שֵׁנָה
sleep
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Noun
- A naming word — a person, place, thing, or idea.
Noun type
- Common
- A common noun — a general class of person, place, or thing (“king,” “city,” “water”), not a specific name.
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).
Gender
- Feminine
- Grammatically feminine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
Every verse where H8142 appears in the Book of Esther — 1 distinct verse. 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.
Esther
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.
The Hebrew noun שנה centers on the idea of “sleep.” Its earliest occurrence is Genesis 28:16. It appears 23 verses across 10 books of the Hebrew Bible, among its uncommon vocabulary. The word gravitates to Proverbs (30%), then Psalms and Jeremiah. It clusters with ישן, ישן and ישן under a shared root. For the data behind this summary, explore the sense tree and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H8142 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 →
- 23
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 23 distinct verses.
- 10 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 10 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #1,368
- by frequency
- Top 2500 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 1,368 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 23 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 23 distinct verses.
- Writings (Ketuvim) 15 verses · 65%
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 6 verses · 26%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 2 verses · 9%
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: Sleep 22×
- American Standard Version: Sleep 20×
- Berean Standard Bible: Sleep 18×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: Sleep 18×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H8142 across 23 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 1 rendering that appears only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H8142 across 23 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 3 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 H8142 across 20 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 2 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 3 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H8142 across 20 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 2 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Senses in BDB
The 1 sense BDB distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency or importance). The full entry — with sub-senses — is in the Lexicon Entry tab.
- sleep
Word origin
n.f. sleep;—שֵׁנָה ψ 90:5 + 3 times; שֵׁנָא ψ 127:2, שְׁנָת ψ 132:4 (Ges§ 80 g.h.); cstr. שְׁנַת Je 51:39 + 3 times; שְׁנָתִי Gn 31:40; Je 31:26, etc.; pl. abs. שֵׁנוֹת Pr 6:10; 24:33;—sleep Gn 28:16 (J), Ju 16:14, 20; Pr 3:24; 6:9; 20:13; Ec 5:11 Je 31:26; Zc 4:1; Pr 6:4 (‖ תְּנוּמָה); מְעַט שֵׁנוֹת מְעַט תְּנוּמוֹת Pr 6:10 = 24:33 (these two of sluggard אִישׁ עָצֵל; v. also 6:9; 20:13); note also וַתִּדַּד שְׁנָתִי מֵעֵינָ֑י Gn 31:40 (E) and my sleep fled from mine eyes; נָֽדֲדָה שְׁנַת הַמֶּלֶךְ Est 6:1; וְנִגְזְלָה שְׁנָתָם Pr 4:16; וּשְׁנָתוֹ נִהְיְתָה עָלָיו Dn 2:1; שֵׁנָה בְּעֵינָיו אֵינֶנּוּ רֹאֶה Ec 8:16; אִם אֶתֵּן שְׁנָת לְעֵינָ֑י ψ 132:4 (all of lack of sleep); יִתֵּן לִידִידוֹ שֵׁנָ֑א ψ 127:2 = he giveth to his beloved in sleep, cf. Ges§ 118, 3; of sleep of death (so Arabic وَسَنٌ Dozy ii. 806) Jb 14:12 ψ 90:5 (cf. De Che); so, as acc. cogn., ψ 76:6 Je 51:39, 57 (in these two שְׁנַת־עוֹלָם). יֶשְׁנוֹ v. יֵשׁ.
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from ישן (yâshên) (H3462) — to sleep.
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.
שֵׁינָה
- sleep. Ber. 3ᵇ מעולם לא עבר … בש׳ midnight never found me asleep. Ib. 62ᵇ ש׳ בעמוד וכ׳ sleep at morning dawn (v. שֵׁינָא I). Meg. 15ᵇ שְׁנַת וכ׳, v. נָדַד. Succ. 26ᵃ שֵׁינַת, v. עַרְאַי. Ib. במוסר שֵׁינָתוֹ וכ׳ when he gives his sleep in charge of others (gives orders to wake him up). Yoma I, 4 המאכל מביא את הש׳ eating causes sleepiness. Tam. 28ᵃ אונס ש׳ being overcome by sleep. Snh. 93ᵇ שהיו אונסין … ומן הש׳ they forced themselves not to laugh, talk, or fall asleep. Kidd. 49ᵇ עשרה ש׳ וכ׳ ten measures of sleep have come down to the world, nine of which the slaves have taken &c.; a. fr.
שָׁנָה
- I, v. שני
שָׁנָה II
- , Revue des Et. Juives XI, 1885, p. 64) year. Ber. 55ᵃ שלשה … ש׳ טובה וכ׳ three things must be prayed for: a good king, a good year, and a good dream. R. Hash. I, 1, a. fr. ראש הש׳, v. רֹאשׁ. Ib. 2ᵃ עלתה לו ש׳ it is counted as one year of his reign (his second year begins). Y. Yoma V, 42ᶜ top; Bab. ib. 53ᵇ, v. גָּשַׁם. Ib. 39ᵇ אותה ש׳ … בש׳ זו הוא מת (on the Day of Atonement of) the year in which Simon the righteous died, he said to them, in this year he (euphem. for I) shall die. Snh. 97ᵃ; Ab. Zar. 9ᵃ ששת אלפים ש׳ וכ׳ the world will last six thousand years. Naz. 5ᵃ אותה ש׳ … שנת עשר וכ׳ the year in which they asked for a king was the tenth year of office of Samuel &c. Par. I, 1 בת שְׁנָתָהּ in her first year; a. v. fr.—Pl. שָׁנִים, constr. שְׁנוֹת (שְׁנֵי). Naz. l. c. ימים שאין עמהן ש׳ ‘days’ in the Scriptures to which the word ‘years’ is not attached; זה שיש עמו ש׳ this passage (Gen. XLI, 1) where ‘years’ is combined with days. Yoma 71ᵃ (ref. to Prov. III, 2) וכי יש ש׳ של חיים ויש ש׳ שאינן וכ׳ are there years of life, and years of no life? אלו שְׁנוֹתָיו של אדם וכ׳ those are a man’s years which are changed for him from evil to good. Sabb. 89ᵇ (ref. to כשנים, Is. I, 18) אם יהיו חטאיכם כש׳ הללו וכ׳ if your sins were as many as the years that have been arranged and have come down from the six days of creation until now, they shall become white &c.; Yalk. Is. 256; Y. Sabb. IX, 12ᵃ bot. כש׳ שבין וכ׳ as the years (required for travelling) between the heaven and the earth; כשְׁנֵי אבות as the years of the patriarchs; a. v. fr.—ברכת הש׳ (the blessing of the harvests of the year) birkhath hash-shanim, the ninth section of the Prayer of Benedictions (תְּפִלָּה). Ber. 29ᵃ, v. שְׁאֵלָה. Taan. 2ᵃ; a. fr. e.g. Genesis 41:1
שֵׁנָה
- , v. שֵׁינָה
שני
- (b. h.)
- 1. to repeat, do a second time. Yoma 86ᵇ ואם ש׳ בהן וכ׳ but if he committed the same sins again, he must confess them. Ib. כיון … וש׳ בה וכ׳ when a man commits a sin and repeats it, it appears to him permitted; M. Kat. 27ᵇ. Ib. 16ᵇ; Ber. 18ᵃ אם קרית לא שָׁנִיתָ ואם שנית וכ׳ if thou hast read (studied), thou hast not repeated, and if thou hast repeated, thou hast not reviewed a third time, and if thou hast done so, they have not explained it to thee (v. פָּרַשׁ). Sot. 9ᵃ (ref. to Mal. III, 6) לא … ושָׁנִיתִי לה וכ׳ I never struck a nation and had to do it a second time, but you, children of Israel, have not been consumed; Yalk. Deut. 825. Ib. שהיה מכה … ולא שֹׁונֶה לו who used to strike a man once and no more (killed with one stroke). Tosef. Toh. IV, 1 אומר לו שיִשְׁנֶה we say to him that he should do it again (when it will be seen whether it can be done without touching uncleanness); אין שֹׁונִין בטהרות we must not try again for the purpose of deciding in matters of levitical cleanness; Nidd. 5ᵇ אומרים לו שְׁנֵה ושונה we say to him, do it again, and he does it again; a. fr.—Part. pass. שָׁנוּי; f. שְׁנוּיָה &c. Meg. 31ᵃ; Ab. Zar. 19ᵇ, v. שָׁלַשׁ; a. e. e.g. Malachi 3:6
- 2. (denom. of מִשְׁנָה) to study the Mishnah; in gen. to study; to teach. Meg. 28ᵇ; Nidd. 73ᵃ כל השונה וכ׳ he who studies (reviews) traditional laws every day. Meg. 32ᵃ; Treat. Sof’rim III, 10 השונה בלא זמרה who studies (Mishnah and Gemarah) without chant. B. Mets. 44ᵃ שנית לנו … ותִשְׁנֶה לנו וכ׳ in thy earlier days thou taughtest us …, and again in thy old days, thou teachest us &c.?; Ab. Zar. 52ᵇ. Erub. 92ᵃ וכי רבי לא שְׁנָאָהּ וכ׳ but if Rabbi has not taught that, whence could R. Ḥiyya have it?; Yeb. 43ᵃ; Nidd. 62ᵃ רבי לא שנה וכ׳ Rabbi has not taught this? whence &c.? Yeb. 108ᵇ, a. e. מי שש׳ זו לא ש׳ זו he who taught this, has not taught that, i.e. the two clauses in the Mishnah are from different authors, v. תַּבְרָא. Ḥull. 85ᵃ ראה רבי … ושְׁנָאָן וכ׳ Ms. M. (ed. ושנאו) Rabbi approved of the opinion of R. …, and embodied it in the Mishnah as the opinion of ‘the scholars’. Pes. 3ᵇ; Ḥull. 63ᵇ לעולם יִשְׁנֶה אדם לתלמידו וכ׳ one should always teach his pupil the shortest way (use the briefest terms). Ib. 81ᵇ, a. fr. לא שָׁנוּ אלא וכ׳ they have taught this only with regard to a case &c., i.e. this is meant only when &c.; a. fr.—Part. pass. as ab. Nidd. 22ᵇ, a. fr. במחלוקת שנויה, v. מַחֲלוֹקֶת.
- 1. to be repeated. Snh. 59ᵃ ונִישְׁנֵית, v. נֹחַ. Ḥull. 63ᵇ למה נִשְׁנוּ בבהמה וכ׳ why are the laws of clean and unclean animals repeated (in Deut.)? With reference to quadrupeds, on account of hassh’suʿah (Deut. XIV, 7, which is not found in Lev. XI, 4) &c., v. שְׁסוּעָה; Bekh. 6ᵇ; a. e. e.g. Deuteronomy 14:7
- 2. to be taught. B. Mets. 33ᵇ; B. Kam. 94ᵇ, a. e. בימי רבי נשנית משנה זו this Mishnah was taught (originated) in Rabbi’s days. Ber. 28ᵃ, v. עֵדוּת; a. e.
- to teach (Mishnah &c.). Lam. R. to I, 6 הַשְׁנֵינִי פרק וכ׳, v. קָרָא II; a. e.
- 1. to repeat, to come a second time. Y. Snh. III, 21ᵇ bot. לְשַׁנֹּות, v. טַעֲנָה. Num. R. s. 420 ולא שִׁינְּתָה, v. שָׁלַשׁ.
- 2. to change, vary, modify; to make a distinction. B. Mets. VI, 2 כל המְשַׁנֶּה ידיו וכ׳, v. יָד. Snh. 92ᵇ אפי׳ … לא יְשַׁנֶּה אדם את עצמו וכ׳ even in time of danger (persecution) a man must not change himself from (disguise the insignia of) his office. Yeb. 65ᵇ מותר … לשנות וכ׳ one may modify (the report of a person’s utterances) in the interest of peace. Ib. גדול … הקב"ה ש׳ בו וכ׳ peace is a great thing, for even the Lord modified (Sarah’s words) for its sake (ref. to Gen. XVIII, 12 a. 13). Y. Pes. IV, 30ᵈ top אל תְּשַׁנּוּ מנהג וכ׳ change not the usage of your fathers &c. Gen. R. s. 48 זה אחד … שׁשִׁינּוּ וכ׳ this is one of the things which they (the seventy translators) changed for king Ptolemee. Sabb. 10ᵇ לעולם אל יְשַׁנֶּה אדם בנו בין הבנים a man must never distinguish his son among his sons (favor one son more than the others); Gen. R. s. 84. Bets. 30ᵃ אם אי אפשר לשנות if it is not possible to do the thing in a different manner (so as to be reminded that it is a Holy Day). Tanḥ. Nitsabim 3 כבר … שלא אֲשׁנֶּה בכם וכ׳ I have sworn to you that I will not change my relation to you &c. Yalk. Mal. 589 מי שי׳ במי which of us changed his conduct towards the other?; המקום לא שי׳ בישראל God has not changed his relation to Israel; a. fr.—Part. pass. מְשׁוּנֶּה; f. מְשׁוּנָּה. Y. Taan. I, end, 64ᵈ עורב יצא מש׳ מן הבריות the raven came out of the ark looking different from all other creatures (black). Shek. V, 2, v. רִצְפָה. Sabb. 56ᵃ (ref. to II Sam. XII, 9) מש׳ רעה זו וכ׳ this evil deed is different from all &c. Ib. 156ᵇ מיתה מש׳ a strange (unnatural, sudden) death; Sot. 35ᵃ; a. fr.—Deut. R. s. 9 ראה אותו מש׳ he saw him (the angel of death) looking strange (excited); מפני מה אתה מש׳ why art thou excited? e.g. Genesis 18:12
- to be changed, different. Snh. 38ᵃ בשלשה … מִשְׁתַּנֶּה מחבירו וכ׳ by three things one man is distinguishable from another: by his voice &c. Pes. X, 4 (116ᵃ) מה נ׳ הלילה וכ׳ why is this night different from all other nights? Snh. 71ᵇ [read:] הואיל ונ׳ דינו ונִשְׁתַּנֵית מיתתו because his (the proselyte’s) legal status is different, and the mode of capital punishment is different for him. Sabb. 53ᵇ נִשְׁתַּנּוּ לו סדרי וכ׳ the order of nature had to be changed for him. R. Hash. 19ᵃ מה נִישְׁתַּנִּינוּ מכל וכ׳ wherein are we different from any other nation or tongue that you decree for us such hard decrees?; 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 19 distinct written forms H8142 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’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 H8142, 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
Derived from this word
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 6 — not the complete family. They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 21 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 23 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 28:16
- Judges 16:14
- Esther 6:1
- Job 14:12
- Psalms 76:5
- Proverbs 3:24
- Ecclesiastes 5:12
- Jeremiah 31:26
- Daniel 2:1
- Zechariah 4:1
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.
