שׁוּר
𐤔𐤅𐤓
Shur
H7793 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A geographic region in the northwestern Sinai Peninsula, adjacent to northeastern Egypt and the Negev, known as 'Shur.' In biblical narratives, Shur is referred to as a wilderness or border region, often associated with journeys or movements between Egypt and Canaan. While the word designates a specific locale, its semantic range may include 'wall' or boundary in a broader sense due to its root origin, but when used as a proper noun, it specifically denotes the area or wilderness of Shur.
Semantic Range
Shur (region), wall, border, barrier, lookout; wilderness or desert area near Egypt
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root שׁוּר (šûr), meaning 'to look,' 'to behold,' or 'to watch.' The noun derives from the root meaning 'wall,' likely referencing a barrier or border, possibly alluding to the region's traditional role as a borderland or a territory marked by some form of barrier (natural or constructed) at the threshold of Egypt.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Shur appears primarily in narratives describing journeys from Egypt into the southern Levant, notably in the stories of Hagar (Genesis 16:7), Abraham (Genesis 20:1), and the Exodus (Exodus 15:22). It is conceptualized as a sparsely inhabited, arid expanse, functioning as a transitional zone rather than a settled territory. The boundaries of 'Shur' are not precisely defined in biblical texts; it is described as being 'on the way to Egypt' or 'before Egypt.' In later translation tradition (e.g., the Septuagint), the name is typically transliterated and geographic specificity is sometimes lost. English translations often retain the Hebrew name but may inadvertently obscure the possible nuance of 'borderland' or 'barrier.' The term should not be conflated with later, more urbanized concepts of regional identity but rather understood as a descriptive term for a particular desert frontier. Related Hebrew terms for desert regions include מִדְבָּר (midbar, 'wilderness') and יְשִׁימוֹן (yeshimon, 'wasteland'), but שׁוּר (Shur) designates a distinct sector with its own narrative associations, and its possible root sense of 'wall' remains debated.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as שׁוּר; Shur, a region of the Desert; Shur.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שור (š-w-r) — to look, to watch, wall, border
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4884 | מְשׂוּרָה | in a measured vessel |
| H7788 | שׁוּר | your wandering women |
| H7789 | שׁוּר | I attentively observe him |
| H7790 | שׁוּר | in my ambushing foes |
| H7791 | שׁוּר | Encircling Wall |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7793-01 |
שֽׁוּר | shur | HNp |
Shur | Shur Borderland | 5 |
H7793-02 |
שׁ֖וּרָ/ה | shurah | HNp/Sd |
to Shur | toward Shur | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7793-01 |
Genesis 16:7 | שֽׁוּר | shur | HNp |
to Shur | Shur Borderland |
H7793-01 |
Genesis 20:1 | שׁ֑וּר | shur | HNp |
Shur | Shur Borderland |
H7793-01 |
Genesis 25:18 | שׁ֗וּר | shur | HNp |
Shur | Shur Borderland |
H7793-01 |
Exodus 15:22 | שׁ֑וּר | shur | HNp |
of Shur | Shur Borderland |
H7793-01 |
1 Samuel 15:7 | שׁ֔וּר | shur | HNp |
to Shur | Shur Borderland |
H7793-02 |
1 Samuel 27:8 | שׁ֖וּרָ/ה | shurah | HNp/Sd |
to Shur | toward Shur |