Original Word: שִׁגָּיוֹן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: shiggayown
Pronunciation: shig-gaw-YONE or shig-gaw-YO-nah
Phonetic Spelling: (shig-gaw-yone')
KJV: Shiggaion, Shigionoth
NASB: Shigionoth
Word Origin: [from H7686 (שָׁגָה - reel)]

1. (properly) aberration, i.e. (technically) a dithyramb or rambling poem

Shiggaion, Shigionoth

Or shiggayonah {shig-gaw-yo-naw'}; from shagah; properly, aberration, i.e. (technically) a dithyramb or rambling poem -- Shiggaion, Shigionoth.

see HEBREW shagah

Word Origin
perhaps from shagah
Definition
perhaps a wild passionate song with rapid changes of rhythm
NASB Translation
Shigionoth (1).

שִׁגָּיוֺן doubtful word, Psalm 7:1 (title), Ew De and others from √שׁגה go a stray, reel, i.e. wild, passionate song, with rapid changes of rhythm; compare Lag^{BN 201f.} who compare שִׁגָּעוֺן, √שׁגע; ᵐ5 ψαλμὀς, read probably מִזְמוֺר; plural שִׁגְיֹנוֺת Habakkuk 3:1 (title), read נְגִינוֺת, so ᵐ5.

Definition and Literary Genre

Shiggayon designates a particular kind of poetic-musical composition marked by emotional intensity, fluid structure, and vivid imagery. Rather than the regular parallelism typical of Hebrew poetry, a shiggayon moves with impassioned freedom—suitable for urgent lament, vigorous protest, or ecstatic praise. Its singular appearance in Psalm 7 and plural form shigionoth in Habakkuk 3 suggest a recognized liturgical category within Israel’s worship repertoire.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Psalm 7:1 – “A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite. O LORD my God, in You I take refuge; save me and deliver me from all who pursue me”.
2. Habakkuk 3:1 – “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On Shigionoth”.

Canonical Placement and Literary Context

Psalm 7 belongs to the first Davidic collection (Psalms 3–41). Surrounded by psalms of lament and trust, it stands out for its forensic plea: the innocent sufferer appeals to the righteous Judge. The heading’s reference to Cush, a Benjamite, situates the psalm amid David’s conflicts with Saul’s faction (1 Samuel 18–26), heightening the theme of unjust persecution.

Habakkuk 3 is the prophetic book’s climactic prayer. After wrestling with God’s justice (Habakkuk 1–2), the prophet breaks into a majestic theophany: the Lord strides across the earth to save His people. The plural shigionoth implies multiple stanzas, perhaps alternating between choir and soloist, underscoring the vision’s awe-filled cadence.

Meaning and Musical Function

Because a shiggayon is crafted for heightened emotion, it likely employed irregular rhythms, shifting tempos, and dramatic instrumentation. David’s musicians (1 Chronicles 25) and later Levitical choirs could adapt such compositions for temple worship, allowing worshipers to pour out raw petitions or erupt in triumphant confidence. The superscriptions show that the form served both individual (David) and corporate (Habakkuk with Judah) settings.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Justice – Both passages cry for God to act against evil. David seeks vindication; Habakkuk witnesses the Lord crushing the nations (Habakkuk 3:12).
2. Covenant Faithfulness – The psalmist and the prophet anchor their pleas in God’s steadfast love toward His covenant people.
3. Eschatological Hope – Habakkuk’s theophany anticipates the final day when “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD” (Habakkuk 2:14).
4. Innocent Suffering and Vindication – David’s appeal prefigures the ultimate Righteous Sufferer whose vindication secures deliverance for all who trust Him (Acts 2:24-32).

Historical Background

Psalm 7 reflects the turbulent period when Saul’s jealousy endangered David’s life, yet David refused to retaliate (1 Samuel 24:6). The shiggayon format mirrors the tension of a hunted man pleading for justice while entrusting vengeance to God.

Habakkuk ministered shortly before Babylon’s invasion (circa 605–597 BC). Judah’s moral decline and the looming Chaldean threat drove the prophet to anguished questions. The shigionoth prayer captures an era of national crisis transformed into worshipful surrender.

Liturgical and Pastoral Applications

• Corporate Worship: Congregations may employ modern equivalents—spontaneous or free-meter songs—to express lament or exuberant praise.
• Personal Devotion: Believers facing false accusation find language in Psalm 7 to plead their cause before God without resorting to retaliation.
• Intercession for Justice: Habakkuk 3 models prayer that acknowledges impending judgment yet rejoices in God’s saving power (Habakkuk 3:18-19).
• Teaching on Suffering: The shiggayon encourages transparency before God while affirming His righteous character.

Christological and Eschatological Horizons

David’s shiggayon anticipates the Messiah, who, though sinless, was maligned yet entrusted Himself “to Him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). Habakkuk’s vision foreshadows the triumphant return described in Revelation 19:11-16, where Christ rides forth to judge and wage war in righteousness. Thus the shiggayon genre not only gave voice to ancient Israel’s struggles but also points forward to the ultimate resolution of all injustice in the reign of the Anointed King.

Summary

Strong’s Hebrew 7692 highlights a unique poetic form that channels fervent human emotion into God-centered worship. Whether in David’s courtroom plea or Habakkuk’s apocalyptic hymn, the shiggayon invites believers of every age to bring their deepest fears and highest hopes before the sovereign Lord, confident that He hears, judges, and saves.

שִׁגְיֹנֽוֹת׃ שִׁגָּי֗וֹן שגיון שגינות׃ shiggaYon shigyoNot šig·gā·yō·wn šiḡ·yō·nō·wṯ šiggāyōwn šiḡyōnōwṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts