שָׁאַל
shâʼal · shaw-al'
to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demand
Lexicon
Derivation: or שָׁאֵל; a primitive root;
to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demand
- to inquire
- by implication, to request
- by extension, to demand
Definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Wording is Strong's own, including his etymological notes, which are not separate meanings.
KJV renderings: ask (counsel, on), beg, borrow, lay to charge, consult, demand, desire, [idiom] earnestly, enquire, [phrase] greet, obtain leave, lend, pray, request, require, [phrase] salute, [idiom] straitly, [idiom] surely, wish.
Letters
- שShin300
Picture: two front teeth (or a composite bow)
- Concrete
- teeth · sharp · press · bow
- Extended
- to consume · to destroy · to press or grind · to change · again
- אAlef1
Picture: ox head
- Concrete
- ox · bull · cattle
- Extended
- strength · leader · first · the one in front
- לLamed30
Picture: shepherd's staff or goad
- Concrete
- staff · goad · yoke · cattle prod
- Extended
- authority · to lead · to teach · to bind · toward
Possible cultural reading (auto-composed)
to consume, to destroy › strength, the leader › authority, the one who leads
To consume, to destroy of strength, the leader of authority, the one who leads.
Interpretive, not lexical. The dictionary sense of שָׁאַל above is the attested meaning; this pictographic reading is a tradition about how the sign-shapes may have been heard. Both can be held at once, they are answering different questions.
Usage
171 occurrences · 171 OT · 0 NT · 126 distinct forms
KJV renderings of this word, by how often each one is used.
- ask19 · 23%
- enquired10 · 12%
- asked10 · 12%
- and asked4 · 5%
- asketh3 · 4%
- borrow3 · 4%
- and he asked3 · 4%
- and saluted2 · 2%
- him to ask2 · 2%
- and ask2 · 2%
- and enquire2 · 2%
- i will demand2 · 2%
- and i asked2 · 2%
- to ask2 · 2%
- but hast asked2 · 2%
- to enquire2 · 2%
- earnestly2 · 2%
- whatsoever she asked2 · 2%
- he asked2 · 2%
- therefore shall he beg2 · 2%
- shall ask2 · 2%
- then he asked1 · 1%
- asked him1 · 1%
- that thou dost ask1 · 1%
- and asketh thee1 · 1%
Where it is used, by book.
Inflected forms found in the text.
Counts are computed from the tagged Hebrew and Greek text aligned to the King James Version, not from an estimate.