Lexical Definition

‎שָׁאַל‎ shâʼal (shaw-al') to ask ^H:V
or שָׁאֵל shâʼêl (shaw-ale'); a primitive root

ask (counsel, on), beg, borrow, lay to charge, consult, demand, desire, [idiom] earnestly, enquire, [phrase] greet, obtain leave, lend, pray, request, require, [phrase] salute, [idiom] straitly, [idiom] surely, wish.

• to inquire
• by implication, to request
• by extension, to demand

1) to ask, enquire, borrow, beg
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to ask, ask for
1a2) to ask (as a favour), borrow
1a3) to enquire, enquire of
1a4) to enquire of, consult (of deity, oracle)
1a5) to seek
1b) (Niphal) to ask for oneself, ask leave of absence
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to enquire, enquire carefully
1c2) to beg, practise beggary
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to be given on request
1d2) to grant, make over to, let (one) ask (successfully) or give or lend on request (then) grant or make over to

See Greek: αἰτέω · ἀσπάζομαι · δανείζω · ἐπαιτέω · ἐπερωτάω · ἐπιθυμέω · ἐρευνάω · ἐρευνάω · ἐρωτάω · ζητέω · παραιτέομαι · χράομαι · χρῆσις

Extended Information

• Aramaic equivalent: she.el (‎ש‎ְׁ‎א‎ֵ‎ל‎ "to ask" שְׁאֵל)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

Aramaic form: שְׁאֵל
‎שָׁאַל‎ verb ask, inquire (Late Hebrew id.; Assyrian ša°âlu, Arabic , Ethiopic Sabean ‎מסאל‎ request petition, Hom^Chrest.124 Levy-Os^{ZMG xix(1865), 165}; Aramaic , ‎שְׁאֵיל‎; Old Aramaic Zinjirli ‎שאל‎ Ldzb³⁷¹, Nabataean Hiph`il lend Id^ib.; — on ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ compare Jastr^{JBL xix (1900), 82 ff.}); —

Qal Perfect 3 masculine singular‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Judg 5:25 +, ‎שָׁאָ֑ל‎ Judg 8:26 +2 t.; consecutive ‎וְשָׁ֫אַל לוֺ‎ Num 27:21 suffix ‎וּשְׁאֵלְךָ‎ consecutive Gen 32:18* (Ges^{«GKC:64f»§ 64f}), ‎וּשְׁאֵלֵךְ‎ consecutive Judg 4:20 1 singular suffix ‎שְׁאִלְתִּיו‎ 1Sam 1:20, ‎שְׁאִלְתִּיהוּ‎ Judg 13:16 3 plural suffix ‎שְׁאֵלוּנוּ‎ Ps 137:3 2 masculine plural ‎שְׁאֶלְתֶּם‎ 1Sam 12:13 (strike out ᵐ5 Th We Dr and most), Job 21:29, ‎וּשְׁאֶלָתֶּםֿ‎ consecutive 1Sam 25:5, etc.; Imperfect 3 masculine singular ‎יִשְׁאַל‎ Exod 22:13* + ,etc.; Imperative ‎שְׁאַל‎ Isa 7:11 +, ‎שְׁאָלוּנִי‎ Isa 45:11 ( < ‎תִּשְׁאְֵלוּנִי‎ Weir Che and others), etc.; Infinitive absolute ‎שָׁאוֺל‎ Gen 43:7 +; construct ‎לִשְׁאֹל‎ Judg 1:14 +, etc.; Participle active ‎שֹׁאֵל‎ 2Sam 3:13 +, feminine singular ‎שֹׁאֶלֶת‎ 1Kgs 2:20; 1Kgs 2:22, masculine plural ‎הַשֹּׁאֲלִים‎ 1Sam 8:10 passive ‎שָׁאוּל‎ 1Sam 1:28; 2Kgs 6:5 —

1. a. ask, ask for, accusative of thing (or person) Judg 5:25; Judg 8:26; 1Kgs 3:10; Ps 122:6 (= pray for) +; ‎אֶתנַֿפְשׁוֺ לָמוּת‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ 1Kgs 19:4; Jonah 4:8, i. e. pray for death, but Job 31:30 demand the life of another ‎בְּאָלָה‎ by a curse; with ‎ל‎ person 1Kgs 2:22 (twice in verse) + (‎ל‎ person reflexive) 1Sam 12:17; 1Sam 12:19 +; with ‎מִן‎ person Judg 8:24 (accusative of congnate meaning with verb), Ezra 8:22; Zech 10:1+; followed by infinitive 1Kgs 3:11 followed by clause ‎מָה אֶתֶּןלָֽֿךְ׃‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ 1Kgs 3:5 = 2Chr 1:7, compare 2Kgs 2:9 with accusative + ‎מֵאֵת‎ person 1Sam 8:10; Ps 27:4(from ‎׳‎‎י‎) +; + ‎מֵעִם‎ person Isa 7:11 (from ‎׳‎‎י‎) +; with accusative of person (from whom) + of thing Ps 137:3 accusative omitted Isa 7:12; 1Sam 12:20; 1Kgs 2:20, with ‎מִן‎ person Ps 2:8 absolute Mic 7:3; Ps 105:40 (of prayer); ‎הִקְשִׁיתָ לִשְׁאוֺל‎ 2Kgs 2:10, i.e. thou hast asked for a difficult thing. — 1Sam 2:20 see Hiph`il b. specifically ask as a favour, for temporary use, i.e. borrow (compare ‎לָוָה‎, as matter of business, see Bu<sup>1Sam 1:28</sup>), Exod 22:13* (E; accusative of thing + ‎מֵעִם‎ person), 2Kgs 4:3 (accusative of thing + ‎מִן‎ of source + ‎ל‎ person reflexive), 2Kgs 6:5 (passive participle absolute); so also (according to many), with accusative of thing Exod 3:22( + ‎מִן‎ person), Exod 11:2; Exod 12:35 (both + ‎מֵאֵת‎ person; all E), — it is, however, not clear that there was any pretext of mere temporary use; passive participle ‎׳‎‎שָׁאוּל לי‎ 1Sam 1:28 (lent, granted,) made over to ‎׳‎‎י‎ (in effect passive of Hiph`il, q. v.).
c. in weakened sense, seek, desire (late), with accusative 2Chr 11:23; Eccl 2:10 (subject ‎עֵינַי‎); Prov 20:4 in harvest he shall look [for a crop], ‎וָאָ֑יִן‎ and there shall be none.

2. a. inquire of, with accusative of person + ‎לֵאמֹר‎ before inquiry Gen 32:18* (E), Gen 44:19 (J) +; with ‎וְאָמַר‎ Judg 4:20, ‎וַיּאִמֶר‎, etc., Gen 24:47(J), Jer 37:13 followed by ‎וְאָמַר‎ without accusative of person Gen 32:30* (J), compare 1Sam 19:22, followed by ‎לֵאמֹר‎ Josh 4:6 (JE); with accusative of person + ‎עַל‎ of thing Neh 1:2 ‎עַל‎ of thing alone, Eccl 7:10 ( + ‎מֵחָכְמָה‎, i. e. prompted by wisdom); with accusative of person + of thing (about which) 2Sam 14:18; Isa 45:11 + 4 t.; accusative of person + indirect question Judg 13:6 with accusative of person only, Judg 8:14; 1Sam 25:8; Deut 32:7 +, inquire of beasts (accusative) Job 12:7 with accusative of thing only, Jer 50:5 with ‎ל‎ person = accusative 2Kgs 8:6 (Kö^{Synt. § 289 h}); with ‎ל‎ of thing about which Gen 26:7 (J), Gen 32:30* (J), Judg 13:18; 2Sam 11:7; Jer 6:16; Job 8:8, also ( + ‎לאמר‎ before the inquiry) Gen 43:7 (J), and (followed by direct question) Deut 4:32 with ‎ל‎ person about whom, Gen 43:27 (J), compare phrase of greeting, ‎אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ לְשָׁלוֺם‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Exod 18:7 (E) ask each for (or about) his fellow as to welfare, compare Judg 18:15; 1Sam 10:4; 1Sam 17:22; 1Sam 25:5; 1Sam 30:21 [read ‎וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ לוֺ‎ ᵐ5 ᵑ6 We Dr HPS Bu] 2Sam 8:10; Jer 15:5; 1Chr 18:10 followed by direct question only, 1Sam 17:56; Jer 18:13 (with ‎ב‎ location), followed by indirect question only (c.‎אִם‎) Jer 30:6 ‎אֶתפִּֿי‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ ‎׳‎‎פ‎ Gen 24:57(J); absolute make inquiry Deut 13:15* ( + ‎דָּרַשׁ‎, ‎חָקַר‎).
b. inquire of, consult, deity, oracle, etc. (Jastr^{JBL xix (1900) 88 ff.}), followed by accusative ‎׳‎‎פִּי י‎ Josh 9:14 (JE), Isa 30:2 ‎׳‎‎י‎ Isa 65:1 (|| ‎בִּקֵּשׁ‎); elsewhere in Hexateuch only (accusative omitted), Num 27:21 (P; with ‎ל‎ person for whom, + ‎ב‎ instrumental), compare Josh 19:50 also ‎אוֺב‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Deut 18:11 (participle as substantive; Jäger^{BAS ii. 292} compare Assyrian maššaku ša šâ°ili, i. e. skin-vessel of the oracle-seeker, compare Jastr^{JBL xix (1900), 96 ff.}); with accusative of human agent 1Sam 28:16; Jer 38:14; Jer 38:27 usually (ancient usage, chiefly Judges, Samuel) ‎לֵאמֹר‎ ‎׳‎‎בי‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ (‎בְּ‎ perhaps originally local, so GFM, or instrumental), Judg 1:1; Judg 20:23; 1Sam 23:2; 1Sam 30:8; 2Sam 2:1; 2Sam 5:19 = 1Chr 14:10 ‎לֵאמֹר‎ omitted 1Sam 10:22 (followed by direct question), 1Sam 22:10 (‎ל‎ person for whom), 1Sam 23:4; 1Sam 28:6; 2Sam 5:23 = 1Chr 14:14; Judg 20:27 ‎בֵּאלֹהִים‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Judg 18:5; Judg 20:18; 1Sam 14:37 (followed by direct question), also (‎ל‎ person for whom), 1Sam 22:13; 1Sam 22:15 ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ ‎׳‎‎בִּדְבַר הָא‎ 2Sam 16:23 likewise ‎בְּעֵצוֺ‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Hos 4:12 (i.e. his idol), ‎בַּתְּרָפִים‎ Ezek 21:26*, ‎בָּאוֺב‎ 1Chr 10:13 perhaps = receive as oracle Deut 18:16 (‎׳‎‎מֵעִם י‎, Jastr^l.c. Niph`al ask for oneself (Ges^{«GKC:51e»§ 51e}), specifically ask leave of absence, with ‎מִן‎ person: Perfect 3 masculine singular + Infinitive absolute ‎נִשְׁאֹל נִשְׁאַל‎ 1Sam 20:6 (followed by infinitive), v1Sam 20:28 (followed by ‎עַד‎; ? insert ‎ל‎ infinitive HPS); Perfect 1 singular ‎נִשְׁאַלְתִּי מִןהַֿמֶּלֶךְ‎ Neh 13:6 (absolute).

Pi`el 1. inquire carefully: Imperfect 3 masculine plural + Qal Infinitive absolute ‎שָׁאוֺל יְשָֽׁאֲלוּ‎ 2Sam 20:18 (Bu proposes Qal Imperfect ‎יִשְׁאֲלוּ‎), with ‎ב‎ location; on following context see We Dr HPS Bu.

2. beg, practise beggary, ,Perfect 3 plural ‎וְשִׁאֵ֑לוּ‎ (consecutive) Ps 109:10. Hiph`il (properly let one ask [successfully], give, or lend, on request, then) grant, make over to (as a favour, with or without request): Perfect 1 singular suffix ‎הִשְׁאִלְתִּהוּ‎ ‎׳‎‎לי‎ 1Sam 1:28 I have made him over to ‎׳‎‎י‎ (compare Dr HPS Bu and Qal Passive participle, ib.); perhaps also read 3 feminine singular ‎׳‎‎הִשְׁאִילָה לי‎ 1Sam 2:20 (whom) she hath made over to ‎׳‎‎י‎ (for ‎׳‎‎שָׁאַל לי‎) Bu HPS (after ᵐ5. in part; other conjectures in Dr); Imperfect 3 masculine plural suffix of thing ‎וַיַּשְׁאִלוּם‎ Exod 12:36 (E) and they handed them over.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References