H7819b H7819b
Slaughter, possibly in contexts of illegitimate worship or apostasy, though the text is textually disputed
Hosea's oracle against Israel's corruption includes this infinitival noun, though textual problems make interpretation uncertain. Does it mean 'slaughter' in the sense of sacrificial killing (thus condemning illicit worship), or should the text be emended to 'pit of Shittim' (naming a location of idolatry)? The transmitted text speaks of revolters going deep in slaughter, suggesting extensive apostasy expressed through perverted sacrifice. Scholarly discussion continues about whether to maintain the difficult Hebrew or adopt a geographic reading.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Appears in Hosea 5:2 within judgment speech about Israel's infidelity. The construct form 'and-slaughter' (וְשַׁחֲטָה) connects to the root for ritual animal slaughter. The context mentions 'revolters' and 'going deep,' implying systematic, extensive sin—perhaps illegitimate sacrifice at forbidden shrines. Spanish renders it as 'Y matando' (and killing), treating it as active apostasy. German brackets the original, acknowledging the textual difficulty. The vocabulary of sacrifice becomes vocabulary of judgment when worship is corrupted. 1×
AR["وَالمُنحَرِفونَ"]·ben["এবং-হত্যাকারীদের-বধ"]·DE["[ושחטה]"]·EN["and-slaughter"]·FR["et-tuer"]·heb["ו-שחטה"]·HI["और-वध-किया"]·ID["Dan-pembantaian"]·IT["[ושחטה]"]·jav["lan-nyembelih"]·KO["그리고-도살을"]·PT["E-matando"]·RU["и-заклание"]·ES["Y-matando"]·SW["Na-kuchinja"]·TR["ve-kesimi"]·urd["اور-ذبح-کرنے-میں"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† שַׁחֲטָה n.f. (Qal Inf. cstr. Köi. 263) doubtful word;—וְשׁ׳ שֵׂטִים הֶעְמִיקוּ Ho 5:2 RV (cf. AV) the revolters are gone deep in slaughtering [‘Opferschlächterei’ Köii 1. 590, n. 1], Ew Now (formerly), Che in corrupting (read then שַׁחֲתָה); We Now GASm Marti שַׁחַת הַשִּׁטִּים have made deep the pit of Shiṭṭim (as place of idolatry).