H8263 H8263
A detestable or abominable thing, used in Levitical dietary laws and prophetic denunciations of idolatry
A noun of strong revulsion, marking creatures and practices that are ritually abhorrent to God. Nearly all occurrences cluster in Leviticus 11, the dietary code, where water creatures without fins and scales, certain birds, and swarming things are declared sheqets — not merely unclean but actively detestable (Lev 11:10–13, 20, 23, 41–42). The word also appears in broader contexts of defiled food offerings (Lev 7:21) and idolatrous worship (Ezek 8:10). Unlike the more general to'evah ('abomination'), sheqets carries an almost visceral, physical quality of repugnance — the shudder one feels at something inherently loathsome.
Senses
1. Detestable thing, abomination — Something detestable or abominable in God's sight, used primarily of ritually unclean creatures in the Levitical dietary laws — aquatic animals without fins and scales, certain birds of prey, and swarming insects (Lev 11:10–13, 20, 23, 41–42). It also appears for defiled food offerings (Lev 7:21) and idolatrous images (Ezek 8:10). The term conveys visceral ritual repugnance rather than merely moral disapproval. Spanish uses 'abominación' and 'cosa detestable,' Arabic مَكْرُوهٌ/رِجْس (makruh/rijs, repugnant/filth), Korean 역겨운 것 (yeokgyeoun geot, disgusting thing), and Hindi घिनौना (ghinauna, loathsome) — all emphasizing the physically revolting quality that distinguishes sheqets from the broader to'evah. 11×
AR["رِجْسٍ","مَكْرُوهٌ","وَ-مَكْرُوهًا","وَالرِّجْسِ"]·ben["-এবং-ঘৃণ্য","এবং-ঘৃণ্য-জিনিস","ঘৃণ্য","ঘৃণ্য-জিনিস"]·DE["[והשקץ]","[שקץ]","detestable-Sache","und-detestable-Sache"]·EN["and-detestable-thing","and-the-detestable-thing","detestable","detestable-thing"]·FR["[והשקץ]","detestable-chose","et-detestable-chose","horreur"]·heb["ו-ה-שקץ","ו-שקץ","שקץ"]·HI["और-घिनौने","और-घृणित-वस्तु","घिनौना","घिनौने","घृणित","घृणित-जंतु","वे"]·ID["dan-kekejian","kekejian","menjijikkan"]·IT["[והשקץ]","[שקץ]","cosa-detestabile","detestabile-cosa","e-cosa-detestabile"]·jav["Lan-jijik","barang-jijik","ingkang-njijikaken","jijik","lan-ingkang-nggegirisi"]·KO["그리고-그-역겨운-것과","그리고-역겨운-것이","역겨운-것에","역겨운-것이다","험오스러운"]·PT["E-abominação","abominação","coisa-detestavel","e-a-abominação"]·RU["и-hа-мерзость","и-мерзостью","мерзости","мерзость"]·ES["Y-abominación","abominación","cosa-detestable","detestable","y-la-abominación"]·SW["Na-chukizo","chukizo","kitu-chenye-chukizo","na-machukizo","wa-chukizo"]·TR["iğrenç","iğrenç-şey","tiksintilik","ve-iyrenci","ve-iğrenç"]·urd["اور-مکروہ","مکروہ","گھناؤنی"]
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
† שֶׁ֫קֶץ n.m. Lv 7:21 detestation, detestable thing;—שׁ׳ of the ceremonially unclean Lv 7:21; creatures forbidden as food: water animals without fins or scales 11:10, 11, 12, birds of prey, etc., v 13, winged creeping things v 20, 23, creeping vermin v 41, 42 (all P), cf. Is 66:17 (+ בְּשַׂר הַחֲזִיר, הָעַכְבָּר); v. RSSem. i. 275, 2nd ed. 293; K 309 f., 2nd ed. 311 f.—Ez 8:10 read prob. שִׁקּוּצִים, v. שִׁקּוּץ.