H7737a H7737a
To be equal, comparable, or of equivalent value; also to make level, smooth, liken, or deliberately set in place
Built on the root idea of evenness and smoothness, שָׁוָה spans from concrete leveling of ground (Isa 28:25) to the loftiest theological rhetoric — 'To whom will you liken me, that I should be equal?' (Isa 46:5). In Esther, the word takes a pragmatic turn: Haman calculates that the Jews' destruction is 'worth it' to the king (3:8), while Esther protests that the enemy's damage does not 'equal' the king's loss (7:4). The Psalm of quiet trust (131:2) uses the Piel for stilling the soul — a beautiful metaphorical extension from physical leveling to inner calm.
Senses
1. be equal, be worth — The Qal and Nithpael: to be equal to, comparable with, or of equivalent worth. Esther deploys this sense three times in political calculations of value (3:8; 5:13; 7:4), while Proverbs 3:15 declares that nothing 'equals' wisdom. Job 33:27 uses it for moral requital — what was not repaid in kind. Spanish 'igual' and French 'être égal' map this sense directly, confirming the core meaning of measured equivalence between two things. 9×
AR["تَصِيرَ-","تُسَاوِيهَا-","ساوى","مُتَساوِيانِ","مُنَاسِبًا","مُنَاسِبٌ","وَأُسَاوِيهِ"]·ben["এবং-সমান-হব","তুমি-সমান-হবে-","তুলনা-করতে-পারে-","মূল্য","লাভ","সমান"]·DE["[ואשוה]","wert"]·EN["are-alike","can-compare","equal","it-was-equal","profit","says","worth","you-be-like"]·FR["[ואשוה]","être-égal"]·heb["ו-אשווה","יישוו","ישוו־","נשתווה","שוה","שווה","תישווה-"]·HI["उचित","और-बराबर-होंगा","काम-आता","तू-बराबर-हो-जाए-","पूरा-कर-सकता","बराबर-","लाभदायक-था","समान।"]·ID["dan-Aku-sama","engkau-menjadi-sama","layak","menyamai-","sama","sebanding","setimpal"]·IT["[ואשוה]","essere-uguale","valere"]·jav["dados-sami","pantes","sami","sami-kaliyan","supados-Ingsun-sami"]·KO["가치있지","같다","같아지리라-네가","그리고-같겠느뇨","비교된다","이익이","합당하였다"]·PT["apropriado","e-serei-igual","igual","se-comparam","se-igualam","são-iguais","te-iguale-","valeu"]·RU["выгоды","и-сравнюсь","подобны","равно","сравнятся-","стоящий","стоящим","уподобился-"]·ES["igual","me-fue-igual","provecho","se-igualan","son-iguales","te-iguales-","vale","y-seré-igual?"]·SW["anayestahili","ilikuwa-sawa","inafaa","kulingana","na-niwe-sawa","ukafanana-","wakati-wote","wanafanana"]·TR["benzer","benzersin-","değer","değerli","eşit-oldu","eşit-olur-","uygun","ve-esit-olayim"]·urd["اور-میں-برابر-ہوں","برابر","برابر ہوا","برابر-ہوتیں","برابر-ہیں","مناسب","ہو-جائے-برابر"]
2. level, smooth, calm — The Piel factitive: to make level, smooth, or calm. Isaiah 28:25 pictures a farmer who has 'leveled' the surface of his field before planting — a concrete agricultural action. Psalm 131:2 extends this metaphorically: 'I have calmed and quieted my soul.' Spanish 'he aquietado' ('I have quieted') and 'ha nivelado' ('has leveled') preserve both the physical and psychological dimensions of this sense, showing how producing evenness became a metaphor for inner peace. 2×
AR["أُهَدِّئْ","سَوَّى"]·ben["শান্ত-করেছি","সমতল-করেছে"]·DE["[שוה]","ich-haben-calmed"]·EN["I-have-calmed","he-has-leveled"]·FR["[שוה]","être-égal"]·heb["שיווה","שיוויתי"]·HI["मैंने-शान्त-किया","समतल-करता-है"]·ID["aku-menenangkan","ia-meratakan"]·IT["[שוה]","fu-uguale"]·jav["kula-nenangaken","sampun-rata"]·KO["고르게-하였고","그가-고르게-하면"]·PT["acalmei","nivelou"]·RU["выровняет","успокоил-я"]·ES["ha-nivelado","he-aquietado"]·SW["kusawazisha","nimetulia"]·TR["duzlestirirse","sakinleştirdim"]·urd["تسلی-دی","ہموار-کرے"]
3. make equal, liken — The Hifil causative: to make something equal to another, to liken or compare. This sense appears in bold rhetorical questions — 'To whom will you liken me and make me equal?' (Isa 46:5) and 'What can I liken to you, O daughter of Jerusalem?' (Lam 2:13). Spanish 'igualaréis' ('will you make equal') and 'te igualaré' ('I will liken you') show the active, comparative force: the speaker is challenged to find any adequate comparison. 2×
AR["أُسَاوِي-","وَ-تُسَاوُونَ"]·ben["এবং-সমান-করবে","সমান-করব"]·DE["[ותשוו]","wert"]·EN["and-make-equal","shall-I-liken"]·FR["[אשוה]","[ותשוו]"]·heb["אשווה","ו-תשוו"]·HI["और-बराबर-करोगे","समान-करूं-"]·ID["akan-kubandingkan","dan-menyetarakan"]·IT["[אשוה]","[ותשוו]"]·jav["kawula-badhé-nandhing","lan-nyamekaken"]·KO["그리고-같게-하겠느뇨","내-가-같게-하리오"]·PT["e-me-igualareis","igualarei"]·RU["и-сравните","уподобить"]·ES["e-igualaréis?","te-igualaré"]·SW["kukufananisha-na","na-kunilinganisha"]·TR["eşitleyeyim","ve-esitleyeceksiniz"]·urd["اور-برابر-کرو-گے","برابر-کروں"]
4. set, place before — A distinctive Piel usage meaning to set or place something deliberately in a fixed position. Psalm 119:30 reads 'I have set your judgments before me' — not comparing or leveling, but positioning something as a constant reference point. This sense grows naturally from the root's idea of arranging evenly: what is 'set before' is placed in a steady, level, unwavering position. The Spanish 'puse' ('I placed') confirms the concrete spatial action underlying this otherwise abstract commitment. 1×
AR["وَضَعْتُ"]·ben["আমি-রেখেছি"]·DE["ich-haben-setzen-vor-mich"]·EN["I-have-set-before-me"]·FR["être-égal"]·heb["שיוויתי"]·ID["aku-tetapkan"]·IT["fu-uguale"]·jav["sampun-kula-tetepaken"]·KO["놓았나이다"]·PT["puís-diante-de-mim"]·RU["поставил-я"]·ES["puse"]·SW["nimeweka"]·TR["koydum-önüme"]·urd["رکھیں-میں-نے"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H0776 1. land, country, territory (2323×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. שָׁוָה vb. (be even, smooth, v. Pi., hence) agree with, be like, resemble (Arabic سوى ii. make even, flat, uniform (with something else); Aramaic שְׁוָא (der. spec.) be like, ܫܘܳܐ be equal, fit, like, Pa. lay out smoothly, Aph. make plain, fit, worthy);— Qal Pf. 3 ms. לֹא שׁ׳ לִי Jb 33:27 (si vera l.) it was not equalled to me, i.e. (v. infra; according to most) not requited (so De Di Da,…