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H7882 · Hebrew · Old Testament
שִׁיחָה
shichah
Noun, feminine
pit, trap, destruction

Definition

Shichah (שִׁיחָה) means a pit or ditch, often used figuratively of a trap or snare. It appears about 7 times and is associated with the plots of the wicked that ensnare them in their own evil. Proverbs 22:14 uses it memorably: 'The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit; a man who is under the LORD's wrath falls into it.'

Usage & Theological Significance

The pit as metaphor for moral danger, divine judgment, and the trap of sin runs throughout the Old Testament. Shichah represents the consequence of wickedness 'digging a pit for others' and falling into it themselves — the lex talionis principle at work in wisdom literature. Psalm 7:15 and Proverbs 26:27 both state it plainly: 'Whoever digs a pit will fall into it.' This is not just karma but covenantal consequence — the moral order God has built into creation. Treachery is self-defeating. The cross reverses this: Christ fell into the pit of death so we would not.

Key Bible Verses

Proverbs 22:14 The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit [shichah]; a man who is under the LORD's wrath falls into it.
Psalm 57:6 They spread a net for my feet — I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit [shichah] in my path — but they have fallen into it themselves.
Proverbs 23:27 For an adulterous woman is a deep pit [shichah] and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
Jeremiah 18:22 ...for they have dug a pit [shichah] to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet.
Proverbs 26:27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.

Related Words

External Resources

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