סָרָה
𐤎𐤓𐤄
çârâh
H5627 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A turning aside or departure (especially from a prescribed path or standard); rebellion, defiance, or disobedience against authority, particularly against Israelite covenantal norms; also used in reference to moral or social transgression. The word most commonly designates the act or state of rebellion or revolt, especially directed against YHWH, but can describe a general state of waywardness or deviation.
Semantic Range
rebellion, revolt, apostasy, defection, moral or religious transgression, turning aside from the path, political or social disobedience
Root / Etymology
From the root סור (sur), meaning 'to turn aside,' 'to depart,' 'to remove.' The noun סָרָה (sarah) derives specifically as an abstract noun indicating the state or act of turning aside, hence signifying rebellion or defection. While the core root means 'turn aside,' the lexical meaning as attested in context focuses on willful rebellion or apostasy, especially in relation to divine authority.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, סָרָה appears primarily in poetic and prophetic texts, often referring to an act of political, religious, or moral rebellion. It is almost always used in a negative ethical or covenantal sense — not simply a generic deviation but specifically an act of deliberate revolt or disloyalty, commonly against YHWH or the established order of Israelite society. In post-exilic usage and later Hebrew, the word retains a sense of rebellion but sometimes overlaps with other terms for guilt or transgression. The nuance of 'remission' is rare and contextually derived (cf. Job 34:37, where it may reflect 'multiplying' or 'adding' rebellion rather than a pardon). English 'apostasy' or 'rebellion' captures the main sense but may not convey the full depth of covenantal context or gravity attached to the term. Compare with פֶּשַׁע (peša‘, 'transgression') and מֶרֵד (mered, 'rebellion'), which emphasize breach of trust or social contract, whereas סָרָה stresses the act of turning away or purposeful revolt.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from סוּר; apostasy, crime; figuratively, remission; [idiom] continual, rebellion, revolt(-ed), turn away, wrong.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׂרר (ś-r-r) — to rule, to govern, to have power, to act as leader
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5493 | סוּר | Princess |
| H5620 | סַר | Princess |
| H8269 | שַׂר | the ruler |
| H8272 | שַׁרְאֶצֶר | ruling-chief |
| H8280 | שָׂרָה | Princess |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5627-01 |
סָ֠רָה | sarah | HNcfsa |
rebellion | Princess | 7 |
H5627-02 |
וְ/סָרָ֔ה | vesarah | HC/Ncfsa |
and revolt | and she turned aside | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5627-01 |
Deuteronomy 13:6 | סָ֠רָה | sarah | HNcfsa |
apostasy | Princess |
H5627-01 |
Deuteronomy 19:16 | סָרָֽה | sarah | HNcfsa |
perversion | Princess |
H5627-01 |
Isaiah 1:5 | סָרָ֑ה | sarah | HNcfsa |
to rebel | Princess |
H5627-01 |
Isaiah 14:6 | סָרָ֑ה | sarah | HNcfsa |
ceasing | Princess |
H5627-01 |
Isaiah 31:6 | סָרָ֖ה | sarah | HNcfsa |
rebellion | Princess |
H5627-02 |
Isaiah 59:13 | וְ/סָרָ֔ה | vesarah | HC/Ncfsa |
and revolt | and she turned aside |
H5627-01 |
Jeremiah 28:16 | סָרָ֥ה | sarah | HNcfsa |
rebellion | Princess |
H5627-01 |
Jeremiah 29:32 | סָרָ֥ה | sarah | HNcfsa |
rebellion | Princess |