שְׁאֵל H7593
To ask, inquire; to request or demand (Aramaic)
The Aramaic verb שְׁאֵל mirrors its Hebrew cognate שָׁאַל and appears exclusively in the Aramaic portions of Ezra and Daniel. It covers two related speech acts: asking a question to gain information, and making a formal request or demand. When Tattenai the governor interrogated the Jewish builders, he 'asked' their names and authority (Ezra 5:9-10) — a judicial inquiry. But when Artaxerxes decrees that whatever Ezra 'asks of you' must be granted (Ezra 7:21), the verb shifts from inquiry to authoritative request. Spanish distinguishes the two senses neatly: 'preguntamos' (we inquired) versus 'os pida' (may request of you).
1. to ask, inquire — To ask a question or make an inquiry, seeking information or an answer from someone. This covers the perfective 'we asked' (Ezra 5:9-10), the participle 'one who asks' (Dan 2:11, 27), and the simple past 'asked' (Dan 2:10). The context in each case is interrogation or consultation — Tattenai questioning the builders, Nebuchadnezzar demanding interpretation from his wise men. Spanish 'preguntamos/pregunta' and French 'demander' all confirm the information-seeking sense. 5×
AR["سَأَلْنا","سَأَلْناهُم","يَسْأَلُ","يَسْأَلْ"]·ben["জিজ্ঞাসা-করছেন","জিজ্ঞাসা-করলাম","জিজ্ঞাসা-করেছেন"]·DE["[שאל]","[שאלנא]"]·EN["asked","asks","we-asked"]·FR["[שאלנא]","demander"]·heb["שאל","שאלנא","שואל"]·HI["पूछता-है","पूछी","हमने-पूछा","हमने-पूछे"]·ID["bertanya","kami-bertanya","kami-tanyakan","minta"]·IT["[שאלנא]","chiedere"]·jav["kawula-pitaken","nate-tanglet","tanglet"]·KO["묻는","묻지","물었다-우리"]·PT["pede","pediu","perguntamos"]·RU["спрашивает","спрашивал","спросили-мы"]·ES["ha-preguntado","pide","pregunta","preguntamos"]·SW["anauliza","kuuliza","tuliwauliza"]·TR["sordu","sorduk","soruyor"]·urd["پوچھا-ہم-نے","پوچھتا-ہے","پوچھی"]
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. to request, demand — To make a request or demand of someone, asking for something to be given or done rather than merely seeking information. The sole instance is Ezra 7:21, where King Artaxerxes decrees that whatever Ezra the priest 'asks of you' (the treasurers beyond the River) shall be done. English 'asks-of-you' and Spanish 'os pida' both encode a directive request with an implicit authority structure, distinguishing it from the neutral inquiry of sense 1. 1×
AR["يَطْلُبُهُ-مِنْكُم"]·ben["চাইবে-তোমাদের-কাছে"]·DE["[ישאלנכון]"]·EN["asks-of-you"]·FR["[ישאלנכון]"]·heb["ישאלנכון"]·HI["मांगे-तुमसे"]·ID["diminta-dari-kamu"]·IT["[ישאלנכון]"]·jav["nyuwun-dhateng-panjenengan"]·KO["요구하다-너희-에게"]·PT["vos-pedir"]·RU["попросит-у-вас"]·ES["os-pida"]·SW["atawaomba"]·TR["isteyecek-sizden"]·urd["مانگے-تم-سے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
שְׁאֵל vb. ask (v. BH);— Pe. Pf. 3 ms. שׁ׳ Dn 2:10; pl. שְׁאֵ֫לְנָא Ezr 5:9, 10; Impf. 3 ms. sf. יִשְׁאֲלֶנְכוֹן Ezr 7:21; Pt. act. שָׁאֵל Dn 2:11, 27;— 1. ask for, request, acc. rei Dn 2:10 (ל pers.), v 11, 27 Ezr 7:21 (sf. pers.). 2. inquire about, for, acc. rei Ezr 5:9 (ל pers.); sq. orat. rect. v 10 (id.).