---
title: שָׁוָה — be even · The Tanakh dictionary
description: שָׁוָה (7737), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 14 times: be even. BDB 1906: vb. Pi. Qal. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/7737.html)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [Tanakh](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/) / [ש](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1513-2.md)‎ / שָׁוָה‎

<!-- .hw dir=rtl lang=hbo -->
# שָׁוָה

<!-- .meta -->
«שָׁוָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **be even** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Used:** 14 times · **Key:** 7737 · **BDB:** שָׁוָה

### Glosses

they.compare (2); I.have.lain.down (1); I.have.made.still (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

be even [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/7737/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. Pi. Qal [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/7737/#m2)

<!-- fold -->
**The whole BDB entry:** vb. (be even, smooth, v. Pi., hence) agree with, be like, resemble (Arabic سوى ii. make even, flat, uniform (with something else); Aramaic שְׁוָא (der. spec.) be like, ܫܘܳܐ be equal, fit, like, Pa. lay out smoothly, Aph. make plain, fit, worthy);— Pf. 3 ms. לֹא שׁ׳ לִי Jb 33:27 (si vera l.) it was not equalled to me, i.e. (v. infra; according to most) not requited (so De Di Da, and Is 16:6 𝔗); Bu אֵל לֹא שִׁוָּה God did not requite (or שִׁלֵּם for שׁוה); Du לֹא שִׁוָּה כַעֲוֹנִי (cf. 𝔊); Impf. 1 s. of י׳, אֶל־מִי … אֶשְׁוֶה Is 40:25 to whom shall I be like? (‖ תְּדַמְּיוּנִי), implying that he is incomp.; 3 mpl. לֹא יִשְׁווּ־בָהּ Pr 3:15 are not comparable with her (wisdom), so 8:11; 2 ms. פֶּן־תִּשְׁוֶה־לוֹ Pr 26:4 lest thou be like him (a fool); Pt. שֹׁוֶה בְּ Est 7:4 is not an equivalent for; c. לְ, suitable for 3:8, so 1:22 Hi Or RyKau (reading כֹּל שֹׁוֶה עִמּוֹ for כִּלְשׁוֹן עַמּוֹ, but v. Siegf.); adequate for 5:13. Pf. 3 ms. שִׁוָּה Is 28:25 he hath levelled its (the ground’s) surface; 1 s. שִׁוִּיתִי וְדוֹמַמְתִּי נַפְשִׁי ψ 131:2 I have smoothed (composed) and stilled my soul; so, sc. נַפְשִׁי Is 38:13 𝔙 Ges De al., Houb Lo Che Du al. read שִׁוַּעְתִּי I cried; acc. מִשְׁפָּטִים 119:30 accounted suitable, meet (‖ דֶּרֶךְ אֱמוּנָה בָּחָ֑רְתִּי), Hi, cf. Gr v 128 (v. Qal Est 3:8); We ins. לְנֶגְדִּי (II. שׁ׳, cf. ψ 16:8); Zenner Du אִוִּיתִי. make like: Impf. 1 s. מָה אַשְׁוֶה־לָךְ La 2:13 (‖ אֲדַמֶּה); 2 mpl. לְמִי תְדַמְּיוּנִי וְתַשְׁווּ Is 46:5 (cf. Qal 40:25). (appar.) Pf. 3 fs. נִשְׁתָּ֑וָה (for נִשְׁתְּוָה) Pr 27:15 are alike, but read prob. Niph. 3 fs. נִשְׁוָ֑תָה Ges§ 75 x Toy al.—תשׁוה Jb 30:22 Kt v. II. שׁוא.

<!-- .note -->
Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 14 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (14 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (10 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «שָׁוָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/7737/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

<!-- div verse -->

<!-- .ref -->
[Proverbs 27:15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.27.15/)

<!-- .vt dir=rtl lang=hbo -->
דֶּ֣לֶף ט֭וֹרֵד בְּי֣וֹם סַגְרִ֑יר וְאֵ֥שֶׁת מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים נִשְׁתָּוָֽה׃

*Word for word:* a.dripping continual on a.day of.persistent.rain and a.wife of.contentions she.is.like

*JPS 1917:* A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike;

<!-- /div -->

<!-- div verse -->

<!-- .ref -->
[Isaiah 40:25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/ISA.40.25/)

<!-- .vt dir=rtl lang=hbo -->
וְאֶל־מִ֥י תְדַמְּי֖וּנִי וְאֶשְׁוֶ֑ה יֹאמַ֖ר קָדֽוֹשׁ׃

*Word for word:* and to whom? will you.liken.me and will.I.be.equal? he.says \[the\].holy.\[one\]

*JPS 1917:* To whom then will ye liken Me, that I should be equal? saith the Holy One.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [שׂוּג](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/7735.md)
- next →: [שָׁוֵה](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/7740.md)
- ↑ back to [ש](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1513-2.md)