← H8067 H8069 →

שָׁמִיר

𐤔𐤌𐤉𐤓

shâmîyr

H8068 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Hard, sharp substance; in most contexts, 'thorn' or 'brier' referring to a sharply pointed plant, and in a different context, a 'hard stone' (sometimes interpreted as 'adamant' or 'diamond') used metaphorically for extreme hardness or stubbornness. The primary lexical sense is 'sharp, hard object,' with applications both in botany (thornbushes) and in descriptions of physical or metaphorical impenetrability (stone/gem).

Semantic Range

thorn, brier, hard/sharp plant; hard stone, flint, adamant, diamond (metaphorical for hardness, obstinacy)

Root / Etymology

Root: שמר (sh-m-r), whose core idea is 'to watch, guard,' but also carries a secondary sense of 'being hard, preserving, or maintaining integrity.' The noun שָׁמִיר seems to derive from a nominal form indicating something hard or sharp, diverging from the usual meaning of 'to guard.' The application to 'thorn' and 'hard stone' is based on the extension of the concept of hardness and resistance.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In most occurrences, especially in Isaiah and other prophetic contexts, שָׁמִיר refers to the thorns that infest neglected land—a symbol of desolation or judgment. In later Hebrew writings (post-biblical and rabbinic), שָׁמִיר is described as a miraculous worm or substance capable of cutting stone, a midrashic development not evidenced in the Tanakh. The metaphorical use as an extremely hard stone ('adamant') appears in prophetic books (Ezekiel 3:9, Zechariah 7:12), emphasizing unyielding harshness or stubbornness, often rendered as 'diamond' in English Bibles, though there is no direct evidence the ancient Israelites identified the mineral diamond. Usage can alternate between the vegetal (botanical) and mineral (lapidary/metaphorical) senses depending on context. English translations typically distinguish between 'brier/thorn' and 'diamond/adamant,' but both meanings share the theme of hardness and resistance.

Translation Consistency

primary "thorn" 7 occurrences

ʻThornʼ is the most natural, common English noun that captures the typical lexical sense (brier/thornbush) and fits the majority of contexts. It reads naturally in translation, covers the botanical senses and works acceptably for metaphorical hardness/obstinacy where the term is used figuratively. Choosing ʻthornʼ ensures consistent, idiomatic rendering across all forms of H8068.

Alternatives (4 occurrences):
"brier" (1x) "briers" (1x) "like a hard-thorn" (1x) "like flint" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from שָׁמַר in the original sense of pricking; a thorn; also (from its keenness for scratching) a gem, probably the diamond; adamant (stone), brier, diamond.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

שמר (sh-m-r) — to watch, guard, keep; hardness, preserving firmness

Root שמר to watch, guard, keep (root); to be hard, to protect (secondary extension)
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3461 יִשְׁמְרַי He-preserves
H4929 מִשְׁמָר the guard-duty
H7763 שׁוֹמֵר the guarding one
H8104 שָׁמַר in their guarding
H8105 שֶׁמֶר his lees

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H8068-03 שָׁמִ֖יר shamir HNcmsa briers hard thorn hard thorn 8
H8068-04 וּ/שְׁמִיר֖/וֹ ushemiro HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms and his briers and his hard-thorn and his briers 1
H8068-02 לַ/שָּׁמִ֥יר lashamir HRd/Ncmsa for briers hard-sharp thorn for brier 1
H8068-01 כְּ/שָׁמִ֛יר keshamir HR/Ncmsa like emery like a hard-thorn like a hard-thorn 1

Occurrences in Scripture

11 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H8068-03 Isaiah 5:6 שָׁמִ֖יר shamir HNcmsa briers hard thorn hard thorn
H8068-02 Isaiah 7:23 לַ/שָּׁמִ֥יר lashamir HRd/Ncmsa for briers hard-sharp thorn for brier
H8068-03 Isaiah 7:24 שָׁמִ֥יר shamir HNcmsa briers hard thorn hard thorn
H8068-03 Isaiah 7:25 שָׁמִ֣יר shamir HNcmsa briers hard thorn thorns
H8068-03 Isaiah 9:17 שָׁמִ֥יר shamir HNcmsa briers hard thorn hard thorn
H8068-04 Isaiah 10:17 וּ/שְׁמִיר֖/וֹ ushemiro HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms and his briers and his hard-thorn and his briers
H8068-03 Isaiah 27:4 שָׁמִ֥יר shamir HNcmsa briers hard thorn hard thorn
H8068-03 Isaiah 32:13 שָׁמִ֖יר shamir HNcmsa briers hard thorn hard thorn
H8068-03 Jeremiah 17:1 שָׁמִ֑יר shamir HNcmsa of a diamond hard thorn hard thorn
H8068-01 Ezekiel 3:9 כְּ/שָׁמִ֛יר keshamir HR/Ncmsa like emery like a hard-thorn like a hard-thorn
← H8067 Hebrew Lexicon H8069 →