Lexical Summary
shavah: To level, equalize, resemble, compare, adjust
Original Word:שָׁוָה
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:shavah
Pronunciation:sha-vah'
Phonetic Spelling:(shaw-vaw')
KJV: avail, behave, bring forth, compare, countervail, (be, make) equal, lay, be (make, a-)like, make plain, profit, reckon
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. (properly) to level, i.e. equalize
2. (figuratively) to resemble
3. (by implication) to adjust (i.e. counterbalance, be suitable, compose, place, yield, etc.)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
avail, behave, bring forth, compare, countervail, be, make equal, lay,
A primitive root; properly, to level, i.e. Equalize; figuratively, to resemble; by implication, to adjust (i.e. Counterbalance, be suitable, compose, place, yield, etc.) -- avail, behave, bring forth, compare, countervail, (be, make) equal, lay, be (make, a-)like, make plain, profit, reckon.
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. (, see
, hence) (Arabic
II.make even, flat, uniform (with something else); Aramaic (derived species)be like,
be equal, fit, like, Pa`ellay out smoothly, Aph`elmake plain, fit, worthy); —
Perfect3masculine singularJob 33:27 (si vera lectio)it was not equalled to me, i.e. (see infra; according to most)not requited (so De Di Da, andIsaiah 16:6 ); BuGod did not requite (or for ); Du (compare );Imperfect1singular of ,Isaiah 40:25to whom shall I be like ? ("" ), implying that he is incompare; 3 masculine pluralProverbs 3:15are not comparable with her (wisdom), soProverbs 8:11; 2masculine singularProverbs 26:4lest thou be like him (a fool);ParticipleEsther 7:4is notan equivalent for; with ,suitable forEsther 3:8, soEsther 1:22 Hi Or RyKau (reading for , but see Siegf.);adequate forEsther 5:13.
Perfect3masculine singularIsaiah 28:25he hath levelled its (the ground's) surface; 1 singularPsalm 131:2I have smoothed (composed)and stilled my soul; so, that isIsaiah 38:13 Ges De and others; Houb Lo Che Du and others readI cried; accusativePsalm 119:30accounted suitable,meet ("" ), Hi, compare GrPsalm 119:128 (see
Esther 3:8); We inserts (II. , comparePsalm 16:8); Zenner Du .
make like: Imperfect1singularLamentations 2:13 ("" ); 2 masculine pluralIsaiah 46:5 (compare
Isaiah 40:25).
(apparently)Perfect3feminine singular (for )Proverbs 27:15are alike, but read probably Niph`al 3 feminine singular Ges§ 75x Toy and others —Job 30:22 Kt see II. .
II. [] (Biblical Aramaic Hithpa. Pa`elset, make (often = , ); Thes and others below I. , originallyset, place, thenset together, compare, < weakened from originalmake even, right, compare Vulgar Arabic
II.make (Wahrm, compare also BaES 66)); —Perfect1singularPsalm 16:8I have setbefore me ();Psalm 89:20I have placed strength upon a hero, comparePsalm 21:6;Participle2 Samuel 22:34setting my feet like hinds =Psalm 18:34 (compareGenesis 48:20;Jeremiah 29:22, for ); —Isaiah 38:13 see I. ; —Imperfect =make, produce, 3 masculine singularHosea 10:1 (Israel as vine), si vera lectio, see We Now (""Hosea 9:16, compareHosea 8:7).
I. [] (Biblical Hebrew I. ); —
Perfect3masculine plural Qr (see following; >
Kt, see K§ 47 Beisp. 3, and p. 175)Daniel 5:21, accusative of thing, with .
Topical Lexicon
Overview of the Verb’s Biblical FunctionThe verb שָׁוָה appears twenty-one times, spreading over historical narrative, poetry, wisdom, and prophetic literature. Its core idea is “to level, set, make equal, or compare.” Whether describing God’s steadying power, the futility of idolatry, or the surpassing worth of wisdom, the term invites readers to measure all things against the Lord’s righteous standard.
Stability and Surefootedness (2 Samuel 22:34;Psalm 18:33;Psalm 89:19)
David twice celebrates the Lord who “makes my feet like those of a deer; He causes me to stand on the heights” (Psalm 18:33; cf.2 Samuel 22:34). “Makes…stand” renders שָׁוָה, portraying Yahweh as the One who levels treacherous ground beneath the believer’s feet.Psalm 89:19 recalls God’s covenant promise: “I have exalted one chosen from the people.” The same verb conveys God’s decisive act of positioning His anointed securely. The theology is covenantal confidence; the believer’s footing is firm because the Lord has evened the terrain.
Unswerving Devotion (Psalm 16:8; 119:30; 131:2)
In personal piety the verb depicts conscious alignment. “I have set the LORD always before me” (Psalm 16:8). The worshiper has actively leveled his will with God’s presence.Psalm 119:30 parallels: “I have chosen the way of truth; I have set Your ordinances before me.”Psalm 131:2, “I have calmed and quieted my soul,” shows the heart’s posture smoothed into restful trust. שָׁוָה thus becomes language for discipleship: habits, affections, and ambitions are continually adjusted to match the revealed word.
Surpassing Value in Wisdom Literature (Proverbs 3:15; 8:11; 26:4; 27:15)
Wisdom’s worth defies equivalence. “She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire compares with her” (Proverbs 3:15; cf. 8:11). Here שָׁוָה functions negatively—nothing can be set on the same plane as godly wisdom.Proverbs 26:4 warns not to “answer a fool according to his folly, lest you yourself also be like him,” highlighting the danger of lowering oneself to an unworthy comparison.Proverbs 27:15 likens a contentious wife to “a constant dripping,” an ironic leveling that exposes folly’s corrosive parity.
Political and Social Equilibrium (Esther 3:8; 5:13; 7:4)
Haman’s scheming pivots on שָׁוָה. He claims the Jews’ laws “are different from those of every other people, and it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them” (Esther 3:8). Later, despite honors received, “all this does not satisfy me” (Esther 5:13), because Mordecai will not bow. AtEsther 7:4 the queen clarifies that extermination of her people is beyond any monetary equivalence. The verb exposes political malice when human lives are weighed on unjust scales and affirms providence that finally topples such arrogance.
Prophetic Challenges to Idolatrous Parity (Isaiah 40:25; 46:5;Lamentations 2:13)
“‘To whom will you compare Me, or who is My equal?’ says the Holy One” (Isaiah 40:25). Shavah stands at the heart of prophetic polemic: no created power matches Yahweh.Isaiah 46:5 repeats the challenge.Lamentations 2:13 asks, “What can I say for you? With what can I compare you, O Daughter of Jerusalem?” The devastated city seems beyond comparison, yet hope endures because God Himself transcends every measure.
Agricultural and National Imagery (Isaiah 28:25;Hosea 10:1)
Isaiah describes the farmer who “levels its surface” before sowing (Isaiah 28:25), while Hosea pictures Israel as “a luxuriant vine” accruing altars proportional to its fruit (Hosea 10:1). In both contexts shavah captures preparation or expansion on a level plane, warning that external prosperity without covenant fidelity invites judgment.
Pastoral and Homiletical Application
1. Spiritual Alignment: Believers are exhorted to continually “set” the Lord before them, cultivating conscious God-centeredness that steadies emotions and decisions.
2. Evaluative Discernment: Wisdom literature’s negations urge the church to renounce false equivalencies—no earthly treasure, doctrine, or relationship may rival Christ.
3. Apologetic Confidence: Isaiah’s challenges equip Christians to rebut relativism; the incomparable God alone defines truth and worth.
4. Justice and Mercy: Esther’s narrative warns against utilitarian valuations of people groups and encourages courageous advocacy when life is deemed expendable.
Christological Outlook
While shavah never directly names the Messiah, its themes converge in Him. He alone perfectly “sets” the Father’s will before Him (John 8:29), levels the path for believers (Hebrews 12:13), and proves “of infinite value” (Philippians 3:8). In Him every disparity—between Jew and Gentile, heaven and earth—is reconciled without compromising righteousness.
Summary
Shavah calls God’s people to evaluate, align, and level all aspects of life under the Lord’s unchanging standard. Whether assuring the saint’s footing, exposing idolatrous comparisons, or proclaiming wisdom’s incomparable worth, the verb underscores a worldview in which Yahweh alone is without equal and His ways alone provide a firm, even path.
Forms and Transliterations
אַשְׁוֶה־ אשוה־ וְאֶשְׁוֶ֑ה וְתַשְׁו֑וּ ואשוה ותשוו יְשַׁוֶּה־ יִֽשְׁווּ־ ישוה־ ישוו־ מְשַׁוֶּ֣ה מְשַׁוֶּ֥ה משוה נִשְׁתָּוָֽה׃ נשתוה׃ שִׁוִּ֣יתִי שִׁוִּ֤יתִי שִׁוִּ֨יתִי ׀ שִׁוִּ֬יתִי שִׁוִּֽיתִי׃ שִׁוָּ֣ה שָׁ֥וָה שֹׁוֶ֖ה שוה שויתי שויתי׃ תְּשַׁוֶּ֥ה תִּשְׁוֶה־ תשוה תשוה־ ’aš·weh- ’ašweh- ashveh mə·šaw·weh məšawweh meshavVeh niš·tā·wāh nishtaVah ništāwāh šā·wāh šāwāh Shavah shivVah shivViti shoVeh šiw·wāh šiw·wî·ṯî šiwwāh šiwwîṯî šō·weh šōweh tə·šaw·weh təšawweh teshavVeh tiš·weh- tishveh tišweh- veeshVeh vetashVu wə’ešweh wə·’eš·weh wə·ṯaš·wū wəṯašwū yə·šaw·weh- yəšawweh- yeshavveh yiš·wū- yishvu yišwū-
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