Lexical Summary shuq: To run to and fro, to go eagerly or quickly Original Word: שׁוּק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance street From shuwq; a street (as run over) -- street. see HEBREW shuwq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as shoq Definition a street NASB Translation street (3), streets (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs שׁוּק noun masculine street (Aramaic; see √); — ׳שׁ Proverbs 7:8; Ecclesiastes 12:4,5; plural שְׁוָּקִים Songs 3:2. Topical Lexicon Overview of שׁוּק in the Old TestamentThe word שׁוּק (shuq) designates the open street or broad avenue of an ancient town—the place where commerce, conversation, and chance encounters unfolded at the very heart of community life. Because every canonical occurrence lies in Wisdom or poetic books, the term carries more than topographical value; it becomes a literary stage upon which moral choices, generational change, and covenant love play out. Wisdom Literature Settings 1. Proverbs 7:8 pictures the gullible youth “crossing the street near her corner,” moving toward moral peril. The shuq functions as a threshold between safety and seduction, dramatizing the ease with which an unguarded heart can drift from wisdom. 2. Ecclesiastes 12:4–5 employs the same word twice in its closing poem on aging. When “the doors on the street are shut” and voices “rise at the sound of a bird,” the lively avenue turns silent, mirroring the diminishing engagement of the elderly with public life. The street that once echoed with vigor becomes an emblem of mortality. 3. Song of Songs 3:2 casts the shuq in a different light. The bride recounts, “I will search for the one my soul loves.” Here the public thoroughfare becomes a path of holy pursuit, testifying that love sanctioned by God need not shrink from the open gaze of the community. Historical and Cultural Background Ancient Near Eastern cities were dense clusters of dwellings fed by crooked lanes but opening unexpectedly into broader streets or squares. These spaces served as informal courts, markets, and forums, often contiguous with the gate where elders sat in judgment (Ruth 4:1). Social order depended on visibility; deeds done “in the street” were observed and remembered. Thus shuq naturally bore connotations of accountability or, conversely, public shame. Theological Themes • Public Accountability: Scripture presents the street as the arena where hidden motives meet communal scrutiny. The simple youth of Proverbs learns—too late—that sin is seldom private for long. Ministry Applications 1. Discipleship in a Public World: Believers must cultivate discernment not only in private but also amid the marketplace of ideas and influences. Intertextual Echoes Although shuq appears only four times, its thematic resonance extends through Scripture. The prophets envision nations streaming to the streets of Zion (Isaiah 52:1–2), and the Gospels show Jesus healing and teaching in public places, fulfilling wisdom’s open call (Proverbs 1:20). Revelation culminates with transparent streets of gold (Revelation 21:21), where righteousness dwells unhindered—a fitting eschatological reversal of the dangers and limitations first glimpsed in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Conclusion Shuq traces a theological arc from youthful temptation, through the sobering hush of old age, to the joyous pursuit of covenant love. Each occurrence invites readers to regard the ordinary avenues of daily life as stages upon which God’s wisdom, judgment, and redemption are revealed. Forms and Transliterations בַּ֭שּׁוּק בַּשְּׁוָקִים֙ בַּשּׁ֔וּק בַשּׁ֖וּק בשוק בשוקים baš·šə·wā·qîm baš·šūq ḇaš·šūq bashshevaKim Bashshuk baššəwāqîm baššūq ḇaššūq vashShukLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Proverbs 7:8 HEB: עֹבֵ֣ר בַּ֭שּׁוּק אֵ֣צֶל פִּנָּ֑הּ NAS: Passing through the street near KJV: Passing through the street near INT: Passing the street near her corner Ecclesiastes 12:4 Ecclesiastes 12:5 Songs 3:2 4 Occurrences |
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