Original Word: שְׁאָט
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: sh'at
Pronunciation: shay-at
Phonetic Spelling: (sheh-awt')
KJV: despite(-ful)
NASB: scorn
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to push aside]

1. contempt

despiteful

From an unused root meaning to push aside; contempt -- despite(-ful).

Word Origin
from shut
Definition
despite, contempt
NASB Translation
scorn (3).

שְׁאָט noun [masculine] despite, contempt (expanded from שׁוּט above, Kö^{i. 439}; ii. 1. 486); — absolute ׳בִּשׁ בְּנֶפֶשׁ Ezekiel 25:15 with despite in the soul; construct ׳בִּשׁ נֶפֶשׁ Ezekiel 36:5; suffix ׳בְּכָלשָֽֿׁאטְךָ בְּנ Ezekiel 25:6 (Ges^{§ 23c} Kö^{ii. 1. 67}).

שׁוּל (√ of following; compare Arabic hang down loose).

Overview

Strong’s Hebrew 7589, שְׁאָט (sheʾat), captures a visceral, hostile contempt directed toward God’s covenant people. It describes the inward attitude of nations that celebrated Judah’s misery and epitomizes an enmity that sets itself against the purposes of the Lord.

Biblical Occurrences

1. Ezekiel 25:6

“For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced over the land of Israel with all the contempt of your soul…’”.

2. Ezekiel 25:15

“This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took vengeance with malice of soul to destroy with perpetual hostility—’”.

3. Ezekiel 36:5

“This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Surely in My burning zeal I have spoken against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and utter contempt, that they might plunder its pastureland.’”.

Historical Setting

• Ammon (Ezekiel 25:6) – The Ammonites exulted when Judah fell to Babylon, waving off Judah’s covenant standing as if God were powerless to defend His people. Their delight in Israel’s suffering provoked divine judgment (Ezekiel 25:7).

• Philistia (Ezekiel 25:15) – Long-standing hostility matured into “perpetual” hatred. Philistine contempt went beyond military opposition; it was a calculated attempt to erase Israel’s place in the land. The result was an oath of the Lord to cut off the Cherethites and annihilate the remnant of the seacoast (Ezekiel 25:16).

• Edom (Ezekiel 36:5) – Edom’s “utter contempt” included land-grabbing while Jerusalem lay desolate. Since Edom descended from Esau, the spite toward Jacob’s offspring violated fraternal ties (Obadiah 10-14). God swore to vindicate His holiness against Edom, transforming Israel’s mountains from wastelands into inhabited, fruitful territory (Ezekiel 36:6-12).

Theological Significance

Contempt for God’s elect people equates to contempt for God Himself (Genesis 12:3; Zechariah 2:8). שְׁאָט exposes the root sin beneath outward aggression: rejoicing in another’s covenant curse. Scripture portrays such spite as an affront to divine justice, triggering retributive judgment and demonstrating the Lord’s unwavering commitment to His promises.

Prophetic Dimension

Ezekiel’s oracles use שְׁאָט to frame the surrounding nations’ derision as evidence for imminent reversal: Israel’s shame becomes the nations’ downfall, while Zion’s restoration magnifies God’s glory. The term therefore functions as a narrative hinge—moving from judgment on Israel (Ezekiel 1–24) to judgment on the nations (Ezekiel 25–32) and finally to Israel’s renewal (Ezekiel 33–48).

Practical Ministry Applications

• Guard the heart against schadenfreude. Rejoicing at another believer’s hardship aligns with Ammon’s sin (Proverbs 24:17).

• Intercede for persecutors, recognizing that contempt for the church invites divine discipline (Acts 9:4-5).

• Cultivate empathy toward the suffering, demonstrating the antithesis of שְׁאָט and embodying Christlike compassion (Romans 12:15).

New Testament Parallels

The inner hostility denoted by שְׁאָט surfaces in the New Testament as “hatred without cause” (John 15:25) and “malice” (1 Peter 2:1). Followers of Jesus are commanded to “put off” such attitudes and replace them with brotherly love, reflecting the transformative power of the gospel that reconciles former enemies (Ephesians 2:14-16).

בִּשְׁאָ֣ט בשאט שָֽׁאטְךָ֙ שאטך biš’āṭ biš·’āṭ bishAt šā·ṭə·ḵā šāṭəḵā shateChaInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts