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סוּגַר

𐤎𐤅𐤂𐤓

çûwgar

H5474 noun

SILEX Entry

Root סגר to close, shut, imprison, lock

Definition

A physical enclosure, specifically a confined space designed to contain or restrain, most typically used for a cage or pen to hold birds or animals. In a broader sense, may refer to any place of confinement or holding area, such as a ward or prison cell.

Semantic Range

cage (for birds or animals), enclosure, pen, holding cell, prison ward, place of confinement

Root / Etymology

From the root סָגַר (sgr), 'to shut, close, enclose.' The noun סוּגַר represents a place or object where something is enclosed or shut in. The morphological form with the mem prefix (sgar) is a nominal pattern indicating a device or place of action, in this case one used to contain something within barriers.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Attested in prophetic literature (e.g., Jeremiah 5:27), סוּגַר is used metaphorically as well as literally. In Jeremiah 5:27, the 'cage' is used to describe a house full of deceit, comparing treacherous men storing up wealth secretly to birds trapped in a cage. The literal sense is that of a structure confining animals—primarily birds. The term may also extend to any secure enclosure used to restrict movement. In comparison, מִשְׁמָר (mishmar) generally connotes a 'guard', 'ward', or 'prison,' whereas סוּגַר focuses on the structure or device in which confinement occurs. The sense of 'ward' in English covers both a room for confinement and a period of being under watch; in Biblical Hebrew, the nuance is usually spatial, not temporal. The term occurs infrequently and never designates a religious or cultic structure. Later Rabbinic Hebrew retains related forms but may use other terms for dungeons, pens, or holding cells. English translations often employ 'cage', but sometimes narrow the image if the broader sense of any secure enclosure is intended.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from סָגַר; an inclosure, i.e. cage (for an animal); ward.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

סגר (s-g-r) — to close, shut, imprison, lock

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4525 מַסְגֵּר the metal-forger
H4526 מִסְגֶּרֶת the enclosing frame
H5458 סְגוֹר enclosed covering of
H5462 סָגַר to hand them over
H5463 סְגַר and he shut

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5474-01 בַ/סּוּגַר֙ vasugar HRd/Ncmsa in the cage in the enclosure 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5474-01 Ezekiel 19:9 בַ/סּוּגַר֙ vasugar HRd/Ncmsa in the cage in the enclosure
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