shu.chah denotes a dug or deep hollow, used for a trap, hazardous terrain, and perilous comparisons.

The attested uses chiefly depict a dangerous hollow or deep depression: it is compared with a mouth and with a woman in Proverbs, and it describes part of an inhospitable land in Jeremiah. In two other verses, it is specifically something enemies have dug as a trap against a person.

1. Dangerous deep hollow or comparison · dominant

   The singular absolute noun occurs in a description of a land containing such a hazard in Jeremiah 2:6; the APB renders the sequence "a land of Arabah and pit." In Proverbs 22:14 and Proverbs 23:27, it stands in comparisons: the APB renders "The mouth of strangers is a deep pit" and "a prostitute is a deep pit," presenting the hollow as a perilous image.

   Jeremiah 2:6Proverbs 22:14Proverbs 23:27
2. Excavated trap against a person · common

   In Jeremiah 18:20 and Jeremiah 18:22, the singular absolute noun is the object of digging by hostile people. The APB renders a "pit for my life" in the first clause and says they "have dug a pit to capture me" in the second, showing an intentionally prepared trap.

   Jeremiah 18:20Jeremiah 18:22

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB consistently uses "pit" across these verses, adding "deep" in Proverbs 22:14 and Proverbs 23:27 and describing digging in Jeremiah 18:20 and Jeremiah 18:22. These renderings confirm the clauses' presentation rather than isolate every nuance of the noun.