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שֵׁכָר

𐤔𐤊𐤓

shêkâr

H7941 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שכר to become drunk, to be intoxicated

Definition

A fermented beverage derived from grains, fruit, or dates, typically alcoholic and distinct from wine; refers to strong drink or intoxicating liquor. In biblical usage, shêkâr designates fermented beverages other than wine, often in contexts regulating ritual, religious, or social activity. The term is used for inebriating drinks that could induce intoxication if consumed in quantity.

Semantic Range

fermented beverage, strong drink, intoxicating liquor, non-wine alcoholic beverage, beer-like drink, drink subject to ritual regulation

Root / Etymology

From the root שכר ('sh-k-r'), which carries the core idea 'to become drunk, be intoxicated.' שֵׁכָר is a noun formation denoting a beverage that causes intoxication, but its precise ingredients and method of production are less specific than those of יַיִן (yayin, wine).

Historical & Contextual Notes

שֵׁכָר is distinct from יַיִן (wine made from grapes), instead denoting strong, fermented drinks, possibly beer or other alcoholic liquors made from barley, dates, or various fruits. The term appears in legal and cultic contexts (e.g., sacrificial laws, priestly regulations) and is often paralleled with יַיִן. Unlike later English terms such as 'beer' or 'wine,' biblical categories are broader: שֵׁכָר encompasses a range of intoxicating drinks not limited to any single modern beverage. In Israelite and Judahite society, consumption of שֵׁכָר was regulated, especially for priests, Nazirites, and during certain ritual times. In the post-exilic and later periods, distinctions among fermented drinks became somewhat blurred, but shêkâr retained its connotation as an inebriating drink, separate from wine. The translation 'strong drink' may capture the sense in some contexts, but may also imply a higher alcohol content than the original term always possessed. In ancient Near Eastern parallels, similar terms (Akkadian: šikāru) referred broadly to barley beer or grain-based alcoholic beverages.<br><br>The rendering 'drunkard' is not a lexical sense of the noun but reflects interpretive translation choices to emphasize the effects of consumption. The term is sometimes misunderstood in English translation traditions as exclusively 'spirits' or 'strong liquor,' but historically encompassed a diverse range of low-to-moderate alcohol beverages.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from שָׁכַר; an intoxicant, i.e. intensely alcoholic liquor; strong drink, [phrase] drunkard, strong wine.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שכר (sh-k-r) — to become drunk, to be intoxicated

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3485 יִשָּׂשכָר in Reward-bringer
H4909 מַשְׂכֹּרֶת your compensation
H7910 שִׁכּוֹר drunken one
H7916 שָׂכִיר as a wage-earner
H7917 שְׂכִירָה the hire-wage

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7941-02 שֵׁכָ֖ר shekhar HNcmsa strong drink intoxicating drink 11
H7941-06 וְ/שֵׁכָ֞ר veshekhar HC/Ncmsa and strong drink and intoxicating drink 7
H7941-03 וּ/בַ/שֵּׁכָ֔ר uvashekhar HC/Rd/Ncmsa and in strong drink and in the intoxicating drink 2
H7941-01 הַ/שֵּׁכָ֔ר hashekhar HTd/Ncmsa the strong drink the intoxicating drink 1
H7941-04 בַ/שֵּׁכָ֜ר vashekhar HRd/Ncmsa in strong drink in the intoxicating drink 1
H7941-05 וְ/לַ/שֵּׁכָ֑ר velashekhar HC/Rd/Ncmsa and of strong drink and to the intoxicating drink 1

Occurrences in Scripture

23 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7941-06 Leviticus 10:9 וְ/שֵׁכָ֞ר veshekhar HC/Ncmsa or strong drink and intoxicating drink
H7941-06 Numbers 6:3 וְ/שֵׁכָר֙ veshekhar HC/Ncmsa and strong drink and intoxicating drink
H7941-02 Numbers 6:3 שֵׁכָ֖ר shekhar HNcmsa of strong drink intoxicating drink
H7941-02 Numbers 28:7 שֵׁכָ֖ר shekhar HNcmsa of-strong-drink intoxicating drink
H7941-03 Deuteronomy 14:26 וּ/בַ/שֵּׁכָ֔ר uvashekhar HC/Rd/Ncmsa or in strong drink and in the intoxicating drink
H7941-06 Deuteronomy 29:5 וְ/שֵׁכָ֖ר veshekhar HC/Ncmsa and strong drink and intoxicating drink
H7941-06 Judges 13:4 וְ/שֵׁכָ֑ר veshekhar HC/Ncmsa or strong drink and intoxicating drink
H7941-06 Judges 13:7 וְ/שֵׁכָ֗ר veshekhar HC/Ncmsa or strong drink and intoxicating drink
H7941-06 Judges 13:14 וְ/שֵׁכָר֙ veshekhar HC/Ncmsa and strong drink and intoxicating drink
H7941-06 1 Samuel 1:15 וְ/שֵׁכָ֖ר veshekhar HC/Ncmsa and strong drink and intoxicating drink
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