שֶׁ֫מֶן (she.men)
she.men
oil
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 149 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun shemen refers primarily to oil, specifically olive oil, but its root meaning is "fat" or richness. In the Old Testament, it appears in over 140 verses, functioning as a staple food, a medicinal ointment, and a sacred substance for anointing priests and kings. The word captures both physical nourishment and spiritual consecration, linking the material world to divine favor.
Its usage extends beyond literal grease to symbolize abundance and joy. When prophets describe valleys of shemen, they picture land so fertile it overflows with oil, representing God’s blessing (Isaiah 28:1). This metaphorical richness explains why Psalm 23 speaks of a table prepared with oil, suggesting hospitality and provision that exceeds mere survival.
Translators often render shemen as "oil" or "anointing," but the underlying sense is one of luxury and setting apart. In Exodus, the command to make holy anointing oil (Exodus 30:25) shows how this common commodity became a bridge between the ordinary and the sacred, marking people and objects as belonging to God.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Olive oil in the ancient world was far more than a cooking ingredient; it was a symbol of God’s generous provision and joy. When Psalm 23 speaks of a table prepared before you, the image includes oil, suggesting that God’s care goes beyond basic survival to offer richness and celebration. This physical abundance points to a deeper spiritual reality where your needs are met with plenty.
Beyond daily sustenance, shemen was used to set apart priests and kings for sacred service. The act of pouring oil on a head marked someone as chosen and consecrated to God. This reminds us that ordinary moments and common materials can become bridges to the divine when offered in faith, connecting our everyday lives with holy purpose.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 149 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- with <the>/ oil44×
- oil26×
- [the] oil of15×
- the/ oil13×
- and/ oil11×
- <the>/ oil11×
- oil of7×
- olive4×
- with/ oil2×
- with/ [the] oil of2×
- some of/ [the] oil of2×
- oils/ your2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בַ/שֶּׁ֖מֶן16×
- שֶׁ֣מֶן13×
- שָֽׁמֶן\׃8×
- בַ/שָּׁ֑מֶן7×
- שָׁ֑מֶן6×
- שֶׁ֖מֶן5×
- שֶׁ֔מֶן5×
- הַ/שֶּׁ֖מֶן5×
- בַּ/שֶּׁ֔מֶן5×
- שֶׁ֤מֶן4×
- שֶׁ֛מֶן4×
- מִ/שֶּׁ֣מֶן4×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 28:18
Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on its top.
Jacob’s act of pouring oil on a stone pillar marks a personal encounter with God, turning an ordinary rock into a lasting memorial of divine presence.
-
Exodus 30:25
You shall make it into a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil.
The specific recipe for holy anointing oil shows how God provided clear instructions to transform common ingredients into a sacred substance for consecration.
-
Exodus 27:20
“You shall command the children of Israel, that they bring to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually.
The command for pure olive oil to keep the lamp burning continually highlights the importance of sustained light and presence in the tabernacle.