שׁוֹר
𐤔𐤅𐤓
shôwr
H7794 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Domesticated cattle, specifically an ox or bull; the term refers primarily to the male of the species (Bos taurus), often as a beast of burden, used for plowing or as sacrificial animals. The word can denote a herd animal in general, sometimes used generically for cattle regardless of sex, but primarily indicates a mature male ox. In some legal and narrative contexts, it appears as a representative animal of agricultural life and social economy, especially in discussions of restitution, property, or sacrificial ritual.
Semantic Range
ox, bull, steer, herd animal, cattle (collectively), sacrificial animal, property in legal context
Root / Etymology
Root: שׁוּר (sh-w-r), likely 'to behold' or 'to look'—though some propose a connection with the idea of 'going straight' (as cattle are driven). The noun שׁוֹר derives from this root, possibly carrying the idea of an animal with a straightforward gait or bearing. In practice, the root meaning and the word's actual usage as 'ox' or 'bull' are only loosely connected; the primary lexical sense is zoological, not verbal.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, שׁוֹר appears frequently in narratives, law codes, and ritual prescriptions. In legal sections (e.g., Exodus 21), it is the paradigmatic large domesticated animal, often contrasted with חֲמוֹר (ḥămôr, 'donkey'), and used in examples concerning civil liability, loss, and compensation. In sacrificial contexts (Leviticus, Numbers), it denotes an offering category distinct from sheep or goats. The animal's economic and symbolic significance is evident, but the term does not inherently carry religious or cultic overtones. In a few cases, the plural (שְׁוָרִים) simply refers to a herd. English translations often render שׁוֹר as 'ox' or 'bull,' but the Hebrew term is more flexible, sometimes generically referring to meet cattle. The mistaken translation 'wall,' found in some early sources, results from confusion with the root שׁוּר ('to wall in'), but this is not attested in biblical usage for שׁוֹר. Over time, basic meaning remains stable from patriarchal through Second Temple periods.
Translation Consistency
shôr primarily denotes a domesticated male bovine used for plowing or sacrifice; the majority of corpus renderings use “ox.” “Ox” is the most natural, specific English equivalent (covering bull/steer when needed), while plural or collective forms can be generated as required (oxen, cattle).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from שׁוּר; a bullock (as a traveller); bull(-ock), cow, ox, wall (by mistake for שׁוּר).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
שׁוּר (Shur) — to look, gaze, observe carefully
Word Forms
15 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7794-08 |
שׁ֥וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
ox | ox | ox | 37 |
H7794-02 |
הַ/שּׁ֗וֹר | hashor | HTd/Ncmsa |
the ox | the ox | the ox | 13 |
H7794-10 |
שׁוֹר֜/וֹ | shoro | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his ox | his ox | his ox | 7 |
H7794-06 |
מִ/שּׁ֣וֹר | mishor | HR/Ncmsa |
than an ox | ox | ox | 5 |
H7794-13 |
וְ/שׁ֧וֹר | veshor | HC/Ncmsa |
and ox | and a bull | and a bull | 5 |
H7794-09 |
שׁוֹרֶ֔/ךָ | shorekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
of your ox | your ox | your ox | 3 |
H7794-01 |
בְּ/שׁוֹר | beshor | HR/Ncmsa |
with ox | with an ox | with an ox | 1 |
H7794-03 |
כְּ֭/שׁוֹר | keshor | HR/Ncmsa |
like an ox | like a bull | like an ox | 1 |
H7794-04 |
לַ/שּׁוֹר֙ | lashor | HRd/Ncmsa |
for the ox | to the ox | to the ox | 1 |
H7794-05 |
לְ/שֹׁרְ/ךָ֖ | leshorekha | HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms |
for your ox | for your ox | for your ox | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
79 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7794-08 |
Genesis 32:6 | שׁ֣וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-08 |
Genesis 49:6 | שֽׁוֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-15 |
Exodus 20:17 | וְ/שׁוֹר֣/וֹ | veshoro | HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
or his ox | and his ox | and his ox |
H7794-08 |
Exodus 21:28 | שׁ֥וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-02 |
Exodus 21:28 | הַ/שּׁ֗וֹר | hashor | HTd/Ncmsa |
the ox | the ox | the ox |
H7794-02 |
Exodus 21:28 | הַ/שּׁ֖וֹר | hashor-2 | HTd/Ncmsa |
of the ox | the ox | the ox |
H7794-08 |
Exodus 21:29 | שׁוֹר֩ | shor | HNcmsa |
an ox | ox | ox |
H7794-02 |
Exodus 21:29 | הַ/שּׁוֹר֙ | hashor | HTd/Ncmsa |
the ox | the ox | the ox |
H7794-02 |
Exodus 21:32 | הַ/שּׁ֖וֹר | hashor | HTd/Ncmsa |
the ox | the ox | the ox |
H7794-12 |
Exodus 21:32 | וְ/הַ/שּׁ֖וֹר | vehashor | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
and the ox | and the ox | and the ox |
H7794-08 |
Exodus 21:33 | שּׁ֖וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
an ox | ox | ox |
H7794-08 |
Exodus 21:35 | שֽׁוֹר | shor | HNcmsc |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-08 |
Exodus 21:35 | שׁ֥וֹר | shor-2 | HNcmsc |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-02 |
Exodus 21:35 | הַ/שּׁ֤וֹר | hashor | HTd/Ncmsa |
the ox | the ox | the ox |
H7794-08 |
Exodus 21:36 | שׁ֣וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-08 |
Exodus 21:36 | שׁוֹר֙ | shor-2 | HNcmsa |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-02 |
Exodus 21:36 | הַ/שּׁ֔וֹר | hashor | HTd/Ncmsa |
the-ox | the ox | the ox |
H7794-08 |
Exodus 21:37 | שׁ֣וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-02 |
Exodus 21:37 | הַ/שּׁ֔וֹר | hashor | HTd/Ncmsa |
the ox | the ox | the ox |
H7794-06 |
Exodus 22:3 | מִ/שּׁ֧וֹר | mishor | HR/Ncmsa |
from-ox | ox | ox |
H7794-08 |
Exodus 22:8 | שׁ֡וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-08 |
Exodus 22:9 | שׁ֥וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-05 |
Exodus 22:29 | לְ/שֹׁרְ/ךָ֖ | leshorekha | HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms |
for your ox | for your ox | for your ox |
H7794-08 |
Exodus 23:4 | שׁ֧וֹר | shor | HNcmsc |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-09 |
Exodus 23:12 | שֽׁוֹרְ/ךָ֙ | shorekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
your-ox | your ox | your ox |
H7794-08 |
Exodus 34:19 | שׁ֥וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
of ox | ox | ox |
H7794-06 |
Leviticus 4:10 | מִ/שּׁ֖וֹר | mishor | HR/Ncmsc |
from the ox | ox | from the ox |
H7794-08 |
Leviticus 7:23 | שׁ֥וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
of ox | ox | ox |
H7794-13 |
Leviticus 9:4 | וְ/שׁ֨וֹר | veshor | HC/Ncmsa |
and an ox | and a bull | and a bull |
H7794-02 |
Leviticus 9:18 | הַ/שּׁוֹר֙ | hashor | HTd/Ncmsa |
the ox | the ox | the ox |
H7794-02 |
Leviticus 9:19 | הַ/שּׁ֑וֹר | hashor | HTd/Ncmsa |
the ox | the ox | the ox |
H7794-08 |
Leviticus 17:3 | שׁ֥וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-13 |
Leviticus 22:23 | וְ/שׁ֥וֹר | veshor | HC/Ncmsa |
or an ox | and a bull | and a bull |
H7794-08 |
Leviticus 22:27 | שׁ֣וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-13 |
Leviticus 22:28 | וְ/שׁ֖וֹר | veshor | HC/Ncmsa |
and ox | and a bull | and a bull |
H7794-08 |
Leviticus 27:26 | שׁ֣וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-13 |
Numbers 7:3 | וְ/שׁ֣וֹר | veshor | HC/Ncmsa |
and an ox | and a bull | and a bull |
H7794-04 |
Numbers 15:11 | לַ/שּׁוֹר֙ | lashor | HRd/Ncmsa |
for the ox | to the ox | to the ox |
H7794-08 |
Numbers 18:17 | שׁ֡וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
of a cow | ox | ox |
H7794-02 |
Numbers 22:4 | הַ/שּׁ֔וֹר | hashor | HTd/Ncmsa |
the ox | the ox | the ox |
H7794-14 |
Deuteronomy 5:14 | וְ/שׁוֹרְ/ךָ֨ | veshorekha | HC/Ncmsc/Sp2ms |
nor your ox | your ox | and your ox |
H7794-10 |
Deuteronomy 5:21 | שׁוֹר֣/וֹ | shoro | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his ox | his ox | his ox |
H7794-08 |
Deuteronomy 14:4 | שׁ֕וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-09 |
Deuteronomy 15:19 | שׁוֹרֶ֔/ךָ | shorekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
of your ox | your ox | your ox |
H7794-08 |
Deuteronomy 17:1 | שׁ֣וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-08 |
Deuteronomy 18:3 | שׁ֣וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-08 |
Deuteronomy 22:1 | שׁ֨וֹר | shor | HNcmsc |
ox | ox | ox |
H7794-10 |
Deuteronomy 22:4 | שׁוֹר/וֹ֙ | shoro | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his ox | his ox | his ox |
H7794-01 |
Deuteronomy 22:10 | בְּ/שׁוֹר | beshor | HR/Ncmsa |
with ox | with an ox | with an ox |
H7794-08 |
Deuteronomy 25:4 | שׁ֖וֹר | shor | HNcmsa |
ox | ox | ox |