Original Word: שְׁאֵלָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: sh'elah
Pronunciation: shay-LAW
Phonetic Spelling: (sheh-ay-law')
KJV: loan, petition, request
NASB: petition, request, one
Word Origin: [from H7592 (שָׁאַל שָׁאֵל - ask)]

1. a petition
2. (by implication) a loan

loan, petition, request

Or shelah (1 Samuel 1:17) {shay-law'}; from sha'al; a petition; by implication, a loan -- loan, petition, request.

see HEBREW sha'al

Word Origin
from shaal
Definition
request, thing asked for
NASB Translation
dedicated* (1), one (1), petition (8), request (4), request* (1).

שְׁאֵלָה [I. שֵׁלָה] noun feminine request, thing asked for: — ׳שְׁא Judges 8:24, +; suffix שְׁאֵלָתִּי 1 Samuel 1:27 +, שֶׁאֱלָתּי Job 6:8, שְׁאֵלָתֵךְ Esther 5:6 +, שֵׁלָתֵךְ 1 Samuel 1:17, שֶׁאֱלָתָם Psalm 106:15; —

1 request, petition, Judges 8:24; 1 Kings 2:16,20 (both accusative of congnate meaning with verb with שָׁאַל), Esther 5:6,7 (with נָתַן = grant), Esther 7:2,3; Esther 9:12. This passes easily into

2 thing asked for, 1 Samuel 2:20, with נָתַן Esther 5:8; Psalm 106:15; ׳תָּבוֺא שׁ Job 6:8. — II.שֵׁלָה see below אֶשָׁתָּאֹל proper name, masculine, see above.

Concept of Petition

The noun שְׁאֵלָה represents the formal act of asking. It ranges from an everyday request between people to a fervent plea directed heavenward. Every occurrence underscores that the act of asking reveals the heart—either submissive, self-interested, or intercessory—and that God remains the final arbiter of every request (compare Psalm 106:15).

Occurrences and Themes

1. Family and Prayer (1 Samuel 1:17, 27; 2:20)

Hannah’s prayer for a son is the Old Testament’s clearest example of שְׁאֵלָה offered to God. Eli blesses her: “May the God of Israel grant the petition you have asked of Him” (1 Samuel 1:17). The narrative sets a pattern: a heartfelt petition, divine granting, public acknowledgment, and dedication of the answer back to the LORD. Samuel’s very name (“heard of God”) memorializes the theology of answered prayer.

2. Royal Court Protocol (1 Kings 2:16, 20; Esther 5:6–8; 7:2–3; 9:12)

In monarchic settings שְׁאֵלָה marks the structured relationship between sovereign and subject. Bathsheba’s appeal to King Solomon and Esther’s repeated petitions to Ahasuerus illustrate boldness joined with humility. The formulaic promise, “Ask, even up to half the kingdom,” frames the king’s absolute authority while showcasing how God can turn royal favor toward His covenant people.

3. Military and Material Requests (Judges 8:24)

Gideon asks Israel for the enemy’s earrings. Though lawful spoil, the episode foreshadows the danger of accumulating wealth and drifting toward idolatry, reminding readers that not every granted request leads to spiritual good.

4. Personal Lament (Job 6:8)

Job cries, “Oh that my request might be granted, that God would fulfill my hope!” His solitary שְׁאֵלָה contrasts Hannah’s joyous petition, proving that faith can voice grief without forfeiting reverence.

5. National Discipline (Psalm 106:15)

“So He gave them their request, but sent a wasting disease among them”. Here the granting of שְׁאֵלָה becomes judgment, warning that God may answer prayers that clash with His revealed will, allowing consequences to instruct the erring heart.

Theology of Petition

• Divine sovereignty governs every request. Even pagan kings become instruments for fulfilling covenant purposes (Esther; 1 Kings 2).
• Right motive counts. Hannah’s vow-filled petition contrasts with Israel’s self-indulgent craving in the wilderness (Psalm 106).
• Granted petitions invite stewardship. Hannah dedicates Samuel; Esther uses royal favor to protect her people; Gideon’s gold becomes an ephod that later ensnares Israel (Judges 8:27).

Ministry Significance

• Intercessory prayer finds precedent in Hannah and Esther. Churches can model corporate fasting and prayer when confronting existential threats.
• Pastors must teach that unanswered—or dangerously answered—requests exist. Psalm 106:15 counsels discernment in petitioning God.
• Counseling suffering believers, Job 6:8 assures them that Scripture legitimizes raw, honest requests while anchoring hope in God’s character.

Biblical Trajectory

The Old Testament vocabulary of asking anticipates Christ’s promise, “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7). James later cautions, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives” (James 4:3). Thus שְׁאֵלָה forms part of a unified biblical theology: prayerful petition must align with God’s will, trust His timing, and accept His wisdom in the answer.

Summary

שְׁאֵלָה threads through Scripture as a mirror of the petitioner’s heart and a stage upon which God displays covenant faithfulness. Whether in the sanctuary, the throne room, the battlefield, or the desert, every request reinforces the same truth: “The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth” (Psalm 145:18).

בִּשְׁאֵ֣לָתִ֔י בשאלתי הַשְּׁאֵלָ֔ה השאלה שְּׁאֵֽלָתֵךְ֙ שְּׁאֵלָתֵ֖ךְ שְּׁאֵלָתֵ֛ךְ שְׁאֵ֣לָתִ֔י שְׁאֵלָ֔ה שְׁאֵלָ֤ה שְׁאֵלָ֨ה שְׁאֵלָתִ֖י שֵׁ֣לָתֵ֔ךְ שֶֽׁאֱלָתִ֑י שֶׁאֱלָתָ֑ם שאלה שאלתי שאלתך שאלתם שלתך biš’êlāṯî biš·’ê·lā·ṯî bishElaTi haš·šə·’ê·lāh hashsheeLah haššə’êlāh šə’êlāh še’ĕlāṯām šə’êlāṯêḵ še’ĕlāṯî šə’êlāṯî še·’ĕ·lā·ṯām šə·’ê·lā·ṯêḵ še·’ĕ·lā·ṯî šə·’ê·lā·ṯî šə·’ê·lāh šê·lā·ṯêḵ šêlāṯêḵ sheeLah sheelaTam sheelaTech sheElaTi shelaTechInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts