שָׁמִיר
𐤔𐤌𐤉𐤓
shâmîyr
H8068 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Hard, sharp substance; in most contexts, 'thorn' or 'brier' referring to a sharply pointed plant, and in a different context, a 'hard stone' (sometimes interpreted as 'adamant' or 'diamond') used metaphorically for extreme hardness or stubbornness. The primary lexical sense is 'sharp, hard object,' with applications both in botany (thornbushes) and in descriptions of physical or metaphorical impenetrability (stone/gem).
Semantic Range
thorn, brier, hard/sharp plant; hard stone, flint, adamant, diamond (metaphorical for hardness, obstinacy)
Root / Etymology
Root: שמר (sh-m-r), whose core idea is 'to watch, guard,' but also carries a secondary sense of 'being hard, preserving, or maintaining integrity.' The noun שָׁמִיר seems to derive from a nominal form indicating something hard or sharp, diverging from the usual meaning of 'to guard.' The application to 'thorn' and 'hard stone' is based on the extension of the concept of hardness and resistance.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In most occurrences, especially in Isaiah and other prophetic contexts, שָׁמִיר refers to the thorns that infest neglected land—a symbol of desolation or judgment. In later Hebrew writings (post-biblical and rabbinic), שָׁמִיר is described as a miraculous worm or substance capable of cutting stone, a midrashic development not evidenced in the Tanakh. The metaphorical use as an extremely hard stone ('adamant') appears in prophetic books (Ezekiel 3:9, Zechariah 7:12), emphasizing unyielding harshness or stubbornness, often rendered as 'diamond' in English Bibles, though there is no direct evidence the ancient Israelites identified the mineral diamond. Usage can alternate between the vegetal (botanical) and mineral (lapidary/metaphorical) senses depending on context. English translations typically distinguish between 'brier/thorn' and 'diamond/adamant,' but both meanings share the theme of hardness and resistance.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from שָׁמַר in the original sense of pricking; a thorn; also (from its keenness for scratching) a gem, probably the diamond; adamant (stone), brier, diamond.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שמר (sh-m-r) — to watch, guard, keep; hardness, preserving firmness
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3461 | יִשְׁמְרַי | He-preserves |
| H4929 | מִשְׁמָר | the guard-duty |
| H7763 | שׁוֹמֵר | the guarding one |
| H8104 | שָׁמַר | in their guarding |
| H8105 | שֶׁמֶר | his lees |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8068-03 |
שָׁמִ֖יר | shamir | HNcmsa |
briers | hard thorn | 8 |
H8068-04 |
וּ/שְׁמִיר֖/וֹ | ushemiro | HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
and his briers | and his hard-thorn | 1 |
H8068-02 |
לַ/שָּׁמִ֥יר | lashamir | HRd/Ncmsa |
for briers | hard-sharp thorn | 1 |
H8068-01 |
כְּ/שָׁמִ֛יר | keshamir | HR/Ncmsa |
like emery | like a hard-thorn | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
11 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8068-03 |
Isaiah 5:6 | שָׁמִ֖יר | shamir | HNcmsa |
briers | hard thorn |
H8068-02 |
Isaiah 7:23 | לַ/שָּׁמִ֥יר | lashamir | HRd/Ncmsa |
for briers | hard-sharp thorn |
H8068-03 |
Isaiah 7:24 | שָׁמִ֥יר | shamir | HNcmsa |
briers | hard thorn |
H8068-03 |
Isaiah 7:25 | שָׁמִ֣יר | shamir | HNcmsa |
briers | hard thorn |
H8068-03 |
Isaiah 9:17 | שָׁמִ֥יר | shamir | HNcmsa |
briers | hard thorn |
H8068-04 |
Isaiah 10:17 | וּ/שְׁמִיר֖/וֹ | ushemiro | HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
and his briers | and his hard-thorn |
H8068-03 |
Isaiah 27:4 | שָׁמִ֥יר | shamir | HNcmsa |
briers | hard thorn |
H8068-03 |
Isaiah 32:13 | שָׁמִ֖יר | shamir | HNcmsa |
briers | hard thorn |
H8068-03 |
Jeremiah 17:1 | שָׁמִ֑יר | shamir | HNcmsa |
of a diamond | hard thorn |
H8068-01 |
Ezekiel 3:9 | כְּ/שָׁמִ֛יר | keshamir | HR/Ncmsa |
like emery | like a hard-thorn |