סָעַר
𐤎𐤏𐤓
çâʻar
H5590 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To storm, to be tempestuous, to be violently agitated, to be swept away as by a storm or whirlwind. Used both literally of atmospheric storms or whirlwind phenomena and metaphorically of agitation, upheaval, or turmoil. Can also denote rushing upon or assaulting with the force of a storm.
Semantic Range
to be stormy or tempestuous, to rush or sweep away as by storm, to be violently agitated, to be in turmoil, to assault suddenly or with force (like a storm), to be swept up or scattered by whirlwind
Root / Etymology
From the root ס-ע-ר, which conveys the sense of violent movement, agitation, or storm. The verb takes its basic sense from natural storms or whirlwinds and is extended metaphorically to emotional, political, or national disturbance.
Historical & Contextual Notes
סָעַר is used in the Hebrew Bible both for literal meteorological events—such as windstorms or whirlwinds (e.g., 2 Kings 2:1, Genesis 19:24)—and figurative descriptions of emotional or national turmoil (e.g., Job 27:20, Isaiah 17:13). Compared with רוּחַ (wind, spirit; H7307), סָעַר always connotes intensity or violence, not merely the presence of wind. The term is rare and often appears in poetic or prophetic passages, emphasizing disorder, divine intervention, or upheaval. In later Hebrew and some translations, nouns derived from this root (e.g., סְעָרָה, 'storm' or 'tempest') are used for tempests and storms—preserving the root's core semantic field. English renditions sometimes narrow the word to 'tempest' or 'whirlwind,' but the original sense involves broader violent agitation, whether atmospheric or metaphorical. The association with sudden, overwhelming power is consistent across periods, though later usage solidifies the environmental connotation ('storm') over the metaphorical.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to rush upon; by implication, to toss (transitive or intransitive, literal or figurative); be (toss with) tempest(-uous), be sore, troubled, come out as a (drive with the, scatter with a) whirlwind.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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סער (s-ʿ-r) — to storm, to be tempestuous, to shake violently, to rush upon
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5591 | סַעַר | in the storm |
Word Forms
6 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5590-04 |
וְ/סֹעֵֽר | vesoer | HC/Vqrmsa |
and more tempestuous | and storming | 2 |
H5590-05 |
יְסֹעֵ֣ר | yesoer | HVmi3ms |
that is driven away | he will storm violently | 1 |
H5590-03 |
וְ/אֵ֣סָעֲרֵ֗/ם | veesaarem | HC/Vpi1cs/Sp3mp |
and-I-scattered-them | I will storm against them | 1 |
H5590-06 |
יִסְעֲר֖וּ | yisearu | HVqi3mp |
they storm | they storm | 1 |
H5590-01 |
סֹעֲרָ֖ה | soarah | HVPp3fs |
storm-tossed | she was storm-tossed | 1 |
H5590-02 |
וַ/יִּסָּעֵר֙ | vayisaer | HC/VNw3ms |
and it was enraged | and he was storm-tossed | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5590-02 |
2 Kings 6:11 | וַ/יִּסָּעֵר֙ | vayisaer | HC/VNw3ms |
and it was enraged | and he was storm-tossed |
H5590-01 |
Isaiah 54:11 | סֹעֲרָ֖ה | soarah | HVPp3fs |
storm-tossed | she was storm-tossed |
H5590-05 |
Hosea 13:3 | יְסֹעֵ֣ר | yesoer | HVmi3ms |
that is driven away | he will storm violently |
H5590-04 |
Jonah 1:11 | וְ/סֹעֵֽר | vesoer | HC/Vqrmsa |
and more tempestuous | and storming |
H5590-04 |
Jonah 1:13 | וְ/סֹעֵ֖ר | vesoer | HC/Vqrmsa |
and tempestuous | and storming |
H5590-06 |
Habakkuk 3:14 | יִסְעֲר֖וּ | yisearu | HVqi3mp |
they storm | they storm |
H5590-03 |
Zechariah 7:14 | וְ/אֵ֣סָעֲרֵ֗/ם | veesaarem | HC/Vpi1cs/Sp3mp |
and-I-scattered-them | I will storm against them |