שָׁתַן (sha.tan)
sha.tan
to urinate
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb šātan, appearing in the Hiphil stem, carries the straightforward meaning of urinating. It is a rare word in Scripture, occurring only six times across the Old Testament, with its primary usage found in the historical books of 1 Samuel and 2 Kings.
In these texts, the term is not used for medical or casual description but as a crude idiom to designate a male. The most famous instance occurs in 1 Samuel 24:3, where David’s men hesitate to harm King Saul, who is relieving himself in a cave. They argue that since the Lord has delivered Saul into David’s hands, they should not strike him while he is vulnerable. Here, the word serves as a blunt marker of gender and physical exposure rather than focusing on the act itself.
This usage highlights how ancient Hebrew could employ bodily functions to distinguish between men and women in military or political contexts. The phrase "one who urinates" became a shorthand for "male," emphasizing biological identity in situations where honor, vulnerability, or combat readiness were at stake. Translators typically render this literally to preserve the starkness of the original idiom.
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.tan literally means to urinate, yet in Scripture it functions as a blunt idiom for any male. Ancient translators used this stark imagery to designate men in military or legal contexts, distinguishing them from women. This usage appears in moments of judgment or oath-taking, emphasizing the totality of what is being described.
When David swears an oath in 1 Samuel 25:34, he uses this phrase to promise that not a single male will remain alive if Nabal does not listen. It was a crude but clear way of saying “every man.” Understanding this helps us see the severity of the curses pronounced against kings like Jeroboam and Ahab in Kings.
For your faith, this word reminds us that God’s words are precise. Whether speaking of protection or judgment, Scripture does not shy away from raw language to convey truth. It invites us to take God’s promises seriously, knowing He sees all things clearly.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [one who] urinates6×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מַשְׁתִּ֣ין4×
- מַשְׁתִּ֥ין2×
Key Verses
-
I Samuel 25:34
For indeed, as Yahweh the God of Israel lives, who has withheld me from harming you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely there wouldn’t have been left to Nabal by the morning light so much as one who urinates on a wall.”
David uses the phrase to emphasize the completeness of his oath against Nabal, showing how the idiom marks total judgment on males.
-
I Kings 14:10
therefore, behold, I will bring evil on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam everyone who urinates on a wall, he who is shut up and he who is left at large in Israel, and will utterly sweep away the house of Jeroboam, as a man sweeps away dung until it is all gone.
The prophet declares that God will cut off every male in Jeroboam’s house, using the idiom to signify a complete eradication of his lineage.
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I Kings 21:21
Behold, I will bring evil on you, and will utterly sweep you away and will cut off from Ahab everyone who urinates against a wall, and him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel.
This verse applies the same judgment phrase to Ahab, linking the word to the severe consequences of royal disobedience.