שׁוּב
shûwb · shoob · verb · “to return, turn back”
Shuv means to return or turn back — used for traveling home, restoring fortunes, and supremely for the spiritual “turning” the prophets call repentance.
Shuv is one of the most theologically loaded verbs in the Old Testament. It can mean simply going back home, or it can mean turning — turning to God in repentance, turning from sin, or God turning to his people in mercy.
Hosea calls Israel to shuv to the LORD; Joel pleads for hearts to be torn and to shuv; Lamentations begs God himself to shuv. Repentance is reciprocal turning.
Definition: to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again
KJV usage: ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, [idiom] certainly, come again (back), [idiom] consider, [phrase] continually, convert, deliver (again), [phrase] deny, draw back, fetch home again, [idiom] fro, get (oneself) (back) again, [idiom] give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, [idiom] needs, be past, [idiom] pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, [phrase] say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, [idiom] surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.
Reference gloss from Strong's Concordance (1890, public domain).
Original BibleDawn word study. Original-language data and the public-domain Strong's (1890) gloss are referenced; see sources.