שְׁרִיקָה (she.ru.qah)
she.ru.qah
piping
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun shariqah refers to a sharp, piercing sound, best understood as piping, whistling, or hissing. In the Hebrew Bible, it appears only twice, yet its context is vividly unsettling. It describes the noise made by enemies, creating an atmosphere of threat and impending danger.
In Judges 9:37, the speaker uses the term to depict the hostile forces gathering against Shechem, likening their approach to a menacing whistle or hiss that signals aggression. Similarly, Jeremiah 48:29 employs the word when describing the fate of Moab, where the enemy’s advance is marked by this same shrill, intimidating sound.
The imagery relies on the auditory shock of a sudden, high-pitched noise rather than a musical melody. Translators often choose "hissing" or "whistling" to capture the sense of something dangerous approaching, emphasizing the fear and alarm such sounds would provoke in ancient listeners.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word shariqah describes a sharp, piercing sound like whistling or hissing. In Scripture, this noise signals danger rather than comfort. It reminds us that not every gathering of people brings peace; sometimes it brings threat.
When you face uncertainty or fear in your life, remember that God sees the hostile forces arrayed against His people. He does not leave them helpless. Even when the sounds around you are alarming, God remains sovereign over history and your personal circumstances.
This word invites trust in a God who protects us from unseen dangers. You can rest in His care, knowing that no threat is beyond His control and that He watches over those who seek Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- whistling of1×
- [the] whistling of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שְׁרִק֣וֹת1×
- שְׁרִיק֣וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
Judges 5:16
Why did you sit among the sheepfolds? To hear the whistling for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben, there were great searchings of heart.
This verse uses the word to contrast peaceful stillness with the alarming sound of enemy forces gathering, highlighting the tension between safety and threat.
-
Jeremiah 18:16
to make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing. Everyone who passes by it will be astonished, and shake his head.
Here the term describes a lasting sign of judgment, where the land itself becomes a source of shock and hissing to those who witness its desolation.