Lexical Summary shamen: Fat, rich, fertile Original Word: שָׁמַן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance become make, wax fat A primitive root; to shine, i.e. (by analogy) be (causatively, make) oily or gross -- become (make, wax) fat. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to grow fat NASB Translation fat (1), grew fat (2), grown fat (1), insensitive (1), render (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [שָׁמֵן] verb grow fat (Late Hebrew Hiph`il id., also שֶׁמֶן Arabic  be fat; Aramaic  especially derived species and derivatives; שְׁמֵין adjective fat: Assyrian šammu, fat; Phoenician (Punic) שמן oil, so Palmyrene שמנא Lzb378; on relation of meanings Frä147); — Qal Perfect2masculine singular שָׁמַ֫נְתָּ Deuteronomy 32:15 and Imperfect3masculine singular וַיִשְׁמַן Deuteronomy 32:15 both of Israel (prosperous and arrogant) under figure of fat beast; so Perfect3plural שָֽׁמְנוּ Jeremiah 5:28 (of wicked). Hiph`il Imperfect3masculine plural וַיַשְׁמִינוּ Nehemiah 9:25 were sated and shewed fatness (inner causative); Imperative masculine singular הַשְׁמֵן Isaiah 6:10 make fat (dull, unreceptive), לֵב הָיָם הַוֶּה. Topical Lexicon Meaning and ImageryThe verb שָׁמַן (Strong’s 8080) paints a vivid picture drawn from agrarian life. Literally it describes livestock that have been well-fed until the flesh thickens with fat. Figuratively it becomes a penetrating metaphor for the human heart that has enjoyed abundance yet drifted into self-satisfaction, insensitivity, and moral laxity. Scripture uses the verb to expose how material prosperity can thicken spiritual arteries, leaving people dull to God’s commands and indifferent toward human need. Canonical Occurrences • Deuteronomy 32:15 – “But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked … Then he abandoned the God who made him”. Moses foretells Israel’s apostasy after tasting the bounty of the Promised Land. (Deuteronomy 32:15 contains two occurrences of the verb.) Historical Background In the Ancient Near East, fatness was not pejorative in itself; it signified health, prosperity, and divine favor (Genesis 45:18; Psalm 36:8). Israel’s agricultural calendar revolved around the expectation that Yahweh would “bless your bread and your water” (Exodus 23:25). Yet Torah repeatedly warns that abundance must never be divorced from covenant loyalty. The wilderness generation learned dependence on manna; the land-dwelling generation would be tested by vineyards they did not plant and cisterns they did not dig (Deuteronomy 6:10–12). The verb שָׁמַן crystallizes that test. Theological Significance 1. Blessing Misapplied. God’s gifts are good, but unguarded hearts convert blessing into a barrier. Illustrations of Spiritual Danger • Jeshurun’s Kick – Like an ox too stout to bear the yoke, Israel “kicked” against divine authority. Connection to New Testament Teaching The pattern continues in the New Testament: Each text echoes שָׁמַן’s warning that unchecked affluence courts judgment. Homiletical and Pastoral Applications • Cultivate Gratitude, Guard against Complacency – Encourage believers to enjoy God’s provisions while keeping hearts tender through worship, repentance, and generosity. Summary Shaman warns that the same abundance that testifies to God’s goodness can, when mishandled, insulate the soul from Him and from neighbor. Whether in Israel’s early history, the prophetic era, or today’s church, the Spirit uses this verb to press a timeless question: Will prosperity produce a thankful, obedient people, or a fat, calloused heart? Forms and Transliterations הַשְׁמֵן֙ השמן וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ן וַיַּשְׁמִ֔ינוּ וישמינו וישמן שָׁמְנ֣וּ שָׁמַ֖נְתָּ שמנו שמנת haš·mên hashMen hašmên šā·man·tā šā·mə·nū šāmantā šāmənū shaManta shameNu vaiyashMinu vaiyishMan way·yaš·mî·nū way·yiš·man wayyašmînū wayyišmanLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 32:15 HEB: וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ן יְשֻׁרוּן֙ וַיִּבְעָ֔ט NAS: But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked-- KJV: But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: INT: grew Jeshurun and kicked Deuteronomy 32:15 Nehemiah 9:25 Isaiah 6:10 Jeremiah 5:28 5 Occurrences |
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