שׂוּג (sug)
sug
to turn back
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb sug means to move away or turn back, often carrying a sense of retreating from a path or position. In the Old Testament, it describes both physical movement and spiritual defection. The Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon notes that in its basic form, it can mean to prove recreant or to backslide against God, indicating a departure from loyalty rather than just a change of direction.
This word appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in 2 Samuel 19:43. The context involves a dispute between the tribes of Israel and Judah over the return of King David. Here, sug is used in the Hophal stem to describe how justice was "driven back" or pushed aside by the conflict. This usage highlights a serious breakdown in social order, where legal rights were ignored due to tribal rivalry.
The rarity of sug makes its single occurrence significant. It serves as a stark example of what happens when communal bonds fracture. The image is not merely of people walking away, but of justice itself being forced into retreat. This underscores the biblical concern that social harmony and fair treatment are fragile, easily displaced by division.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word sug appears only once in the Old Testament, in David's lament for Saul and Jonathan. He sings that Jonathan's bow “didn’t turn back” from the blood of the slain. In the original language, that refusal to retreat uses this rare verb. The bow held its ground when the battle demanded everything.
Sometimes faithfulness looks like a bow that stays drawn. Friendships are tested, churches go through seasons of conflict, and our own hearts grow weary. The temptation is to pull back, to protect ourselves, to let love grow cold. Jonathan faced far more than his share of reasons to retreat. Yet David remembered him as someone whose courage didn't waver.
The God who called you is the God who strengthens. When the cost of staying feels too high, remember that Christ himself didn't turn back from the cross. His steadfast love is the source of yours. You don't have to manufacture resolve on your own. Ask Him to steady you, and trust that even a single life lived faithfully can become a memorial like Jonathan's.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- it turned back1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- נָשׂ֖וֹג1×
Key Verses
-
II Samuel 1:22
From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, Jonathan’s bow didn’t turn back. Saul’s sword didn’t return empty.
The negative use of sug ('didn't turn back') highlights the steadfastness of Jonathan's bow in battle, turning a rare word into a tribute to his loyalty.