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אֱסָר

𐤀𐤎𐤓

ʼĕçâr

H633 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אסר to bind, restrain, prohibit, tie

Definition

A formal prohibition, ban, or interdict; a binding legal or royal decree that places restrictions, often understood as an explicit command forbidding certain actions, especially in official or authoritative contexts. The term refers to a formal prohibition put in place by a ruler or authority, generally with the force of law, and carries an implication of binding obligation.

Semantic Range

ban, prohibition, interdict, binding decree, legal prohibition, royal edict forbidding an action

Root / Etymology

From the root אסר, which in Hebrew means 'to bind, tie, restrain.' The Aramaic noun אֱסָר derives from this root with a nominalizing pattern, indicating something that binds or restrains, here in the sense of an official prohibition or binding decree.

Historical & Contextual Notes

אֱסָר occurs only in the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the book of Daniel, where it denotes formal decrees issued by royal authority—such as bans or interdicts that legally prevent certain actions (Daniel 6:8, 9, 10, 13, 16). Its legalistic nuance sets it apart from more general terms for 'command' (e.g., פקודה, טעם) by emphasizing the prohibitory and binding nature of the command. In later Aramaic (including Jewish literary Aramaic), the word continues to carry the sense of a ban or prohibition, often with juridical or religious force. Traditional English translations such as 'decree' or 'interdict' only partially capture the weight of the term, which connotes not just a command but a binding restriction enforced by law or authority. Unlike broader terms for decree or command, אֱסָר is always associated with a prohibition or restriction, not a positive enactment. In post-biblical use, related forms in Aramaic and Hebrew (such as אסור in rabbinic literature) continue the sense of a prohibitory ruling, reinforcing this semantic lineage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to אֱסָר in a legal sense; an interdict; decree.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אסר (ʾ-s-r) — bind, tie, restrain, prohibit

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4149 מוֹסֵרָה in Binding-places
H4562 מָסֹרֶת in a binding-cord of
H612 אֵסוּר bound ones
H613 אֱסוּר binding-shackle
H615 אָסִיר your bound ones

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H633-01 אֱסָ֑ר esar ANcmsa decree binding decree 4
H633-02 אֱסָרָ֖/א esara ANcmsd/Td the injunction the binding decree 2
H633-03 וֶ/אֱסָרָֽ/א veesara AC/Ncmsd/Td and prohibition and the binding decree 1

Occurrences in Scripture

7 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H633-01 Daniel 6:8 אֱסָ֑ר esar ANcmsa interdict binding decree
H633-02 Daniel 6:9 אֱסָרָ֖/א esara ANcmsd/Td the injunction the binding decree
H633-03 Daniel 6:10 וֶ/אֱסָרָֽ/א veesara AC/Ncmsd/Td and prohibition and the binding decree
H633-01 Daniel 6:13 אֱסָ֣ר esar ANcmsc interdict binding decree
H633-01 Daniel 6:13 אֱסָ֣ר esar-2 ANcmsa decree binding decree
H633-02 Daniel 6:14 אֱסָרָ֖/א esara ANcmsd/Td the-interdict the binding decree
H633-01 Daniel 6:16 אֱסָ֥ר esar ANcmsc decree binding decree
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