Lexical Summary sheruqah or sheriqah: Whistling, hissing Original Word: שְׁרוּקָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bleating, hissing Or (by permutation) shriyqah {sher-ee- kaw'}; feminine passive participle of sharaq; a whistling (in scorn); by analogy, a piping -- bleating, hissing. see HEBREW sharaq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom sharaq Definition hissing, whistling, piping NASB Translation hissing (1), piping (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [שְׁרִיקָה] noun [feminine] hissing, perhaps also whistling, piping; — plural absolute (intensive) שְׁרִיקֹת Jeremiah 18:16 Qr hissing, in derision, + שַׁמָּה (see שְׁרֵקָה), Kt שרוקת; construct שְׁרִקוֺת עֲדָרִים Judges 5:16 as signal hissings (or whistlings, pipings) for flocks. שׁרר (√ of [שָׁרִיר], שְׁרִירוּת, and perhaps of other words following; Old Aramaic שר be firm sound, Aramaic שְׁרַר be firm, hard, Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imagery שְׁרוּקָה paints the picture of a sharp, carrying sound—either the shepherd’s piercing whistle that gathers sheep or the derisive hiss that accompanies scorn. Scripture employs the term both ways, capturing a spectrum from pastoral calm to covenant curse. Contexts of Usage 1. Judges 5:16 – In the Song of Deborah, the tribe of Reuben remains by the sheepfolds “to hear the whistling for the flocks”. The verse contrasts Reuben’s absorption in routine shepherding sounds with the summons to join the fight for Israel’s deliverance. The whistle becomes an emblem of complacency when decisive action is required. 2. Jeremiah 18:16 – The prophet foresees Judah’s land turned into “a perpetual object of scorn”, literally a place of שְׁרוּקָה. Here the same sound is inverted: no longer the shepherd’s call but the hiss of nations mocking a people under judgment. The auditory image intensifies the horror of exile and desolation. Historical Background During the era of the Judges, tribal identity and agricultural life were inseparable; a shepherd’s whistle was an everyday tool. Deborah’s song (circa twelfth century BC) rebukes Reuben for valuing pastoral routine above covenant loyalty. Centuries later, Jeremiah prophesied (late seventh to early sixth century BC) as Babylon loomed. What had once been a peaceful rural sound now returns as an ominous hiss signaling international ridicule. Theological Observations • Divine Call versus Human Indecision: Reuben’s lingering among the folds illustrates how earthly preoccupations can dull responsiveness to God’s call (compare Hebrews 3:15). Ministry Insights 1. Prompt Obedience: Pastors and teachers can press the warning of Judges 5:16—routine ministry duties must never eclipse urgent obedience when God calls the church to decisive engagement. Practical Application • Evaluate whether personal or congregational schedules have become “sheepfolds” that muffle God’s broader calls to mission or justice. Summary Shruqah illustrates how a single sound can either summon to faithful action or signal covenant disgrace. The biblical record invites every generation to heed the Shepherd quickly, lest delayed obedience devolve into a hiss of shame before a watching world. Forms and Transliterations שְׁרִק֣וֹת שְׁרִיקֹ֣ות שריקות שרקות šə·ri·qō·wṯ šə·rî·qō·wṯ šəriqōwṯ šərîqōwṯ sheriKotLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Judges 5:16 HEB: הַֽמִּשְׁפְּתַ֔יִם לִשְׁמֹ֖עַ שְׁרִק֣וֹת עֲדָרִ֑ים לִפְלַגּ֣וֹת NAS: To hear the piping for the flocks? KJV: to hear the bleatings of the flocks? INT: the sheepfolds to hear the piping drove division Jeremiah 18:16 2 Occurrences |
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be firm, consistent, substantial, truthful, 
strengthen confirm : Aramaic and Late Hebrew שָׁרִיר firm, hard; 
firmness, strength, constancy).