Lexical Summary
sum or sim: To put, place, set, appoint, establish
Original Word:שׂוּם
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:suwm
Pronunciation:soom or seem
Phonetic Spelling:(soom)
NASB:issued, issue, laid, made, make, appointed, gave
Word Origin:[(Aramaic) corresponding toH7760 (שׂוּם שִׂים - put)]
1. + command, give, lay, make, + name, + regard, set
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
command, give, lay, make, name, regard, set
(Aramaic) corresponding tosuwm -- + command, give, lay, make, + name, + regard, set.
see HEBREWsuwm
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to
sumDefinitionto set, make
NASB Translationappointed (1), disregarded* (1), gave (1), issue (3), issued (11), laid (2), made (2), make (2), pays...attention (1), set (1).
Topical Lexicon
OverviewStrong’s Hebrew 7761 (שׂוּם) is a common, flexible verb meaning “to put, place, set, lay, appoint, impose, or establish.” It appears roughly twenty-six times in the Hebrew Scriptures and is used both literally (placing an object in a location) and figuratively (appointing a person, fixing a decree, directing one’s inner life). Through these occurrences the Spirit teaches how God orders the world, directs history, and calls His people to respond in obedient faith.
Literal Placement of Objects
1 Kings 7:51 records that Solomon “put” (שׂוּם) the dedicated silver and gold into the treasuries of the house of the LORD, underscoring careful stewardship of holy things. InExodus 30:6 Moses must “put” the golden altar of incense “in front of the veil,” demonstrating that true worship requires divinely prescribed order. Whenever the verb is used of sanctuary furniture, the text stresses that nothing is left to human innovation—God determines where every article belongs.
Institution of People and Offices
Joshua 13:14 speaks of the tithes and offerings the Israelites were to “set” for Levi.2 Samuel 6:17 shows David “setting” the ark in its place within the tent. In both narratives, שׂוּם underlines the transfer of sacred responsibility: Levi is appointed as the priestly tribe; David as king ensures the ark rests where God chooses. Leadership, therefore, is never self-made but conferred by God’s sovereign placement.
Covenantal Signs and Divine Acts
The Lord promises inExodus 10:1, “I have hardened his heart… in order to perform these signs of Mine among them.” Here “set” (שׂוּם) is used of the plagues—historical markers God places within Egypt to showcase His covenant faithfulness. Similarly, inIsaiah 22:7 He “set” Jerusalem’s defenses before her enemies, reminding the remnant that security is granted or withheld at the Lord’s command.
Moral and Spiritual Disposition
Job 7:20 laments, “Why have You made me Your target?” The verb “made” is שׂוּם, illustrating that human suffering, while mysterious, is never random; it is divinely “set” for refining purposes.Proverbs 4:25 counsels, “Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.” The parallel idea is to “set” one’s inward focus. In wisdom literature, שׂוּם frequently calls believers to an intentional, disciplined orientation toward righteousness.
Judicial and Prophetic Oracles
InAmos 8:11 the Lord declares He will “send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread… but of hearing the words of the LORD.” The famine is something God “sets” upon the nation as judgment.Ezekiel 14:19 foretells that the Lord may “pour out My wrath… and cut off man and beast.” These oracles use שׂוּם to emphasize that national fortunes, calamities, and restorations are all deliberately assigned by God’s hand.
Worship and Sacrificial Contexts
Leviticus 24:6 commands the priests to “set them in two rows, six in each row, on the pure gold table before the LORD.” The arrangement of the bread of the Presence is not decorative but revelatory—illustrating God’s covenant fellowship with Israel. InNumbers 6:26 the Aaronic benediction ends, “and give you peace.” The preceding clause, “The LORD turn His face toward you,” hinges on שׂוּם: God “sets” His countenance upon the worshiper, bestowing favor and wholeness.
Prophetic Foreshadowings of Messiah
Psalm 2:6 proclaims, “I have set My King on Zion, My holy mountain.” Though the psalm uses 7760 in the MT, the theme of divine placement culminates in Christ’s enthronement. The repeated Old-Testament pattern—God “setting” kings, priests, altars, and signs—reaches its climax when the Father “sets” the Son as both Priest and King forever (Hebrews 8:1). Every earlier occurrence prepares the reader for that ultimate appointment.
Practical Ministry Insights
• God alone has the right to “set” boundaries, offices, and gifts (1 Corinthians 12:18).
• Leadership in church or family is received, not seized. The verb calls pastors, elders, and parents to steward their “placed” roles faithfully.
• Believers must “set” their hearts and minds on things above (Colossians 3:2). Old-Testament usage reinforces the New-Testament imperative: intentional pursuit of holiness is a response to God’s prior act of placing us in Christ.
Summary
Across its twenty-six occurrences, שׂוּם highlights divine sovereignty, covenant structure, and responsible human response. What God “sets” is fixed, purposeful, and good. Whether placing the ark, appointing leaders, or laying judgment and blessing, the Lord acts with perfect wisdom, inviting His people to order their lives according to His ordained pattern.
Forms and Transliterations
וְשֻׂמַ֖ת ושמת יִתְּשָֽׂם׃ יִתְּשָׂמֽוּן׃ יתשם׃ יתשמון׃ מִתְּשָׂ֣ם מתשם שִׂ֣ים שִׂ֣ימוּ שָׂ֣ם שָׂ֣מְתָּ שָׂ֣מֶת שָׂ֥ם שָׂ֨ם שָׂ֨מֽוּ שָׂם־ שָׂמֵֽהּ׃ שים שימו שם שם־ שמה׃ שמו שמת mit·tə·śām mitteSam mittəśām śā·mə·tā śā·mêh śā·meṯ śā·mū sam śām śām- saMeh śāmêh Samet śāmeṯ Sameta śāmətā Samu śāmū śî·mū sim śîm Simu śîmū som vesuMat wə·śu·maṯ wəśumaṯ yit·tə·śā·mūn yit·tə·śām yitteSam yittəśām yittesaMun yittəśāmūn
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