H8259 H8259
To look down from a height, gaze out from a window or elevated place; to overlook or face toward a location (topographical).
The Hebrew verb shaqaf captures the act of looking out and down from an elevated vantage point — a window, a mountaintop, or heaven itself. In its Hifil stem, it describes God looking down from heaven upon the earth (Deut 26:15; Ps 14:2) and humans peering out from heights, as when Abraham looked down toward Sodom (Gen 18:16; 19:28). The Nifal adds an intimate, often poignant dimension: Sisera's mother peers through the lattice wondering why her son's chariot delays (Judg 5:28), and Michal watches David dancing before the ark (2 Sam 6:16). Spanish mirar, French regarder, and German herabblicken all emphasize the downward gaze, while a distinct topographical use in the Nifal participle describes geographic features that 'overlook' or 'face toward' a location — the field of Zophim overlooking the desert (Num 23:28) and the hill that faces Jeshimon (1 Sam 13:18). The Song of Songs crowns this verb with beauty: the beloved 'looks forth like the dawn' (Song 6:10).
Senses
1. look down from a height (Hifil) — To look down from a height in the Hifil stem — a deliberate gaze downward from an elevated position such as heaven, a mountain, or a window. With 12 occurrences, this sense includes God looking down from heaven upon the Egyptians through the pillar of fire (Exod 14:24), Moses instructing Israel to ask God to 'look down from your holy habitation' (Deut 26:15), and Abraham gazing toward the smoke of Sodom (Gen 18:16; 19:28). Spanish mirar desde arriba, French regarder d'en haut, and German herabblicken all capture the elevated-to-low vector of this gaze. 12×
AR["أَشرَفَ", "أَشْرَفَ", "أَشْرِفْ", "فَأَشْرَفوا", "فَأَشْرَفَ", "وَ-أَشْرَفَ", "وَ-أَشْرَفُوا", "وَ-اطَّلَعَ", "وَ-نَظَرَ", "وَأَشْرَفَتْ", "يَنْظُرَ"]·ben["আর-উঁকি-দিলেন", "এবং-উঁকি-মারলেন", "এবং-তাকালেন", "এবং-দেখলেন", "ও-তাকালেন-নিচে", "তাকিয়ে-দেখেছেন", "তাকিয়েছেন", "তিনি-দৃষ্টিপাত-করেছেন", "দৃষ্টি-কর", "দৃষ্টিপাত-করেন"]·DE["[ישקיף]", "blickte-herab", "schauen-hinab", "und-blickte-hinab", "und-blickten-hinab", "und-er-looked-heraus", "und-schaute-hinab", "und-schaute-hinaus", "und-sie-looked-heraus", "und-sie-looked-hinab"]·EN["and-he-looked-out", "and-looked-down", "and-looked-out", "and-she-looked-out", "and-they-looked-down", "he-looked-down", "look-down", "looks-down"]·FR["[ישקיף]", "et-elle-regarda-dehors", "et-il-regarda-dehors", "et-ils-regarda-en-bas", "et-regarda-dehors", "et-regarda-en-bas", "le-regarder", "regarder-en-bas"]·heb["השקיף", "השקיפה", "ו-השקיף", "ו-ישקיפו", "ו-ישקף", "ו-ישקפו", "ו-תשקף", "ישקיף"]·HI["उसने-झांका", "और-झाँका", "और-झांका", "और-देख", "और-देखा", "झाँकना", "दृष्टि-की", "देखता-है-नीचे", "वत्तश्केफ", "वय्यश्कीपू", "वह-देखे"]·ID["Ia-memandang", "Ia-memandang-ke-bawah", "Pandanglah", "dan-dia-melihat-ke-luar", "dan-melihat-dari-jendela", "dan-memandang", "dan-memandang-ke-bawah", "dan-memandang-ke-luar", "dan-memandanglah", "dan-mereka-melihat-ke-luar", "memandang-ke-bawah"]·IT["[ישקיף]", "e-egli-guardò-fuori", "e-ella-guardò-fuori", "e-essi-guardò-giù", "e-guardò-fuori", "e-guardò-giù", "guardare-giu", "guardo'-in-giu'"]·jav["Lan-Arauna-ningali", "Lan-mirsani", "Lan-nilingake", "Lan-ningali", "Mirsanana", "Panjenengan-mirsani-mudhun", "Panjenenganipun-mirsani-mangandhap", "ing-manah", "lan-Yéhuwah-mirsani-mandhap", "lan-mirsani", "lan-nilingake", "mirsani"]·KO["굴어보셨도다", "그-가-내려다보신다면", "그리고-내려다보셨다", "그리고-내려다보았다", "내려다보셨도다", "내려다보소서"]·PT["E-olhou", "e-olharam", "e-olhou", "olha", "olhe", "olhou"]·RU["-приник", "И-посмотрел", "Призри", "и-взглянул", "и-выглянул", "и-выглянула", "и-выглянули", "и-посмотрели", "не-посмотрит", "посмотрел", "призрел"]·ES["Mira", "Y-miraron", "Y-miró", "mire", "miró", "y-miraron", "y-miró"]·SW["ametazama-chini", "atakapoangalia", "na-akaangalia", "na-akatazama", "na-akatazama-nje", "na-wakaangalia-chini", "na-wakatazama", "tazama-chini"]·TR["Ve-baktı", "bak", "bakacak", "baktı", "baktı-aşağıya", "ve-baktı", "ve-baktılar"]·urd["اور-جھانکا", "اور-دیکھا", "اور-نظر-کی", "جَھانکا", "جھانکے", "دیکھا", "نظر-کر", "نظر-کی"]
2. peer out or look down (Nifal) — To peer out or look down from a window or vantage point in the Nifal stem — a reflexive act of gazing outward, often charged with emotional tension. Found in 6 occurrences, this sense appears in some of Scripture's most vivid scenes: Sisera's mother looking through the lattice for her son's return (Judg 5:28), Michal watching David leap before the ark (2 Sam 6:16; 1 Chr 15:29), and the narrator of Proverbs peering through a window at the naive youth (Prov 7:6). Spanish miró por la ventana and French regarda par la fenêtre emphasize the through-the-window framing. Psalm 85:11 extends this beautifully: 'righteousness shall look down from heaven.' 6×
AR["أَشْرَفَتْ", "أَطَلَّ", "اطَّلَعْتُ", "تَطَلَّعَتْ", "يَطَّلِعُ"]·ben["আমি-তাকালাম", "উঁকি-মারছিল", "তাকালেন", "তাকিয়েছিলেন", "দেখা-যাচ্ছে", "দেখেছে"]·DE["[נשקפה]", "[נשקפתי]", "blickte-herab", "looked-hinab", "sie-schaute-heraus"]·EN["I-looked-down", "is-looking-down", "looked-down", "looks-down", "she-looked-out"]·FR["[נשקפה]", "elle-regarda-dehors", "regarda-en-bas", "regarder", "נשקפתי"]·heb["נשקף", "נשקפה", "נשקפה ׀", "נשקפתי"]·HI["झाँक-रही-है", "झाँकती-थी", "झाँकी-", "झुकी", "देखा-मैंने", "देखेगा"]·ID["aku-melihat", "memandang-ke-bawah", "mengintai", "mengintip", "menjenguk"]·IT["Io-looked-giù", "[נשקפה]", "ella-looked-fuori", "guardo'-in-giu'", "guardò-giù"]·jav["ketèl", "kula-ningali", "mandeng", "mirsani-saking", "ningali", "ningali-saking-jendela"]·KO["내가-내려다보았다", "내다보고-있었다", "내다보았다", "내다보인다", "내려다보시리이다", "내려다보았다"]·PT["espreita", "olhará", "olhei", "olhou"]·RU["выглядывала", "выглянула", "надвигается", "призрит", "смотрел-я.", "смотрела"]·ES["asoma", "miraba", "miré", "miró", "se-asomará"]·SW["alichungulia", "alitazama", "itatazama-chini", "nilitazama", "yanaonekana"]·TR["bakacak", "baktı", "baktım", "görünüyor"]·urd["جھانک-رہی-تھی", "جھانکتی-ہے", "جھانکی", "جھانکے-گی", "دیکھا-میں-نے"]
3. overlook, face toward (Nifal topographical) — To overlook or face toward a place — a topographical Nifal participle describing a geographic feature or elevated position that looks out over an area. With 4 occurrences, this specialized use appears as a landscape descriptor: the field of Zophim 'on the top of Pisgah, which overlooks the wasteland' (Num 21:20; 23:28), the hill that 'overlooks Jeshimon' (1 Sam 13:18), and the beloved who 'looks forth like the dawn' (Song 6:10). Spanish que mira hacia and French qui surplombe show how translators shift from personal gazing to spatial orientation, treating the verb as a geographic marker rather than a volitional act. 4×
AR["الـ-مُطِلِّ", "الْمُشْرِفِ", "هَ-نِّشْقَفَه", "وَ-يُشْرِفُ"]·ben["-দৃশ্যমান", "-যে-দৃষ্টি-দেয়", "এবং-তাকিয়ে-থাকে", "যা-দেখায়"]·DE["[הנשקפה]", "der-overlooking", "und-overlooks"]·EN["and-overlooks", "looking-forth", "the-overlooking"]·FR["et-overlooks", "le-overlooking", "le-surplombant", "qui-apparaît"]·heb["ה-נשקף", "ה-נשקפה", "ו-נשקפה"]·HI["और-दिखती-है", "जो-दिखती-है", "झाँकती-हुई", "देखने-वाली"]·ID["dan-menghadap", "yang-melihat-ke-bawah", "yang-menghadap"]·IT["e-overlooks", "il-looking-forth", "il-overlooking"]·jav["ingkang-madhep", "ingkang-mandeng", "kang-ningali", "lan-mandeng"]·KO["그-내려다보는", "그리고-내려다보았다", "내다보는"]·PT["e-olha", "o-que-olha", "que-aparece", "que-se-eleva"]·RU["выглядывающая", "высматривающей", "и-обращена", "смотрящая"]·ES["el-que-mira", "que-mira", "y-mira"]·SW["anayechungulia", "kinachoelekea", "kinachoonekana", "na-linaelekea"]·TR["bakan", "gorünen", "ve-bakar"]·urd["اور-نظر-آتا-ہے", "جو-ظاہر-ہوئی", "نظر-آنے-والی"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. [שָׁקַף] vb. Niph. Hiph. overhang, look out and down (NH Niph. Hiph. = BH; cf. Aramaic שְׁקִיפָא, ܫܩܺܝܦܳܐ rocky pinnacle, rock, Arabic سَقْفٌ ceiling, roof, sky (on connex. of meanings cf. Arabic أَشْرَفَ overtop, overlook, from شَرُفَ be high; اِطَّلَعَ look down upon, from طَلَعَ rise));— Niph. Pf. 3 fs. נִשְׁקְפָה Ju 5:28 +, וְנִשְׁקָ֖פָח Nu 21:20 (read prob. pt. הַנִּשְׁקָפָה, cf. 23:28,…