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סָחַר

𐤎𐤇𐤓

çâchar

H5503 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To engage in trading or commercial activity, especially by traveling from place to place as a merchant; to conduct or be occupied with commerce or the exchange of goods. In some intensive forms, the root can also mean to move rapidly or anxiously, as in panting or bustling about. The primary sense involves movement with the purpose of commerce but can extend to a general sense of bustling or wandering about, depending on context.

Semantic Range

to trade, to perform commercial transactions, to travel as a merchant, to deal in merchandise, to go about for trade, to bustle, to move anxiously or rapidly (intensive forms), to make profit by trading

Root / Etymology

Root: סחר. The root סחר primarily carries the meaning 'to move about for trade' or 'to travel as a merchant.' The root yields derivatives referring to trade, merchants, and commerce. The intensive (Piʿel) form can imply hurrying, bustling, or panting, related metaphorically to the energetic movement of traders. There is no clear cognate outside Northwest Semitic, though Arabic has a similar root (s-kh-r) with the sense of trading, indicating likely West Semitic origin.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, סָחַר is attested primarily in reference to merchants, commerce, and the act of trading or making a livelihood by traveling with goods for sale (e.g., Ezekiel 27; Genesis 34:10, 21). During the monarchic and especially exilic/post-exilic periods, commerce became an increasingly important theme, particularly in prophetic texts denouncing the excesses, arrogance, or influence of foreign merchants and trading cities. In poetics (e.g., in Psalms or Prophets), intensive forms may be used with nuance—possibly describing anxious movement, metaphorically extending the idea of bustling traders to describe agitation or restless wandering. The standard English translation 'merchant' or 'trader' generally captures the word's occupational sense but may miss the sense of ceaseless movement or activity implied in some uses, especially in intensified stems. The verb is distinct from related roots for commerce (e.g., פרק, כנע) that focus more narrowly on buying/selling or acquiring profit. There is no implication in the root or typical context of a specific ethnicity or nation—the occupation is the focus, not group identity. Later religious terminology (i.e., 'merchantman') appearing in some older English versions can obscure the word's original acontextual occupational meaning. See also its derivatives: סֹחֵר (merchant), סְחֹרָה (merchandise, wares).

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to travel round (specifically as a pedlar); intensively, to palpitate; go about, merchant(-man), occupy with, pant, trade, traffick.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

סחר (s-ḥ-r) — to travel for trade, to be a merchant, to engage in commerce

Root סחר to travel for trade, to be a merchant, to engage in commerce
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4536 מִסְחָר and trade-of
H5504 סַחַר her trade-gain
H5505 סָחַר trade-of
H5506 סְחֹרָה merchandise of
H5507 סֹחֵרָה encircling shield

Word Forms

14 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5503-06 סֹחֲרֵ֣י socharey HVqrmpc merchants trading-men of merchants of 3
H5503-05 סֹחַרְתֵּ֖/ךְ socharetekhe HVqrfsc/Sp2fs was your merchant your trading-woman your merchant 3
H5503-08 סֹֽחֲרִ֗ים socharim HVqrmpa merchants the ones trading the merchants 2
H5503-04 סֹחֲרַ֣יִ/ךְ socharayikhe HVqrmpc/Sp2fs your merchants your merchant-men your merchant-men 2
H5503-09 סֹחֵ֥ר socher HVqrmsc merchants trading-one of merchant of 2
H5503-14 וְ/יִסְחֲר֣וּ veyisecharu HC/Vqi3mp and trade and they trade and they trade 1
H5503-02 סָחֲר֥וּ sacharu HVqp3cp have gone about They traveled for trade have gone about 1
H5503-13 וְ/סֹחֲרֵ֨י vesocharey HC/Vqrmpc and the merchants of and traders of and traders of 1
H5503-07 סֹחֲרֶ֨י/ה֙ sochareyh HVqrmpc/Sp3fs merchants her merchant-travelers her merchants 1
H5503-12 וְ/הַ/סֹּחֲרִ֖ים vehasocharim HC/Td/Vqrmpa and the merchants and the traveling-merchants and the traveling-merchants 1

Occurrences in Scripture

21 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5503-01 Genesis 23:16 לַ/סֹּחֵֽר lasocher HRd/Vqrmsa with the merchant the trading-one with the merchant
H5503-11 Genesis 34:10 וּ/סְחָר֔וּ/הָ usecharuha HC/Vqv2mp/Sp3fs and trade in it and trade her and trade in it
H5503-14 Genesis 34:21 וְ/יִסְחֲר֣וּ veyisecharu HC/Vqi3mp and trade and they trade and they trade
H5503-08 Genesis 37:28 סֹֽחֲרִ֗ים socharim HVqrmpa merchants the ones trading the merchants
H5503-10 Genesis 42:34 תִּסְחָֽרוּ tisecharu HVqi2mp you shall trade you will travel for trade you will trade
H5503-06 1 Kings 10:28 סֹחֲרֵ֣י socharey HVqrmpc merchants trading-men of trading-men of
H5503-09 Isaiah 23:2 סֹחֵ֥ר socher HVqrmsc merchants trading-one of merchant of
H5503-07 Isaiah 23:8 סֹחֲרֶ֨י/ה֙ sochareyh HVqrmpc/Sp3fs merchants her merchant-travelers her merchants
H5503-04 Isaiah 47:15 סֹחֲרַ֣יִ/ךְ socharayikhe HVqrmpc/Sp2fs your-merchants your merchant-men your merchant-men
H5503-02 Jeremiah 14:18 סָחֲר֥וּ sacharu HVqp3cp have gone about They traveled for trade have gone about
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