שָׁרַר
𐤔𐤓𐤓
shârar
H8324 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
To be or act as an enemy; to show hostility or opposition to someone or something. This verb occurs in its participial form to denote an opponent or adversary, one who actively opposes or acts with enmity.
Semantic Range
to act with hostility, to behave as an opponent, to be an adversary, enemy (substantival participle)
Root / Etymology
The verb שָׁרַר (shârar) is derived from the unused root שָׁרַר, possibly related to the root שָׁרַר meaning 'to be firm, resolved, or stubborn.' In attested forms, it consistently carries the idea of acting with opposition or hostility. The specific meaning 'to be an enemy' emerges from the participial form that functions substantivally ('enemy, opponent').
Historical & Contextual Notes
שָׁרַר is a rare root attested only in participial forms in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., in Psalm 139:20). It primarily denotes those who act in hostility or are in opposition, including adversaries of the psalmist or of God. The more common Hebrew term for 'enemy' is אוֹיֵב (oyev), from the root אויב. שָׁרַר, by contrast, may focus more narrowly on the active nature of opposition or hostility, rather than simply the state of being an enemy. Standard English translations sometimes obscure this nuance by rendering both terms as 'enemy' or 'foe.' The noun שָׂר (sar, 'prince' or 'official') is not etymologically related, despite some similarity in form. The use of שָׁרַר is attested only in poetic material, with limited distribution, and its nuance may reflect poetic parallelism with other terms for enmity or opposition.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to be hostile (only active participle an opponent); enemy.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׁרר (sh-r-r) — to oppose, to show hostility, to act as an enemy
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H8270 | שֹׁר | your umbilical cord |
| H8307 | שְׁרִירוּת | in hardened self-will of |
| H8326 | שֹׁרֶר | your navel |
| H8350 | שָׁשַׁר | intense red pigment |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8324-02 |
שׁוֹרְרָ֑/י | shoreray | HNcmpc/Sp1cs |
my enemies | my opponents | 3 |
H8324-01 |
לְ/שֹׁרְרָ֑/י | leshoreray | HR/Ncmpc/Sp1cs |
to my adversaries | to my opponents | 1 |
H8324-03 |
בְ/שֹׁרְרָֽ/י | veshoreray | HR/Ncmpc/Sp1cs |
my enemies | in my opponents | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8324-02 |
Psalms 5:9 | שׁוֹרְרָ֑/י | shoreray | HNcmpc/Sp1cs |
my enemies | my opponents |
H8324-02 |
Psalms 27:11 | שׁוֹרְרָֽ/י | shoreray | HNcmpc/Sp1cs |
my enemies | my opponents |
H8324-01 |
Psalms 54:7 | לְ/שֹׁרְרָ֑/י | leshoreray | HR/Ncmpc/Sp1cs |
to my adversaries | to my opponents |
H8324-02 |
Psalms 56:3 | שׁ֭וֹרְרַ/י | shoreray | HNcmpc/Sp1cs |
my adversaries | my opponents |
H8324-03 |
Psalms 59:11 | בְ/שֹׁרְרָֽ/י | veshoreray | HR/Ncmpc/Sp1cs |
my enemies | in my opponents |