Original Word: שָׁכַח
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: shakach
Pronunciation: shah-KAHKH
Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-kakh')
KJV: X at all, (cause to) forget
NASB: forget, forgotten, forgot, forgets, ever forget, who forget
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to mislay, i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention

cause to forget

Or shakeach {shaw-kay'-akh}; a primitive root; to mislay, i.e. To be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention -- X at all, (cause to) forget.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to forget
NASB Translation
ever forget (1), forget (47), forgets (3), forgot (10), forgotten (39), who forget (1).

שָׁכַח₁₀₂ verb forget (Late Hebrew id.; Ecclus 45:26c and (Pi`el) Ecclesiasticus 11:25 (twice in verse); Aramaic שְׁכַךְ is find); —

Qal₈₆ Perfect3masculine singular ׳שׁ Psalm 9:13 +, suffix שְׁכֵחָ֑נִי Isaiah 49:14; 2feminine singular שָׁכַחְתְּ Jeremiah 13:25; 1plural suffix שְׁכַחֲנוּךָ Psalm 44:18, etc.; Imperfect יִשְׁכַּח Deuteronomy 4:31 +, etc.; Imperative feminine singular שִׁכְּחִי Psalm 45:11; Infinitive absolute שָׁכֹךְַ; Participle plural construct שֹׁכְחֵי Job 8:13; Psalm 50:22; — forget: 1 subject man,

a. accusative of thing Genesis 27:45 (E), Deuteronomy 4:9; Deuteronomy 9:7 (opposed to זָכַר) +, = forget and leave, ב of location, Deuteronomy 24:19; with object clause with כִּי Job 39:15; with מִן infinitive Psalm 102:5.

b. with accusative of person, involving forgetting to mention, Genesis 40:23 (E; opposed to זכר), ceasing to care for Jeremiah 30:14 (figurative), Isaiah 49:15 (twice in verse) (accusative omitted), Isaiah 49:15; Job 19:14; Psalm 45:11; with accusative Jerusalem Psalm 137:5a; יִשְׁכָּחֵהוּ רֶחֶם Job 24:20; absolute Psalm 137:5b ׃תִּשְׁכַּח יְמִינִי AE Ki supply הַמַּעֲשֶׂה or הַנִּגּוּן (whence AV her cunning), but forced: ᵐ5 תִּשָּׁכַח; read probably (Gr Bu and others) תִּכְחַשׁ let it grow lean (Psalm 109:24, compare Zechariah 11:17), or (Che) תְּכַחַשׁ let it disappoint (me), fail (Habakkuk 3:17).

c. especially with accusative ׳י (God), Hosea 2:15; Hosea 8:14; Hosea 13:6; Judges 3:7; 1 Samuel 12:9; Isaiah 17:10; Deuteronomy 8:19 (׳שָׁכֹחַ תִּשׁ) + 16 t. (5 t. Deuteronomy, 4 t. Jeremiah), + Psalm 59:12 (accusative omitted); also accusative of divine name Jeremiah 23:27 (בַּבַּעַל), Psalm 44:21; commands of ׳י Hosea 4:6; Deuteronomy 26:13 (accusative omitted) Psalm 119:16 7t. Psalm 119, his doings and ways, Psalm 119:139; Psalm 78:7; Psalm 78:11; Psalm 103:2; Psalm 106:13, his covenant Deuteronomy 4:23,31; 2 Kings 17:38; Proverbs 2:17; law of wisdom Proverbs 3:1, that is accusative בִּינָה Proverbs 4:6.

2 subject ׳י (God):

a. accusative of person Hosea 4:6; 1 Samuel 1:11 (opposed to זָכַר), Lamentations 5:20; Isaiah 49:14 ("" עָזַב), Psalm 10:12; Psalm 13:2; Psalm 42:10.

b. accusative of sins Amos 8:7; Psalm 10:11 (accusative omitted), cry Psalm 9:13 (opposed to זָכַר), compare, of distress, Psalm 44:25.

c. voice of foes Psalm 74:23.

d. followed by infinitive Psalm 77:10.

Niph`al Perfect3masculine singular נִשְׁכַּח Ecclesiastes 9:5, etc.; Imperfect יִשָּׁכַח Psalm 9:19, 3feminine singular תִּשָּׁכֵחַ Jeremiah 20:11, etc.; Participle feminine singular נִשְׁכָּחָה Isaiah 23:16, נִשְׁכַּחַת Isaiah 23:15, plural נִשְׁכָּ חִים Job 28:4; — be forgotten: subject of thing Genesis 41:30 (E), Deuteronomy 31:21; Jeremiah 20:11; Jeremiah 23:40; Jeremiah 50:5; Isaiah 65:11; subject person Psalm 9:19; Psalm 31:13; Ecclesiastes 2:16, Tyre Isaiah 23:15,16 (under figure of harlot), subject זִכְרָם Ecclesiastes 9:5; מִנִּי רָ֑גֶל ׳הַנִּשׁ Job 28:4.

Pi`el Perfect3masculine singular ׳וגו ׳שִׁכַּח י Lamentations 2:6 ׳י hath caused to forget (be forgotten) in Zion assembly and sabbath.

Hiph`il Infinitive לְהַשְׁכִּיחַ Jeremiah 23:27 to make my people forget my name (2 accusative).

Hithpa`el Ipmf.3masculine plural יִשְׁתַּכְּחוּ Ecclesiastes 8:10 they were forgotten in the city.

Semantic Scope and Canonical Distribution

Appearing around one hundred three times, שָׁכַח moves along a spectrum from simple lapse of memory to deliberate neglect. Its occurrences cluster in Deuteronomy, Psalms, and the Prophets, with isolated uses in the Historical and Wisdom books. The prevalence in covenantal passages underlines that “forgetting” is never a mere cognitive failure but a moral and spiritual breach.

Human Forgetfulness in Covenant Relationship

1. Neglect of God’s works and words is the dominant theme. “Be careful not to forget the LORD your God by failing to keep His commandments” (Deuteronomy 8:11). Israel’s memory was to be shaped by exodus, law, and promise; forgetting these pillars equated to covenant unfaithfulness (Deuteronomy 4:9; 6:12; 32:18).
2. Forgetting surfaces as a heart issue, not simply mental. Deuteronomy 8:14 warns that prosperity breeds pride that “forgets the LORD.” Thus shachach exposes idolatry of self‐sufficiency (Hosea 13:6).
3. Interpersonal lapses also appear. Job laments friends who “have forgotten me” (Job 19:14), illustrating the social cost of neglect.

Consequences of Forgetting

Divine retribution follows persistent neglect. “If you ever forget the LORD your God … you will surely perish” (Deuteronomy 8:19). The Prophets echo this judicial pattern: “Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children” (Hosea 4:6). National exile and personal discipline arise from cultivated amnesia.

Divine (Non-)Forgetfulness

In sharp contrast, the LORD repeatedly testifies that He does not forget His covenant people: “Can a woman forget her nursing child …? Even if she could, I will not forget you!” (Isaiah 49:15). The same verb that exposes human failure magnifies divine fidelity. Psalms intertwines petition with confidence: “How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?” (Psalm 13:1) quickly resolves into praise when experience proves that God indeed remembers (Psalm 9:12).

Grace in Forgetfulness of Sin

Paradoxically, God “forgets” in order to forgive. “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:34). Here shachach (and its synonyms) describe a willed divine amnesty, prefiguring the New Covenant’s full remission realized in Christ (Hebrews 8:12).

Cultic and Social Legislation

Memory was embedded in Israel’s liturgy and ethics to guard against shachach.
• Feasts: Passover, Weeks, and Booths rehearsed redemptive history so “that you may remember the day you came out of Egypt all the days of your life” (Deuteronomy 16:3).
• Social justice: Farmers were to “leave it for the alien, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you” (Deuteronomy 24:19). The mandate presumes that compassionate memory imitates God’s remembrance of the oppressed (Exodus 2:24). Forgetting the needy invites prophetic censure (Amos 8:7).

Wisdom and Poetic Literature

Proverbs warns that the adulteress causes a man to “forget the covenant of his God” (Proverbs 2:17), linking moral collapse with spiritual amnesia. Conversely, the righteous entrust their reputation to God: “The righteous will be remembered forever” (Psalm 112:6), implying that human memory is fickle but divine record is permanent (Malachi 3:16).

Prophetic Indictments and Promised Renewal

Jeremiah and Hosea portray forgetting as a root sin that corrupts worship and society. Yet they also anticipate a day when God “will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all My heart and soul” (Jeremiah 32:41), ensuring they will “never again forget the LORD” (Jeremiah 50:5, implicit). Restoration involves a Spirit‐wrought memory (Ezekiel 36:26–27).

Messianic and Eschatological Dimensions

At Calvary the criminal pleads, “Jesus, remember me” (Luke 23:42), echoing Israel’s ancient anxiety over divine forgetfulness and receiving immediate assurance. The Last Supper command, “Do this in remembrance of Me,” positions the church’s central ordinance as the antidote to shachach until Christ returns (1 Corinthians 11:24–26).

Pastoral and Ministry Applications

• Preaching must rehearse redemptive history to combat contemporary forms of forgetting.
• Worship planning should integrate readings and songs that recall God’s mighty acts (Psalm 103:2).
• Discipleship nurtures spiritual memory through Scripture meditation (Joshua 1:8) and testimony sharing (Psalm 78:4).
• Counseling draws on God’s promise never to forget the suffering saint (Isaiah 49:15) while urging penitents to rest in His “forgetting” of confessed sin (Micah 7:19).

Key References for Study

Deuteronomy 4:9; 4:23; 6:12; 8:11–20; 9:7; 24:19; 32:18

Judges 3:7

Job 8:13; 19:14; 39:15

Psalm 9:12; 10:11–12; 13:1; 42:9; 50:22; 74:19; 119:16, 93, 141, 153

Proverbs 2:17

Isaiah 44:21; 49:15

Jeremiah 2:32; 3:21; 23:39; 31:34

Hosea 4:6; 8:14; 13:6

Amos 8:7

Zechariah 10:6

Summary

שָׁכַח uncovers the peril of spiritual amnesia and the glory of divine remembrance. Scripture counters human propensity to forget with ordinances, warnings, and promises culminating in the cross and the New Covenant, where God simultaneously remembers His people and forgets their sins.

אֶשְׁכְּחָ֣ה אֶשְׁכַּ֣ח אֶשְׁכַּ֥ח אֶשְׁכָּחֵ֥ךְ אֶשְׁכָּחֵֽךְ׃ אשכח אשכחה אשכחך אשכחך׃ הֲשָׁכַ֣ח הֲתִשְׁכַּ֤ח הַֽנִּשְׁכָּחִ֥ים הַֽשְׁכַחְתֶּם֩ הַשְּׁכֵחִ֖ים הנשכחים השכח השכחים השכחתם התשכח וְיִֽשְׁתַּכְּח֥וּ וְיִשְׁכַּ֣ח וְנִשְׁכַּ֤חַת וְנִשְׁכַּ֥ח וְשִׁכְחִ֥י וְשָֽׁכַחְתָּ֙ וְשָֽׁכַחְתָּ֧ וְשָׁכַח֙ וַ֭תִּשְׁכַּח וַֽיִּשְׁכְּח֖וּ וַיִּשְׁכְּח֥וּ וַיִּשְׁכַּ֨ח וַיִּשְׁכָּחֵֽהוּ׃ וַתִּשְׁכַּ֖ח וַתִּשְׁכַּ֞ח וַתִּשְׁכַּח֙ וישכח וישכחהו׃ וישכחו וישתכחו ונשכח ונשכחת ושכח ושכחי ושכחת ותשכח יִ֭שְׁכְּחוּ יִשְׁכְּח֬וּ יִשְׁכַּח֙ יִשְׁכָּ֘חֵ֤הוּ יִשָּׁכַ֣ח ישכח ישכחהו ישכחו כח כחו כחנו כחתי לְהַשְׁכִּ֤יחַ להשכיח נִ֭שְׁכַּחְתִּי נִשְׁכְּח֗וּ נִשְׁכַּ֖ח נִשְׁכָּ֔ח נִשְׁכָּחָ֑ה נשכח נשכחה נשכחו נשכחתי שְׁכֵח֔וּךְ שְׁכֵח֔וּנִי שְׁכֵחָֽנִי׃ שְׁכֵחֻ֥נִי שְׁכֵחֽוּנִי׃ שְׁכַ֫חְתָּ֥נִי שְׁכַחֲנ֑וּךָ שִׁכַּ֨ח שָׁ֝כַ֗ח שָׁ֝כַ֗חְתִּי שָׁ֣כַֽח שָׁ֭כְחוּ שָׁ֭כַחְנוּ שָׁכְח֖וּ שָׁכְח֣וּ שָׁכְח֧וּ שָׁכְחָ֖ה שָׁכֵֽחָה׃ שָׁכַ֔חַתְּ שָׁכַ֙חַתְּ֙ שָׁכַ֣חַתְּ שָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃ שָׁכֹ֤חַ שֹׁ֣כְחֵי שֹׁכְחֵ֣י שכח שכחה שכחה׃ שכחו שכחוך שכחוני שכחוני׃ שכחי שכחנוך שכחני שכחני׃ שכחת שכחתי׃ שכחתני תִּ֝שְׁכְּחִ֗י תִּ֭שְׁכַּח תִּשְׁכְּחוּ֙ תִּשְׁכַּ֔ח תִּשְׁכַּ֖ח תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח תִּשְׁכַּ֨ח תִּשְׁכַּח֙ תִּשְׁכָּ֑ח תִּשְׁכָּ֔חִי תִּשְׁכָּֽח׃ תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֣נִי תִשְׁכַּ֔חְנָה תִשְׁכַּ֣ח תִשְׁכָּ֑חוּ תִשָּׁכֵֽחַ׃ תִשָּׁכַ֖ח תשכח תשכח׃ תשכחו תשכחי תשכחנה תשכחנו תשכחני ’eš·kā·ḥêḵ ’eš·kaḥ ’eš·kə·ḥāh ’eškaḥ ’eškāḥêḵ ’eškəḥāh Chach chachnu Chachti chechu eshKach eshkaChech eshkeChah hă·šā·ḵaḥ hă·ṯiš·kaḥ han·niš·kā·ḥîm hannishkaChim hanniškāḥîm haš·ḵaḥ·tem haš·šə·ḵê·ḥîm hăšāḵaḥ hashaChach hashchachTem hashshecheChim hašḵaḥtem haššəḵêḥîm hatishKach hăṯiškaḥ ḵaḥ ḵaḥ·nū ḵaḥ·tî ḵaḥnū ḵaḥtî ḵə·ḥū ḵəḥū lə·haš·kî·aḥ lehashKiach ləhaškîaḥ niš·kā·ḥāh niš·kaḥ niš·kāḥ niš·kaḥ·tî niš·kə·ḥū nishKach nishkaChah Nishkachti nishkeChu niškaḥ niškāḥ niškāḥāh niškaḥtî niškəḥū šā·ḵa·ḥat šā·ḵā·ḥə·tî šā·ḵaḥ šā·ḵê·ḥāh šā·ḵə·ḥāh šā·ḵə·ḥū šā·ḵō·aḥ šāḵaḥ šāḵaḥat šāḵāḥətî šāḵêḥāh šāḵəḥāh šāḵəḥū šāḵōaḥ šə·ḵa·ḥă·nū·ḵā šə·ḵaḥ·tā·nî šə·ḵê·ḥā·nî šə·ḵê·ḥu·nî šə·ḵê·ḥū·nî šə·ḵê·ḥūḵ šəḵaḥănūḵā šəḵaḥtānî šəḵêḥānî šəḵêḥūḵ šəḵêḥunî šəḵêḥūnî Shachach shaChachat shaChacheti shaChechah shacheChu shaChoach shechachaNucha sheChachTani shecheChani shecheChuch shecheChuni shikKach Shochechei šik·kaḥ šikkaḥ šō·ḵə·ḥê šōḵəḥê tiš·kā·ḥê·nî tiš·kā·ḥê·nū tiš·kā·ḥî ṯiš·kā·ḥū tiš·kaḥ tiš·kāḥ ṯiš·kaḥ ṯiš·kaḥ·nāh tiš·kə·ḥî tiš·kə·ḥū ṯiš·šā·ḵaḥ ṯiš·šā·ḵê·aḥ tishKach tishkaCheni tishkaChenu tishKachi tishKachnah tishKachu tishkeChi tishkeChu tishshaChach tishshaCheach tiškaḥ tiškāḥ ṯiškaḥ tiškāḥênî tiškāḥênū tiškāḥî ṯiškaḥnāh ṯiškāḥū tiškəḥî tiškəḥū ṯiššāḵaḥ ṯiššāḵêaḥ vaiyishKach vaiyishkaChehu vaiyishkeChu vattishKach venishKach venishKachat veshaChach veshachachTa veshichChi veyishKach veyishtakkeChu wat·tiš·kaḥ wattiškaḥ way·yiš·kā·ḥê·hū way·yiš·kaḥ way·yiš·kə·ḥū wayyiškaḥ wayyiškāḥêhū wayyiškəḥū wə·niš·ka·ḥaṯ wə·niš·kaḥ wə·šā·ḵaḥ wə·šā·ḵaḥ·tā wə·šiḵ·ḥî wə·yiš·kaḥ wə·yiš·tak·kə·ḥū wəniškaḥ wəniškaḥaṯ wəšāḵaḥ wəšāḵaḥtā wəšiḵḥî wəyiškaḥ wəyištakkəḥū yiš·kā·ḥê·hū yiš·kaḥ yiš·kə·ḥū yiš·šā·ḵaḥ yishKach yishKaChehu yishkeChu yishshaChach yiškaḥ yiškāḥêhū yiškəḥū yiššāḵaḥInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts