Original Word: שַׁחַץ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: shachats
Pronunciation: shah-khats'
Phonetic Spelling: (shakh'-ats)
KJV: X lion, pride
NASB: pride, proud
Word Origin: [from an unused root apparently meaning to strut]

1. haughtiness (as evinced by the attitude)

lion, pride

From an unused root apparently meaning to strut; haughtiness (as evinced by the attitude) -- X lion, pride.

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
dignity, pride
NASB Translation
pride (1), proud (1).

[שַׁ֫חַץ] noun [masculine] dignity, pride; — בְּנֵיהֿשָּׁ֑חַץ i.e. majestic wild beasts Job 28:8 ("" שָׁ֑חַל), Job 41:26.

Overview

שַׁחַץ (Strong’s Hebrew 7830) is an evocative poetic term that personifies “proud creatures” or “haughty beasts.” Found only in Job 28:8 and Job 41:34, it functions as a vivid emblem of unbridled pride that stands in opposition to humble dependence on the Creator.

Occurrences and Immediate Context

1. Job 28:8 sets the term amid a hymn to hidden wisdom. The mining tunnels of verses 1–11 are beyond the tread of any creature, for “no proud beast has trodden it; no fierce lion has passed over it”. The inaccessible path of wisdom is guarded from the self-exalting.
2. Job 41:34 crowns Leviathan’s description: “He looks down on all the haughty; he is king over all the proud beasts”. Here שַׁחַץ is subject to Leviathan’s domination, underscoring the creature’s supremacy over every manifestation of arrogance.

Pride Embodied in the Animal World

Job’s poetry often assigns moral qualities to animals. Lions (Job 4:10–11), falcons (Job 39:26), and behemoth (Job 40:15) each teach aspects of divine sovereignty. שַׁחַץ gathers the fiercest animals into one collective image of pride. The device sharpens the contrast between human incapacity and the hidden wisdom and power of God.

Leviathan and Cosmic Evil

In biblical thought Leviathan can symbolize chaotic evil (Psalm 74:14; Isaiah 27:1). By making Leviathan “king over all the proud beasts,” Job 41:34 intimates that unchecked pride belongs to the dominion of darkness. The satanic overtones remind readers that arrogance is not merely a human foible but participates in cosmic rebellion.

Theological Significance

• Divine Inaccessibility of Wisdom: Pride bars creatures—whether animals or humans—from the divine treasury of wisdom (Job 28:12, 23).
• God’s Sovereignty over Pride: Even Leviathan, epitome of arrogance, is a creature under God’s command (Job 41:10–11).
• Moral Warning: Pride precedes downfall (Proverbs 16:18); שַׁחַץ illustrates this principle by portraying proud strength that is, in the end, circumscribed by God.

Historical and Cultural Insight

Ancient Near Eastern literature often depicts kings or deities triumphing over monstrous, arrogant beasts to establish order. Job adopts the imagery yet shifts the lesson: God alone, not man, can master the haughty forces symbolized by שַׁחַץ. The term may allude to the most feared predators known to Job’s contemporaries—lions, panthers, or mythic hybrids—bundled into one archetype of pride.

Application for Ministry Today

1. Humility before Revelation: Seekers of divine wisdom must forsake self-reliance. Teaching Job 28 highlights that true insight is granted, not grasped.
2. Spiritual Warfare: Leviathan’s kingship over proud beasts encourages vigilance against the spiritual roots of arrogance (1 Peter 5:6–9).
3. Pastoral Counseling: Job’s use of שַׁחַץ validates feelings of intimidation by overwhelming forces yet redirects trust to God’s unassailable rule.

Key Cross-References

• Psalm 10:4 – “In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him.”
• Proverbs 8:13 – “To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride…”
• Isaiah 2:11 – “The proud look of man will be humbled…”
• James 4:6 – “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Summary

שַׁחַץ crystallizes the Bible’s teaching that pride—no matter how formidable—remains a creaturely phenomenon governed by the Lord. Its sparse yet potent appearances in Job anchor a theology of humility, sharpen our awareness of spiritual arrogance, and call every generation to bow before the One who alone is “wise in heart and mighty in strength” (Job 9:4).

שָֽׁחַץ׃ שָׁ֑חַץ שחץ שחץ׃ šā·ḥaṣ šāḥaṣ ShachatzInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts