4966. Suchem
Lexical Summary
Suchem: Shechem

Original Word: Συχέμ
Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable
Transliteration: Suchem
Pronunciation: soo-KHEM
Phonetic Spelling: (soo-khem')
KJV: Sychem
NASB: Shechem
Word Origin: [of Hebrew origin (H7927 (שְׁכֶם - Shechem))]

1. Sychem (i.e. Shekem), the name of a Canaanite and of a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Sychem.

Of Hebrew origin (Shkem); Sychem (i.e. Shekem), the name of a Canaanite and of a place in Palestine -- Sychem.

see HEBREW Shkem

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of Hebrew origin Shekem
Definition
Shechem, a city in Samaria
NASB Translation
Shechem (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4966: Συχέμ

Συχέμ, Hebrew שְׁכֶם (i. e. 'shoulder,' 'ridge'), Shechem (A. V. Sychem (see below)), proper name of:

1. a man of Canaan, son of Hamor (see Ἑμμόρ), prince in the city of Shechem (Genesis 33:19; Genesis 34:2ff): Acts 7:16 R G.

2. a city of Samaria (in the Sept. sometimes Συχέμ, indeclinable, sometimes Σικιμα, genitive Σικιμων, as in Josephus and Eusebius; once τήν Σικιμα τήν ἐν ὄρει Αφραιμ, 1 Kings 12:25 (for still other variant see B. D. (especially American edition) under the word )), Vulg.Sichem (edited by Tdf. Sychem; cf. B. D. as above), situated in a valley abounding in springs at the foot of Matt. Gerizim (Josephus, Antiquities 5, 7, 2; 11, 8, 6); laid waste by Abimelech (Judges 9:45), it was rebuilt by Jeroboam and made the seat of government (1 Kings 12:23). From the time of Vespasian it was called by the Romans Neapolis (on coins Flavia Neapoils); whence by corruption comes its modern name, Nablus (or Nabulus); according to Prof. Socin (in Bädeker's Palestine, p. 331) it contains about 13,000 inhabitants (of whom 600 are Christians, and 140 Samaritans) together with a few ("about 100") Jews: Acts 7:16.

Topical Lexicon
Geographical Setting and Identity

Shechem lies in the hill country of Ephraim between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, astride the main north–south road through central Canaan. Fed by reliable springs and guarded by natural passes, it became a strategic and spiritual crossroads from patriarchal times through the apostolic era.

Foundational Patriarchal Events

Genesis 12:6–7 records Abram’s first altar in the land at “the great tree of Moreh at Shechem,” marking the initial pledge of the land to his seed.
• Jacob, returning from Paddan-Aram, “bought from the sons of Hamor … the plot of ground where he pitched his tent” (Genesis 33:19) and erected the altar El-Elohe-Israel (“God, the God of Israel”).
• The Dinah episode (Genesis 34) reveals Shechem as a moral testing ground for covenant purity.
• Joseph’s brothers pastured flocks near Shechem (Genesis 37:12–14), setting the stage for his later exaltation.
• Joshua convened covenant renewal there (Joshua 24:1–25), placing a memorial stone “under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD” (verse 26).
• Joseph’s bones were finally laid “at Shechem, in the tract of land that Jacob had bought” (Joshua 24:32), sealing patriarchal hope in the promised inheritance.

Political and Religious Center

• Gideon’s son Abimelech attempted to found a kingdom from Shechem, and both his rise and ruin (Judges 9) warn against self-exalting leadership.
• After Solomon’s death, Rehoboam’s coronation at Shechem (1 Kings 12:1) preceded the rupture of the united kingdom, underscoring the city’s national importance.
• In post-exilic times the Samaritans revered nearby Mount Gerizim; the town became known as Sychar (John 4:5), where Jesus offered “living water” to the Samaritan woman, further linking Shechem to covenant inclusion.

Stephen’s Testimony (Acts 7:16)

“And they were carried back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a price of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.”

Stephen cites the common burial site of the patriarchs to prove that God’s redemptive plan pre-dated both the Temple and Jerusalem. His use of Συχέμ (Sychem) in two grammatical forms underscores a single location of covenant continuity: God’s promise is bound neither to one generation nor to one sanctuary.

Harmonizing Acts 7:16 with Genesis

Critics allege a conflict between Stephen’s statement and Genesis 23; 33. Several conservative resolutions are plausible:

1. Abraham may have acquired an earlier family tomb at Shechem in addition to Machpelah, later finalized by Jacob.
2. Stephen telescopes patriarchal purchases, ascribing the collective family burial ground to Abraham as covenant head.
3. The speech follows a well-known Jewish oral summary that emphasized inheritance rather than strict chronological detail.

Whichever view is adopted, the text affirms rather than undermines Scripture’s reliability by spotlighting the unity of patriarchal faith.

Theological Themes

Covenant and Land – Shechem frames the first and the final patriarchal acts in Canaan, embodying God’s unbroken pledge of territory and rest.

Blessing and Curse – Its location between Gerizim and Ebal symbolizes the choice that Israel—and every generation—must make.

Worship without Walls – Altars, covenant stones, and eventually Stephen’s reference all point to a God who meets His people wherever faith responds.

Christological Connections

Jesus’ ministry at Jacob’s well (John 4:5–42) fulfills centuries of expectation that true worship would transcend geography: “a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). The living water He offers flows from the same God who first revealed Himself to Abram at Shechem.

Ministry Implications for Today

• Proclaim the faithfulness of God’s promises across generations, using Shechem as a case study.
• Emphasize covenant fidelity in personal and corporate worship, remembering the blessing-and-curse backdrop of Gerizim and Ebal.
• Engage in cross-cultural evangelism, following Jesus’ example near Shechem by bridging ancient divides with gospel grace.
• Defend the coherence of Scripture when facing textual challenges, showing how apparent difficulties invite deeper confidence in God’s sovereign authorship.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 4966 (Συχέμ) points to a locale that anchors pivotal moments from Abram’s first altar to Stephen’s climactic sermon. Shechem stands as a perpetual witness: God secures inheritance, calls for wholehearted allegiance, and gathers worshipers from every nation through the finished work of Christ.

Forms and Transliterations
Συχεμ Συχέμ Συχὲμ Suchem Sychem Sychém Sychèm
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Acts 7:16 N
GRK: μετετέθησαν εἰς Συχὲμ καὶ ἐτέθησαν
NAS: [From there] they were removed to Shechem and laid
KJV: into Sychem, and
INT: were carried over to Shechem and were placed

Acts 7:16 N
GRK: Ἑμμὼρ ἐν Συχέμ
NAS: from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
KJV: of Emmor [the father] of Sychem.
INT: of Hamor in of Shechem

Strong's Greek 4966
2 Occurrences


Συχὲμ — 2 Occ.

4965
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