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סְגוֹר

𐤎𐤂𐤅𐤓

çᵉgôwr

H5458 noun

SILEX Entry

Root סגר to shut, close, lock

Definition

A covering or enclosure, specifically referring to the membrane or lobe covering certain internal organs (such as the liver or heart) in sacrificial animals; in some contexts, used for gold as a precious substance kept secure or hidden. The primary sense is of something enclosing or shutting in, with applications to both anatomy (membranous covering) and valued materials.

Semantic Range

membranous covering (caul) over internal organs in animals, particularly in sacrificial context; something shut up or enclosed; gold (rare, as something precious kept enclosed or secure)

Root / Etymology

From the root סגר (s-g-r), meaning 'to shut, close, lock.' The term סְגוֹר is a nominal formation indicating something shut in or enclosed. While its literal sense derives from the idea of being closed off, it develops specialized uses in biblical Hebrew.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical texts, סְגוֹר refers most frequently to a specific anatomical covering—the caul or membrane of the liver—often described in the context of sacrificial procedures in Leviticus, where dissection and removal of internal organs was required. The rare sense referring to 'gold' likely emerges from the root's association of something valuable being shut away or guarded, though this meaning is attested in only rare or possibly late texts. The term is distinct from related sacrificial anatomical terms like יָתֶר (yāter, 'appendage/lobe') and כְּסֶף ('kesef,' silver). English translations like 'caul' capture the anatomical sense but risk misunderstanding by modern readers unfamiliar with ancient sacrificial rituals. Rabbinic and post-biblical Hebrew largely do not use סְגוֹר for either anatomical or metallic referents, and the gold sense should not be conflated with the standard biblical term for gold, זָהָב (zahav).

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from סָגַר; properly, shut up, i.e. the breast (as enclosing the heart); also gold (as generally shut up safely); caul, gold.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

סגר (s-g-r) — to shut, close, lock

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4525 מַסְגֵּר the metal-forger
H4526 מִסְגֶּרֶת the enclosing frame
H5462 סָגַר to hand them over
H5463 סְגַר and he shut
H5464 סַגְרִיד confining downpour

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5458-01 סְג֣וֹר segor HNcmsc enclosure enclosed covering of 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5458-01 Hosea 13:8 סְג֣וֹר segor HNcmsc enclosure enclosed covering of
H5458-01 Job 28:15 סְג֣וֹר segor HNcmsa fine gold enclosed covering of
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