Lexical Summary
shuq: Street, marketplace
Original Word:שׁוּק
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:shuwq
Pronunciation:shook
Phonetic Spelling:(shook)
KJV: overflow, water
NASB:overflow
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to run after or over, i.e. overflow
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
overflow, water
A primitive root; to run after or over, i.e. Overflow -- overflow, water.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionprobably to be abundant
NASB Translationoverflow (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
II. [ ] probably (Assyrian
šû‡u,
abundance); —
Imperfect3masculine singular suffixPsalm 65:10thou () hast visited the earthand given it abundance (Hup Che and others; > Vrss thought ofirrigate, so Bae EV).
Perfect consecutiveJoel 2:24the vats overflow with must, so (accusative omitted) Joel 4:13.
III. (√ of following; BaES 46 compare Arabic
attract, impel, of desire, affection,
desire, but
= is doubtful; perhaps therefore (compare Buhl) compare
drive, see ; or read ; on Late Hebrew , , see NesZAW xxiv (1904), 312 f f.).
Topical Lexicon
Imagery of Abundant OutpouringThe verb שׁוּק pictures liquid surging past its banks and saturating what lies beneath. InPsalm 65:9 it describes the life-giving waters God pours upon the earth: “You visit the earth and water it; You greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, for You have prepared it”. The same image reappears in Joel’s prophecy where threshing floors and wine vats “overflow” (Joel 2:24;Joel 3:13). Each context links physical plenty with God’s gracious intervention, emphasizing that true prosperity is never autonomous but flows from the Creator.
Agrarian Context
Ancient Israel depended on seasonal rains that could not be engineered by human strength. Drought meant famine; steady showers and swollen wadis meant life. By employing שׁוּק, the writers evoke scenes every farmer recognized—cisterns brimming, furrows soaked, storage vats running over. The word therefore serves as a literary bridge between daily labor in the fields and theological reflection on divine sovereignty.
Theology of Provision
1. Source: God alone initiates the overflow (Psalm 65:9).
2. Scale: His supply exceeds mere sufficiency; it overflows (Joel 2:24).
3. Purpose: Material blessing supports covenant faithfulness, thanksgiving, and shared community joy (Deuteronomy 26:1-11).
4. Warning: Abundance can become an indictment when accompanied by unrepentant sin (Joel 3:13).
Eschatological Resonance
Joel’s twin pictures of brimming vats frame both restoration and judgment. The same verb that signals harvest blessing inJoel 2:24 signals decisive reckoning inJoel 3:13. History moves toward a climactic “outpouring” of divine action—mercy for the repentant, wrath for the defiant. Shuq thus underlines the moral dimension of plenty: abundance must be met with holiness.
Worship and Thanksgiving
Psalm 65 places שׁוּק within corporate praise. The overflowing river of God calls forth vows, songs, and pilgrimage. Modern worship likewise finds in this word a metaphor for Spirit-wrought refreshment (compareJohn 7:38). Prayers for rain, the giving of firstfruits, and hymns celebrating harvest all echo its theme.
Ministry Applications
• Intercession: Pastors and intercessors may invoke שׁוּק imagery when praying for spiritual awakening—asking that God would “water” barren hearts until they overflow with righteousness (Isaiah 44:3-4).
• Stewardship: Congregations enjoying material plenty are reminded to channel overflow toward missions and mercy, reflecting the generous River of God.
• Preaching: Sermons on Joel can trace the progression from locust-devastation to Spirit-outpouring, using שׁוּק as a verbal hinge between despair and hope.
Summary
Shuq weaves together soil and soul, raincloud and revelation. Whenever Scripture speaks of blessing that spills beyond containment, this verb stands near. It calls believers to trust the Giver, steward the gift, and anticipate the day when every valley will be flooded with everlasting joy.
Forms and Transliterations
הֵשִׁ֙יקוּ֙ השיקו וְהֵשִׁ֥יקוּ וַתְּשֹׁ֪קְקֶ֡הָ והשיקו ותשקקה hê·šî·qū heShiku hêšîqū vatteShokeKeha veheShiku wat·tə·šō·qə·qe·hā wattəšōqəqehā wə·hê·šî·qū wəhêšîqū
Links
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Englishman's Greek Concordance •
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