Lexical Summary
sakath: To cover, to protect, to shelter
Original Word: סָכַת
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: cakath
Pronunciation: sah-KAHTH
Phonetic Spelling: (saw-kath')
KJV: take heed
NASB: silent
Word Origin: [a primitive root]
1. to be silent
2. (by implication) to observe quietly
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
take heed
A primitive root to be silent; by implication, to observe quietly -- take heed.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto be silent
NASB Translationsilent (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[
סָכַת]
verb be silent (Arabic
id., Lane
1389; Samaritan
pay attention, compare Thes; Arabic = also
be quiet (in General), = Syriac
, a differentiated √ ?); —
Hiph`il declar. shew silence: Imperative masculine singular הַסְכֵּת Deuteronomy 27:9 keep silence and listen (compare נִסְכַּת Ecclus 13:23).
סַל see סלל
Topical Lexicon
Occurrence and Context Strong’s Hebrew 5535, sāḵat, appears a single time in Scripture, Deuteronomy 27:9. The verb is an imperative calling Israel to complete hush before the proclamation of covenant obligations: “Be silent, O Israel, and listen! Today you have become the people of the LORD your God” (Berean Standard Bible). The command is issued by Moses together with the Levitical priests just after Israel has crossed the Jordan plains and before the tribes are arranged upon Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal for the recital of blessings and curses.
Covenant Silence at Mount Ebal
1. Liturgical Setting
• The hush precedes a covenant‐renewal ceremony that binds Israel anew to Yahweh (Deuteronomy 27:9–26).
• Silence functions as a corporate act of reverence, highlighting the gravity of the moment and ensuring undivided attention to the Law.
• The Levitical priests, standing as mediators, summon the people into a posture of listening that anticipates subsequent public confession and obedience.
2. Historical Weight
• The directive follows forty years of wilderness discipline and directly precedes conquest; the nation’s identity as “the people of the LORD” is sealed in this act of listening.
• Written stones set on Mount Ebal (Deuteronomy 27:4–8) underscore permanence; the hush surrounding their inscription and reading signals covenant permanence in the national memory.
Theological Themes
1. Reverent Stillness before Revelation
• Silence expresses awe before divine speech, acknowledging that God speaks and humanity listens (cf. Ecclesiastes 5:1–2).
• The imperative highlights that covenant relationship is word‐rooted; faith is born of hearing (Romans 10:17).
2. Communal Unity
• A gathered hush forges corporate solidarity; all strata of Israel hear one Law without distraction (cf. Nehemiah 8:1–3).
• The moment models congregational attentiveness that later synagogue and church readings emulate.
3. Authority of the Word
• Moses’ charge affirms the Law’s sufficiency; no human voice competes when God’s voice is heard.
• The text anticipates prophetic calls for silence before the Lord (Habakkuk 2:20; Zephaniah 1:7).
Relation to Broader Biblical Silence
While sāḵat itself is rare, its concept resonates:
• Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
• Zechariah 2:13: “Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.”
• Revelation 8:1: “When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.”
In every era—Law, Prophets, Writings, and New Testament—holy silence surrounds God’s decisive acts and words.
Ministry Applications
1. Public Worship
• Incorporate intentional moments of quiet prior to Scripture reading and sermon, reminding congregations of Deuteronomy 27:9’s call.
• Silence signals transition from human activity to divine address.
2. Preaching and Teaching
• Expositors can draw attention to how listening precedes doing. Encourage hearers to “receive with meekness the implanted word” (James 1:21).
• Highlight that covenant identity (“you have become the people of the LORD”) rests on readiness to hear and obey.
3. Pastoral Care and Spiritual Formation
• Cultivate disciplines of silence for personal prayer, allowing space for reflection on Scripture.
• Guide believers to practice stillness amid cultural noise, fostering discernment of the Spirit’s promptings.
Devotional Reflections
• Silence is not emptiness but expectancy; God fills the hush with His Word.
• As Israel’s hush marked a fresh beginning, believers today may mark life transitions—baptism, communion, commissioning—with quiet surrender.
• The same Lord who called ancient Israel into silent attentiveness still speaks through Scripture; the wise heart answers by falling silent, listening, and obeying.
Forms and Transliterations
הַסְכֵּ֤ת ׀ הסכת has·kêṯ hasKet haskêṯ
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
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