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שָׁרוֹן

𐤔𐤓𐤅𐤍

Sharon

H8289 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ישר to be straight, level, right

Definition

Sharon: a designated geographic region referring specifically to a broad, fertile plain along the coastal area of ancient Israel, generally between Joppa (modern Jaffa) and Mount Carmel. The term functions as a proper noun denoting a distinct region recognized for its agriculture, pasturage, and natural beauty. In select contexts, 'Sharon' may also serve poetically as a generic term for a fertile plain.

Semantic Range

the Sharon plain (as a proper noun); the low-lying fertile plain west of Samaria and north of Philistia; by extension, a fertile plain; region famous for agriculture, beauty; poetic symbol of fertility and natural bounty

Root / Etymology

From the root יָשָׁר (y-sh-r), 'to be straight, right, level,' likely referencing the physical flatness and openness of the region. The form שָׁרוֹן (Sharon) is a noun potentially derived from this root, but as a proper name for the region, its derivation has been somewhat lexicalized and is used as a fixed toponym regardless of its literal root meaning.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, Sharon refers primarily to the well-known fertile plain extending from Joppa up toward Mount Carmel. It appears in descriptions of tribal allotments (Joshua 12:18; 1 Chronicles 5:16), as a reference to notable pasturage (1 Chronicles 27:29; Isaiah 33:9), and as an emblem of beauty and fertility in poetic and prophetic contexts (Isaiah 35:2; Song of Songs 2:1). In later Jewish and Christian writings, 'Sharon' sometimes became associated with the region's flowers (notably 'rose of Sharon') and its mild climate, contributing to wider symbolic interpretations, especially in poetry. English translations usually render 'Sharon' as a proper noun, though older translations sometimes supply 'plain' to convey the geographical nature of the term. The territory's precise boundaries likely shifted over time, but the biblical context always associates it with prime agricultural land on Israel's coastal plain. The related term לַשָּׁרוֹן (Lasharon, Joshua 12:18) refers to 'the Sharon,' highlighting the definite, well-recognized nature of this region within ancient Israelite geography. No religious or ethnic identity is associated with the term; it is strictly topographical and regional in biblical usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably abridged from יָשַׁר; plain, Sharon, the name of a place in Palestine; Lasharon, Sharon.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ישר (y-š-r) — to be straight, level, right

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3474 יָשַׁר I will make straight
H3475 יֵשֶׁר Uprightness
H3476 יֹשֶׁר in his uprightness
H3477 יָשָׁר the upright one
H3480 יְשַׂרְאֵלָה God is Upright

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8289-02 הַ/שָּׁרוֹן֙ hasharon HTd/Np Sharon the Sharon Plain 3
H8289-04 שָׁר֖וֹן sharon HNp Sharon Sharon Plain 1
H8289-03 לַ/שָּׁר֖וֹן lasharon HRd/Np of Lasharon to the Sharon Plain 1
H8289-05 וְ/הַ/שָּׁר֑וֹן vehasharon HC/Td/Np and-the-Sharon and the Sharon Plain 1
H8289-01 בַּ/שָּׁר֔וֹן basharon HRd/Np in-Sharon in the Sharon Plain 1

Occurrences in Scripture

7 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8289-03 Joshua 12:18 לַ/שָּׁר֖וֹן lasharon HRd/Np of Lasharon to the Sharon Plain
H8289-02 Isaiah 33:9 הַ/שָּׁרוֹן֙ hasharon HTd/Np Sharon the Sharon Plain
H8289-05 Isaiah 35:2 וְ/הַ/שָּׁר֑וֹן vehasharon HC/Td/Np and-the-Sharon and the Sharon Plain
H8289-02 Isaiah 65:10 הַ/שָּׁרוֹן֙ hasharon HTd/Np Sharon the Sharon Plain
H8289-02 Song of Songs 2:1 הַ/שָּׁר֔וֹן hasharon HTd/Np of Sharon the Sharon Plain
H8289-04 1 Chronicles 5:16 שָׁר֖וֹן sharon HNp Sharon Sharon Plain
H8289-01 1 Chronicles 27:29 בַּ/שָּׁר֔וֹן basharon HRd/Np in-Sharon in the Sharon Plain
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