Lexical Summary shakak: To run, rush, be eager, be excited Original Word: שְׁכַךְ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance appease, assuage, make to cease, pacify, set A primitive root; to weave (i.e. Lay) a trap; figuratively, (through the idea of secreting) to allay (passions; physically, abate a flood) -- appease, assuage, make to cease, pacify, set. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to decrease, abate NASB Translation lessen (1), lying in wait (1), subsided (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs [שָׁכַךְ] verb decrease, abate (Late Hebrew שְׁכִיכָה is allaying of anger; שִׁכֵּךְ אֹזֶן soothe, satisfy the ear (so apparently Dalm), i.e. allow it to hear and understand, compare LevyNHWB (and Arabic  be narrow have small ears, be deaf, Frä90); — Arabic  see humble oneself, Wahrm humiliate); — Qal Imperfect3masculine plural וַיָּשֹׁכוּ Genesis 8:1 the waters abated; Infinitive construct כְּשֹׁךְ Esther 2:1 when abated the king's wrath, so Perfect3feminine singular שָׁכָ֑כָה Esther 7:10. — כְּשַׁךְ יְקוּשִׁים Jeremiah 5:26 usually like the bending, crouching, of fowlers (this meaning for שַׁךְ dubious; Dr כְּשֻׁר Du strike out ישׁור כשׁ, then reads יִלְכֹּדוּ׃ ׳מוֺקְשִׁים הִצִּיבוּ בַּשַּׁחַת א). Hiph`il Perfect1singular consecutive וַהֲשִׁכֹּתִ֫י מֵעָלַי Numbers 17:20 I will allay from upon me the murmurings (accusative), etc. Topical Lexicon Semantic Range and General Sense The verb שְׁכַךְ (shakakh) expresses the idea of subsiding, abating, quieting, or pacifying. Whether applied to floodwaters, human anger, or community unrest, it conveys a movement from turbulence to calm. Distribution in Scripture 1. Genesis 8:1—floodwaters that had covered the earth “subsided.” God’s Sovereign Quelling of Chaos In Genesis 8 the first biblical occurrence of shakakh follows the global judgment of the Flood. “and the waters receded from the earth continually… and the waters had abated” (Genesis 8:1-3). The verb highlights Yahweh’s sovereign authority: the same God who loosed the waters now pulls them back, signaling the re-creation of an ordered world. The passage becomes a template for later portrayals of God calming seas (Psalm 65:7; Mark 4:39). Silencing Rebellion in the Wilderness Numbers 17:5 uses shakakh in the promise, “I will rid Myself of this grumbling of the Israelites.” Here the cessation of complaint comes not through punishment but through a miraculous sign—the budding of Aaron’s staff. The word therefore points to divine self-vindication: God stills rebellion by publicly authenticating His chosen mediator. The principle extends to the New Testament where God definitively validates His ultimate High Priest by resurrection (Hebrews 5:5-10; Romans 1:4). Pacifying Royal Wrath in the Persian Court Esther twice employs shakakh to describe Ahasuerus’ anger. After Vashti’s refusal, “the anger of King Xerxes subsided” (Esther 2:1); later, after Haman’s execution, “the king’s fury subsided” (Esther 7:10). The pairing forms an inclusio that frames the book’s dramatic tension: royal wrath rises, then is pacified once justice is satisfied. Thematically, the narrative illustrates how the unseen hand of Providence works through political processes to protect God’s covenant people and restrain destructive passions. Concealed Malice in a Corrupt Society Jeremiah 5:26 shifts the nuance. Wicked men “lie in wait” (shakakh) like hunters setting traps. Here the verb’s quieting sense is sinister; malice is temporarily muffled, not eradicated. The prophet exposes hypocrisy: outward calm masks lethal intent. The passage warns that mere absence of open conflict does not equal righteousness; true peace requires transformed hearts. Theological Trajectory Across its occurrences shakakh portrays three movements: Each anticipates the gospel climax where God’s wrath is pacified at the cross (Romans 3:25-26), humanity’s enmity is stilled (Ephesians 2:14-16), and creation itself awaits full relief from corruption (Romans 8:19-21). Ministry Implications 1. Preaching: Shakakh offers rich imagery for sermons on divine deliverance, conflict resolution, and the peace found in Christ (John 14:27). Conclusion Shakakh threads through Scripture as a subtle witness to the Lord who can still storms, silence rebellion, pacify wrath, and expose hidden evil. Its every occurrence urges trust in the One whose voice alone can say, “Peace, be still,” and bring abiding quiet to creation and to the human heart. Forms and Transliterations וַהֲשִׁכֹּתִ֣י וַיָּשֹׁ֖כּוּ והשכתי וישכו כְּשַׁ֣ךְ כְּשֹׁ֕ךְ כשך שָׁכָֽכָה׃ שככה׃ kə·šaḵ kə·šōḵ kəšaḵ keShach keShoch kəšōḵ šā·ḵā·ḵāh šāḵāḵāh shaChachah vahashikkoTi vaiyaShokku wa·hă·šik·kō·ṯî wahăšikkōṯî way·yā·šōk·kū wayyāšōkkūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 8:1 HEB: עַל־ הָאָ֔רֶץ וַיָּשֹׁ֖כּוּ הַמָּֽיִם׃ NAS: the earth, and the water subsided. KJV: the earth, and the waters asswaged; INT: over the earth subsided and the water Numbers 17:5 Esther 2:1 Esther 7:10 Jeremiah 5:26 5 Occurrences |
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