Lexical Summary shayah: Waste, ruin, devastation Original Word: שָׁיָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be unmindful A primitive root; to keep in memory -- be unmindful. (Render Deuteronomy 32:18, "A Rock bore thee, thou must recollect; and (yet) thou hast forgotten," etc.) NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition to forget NASB Translation neglected (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [שָׁיָה] verb only Qal Imperfect with apocope תֶּ֑שִׁי צוּר יְלָֽדְךָ Deuteronomy 32:18, but < read תִּשֶּׁה (II. נשׁה) the Rock which begat thee thou forgattest, Samaritan תשא, Di Dr. Topical Lexicon Root Idea The term conveys deliberate neglect—an act of turning away from what should be cherished. In Deuteronomy 32:18 it speaks of Israel’s willful dismissal of God’s sustaining care, not mere lapse of memory but a moral choice to disregard the covenant Lord. Biblical Occurrence Deuteronomy 32:18: “You ignored the Rock who brought you forth; you forgot the God who gave you birth.” This appears within the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:1-43), a prophetic hymn recited to Israel on the plains of Moab. The whole song contrasts the unchanging faithfulness of “the Rock” (verses 4, 15, 30, 31) with the nation’s propensity to forget, culminating in the indictment expressed through this verb. Literary and Historical Setting Having recounted forty years of divine provision, Moses warns the new generation about the seductions of Canaanite prosperity. The verb underscores the danger of success breeding complacency (compare Deuteronomy 6:10-12; 8:10-14). Israel is portrayed as a child who has grown resentful of parental authority despite receiving life and nurture. This historical warning proved prescient as Judges 3:7 records, “The Israelites did evil… they forgot the LORD their God,” leading to cycles of oppression and deliverance. Theological Themes 1. Covenant Faithfulness: Forgetting God violates the foundational command to “remember” His deeds (Exodus 13:3; Deuteronomy 8:2). Practical Ministry Applications • Preaching and Teaching: Call congregations to cultivate intentional remembrance—public reading of Scripture, testimony, and the Lord’s Supper echo Deuteronomy’s remedy against forgetfulness (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25). Connection to Christ and the New Covenant Jesus embodies the faithful Son who never forgets the Father’s will (John 8:29). At Calvary the sins of forgetfulness are borne, and the New Covenant supplies the Spirit who writes God’s law on the heart (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10). Hebrews 2:1 warns believers to “pay closer attention… so that we do not drift away,” echoing Moses’ plea. The Eucharistic words “Do this in remembrance of Me” directly counteract the peril encapsulated in שָׁיָה. Related Concepts • זָכַר (zakar) – to remember; the covenantal antidote. Summary Strong’s Hebrew 7876 exposes the heart-level decision to live as though God were absent. Moses’ singular use in Deuteronomy 32:18 stands as a sobering call across the ages: life and blessing flow from the Rock; to ignore Him is personal, national, and eternal folly. Forms and Transliterations תֶּ֑שִׁי תשי te·šî Teshi tešîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 32:18 HEB: צ֥וּר יְלָדְךָ֖ תֶּ֑שִׁי וַתִּשְׁכַּ֖ח אֵ֥ל NAS: You neglected the Rock who begot KJV: [that] begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten INT: the Rock begot neglected and forgot the God |
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