שׂוּחַ

From the study of Genesis 24:63

Range of meaning

This verb occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible, so its meaning has to be inferred. The main proposals are: (1) 'to muse, meditate, ponder', treating it as a form of śîaḥ (H7878), a common verb meaning to go over something in your mind or out loud: to muse, talk, complain or lament (Ps 77:3, 6, 12; 119:15; 1 Sam 1:16, where Hannah's 'complaint' is śîaḥ); (2) 'to pray', a specialised form of the first sense; (3) 'to walk about, stroll, roam', based on the Syriac translation, possible Arabic parallels, or a proposed correction to śûṭ, 'to roam' (Job 1:7). A few scholars have suggested other ideas, such as 'to look for shrubs' (from śîaḥ, 'bush') or even a polite way of saying he went to relieve himself, but these have little support. BDB marks its own gloss 'muse' with a question mark, and HALOT treats the meaning as uncertain.

Against the English

KJV, BSB, WEB, YLT, ESV and NASB all have 'meditate'. NLT combines two of the options ('walking and meditating'). Some Jewish and ecumenical translations, among them the NRSV and NJPS traditions, choose 'walk' or 'stroll' and add a note saying the word is uncertain. None of these English versions signals in the main text that the Hebrew is a one-time word whose meaning is unknown.

How it drifted

'Meditate' goes back through the KJV to the Latin Vulgate's 'ad meditandum'. Even if the guess is right, modern English 'meditate' suggests a set spiritual technique, such as silent contemplation, mindfulness or emptying the mind. The Hebrew śîaḥ family is more verbal and emotional: turning something over, often muttered aloud, often a worry or complaint.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Greek Septuagint has adoleschēsai, 'to ponder' or 'to talk at length'. The same Greek word family translates śîaḥ in the Psalms (e.g. Ps 119:15, 23), which shows the Greek translators connected the two verbs. The Latin Vulgate has 'ad meditandum'. Targum Onkelos, the standard Aramaic translation, has 'to pray' (lᵉṣallāʾāh). The Talmud (b. Berakhot 26b) builds on this to credit Isaac with starting the afternoon prayer (minḥah), citing the use of śîaḥ for prayer in Ps 102:1. The Syriac Peshitta is usually reported as reading 'to walk about'.