H8150 H8150
To sharpen, whet (a blade or tongue); to teach diligently by repetition; to be pierced inwardly
At its root, this verb means to make sharp — whether a sword's edge, an arrow's point, or the piercing sting of hostile speech. The Psalmists repeatedly use it for tongues 'sharpened like swords' (Ps 64:3; 140:3), blending the physical and verbal senses of cutting. In Deuteronomy 32:41, God himself sharpens his flashing sword for judgment. Perhaps most beloved is the Piel in Deuteronomy 6:7 — 'you shall teach them diligently to your children' — where the metaphor shifts from sharpening blades to impressing words indelibly upon hearts, as one might engrave upon stone.
Senses
1. to sharpen (Qal: blade/weapon) — Sharpening or whetting a blade, arrow, or weapon (Qal). Includes both active forms ('I sharpen my flashing sword,' Deut 32:41) and passive participles ('sharpened arrows,' Isa 5:28; Ps 45:5). Frequently metaphorical: tongues sharpened like swords for slanderous speech (Ps 64:3; 140:3; 120:4). Spanish 'afilaron/afilada' and English 'sharpened/sharp' consistently reflect the cutting-edge imagery across seven occurrences. 7×
AR["حادٌّ", "سَنَنْتُ", "شَحَذوا", "شَحَذُوا", "مَسنونَة", "مَسنُونَةٌ", "مَسْنونَةٌ"]·ben["তীক্ষ্ণ", "তীক্ষ্ণ-করি-আমি", "তীক্ষ্ণ-করেছে", "ধারালো", "ধারালো-করেছে"]·DE["[שנון]", "[שנונים]", "ich-sharpen", "sharpen", "sharpened", "sie-sharpen", "sind-sharp"]·EN["I-sharpen", "are-sharp", "sharp", "sharpen", "sharpened", "they-sharpen"]·FR["[שנונים]", "aiguiser", "je-sharpen", "שנון"]·heb["שנון", "שנונים", "שנותי", "שננו"]·HI["उन्होंने-तेज़-की-है", "तीखा", "तीखे", "तेज़", "तेज़-करते-हैं", "तेज़-करूँ"]·ID["Aku-mengasah", "Mereka-menajamkan", "mengasah", "tajam", "yang-tajam"]·IT["[שנונים]", "affilo'", "io-sharpen", "sharp"]·jav["Kawula-ngasah", "Sami-nlanci", "landhep", "sampun-nglandhepaken"]·KO["갈았도다", "날카로우며", "날카로운", "날카롭게-하였도다", "내가-갈으리라"]·PT["Afiaram", "afiada", "afiadas", "afiar", "afiaram", "aguadas"]·RU["заострены", "заострённые", "изострили", "изострю", "изощряют", "острая", "острые"]·ES["Afilaron", "afilada", "afiladas", "afilare", "han-afilado"]·SW["imechongwa", "makali", "mikali", "mkali", "ninoa", "wameinoa", "wamenolea"]·TR["biledi", "bilediler", "bileyersem", "keskin"]·urd["اُنہوں-نے-تیز-کی", "تیز", "تیز-کروں-میں", "تیز-کی"]
2. to teach diligently (Piel: impress/repeat) — Teaching diligently or impressing knowledge through repetition (Piel intensive). A single but theologically foundational occurrence in the Shema passage (Deut 6:7): parents are to 'sharpen' God's words into their children. Spanish 'las repetirás' (you shall repeat them) captures the iterative-impression nuance — not merely to teach, but to engrave through persistent rehearsal. The metaphorical leap from blade to pedagogy is characteristically Hebrew. 1×
AR["وَتُكَرِّرُهَا"]·ben["এবং-তুমি-শেখাবে-তীক্ষ্ণভাবে"]·DE["und-du-soll-lehren-ihnen-diligently"]·EN["and-you-shall-teach-them-diligently"]·FR["et-tu-devra-enseigner-eux-diligently"]·heb["ו-שיננתם"]·HI["और-सिखाएगा-तीव्रता-से"]·ID["Dan-ajarkan-dengan-tekun"]·IT["e-tu-dovra-insegnare-loro-diligently"]·jav["Lan-panjenengan-lantiha"]·KO["그리고-부지런히-가르치라"]·PT["¶ E-incutirás-as"]·RU["И-внушай"]·ES["y-las-repetirás"]·SW["Wafundishe-kwa-bidii"]·TR["ve-öğreteceksin"]·urd["اور-تیزی-سے-سکھا"]
3. to be pierced (Hitpael: reflexive/passive) — Being pierced or stung inwardly (Hitpael reflexive/passive). In Ps 73:21, the psalmist describes inner torment — 'my heart was embittered and I was pierced in my kidneys.' Spanish 'eran punzados' (they were pricked) and Hindi convey the sharp internal anguish, a reflexive experience of the same sharpness that elsewhere cuts outward. 1×
AR["اِنْطَعَنَتا"]·ben["আমি-বিদ্ধ-ছিলাম।"]·DE["waren-durchbohrt"]·EN["were-pierced"]·FR["aiguiser"]·heb["אשתונן"]·HI["मैं-छिदा-गया-था"]·ID["tertusuk"]·IT["affilo'"]·jav["dipuntusuk"]·KO["찔렸나이다"]·PT["eram-traspassados"]·RU["кололись"]·ES["eran-punzados"]·SW["zilichomwa"]·TR["sızladı"]·urd["چبھے-گئے-تھے"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [שָׁנַן] vb. whet, sharpen (cf. Arabic سَنَّ id.; Aramaic שְׁנִינָא, ܫܢܺܝܢܳܐ sharp, etc.; Ethiopic [ሰነነ:] iii, 2, ተሰነነ: contend, litigate; hence שֵׁן tooth, NH id., Assyrian šinnu, Arabic سِنٌّ, Ethiopic ስን: Aramaic שִׁנָּא, ܫܶܢܳܐ );— Qal whet, sharpen: Pf. 1 s. אִם שַׁנּוֹתִ֫י בְּרַק חַרְבִּי (Ges§ 67 ee) Dt 32:41, of י׳’s preparation for judgment; 3 pl. (כַחֶרֶב) שָֽׁנְנוּ לְשׁוֹנָם ψ 64:4;…