cf. נָוֶה מְשׁ׳ וְנֶעֱזָב כַּמִּדְבָּר 27:10; נַעַר מְשׁ׳ Pr 29:15 a boy let loose (unrestrained). e.g. Judges 5:15
Hiphil
- Pf. 1 s. וְהִשְׁלַחְתִּ֫י and I (י׳) will send famine, בָּאָרֶץ Am 8:11, cf. Ez 14:13, wild beasts; ב pers. Lv 26:22 (H); Pt. מַשְׁלִיחַ, acc. of flies, ב pers. Ex 8:17 (J); Inf. cstr. לְהַשְׁלִיחַ, acc. of foe, ב gent. 2 K 15:37. e.g. Amos 8:11
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
vb. send (NH id.; Ecclus 48:18 +; Aramaic שְׁלַח, ܫܠܰܚ, SoBuhl BaES 41 cp. Arabic سَرَحَ (r = l), send forth, drive cattle to pasture, send messenger, etc., but then diff. √ for i. שֶׁלַח, Arabic سِلَاحٌ, سِلَحٌ weapon; Assyrian prob. šalû (send, hurl?), whence tešlîtu, command);—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Origin: a primitive root
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.
שָׁלַח
- to draw out; to stretch forth; to send. Erub. III, 2 השׁוֹלֵחַ ערובו וכ׳ if one sends his ‘Erub (עֵרוּב) forth to be laid by a deaf and dumb person. Ḥull. 59ᵇ, a. fr. שָׁלְחוּ מתם they sent word from there (from Palestine to Babylonia). Gitt. IV, 1 השולח גט וכ׳ if a man sends a letter of divorce to his wife &c. B. Kam. VI, 4, v. בְּעֵרָה. Ib. ש׳ ביד פיקח (ib. 60ᵃ שִׁילֵּחַ) if he sent out fire through a sane person; a. fr.—Part. pass. שָׁלוּחַ q. v.—ש׳ יד ב־ [to stretch out a hand against,] to make illegitimate use of, to misappropriate (Ex. XXII, 10). B. Mets. III, 12 השולח יד בפקדון if a person makes use of a trust. Ib. החושב לִשְׁלוֹחַ יד וכ׳ if he declares his intention to use a trust; אינו חייב עד שיִשְׁלַח בו יד he is not responsible (for loss), until he has used it; a. fr. e.g. Exodus 22:10
- same, to send; to send away, dismiss. Bets. I, 9 אין מְשַׁלְּחִין בי"ט וכ׳ on the Holy Day you dare not send (to a friend) anything except portions (of eatables, ready for use); משלחין בהמה וכ׳ you may send cattle … alive or slaughtered. Ḥull. XII, 3 שִׁלְּחָהּ וחזרה if he sent the mother bird away, and she came back. Ib. אמר … ומְשַׁלֵּחַ הבנים if he says, I will take the mother, and send the young away; חייב לשַׁלֵּחַ he is bound to send her away. Gen. R. s. 21 שִׁלְּחוֹ מגן … ושלחו וכ׳ he banished him (Adam) from the paradise of this world and from that of the other world; a. fr.
- to be sent off; to be commissioned. Yoma VI, 2, a. e. המִשְׁתַּלֵּחַ the goat that is to be sent away (Lev. XVI, 10), the scapegoat. Ib. 1 נשפך … המשתלח if the blood (of the goat designated for sacrifice) was spilt, the scapegoat is to be put to death (cannot be used for the ceremony). Gen. R. s. 49 מעשה באחד שנש׳ לגבות וכ׳ it happened that one was commissioned to tax the inhabitants &c.; a. fr. e.g. Leviticus 16:10
שְׁלַח
- 1. to send, send off. Targ. Num. XIII, 2. Targ. O. ib. 16. Targ. Ps. XLIV, 3 Ms. (ed. פסד׳). Targ. Jer. XLII, 6 שָׁלְחִין (not שולחין); a. fr.—Part. pass. שְׁלִיחַ; f. שְׁלִיחָא; pl. שְׁלִיחִין, שְׁלִיחָן. Ob. I, 1. Targ. Is. XLIV, 26 שְׁלִיחוֹהִי ed. Lag. (ed. Wil. שְׁלוּח׳). Targ. I Chr. XIV, 15; a. fr.—Ber. 28ᵃ ש׳ להו וכ׳ R. J. sent them word to the school house; a. fr.—Koh. R. to III, 2 שְׁלִיחְהוֹן דברייתא the messenger of men (men’s guardian angel). e.g. Obadiah 1:1
- 2. to throw off, undress, flay (cmp. פָּשַׁט). Targ. Esth. V, 14. Targ. Is. XXXII, 11. Targ. II Chr. XXIX, 34; a. fr.—Ber. l. c. שְׁלַח מדך take off thy cloak (v. מַדָּא). Y. Taan. III, end, 67ᵃ הוה ש׳ מסאניה he took off one shoe; כד הוה ש׳ תריהון when he had taken off both of them; a. fr.—Part. pass. as ab. Sot. 8ᵇ (proverbial expression) ש׳ ערטילאי וכ׳ undressed, naked, but with shoes on (a person cares more for shoes than for any other article of dress); Keth. 65ᵇ top האי תנא ש׳ וכ׳ this Tannai (who gave the wife the right to ask for three pairs of shoes and one suit of clothes) seems to assume that a woman cares more for shoes &c. Koh. R. to V, 10 איך אינון אתיין שליחין וכ׳ (not שלו׳) how will they come (on resurrection day), naked, or dressed? Ib. היך זרעתין ש׳ וכ׳ how didst thou plant them (the beans), undressed or dressed (in the pods)? a. e.
- 1. to send; to send off, dismiss. Targ. O. Lev. XVI, 21, sq. Targ. O. Ex. VIII, 17; a. fr.—Part. pass. מְשַׁלַּח; f. מְשַׁלְּחָא &c. Targ. O. Gen. XXXII, 19.
- 2. to strip, undress. Y. R. Hash. II, 58ᵇ top ובטול … יְשַׁלַּח and in the shade of the fig tree he (the ox) would shed his skin (feeling warm, he would rub himself against the tree); Snh. 18ᵇ. Sabb. 33ᵇ הוו מְשַׁלְּחֵי מנייהו used to put off their clothes. Shebu. 41ᵃ צורבא דרבנן משלח וכ׳ may a scholar strip a man of his cloak? (i.e. should a scholar as such have any prerogatives in law?); a. fr.
- 1. to send off, let loose. Targ. O. Ex. VIII, 17.
- 2. to strip, throw off; to flay. Targ. I Sam. XIX, 24. Targ. II Chr. XXXV, 11. Targ. Lev. I, 6 (Y. II ויחליש). Targ. Num. XX, 26; a. fr.
- 1. to be sent, sent off. Targ. Jud. V, 15. Targ. Y. Gen. XXXII, 19; a. fr.
- 2. to be stripped; to shed the skin. Ib. III, 21.—Ḥull. 59ᵃ מאן … מִישְׁתַּלַּח משכיה he who eats three Tiḳlas of asafoetida on an empty stomach, will shed his skin; ואי לא … מישת׳ משכאי had I not sat in water, I should have &c.
שֶׁלַח I
- (preced.) hide, fresh skin. Makhsh. V, 6 החובט על הש׳ he who beats upon a (wetted) hide. Bekh. IX, 4 נשחטה … והש׳ קיים when its mother has been killed, but the hide is still intact. Tosef. Sabb. VIII (IX), 1; a. e.—Pl. שְׁלָחִין. Sabb. IV, 2 טומנין בש׳ you may keep dishes warm (for the Sabbath) in fresh hides. Ib. 49ᵃ ש׳ של בעה"ב hides belonging to a private man; של אומן to a mechanic (shoemaker &c.). Ib.ᵇ הביאו ש׳ וכ׳ bring us hides to sit down on them; a. e.
שֶׁלַח
- (שָׁלַח) [stripped of its skin,] a pressed olive the stone of which slips out at a touch.—Pl. שְׁלָחִין, שְׁלוּ׳. Ab. Zar. II, 7 (39ᵇ; Mish. a. Y. ed. שלו׳). Ib. 40ᵇ היכי דמי ש׳ וכ׳ when are they called Sh’laḥin? When the stone slips out as you take the olive in your hand.
שֶׁלַח III
- , pl. שְׁלָחִין (tradit. pronunc. שַׁלְחִין) (שלח; cmp. Job V, 10, a. Neh. III, 15) arms, ditches for irrigation; בית הש׳ (שדה) a field which needs irrigation, opp. בית הבעל (v. בַּעַל). M. Kat. I, 1. Tosef. ib. I, 1 שדה בית הש׳ שחרבה a field dependent on irrigation which has become dry. Ib. 4 השלוחין ed. Zuck. (Var. השלח׳). M. Kat. 2ᵃ מאי משמע דהאי בית הש׳ לישנא דצחותא וכ׳ what evidence is there that beth hash-sh’laḥin has the meaning of thirstiness (dryness)? Answ. ref. to מְשַׁלְהֵי for עָיֵף (v. שַׁלְהֵי I). B. Bath. IV, 7 בית הש׳ the fields belonging to a township; expl. ib. 68ᵃ באגי fields, גינונייתא gardens (ref. to Cant. IV, 13). Ib. 99ᵇ; a. e. e.g. Job 5:10
שֶׁלַח IV
- (שָׁלַח) extension, stepping space or depth of a step. Midd. II, 3; III, 6 ושִׁלְחָהּ אמה and the depth of each step was one cubit, v. רוּם II.
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 457 distinct written forms H7971 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.
The 60 most common forms are shown; 397 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H7971, 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.
Derived from this word
- משלוח mishlôwach H4916 pasture
- שלוח shillûwach H7964 parting gift
- שלח shᵉlach H7972 to send
- שלח shelach H7973 weapon
- שלחן shulchân H7979 table
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 7 — 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 745 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 790 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
- Genesis 3:22
- Exodus 2:5
- Leviticus 14:7
- Numbers 5:2
- Deuteronomy 1:22
- Joshua 1:16
- Judges 1:8
- 1 Samuel 4:4
- 2 Samuel 1:14
- 1 Kings 1:44
- 2 Kings 1:2
- 1 Chronicles 8:8
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.
