שָׁאַל 170 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 Ldzb
371, Nabataean Hiph. 
lend Id
ib.; — on 
שׁ׳ compare Jastr
JBL xix (1900), 82 ff.); — 
Qal Perfect 3rd person masculine singularשׁ׳ Judges 5:25 +, 
שָׁאָ֑ל Judges 8:26 + 
2 times; consecutive 
וְשָׁ֫אַל לוֺ Numbers 27:21; suffix 
וּשְׁאֵלְךָ consecutive 
Genesis 32:18 (Ges
§ 64 f), 
וּשְׁאֵלֵךְ consecutive 
Judges 4:20; 
1st person singular suffix 
שְׁאִלְתִּיו 1 Samuel 1:20, 
שְׁאִלְתִּיהוּ Judges 13:16; 
3rd person plural suffix 
שְׁאֵלוּנוּ Psalm 137:3; 
2nd person masculine plural שְׁאֶלְתֶּם 1 Samuel 12:13 (strike out 

 Th We Dr and most), 
Job 21:29, 
וּשְׁאֶלָתֶּםֿ consecutive 
1 Samuel 25:5, etc.; 
Imperfect 3rd person masculine singular יִשְׁאַל Exodus 22:13 +,etc.; 
Imperative שְׁאַל Isaiah 7:11 +, 
שְׁאָלוּנִי Isaiah 45:11 (< 
תִּשְׁאְֵלוּנִי Weir Che and others), etc.; 
Infinitive absolute שָׁאוֺל Genesis 43:7 +; construct 
לִשְׁאֹל Judges 1:14 +, etc.; 
Participle active שֹׁאֵל 2 Samuel 3:13 +, 
feminine singular שֹׁאֶלֶת 1 Kings 2:20, 
22, 
masculine plural הַשֹּׁאֲלִים 1 Samuel 8:10; 
passive שָׁאוּל 1 Samuel 1:28; 
2 Kings 6:5; — 
    1.
    b. specifically 
ask as a favour, for temporary use, i.e. 
borrow (compare 
לָוָה, as matter of business, see Bu
1 Samuel 1:28), 
Exodus 22:13 (E; accusative of thing + 
מֵעִם person), 
2 Kings 4:3 (accusative of thing + 
מִן of source + 
ל person reflexive), 
2 Kings 6:5 (passive participle absolute); so also (according to many), with accusative of thing 
Exodus 3:22 (+ 
מִן person), 
Exodus 11:2; 
Exodus 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׳ 1 Samuel 1:28 (
lent, granted,) 
made over to י׳ (in effect passive of Hiph., which see).
 
    2.
    a. inquire of, with accusative of person + 
לֵאמֹר before inquiry 
Genesis 32:18 (E), 
Genesis 44:19 (J) +; with 
וְאָמַר Judges 4:20, 
וַיּאִמֶר, etc., 
Genesis 24:47(J), 
Jeremiah 37:13; followed by 
וְאָמַר without accusative of person 
Genesis 32:30 (J), compare 
1 Samuel 19:22, followed by 
לֵאמֹר Joshua 4:6 (JE); with accusative of person + 
עַל of thing 
Nehemiah 1:2; 
עַל of thing alone, 
Ecclesiastes 7:10 (+ 
מֵחָכְמָה, i. e. prompted by wisdom); with accusative of person + of thing (about which) 
2 Samuel 14:18; 
Isaiah 45:11 + 
4 times; accusative of person + indirect question 
Judges 13:6; with accusative of person only, 
Judges 8:14; 
1 Samuel 25:8; 
Deuteronomy 32:7 +, 
inquire of beasts (accusative) 
Job 12:7; with accusative of thing only, 
Jeremiah 50:5; with 
ל person = 
accusative 2 Kings 8:6 (Kö
Synt. § 289 h); with 
ל of thing about which 
Genesis 26:7 (J), 
Genesis 32:30 (J), 
Judges 13:18; 
2 Samuel 11:7; 
Jeremiah 6:16; 
Job 8:8, also (+ 
לאמר before the inquiry) 
Genesis 43:7 (J), and (followed by direct question) 
Deuteronomy 4:32; with 
ל person about whom, 
Genesis 43:27 (J), compare phrase of greeting, 
אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ לְשָׁלוֺם שׁ׳ Exodus 18:7 (E) 
ask each for (or about) 
his fellow as to welfare, compare 
Judges 18:15; 
1 Samuel 10:4; 
1 Samuel 17:22; 
1 Samuel 25:5; 
1 Samuel 30:21 [read 
וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ לוֺ  
 
 We Dr HPS Bu] 
2 Samuel 8:10; 
Jeremiah 15:5; 
1 Chronicles 18:10; followed by direct question only, 
1 Samuel 17:56; 
Jeremiah 18:13 (with 
ב location), followed by indirect question only (with 
אִם) 
Jeremiah 30:6; 
אֶת־פִּי שׁ'פ׳ Genesis 24:57(J); absolute 
make inquiry Deuteronomy 13:15 (+ 
דָּרַשׁ, 
חָקַר).
 
    †b. inquire of, consult, deity, oracle, etc. (Jastr
JBL xix (1900) 88 ff.), followed by accusative 
י'פִּי Joshua 9:14 (JE), 
Isaiah 30:2 י׳ Isaiah 65:1 (|| 
בִּקֵּשׁ); elsewhere in Hexateuch only (accusative omitted), 
Numbers 27:21 (P; with 
ל person for whom, + 
ב instrumental), compare 
Joshua 19:50; also 
אוֺב שׁ׳ Deuteronomy 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 
1 Samuel 28:16; 
Jeremiah 38:14, 
27; usually (ancient usage, chiefly Judges, Samuel) 
לֵאמֹר בי׳ שׁ׳ (
בְּ perhaps originally local, so GFM, or instrumental), 
Judges 1:1; 
Judges 20:23; 
1 Samuel 23:2; 
1 Samuel 30:8; 
2 Samuel 2:1; 
2 Samuel 5:19 = 
1 Chronicles 14:10; 
לֵאמֹר omitted 
1 Samuel 10:22 (followed by direct question), 
1 Samuel 22:10 (
ל person for whom), 
1 Samuel 23:4; 
1 Samuel 28:6; 
2 Samuel 5:23 = 
1 Chronicles 14:14; 
Judges 20:27; 
בֵּאלֹהִים שׁ׳ Judges 18:5; 
Judges 20:18; 
1 Samuel 14:37; (followed by direct question), also (
ל person for whom), 
1 Samuel 22:13, 
15; 
שׁ׳ בִּדְבַר הָא׳ 2 Samuel 16:23; likewise 
בְּעֵצוֺ שׁ׳ Hosea 4:12 (i.e. his idol), 
בַּתְּרָפִים Ezekiel 21:26, 
בָּאוֺב 1 Chronicles 10:13; perhaps = 
receive as oracle Deuteronomy 18:16 (
מֵעִם י׳, Jastr
l.c.
 
† 
Niph. ask for oneself (Ges
§ 51 e), specifically 
ask leave of absence, with 
מִן person: 
Perfect 3rd person masculine singular + 
Infinitive absolute נִשְׁאֹל נִשְׁאַל 1 Samuel 20:6 (followed by infinitive), 
1 Samuel 20:28 (followed by 
עַד; ? insert 
ל infinitive HPS); 
Perfect 1st person singular נִשְׁאַלְתִּי מִןהַֿמֶּלֶךְ Nehemiah 13:6 (absolute). 
Pi. 
    1. inquire carefully: Imperfect 3rd person masculine plural + 
Qal Infinitive absolute שָׁאוֺל יְשָֽׁאֲלוּ 2 Samuel 20:18 (Bu proposes 
Qal Imperfect יִשְׁאֲלוּ), with 
ב location; on following context see We Dr HPS Bu.
 
    2. beg, practise beggary,,
Perfect 3rd person plural וְשִׁאֵ֑לוּ (consecutive) 
Psalm 109:10.
 
Hiph. (properly 
let one 
ask [successfully], 
give, or 
lend, on request, then) 
grant, make over to (as a favour, with or without request): 
Perfect 1st person singular suffix 
הִשְׁאִלְתִּהוּ לי׳ 1 Samuel 1:28 I have made him over to י׳ (compare Dr HPS Bu and 
Qal Passive participle, ib.); perhaps also read 
3rd person feminine singular הִשְׁאִילָה לי׳ 1 Samuel 2:20 (whom) 
she hath made over to י׳ (for 
שָׁאַל לי׳) Bu HPS (after 

. in part; other conjectures in Dr); 
Imperfect 3rd person masculine plural suffix of thing 
וַיַּשְׁאִלוּם Exodus 12:36 (E) 
and they handed them over. 
See related Aramaic BDB entry 
H7593.
														
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