Lexical Summary shamat: To release, to let drop, to let go, to remit Original Word: שָׁמַט Strong's Exhaustive Concordance discontinue, overthrow, release, let rest, shake, stumble, throw down A primitive root; to fling down; incipiently to jostle; figuratively, to let alone, desist, remit -- discontinue, overthrow, release, let rest, shake, stumble, throw down. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to let drop NASB Translation let it rest (1), let go (1), release (2), threw her down (1), throw her down (1), thrown down (1), upset (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs [שָׁמַט] verb let drop (Late Hebrew id., loosen, detach, draw away, Niph`al slip off; Aramaic שְׁמַטּ loosen, pull away;  draw sword, draw or pull away; Arabic  ; is hang, suspend, II. release debtor (Kam),  string of pearls); — Qal let drop, fall: Imperative masculine plural suffix + Imperfect3masculine singular suffix וַיִּשְׁמְטוּהָ (final ו dittograph) שִׁמְטוּהָו 2 Kings 9:33 he said, Let her fall, and they let her fall; then figurative, of letting land rest in seventh year:, 2 masculine singular suffix: תִּשְׁמְטֶנָּה Exodus 23:11 (E); Perfect2masculine singular וְשָׁמַטְתָּ֫ה> Jeremiah 17:4 thou shalt let drop thy hand (read יָָֽרְךָ for וּבְךְ JDMich and modern) from (מִן) thine inheritance, i.e. abandon it; Infinitive abs. שָׁמוֺט Deuteronomy 15:2 let fall (a debt in seventh year; see מַשֶּׁה b). — Perfect 3 plural שָֽׁמְטוּ הַבָּקָר 2 Samuel 6:6= 1 Chronicles 13:9 is dubious, most naturally either they let the oxen fall (slip, stumble), or (as Targan) the oxen let it fall (reading שְׁמָטוֺ, that is, the ark); > Thes the oxen ran away; ᵑ6 slipped (the yoke)? see further Dr. Niph`al Perfect3plural נִשְׁמְטוּ Psalm 141:6 their judges have been thrown down. Hiph`il2masculine singular (?) jussive (?) תַּשְׁמֵט Deuteronomy 15:3 thou, shalt cause thy hand to let drop, etc.; BaNB 147 Qal; < read תִּשְׁמֹט (compare Dr), יָרֶ֑ךָ: subject Topical Lexicon Scope of the Verbשָׁמַט denotes an intentional letting go—whether of land, debt, objects, or persons. Across its nine Old Testament occurrences the action is consistently decisive: land is released, debts are cancelled, sacred objects are allowed to move on their own, and hostile figures are hurled down. The common thread is the surrender of human control, making room for the outworking of divine purpose. Sabbatical Release and Debt Forgiveness (Exodus 23:11; Deuteronomy 15:2–3) The first cluster of uses appears in the legislation on the sabbatical year. “In the seventh year you must let it rest and lie fallow” (Exodus 23:11). Here shamat governs agricultural land, commanding Israel to relinquish cultivation so that the poor and even wild animals may benefit. Deuteronomy broadens the principle to moneylenders: “Every creditor shall cancel what he has loaned to his neighbor” (Deuteronomy 15:2). Israel’s economy was thus hard-wired with periodic resets that underscored God’s ownership of all resources and His concern for the vulnerable. Theologically, the sabbatical shamat is a lived parable of grace. Releasing debts models the divine cancellation that sinners receive in Christ (Colossians 2:14). It also cultivates trust—farmers who obeyed had to rely on God to provide during the fallow year, just as believers rely on the Savior’s sufficiency. Reverence for the Holy (2 Samuel 6:6; 1 Chronicles 13:9) When the oxen stumble, Uzzah reaches out to steady the Ark. The narrative says the oxen shook it, but the verb shamat conveys the potential “dropping” of the Ark. In attempting to prevent what seemed a disaster, Uzzah treats the Ark as common cargo and is struck down. The account impresses on Israel—and the church—the absolute holiness of God. Human ingenuity, however sincere, cannot override divinely revealed order. For ministry practice, transporting the Ark on a cart rather than on Levite shoulders (Numbers 7:9) was itself a failure to release human methods and submit to God’s word. The tragic result calls leaders to align every ministry endeavor with explicit scriptural directives. Judgment on the Wicked Jehu’s command concerning Jezebel—“Throw her down!” (2 Kings 9:33)—is the verb’s most graphic use. The literal hurling of the queen from the window fulfills Elijah’s prophecy (1 Kings 21:23), demonstrating that no power structure can resist God’s verdict. A poetic echo is found in Psalm 141:6: “Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs.” Both passages employ shamat to depict the abrupt termination of ungodly authority. In pastoral proclamation these texts remind hearers that arrogant opposition to the Lord will invariably meet a sudden end. Conversely, saints can rest in God’s ultimate justice rather than seek personal vengeance. Loss of Inheritance and Exile “You yourself will relinquish your inheritance that I gave you,” the Lord tells Judah (Jeremiah 17:4). The verb here signals a forced release—Judah will be torn from her land because of covenant infidelity. What was once voluntarily yielded in sabbatical obedience now becomes involuntarily surrendered through judgment. The contrast heightens the seriousness of sin and the mercy embedded in earlier legislation: voluntary release avoids compulsory forfeiture. For modern discipleship, this text warns that clinging to idols can cause believers to forfeit blessings that voluntary submission would preserve. Patterns of Release in Redemptive History 1. Voluntary release in sabbatical practice points to God’s gracious character. Ministry Applications • Stewardship: Regular financial generosity mirrors sabbatical cancellation by relinquishing control of resources. Concluding Reflection Every occurrence of שָׁמַט confronts human self-reliance—whether in economics, worship, politics, or personal possession—and calls God’s people to trust His Word and His ways. Where Israel practiced release, communities flourished; where individuals resisted, consequences were swift. The call persists: “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8). Forms and Transliterations וְשָׁמַטְתָּ֗ה וַֽיִּשְׁמְט֑וּהָ וישמטוה ושמטתה נִשְׁמְט֣וּ נשמטו שָֽׁמְט֖וּ שָׁמ֗וֹט שָׁמְט֖וּ שִׁמְט֖וּהָ שמוט שמטו שמטוה תִּשְׁמְטֶ֣נָּה תַּשְׁמֵ֥ט תשמט תשמטנה niš·mə·ṭū nishmeTu nišməṭū šā·mə·ṭū šā·mō·wṭ šāməṭū šāmōwṭ shameTu shaMot shimTuha šim·ṭū·hā šimṭūhā taš·mêṭ tashMet tašmêṭ tiš·mə·ṭen·nāh tishmeTennah tišməṭennāh vaiyishmeTuha veshamatTah way·yiš·mə·ṭū·hā wayyišməṭūhā wə·šā·maṭ·tāh wəšāmaṭtāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 23:11 HEB: וְהַשְּׁבִיעִ֞ת תִּשְׁמְטֶ֣נָּה וּנְטַשְׁתָּ֗הּ וְאָֽכְלוּ֙ NAS: but [on] the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, KJV: But the seventh [year] thou shalt let it rest and lie INT: but the seventh shall let and lie may eat Deuteronomy 15:2 Deuteronomy 15:3 2 Samuel 6:6 2 Kings 9:33 2 Kings 9:33 1 Chronicles 13:9 Psalm 141:6 Jeremiah 17:4 9 Occurrences |
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