8250. shiqquy
Lexical Summary
shiqquy: Drink, irrigation, watering

Original Word: שִׁקּוּי
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: shiqquwy
Pronunciation: shik-KOO-ee
Phonetic Spelling: (shik-koo'-ee)
KJV: drink, marrow
NASB: drink, refreshment
Word Origin: [from H8248 (שָׁקָה - drink)]

1. a beverage
2. moisture, i.e. (figuratively) refreshment

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
drink, marrow

From shaqah; a beverage; moisture, i.e. (figuratively) refreshment -- drink, marrow.

see HEBREW shaqah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from shaqah
Definition
a drink
NASB Translation
drink (2), refreshment (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
שִׁקּוּי noun [masculine] drink (Ba§ 102 d); — לְעַצְמוֺתֶיךָ ׳שׁ Proverbs 3:8 drink (figurative for refreshment) to thy bones (compare verb Pu`al); plural suffix שִׁקֻּוַי (Ol§ 186 b) Psalm 102:10 (+לֶחֶם va) שִׁקּוּיָ֑י Hosea 2:7.

Topical Lexicon
Definition and Nuances

שִׁקּוּי expresses the idea of a drink or draught that brings refreshment, quenching and sustaining life. Beyond a mere beverage, the term carries overtones of invigorating nourishment and restorative well-being.

Occurrences in Scripture

Proverbs 3:8 – Within Solomon’s counsel to trust the LORD, wisdom becomes “refreshment to your bones,” picturing the inward reviving that godly fear supplies.
Hosea 2:5 – Israel, likened to an unfaithful wife, pursues lovers who promise “my drink”; the prophet exposes the futility of seeking life-giving refreshment outside the covenant God.

Theological Implications

1. True Refreshment Comes from the LORD

Proverbs 3 sets שִׁקּוּי alongside “healing” to portray comprehensive shalom. Obedience yields tangible, holistic vitality, echoing Deuteronomy 30:19-20.
2. Counterfeit Wells of Idolatry

Hosea highlights the tragic exchange: the people look to Baal for the very provisions Yahweh has always supplied. The word draws a poignant contrast between genuine sustenance and deceptive substitutes (Jeremiah 2:13).
3. Water as a Redemptive Motif

שִׁקּוּי belongs to a wider biblical stream where life-giving water symbolizes grace—Psalm 23:2, Isaiah 55:1, Ezekiel 47:1-12. It anticipates Christ’s invitation, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37).

Historical and Cultural Context

In Israel’s agrarian climate, dependable water was indispensable. A “drink” promised more than momentary relief; it meant survival. Wells, cisterns and seasonal rains became theological touchpoints, and covenant infidelity was often framed as forsaking the LORD, “the spring of living water,” for broken cisterns (Jeremiah 2:13). Hosea’s audience would immediately recognize the irony of chasing “my drink” in pagan worship when Yahweh alone controlled rain and harvest (Deuteronomy 11:13-17).

Ministry and Devotional Applications

• Pastoral Care: Proverbs 3 encourages believers to present obedience not merely as duty but as the pathway to deep refreshment—physical, emotional and spiritual.
• Evangelism: Hosea offers a diagnostic tool: ask seekers, “Where do you look for your drink?” Point them from false wells to Christ.
• Worship Planning: Songs and prayers that celebrate God as the Fountain of Life (Psalm 36:9) align congregational affections with the truth behind שִׁקּוּי.
• Counseling Addiction: The term exposes substitute “drinks” (chemical, relational or digital) that promise relief yet dehydrate the soul.

Connections to New Testament Themes

Jesus embodies the ultimate שִׁקּוּי. He offers “living water” (John 4:10) and produces within believers “a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). The Spirit continues this ministry (John 7:38-39; 1 Corinthians 12:13). Revelation 22:17 closes Scripture with the universal call, “Let the one who is thirsty come.”

Summary

שִׁקּוּי portrays refreshing sustenance. In wisdom literature it marks the blessing of obedience; in prophetic rebuke it unmasks idolatrous cravings. Ultimately, it directs hearts to the LORD, the only unfailing Source who, in Christ, satisfies thirsty souls now and forever.

Forms and Transliterations
וְ֝שִׁקּ֗וּי וְשִׁקּוּיָֽי׃ ושקוי ושקויי׃ veshikKui veshikkuYai wə·šiq·qū·yāy wə·šiq·qui wəšiqqui wəšiqqūyāy
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Proverbs 3:8
HEB: תְּהִ֣י לְשָׁרֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝שִׁקּ֗וּי לְעַצְמוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
NAS: to your body And refreshment to your bones.
KJV: to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
INT: become to your body and refreshment to your bones

Hosea 2:5
HEB: וּפִשְׁתִּ֔י שַׁמְנִ֖י וְשִׁקּוּיָֽי׃
NAS: and my flax, my oil and my drink.'
KJV: and my flax, mine oil and my drink.
INT: and my flax my oil and my drink

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 8250
2 Occurrences


wə·šiq·qui — 1 Occ.
wə·šiq·qū·yāy — 1 Occ.

8249
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