שְׁכָבָה (she.kha.vah)
she.kha.vah
semen
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 9 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun shekavah literally means "an act of lying down," but in the biblical text it serves as a specific euphemism for sexual intercourse, particularly referring to the emission of semen or the physical union itself. It appears nine times in the Old Testament, primarily within the legal codes of Leviticus and Numbers, where it is used to define boundaries of ritual purity and prohibited relationships.
Its usage is notably clinical and detached compared to other Hebrew terms for intimacy. By focusing on the physical position rather than the emotional or relational aspect, the law treats sexual acts as objective events that can render a person or object unclean. For instance, Leviticus 15:16 uses it to describe the impurity resulting from seminal emission, while Leviticus 20:18 employs it to forbid intercourse during menstruation.
This word highlights how ancient Israelite law often categorized sexual behavior through the lens of ritual status rather than moral sentiment. The term appears in contexts where the physical act creates a state of temporary uncleanness that requires washing and waiting until evening, emphasizing the tangible consequences of bodily functions within the covenant community's worship life.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word shekavah appears nine times in the Old Testament, primarily within the legal codes of Leviticus and Numbers. While it literally means an act of lying down, the text uses it as a specific term for sexual intercourse or seminal emission. This clinical language focuses on the physical reality of the act rather than emotional intimacy, treating sexual union as an objective event with tangible consequences for ritual status.
In these passages, the law categorizes sexual behavior through the lens of purity. For example, Leviticus 15:18 notes that if a man lies with a woman and there is an emission of semen, both must bathe and remain unclean until evening. This was not a moral judgment on the act itself, but a recognition that bodily fluids could render a person temporarily unfit for holy spaces. The emphasis was on maintaining the community's ritual cleanliness so they could dwell safely among God.
Understanding this word helps us see how ancient Israelites viewed their bodies and worship. Physical acts had spiritual weight, requiring cleansing before approaching the sanctuary. This highlights the seriousness with which they held their covenant relationship. It reminds us that holiness involves both inner faithfulness and outer obedience, preparing our hearts to meet a holy God.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 9 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a laying of7×
- [the] layer of2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שִׁכְבַת\־7×
- שִׁכְבַ֣ת2×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 15:18
If a man lies with a woman and there is an emission of semen, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the evening.
This verse explicitly links the physical act of lying with a woman and the resulting emission of semen, requiring both parties to bathe and remain unclean until evening.
-
Leviticus 15:16
“‘If any man has an emission of semen, then he shall bathe all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the evening.
Here the term describes the impurity resulting from a natural seminal emission, establishing that even involuntary bodily functions required ritual washing.
-
Numbers 5:13
and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and this is kept concealed, and she is defiled, there is no witness against her, and she isn’t taken in the act;
The phrase 'lies with her carnally' uses this root to describe secret adultery, highlighting how the act defiles the woman and triggers a jealousy offering.