שְׁרֵקָה (she.re.qah)
she.re.qah
hissing
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun she.re.qah refers to a sharp sound, specifically described as hissing or whistling. In the Hebrew Bible, this onomatopoeic word captures the noise made by people clicking their tongues or fingers in derision. It is not a neutral description of sound but carries a strong social sting, representing mockery directed at someone who has failed or fallen.
This term appears seven times, primarily in prophetic literature such as Jeremiah and Micah, where it describes the reaction of surrounding nations to Israel’s defeat. For instance, in Jeremiah 18:16, the prophet warns that enemies will make this hissing sound at Judah because of its stubbornness. The imagery is vivid: the defeated people become a spectacle, and the "hissing" serves as an auditory symbol of public shame and divine judgment.
Translators often render she.re.qah as "hissing," "whistling," or "derision." While some versions use "whistling," the context usually implies a contemptuous noise rather than a playful one. The word underscores the severity of the loss; it is not just military defeat but a humiliation that invites scorn from onlookers.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word she.re.qah describes a sharp, derisive sound—like clicking tongues or whistling in mockery. In the Old Testament, it marks the deep shame of defeat, where enemies taunt God’s people for their failure. This was not just military loss but public humiliation, a social sting that left the community exposed to scorn.
Yet this imagery also reveals the seriousness of turning away from God. The prophets used these stark pictures to show how sin breaks fellowship with Him. When we choose our own path over His wisdom, we risk losing the protection and honor He offers. It is a sobering reminder that our choices have real consequences.
For believers today, this word invites reflection on humility and repentance. Instead of fearing mockery, we are called to trust in God’s faithfulness even when circumstances seem dire. His judgment is always tied to restoration, offering hope beyond shame through His mercy and grace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ into/ a hissing4×
- into/ hissing1×
- into/ a hissing1×
- and/ a hissing1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/לִ/שְׁרֵקָ֔ה2×
- לִ/שְׁרֵקָ֥ה1×
- לִ/שְׁרֵקָ֔ה1×
- וּ/שְׁרֵקָ֖ה1×
- וְ/לִ/שְׁרֵקָ֣ה1×
- וְ/לִ/שְׁרֵקָ֑ה1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 19:8
I will make this city an astonishment and a hissing. Everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss because of all its plagues.
This verse shows God actively making the city a 'hissing,' linking the sound directly to divine judgment for persistent rebellion.
-
Micah 6:16
For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of Ahab’s house. You walk in their counsels, that I may make you a ruin, and your inhabitants a hissing. You will bear the reproach of my people.”
Here, the hissing is the result of following wicked counsel like Omri and Ahab, showing how shared sin leads to communal disgrace.
-
Jeremiah 29:18
I will pursue after them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth, to be an object of horror, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them,
The inclusion of 'hissing' alongside sword and famine emphasizes that exile brings not just physical suffering but social contempt from other nations.