שָׁחַט (sha.chat)
sha.chat
to slaughter; slaughtering
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 62 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The verb sha.chat means to slaughter or kill, typically by cutting the throat. In the Hebrew Bible, it appears sixty-two times and is most common in Leviticus, Exodus, and II Chronicles. The word describes the physical act of preparing an animal for food or offering it as a sacrifice. It is a concrete term for the moment life ends, marking the transition from living creature to meat.
Its usage spans several contexts. Most often, it refers to slaughtering livestock for regular meals or for religious rituals in the tabernacle and temple. The sources also note its use in describing human sacrifice, highlighting the gravity of taking a human life outside of lawful judgment. In one instance, it describes shekels as "beaten" or hammered metal, showing how the root idea of striking extends to working materials.
Translators usually render sha.chat as "slaughter" or "kill." This distinguishes it from other Hebrew words for death that might imply natural causes or battle. The focus remains on the deliberate act of putting an animal to death for a specific purpose, whether for sustenance or worship.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word sha.chat describes the specific act of slaughtering an animal, usually by cutting its throat. In the Old Testament, this verb appears sixty-two times, mostly in Leviticus and Exodus. It is a concrete term for ending an animal’s life to prepare it for food or as a religious offering. The focus is on the deliberate action required to transition from a living creature to meat ready for use.
For your faith, this word highlights the seriousness of life and death in ancient Israel. It was not a casual act but one tied to worship and sustenance. When you read about sacrifices in Leviticus, sha.chat marks the moment the offering was prepared before God. This ritual practice helped the people understand that approaching the holy required a tangible cost and careful obedience.
Understanding this term helps you see the weight behind the sacrificial system. It shows how physical actions were used to express spiritual realities. The detailed instructions for killing and handling blood emphasize the sanctity of life and the need for atonement. This historical context deepens your appreciation for the Old Testament laws and their role in guiding God’s people.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 62 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ he will cut [the] throat of13×
- and/ they slaughtered9×
- someone cuts [the] throat of3×
- and/ you will slaughter3×
- and/ he cut [the] throat of [it]3×
- and/ he cut [the] throat of3×
- he will cut [the] throat of2×
- he slaughtered2×
- and/ they slaughtered/ them2×
- and/ someone will cut [the] throat of2×
- and/ slaughter2×
- and/ he slaughtered/ them2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/שָׁחַ֣ט4×
- וַֽ/יִּשְׁחֲטוּ֙3×
- וַֽ/יִּשְׁחֲט֖וּ3×
- וַ/יִּשְׁחֲט֣וּ3×
- וְ/שָׁחַ֥ט3×
- יִשְׁחַ֥ט2×
- וַ/יִּשְׁחָטֵ֖/ם2×
- וַ/יִּשְׁחֲטוּ\־2×
- וְ/שָׁחַ֛ט2×
- וְ/שָׁחַ֖ט2×
- תִשְׁחַ֥ט1×
- תִשְׁחֲט֖וּ1×
Key Verses
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Genesis 22:10
Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to kill his son.
This verse uses sha.chat to describe Abraham’s act of slaughtering Isaac, highlighting the extreme gravity of human sacrifice and testing.
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Exodus 12:6
You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at evening.
Here the word commands the Israelites to kill the Passover lamb, marking the pivotal ritual that secured their deliverance from Egypt.
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Leviticus 1:5
He shall kill the bull before Yahweh. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
This instruction for the burnt offering uses sha.chat to show how the slaughter was the first step in presenting a pleasing sacrifice to Yahweh.
-
Leviticus 4:29
He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering.
The verb specifies the killing of the sin offering, emphasizing the precise ritual required to address personal transgressions before God.