H7902 H7902
An act of lying; seminal emission (in procreative or purity contexts); also a layer or coating (of dew)
A feminine noun occurring only in construct form, with two distinct concrete senses. In Leviticus it denotes 'a lying of seed' -- seminal emission in the context of purity laws governing sexual contact and bodily discharges (Lev 15:16-18, 32; 19:20; 22:4; Num 5:13). The phrase 'shikhvat zera' is a technical legal expression. The second sense, a physical 'layer' or coating, appears in the manna narrative: when the dew that lay around the camp evaporated, manna was found beneath 'the layer of dew' (Exod 16:13-14). Both senses derive from the root meaning 'to lie down' -- what lies with someone, or what lies upon the ground.
Senses
1. emission of — Seminal emission or 'lying of seed,' a technical term in the Levitical purity laws. The construct phrase 'shikhvat zera' appears in regulations about sexual contact (Lev 15:18; 19:20; Num 5:13) and bodily discharge (Lev 15:16-17, 32; 22:4). Spanish 'emisión de' and French 'émission de' both render the clinical, legal quality of this usage. The term functions as a euphemistic legal formula rather than a narrative description. 7×
AR["اضْطِجَاعَ־", "مَضْجَعَةَ", "مَضْجَعَةُ", "مُضَاجَعَةُ-"]·ben["শয়ন", "শয়ন-", "শোয়া-"]·DE["emission-von-", "liegend-von-"]·EN["emission-of-", "lying-of-"]·FR["couché-de-", "emission-de-"]·heb["שכבת"]·HI["वीर्य-", "शयन-", "संभोग-", "स्खलन"]·ID["persetubuhan", "tumpahan-"]·IT["emissione-di-", "giacente-di-"]·jav["jinjèm-", "kucuran-", "patileman-"]·KO["누움-의"]·PT["deitada-de", "deitar-de", "emissão-de"]·RU["излияние-", "излиянием-", "совокуплением-"]·ES["acostamiento-de", "emisión-de", "emisión-de-"]·SW["Shkbt", "kulala-kwa-", "mbegu-ya-"]·TR["akıntısı-", "akışı-", "yatması-", "yatışı-"]·urd["بستر-کا", "بیج-", "لیٹنا-", "منی"]
2. layer of — A layer or coating, specifically of dew. In Exodus 16:13-14, the manna appeared after 'the layer of dew' evaporated from around the camp. Spanish 'capa de' (layer of) and French 'couche de' (coating of) both capture the thin, spread-out covering implied. The same root sense of 'lying down/upon' underlies both this and the first sense, but here it describes a physical deposit on the ground. 2×
AR["طَبَقَةُ"]·ben["স্তর"]·DE["layer-von"]·EN["layer-of"]·FR["couche-de"]·heb["שכבת"]·HI["परत"]·ID["lapisan"]·IT["layer-di"]·jav["lapisan"]·KO["층이"]·PT["camada-de"]·RU["слой"]·ES["capa-de-"]·SW["tabaka-la"]·TR["tabakası"]·urd["تہہ"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)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×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [שְׁכָבָה] n.f. act of lying, layer;—only cstr. שִׁכְבַת;— 1. act of lying, as acc. cogn. c. שׁכב 3: שִׁכְבַת־זָ֑רַע Lv 15:18 (P) a man lies with her a lying of seed (in copulation), cf. 19:20 (H) Nu 5:13 (P); then (= semen), תֵּצֵא שִׁכְבַת־זָ֑רַע Lv 15:16, 32 (P) 22:4 (H) (+ מִמֶּנּוּ), שׁ׳ ז׳ alone 15:17 (P). 2. layer of dew, שִׁכְבַת הַטָּ֑ל Ex 16:13, 14 (P).