שֹׁמרֹנִי
𐤔𐤌𐤓𐤍𐤉
Shômrônîy
H8118 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An inhabitant or native of Shomron (Samaria); one originating from or pertaining to the city or region of Shomron. In biblical usage, denotes a person belonging to or associated with the territory or city of Shomron, whether as an individual (Shomeronite) or collectively (Shomeronites). Occasionally used to indicate geographic, political, or ethnic affiliation with the population of the northern kingdom of Israel, particularly those residing in or around the central highlands region dominated by Shomron.
Semantic Range
inhabitant of Samaria (Shomron), native or resident of the city or region of Shomron, collectively the people of Samaria, Shomeronite
Root / Etymology
Formed from the place name שֹׁמְרוֹן (Shomron, Samaria) with the gentilic ending -ִי (ni/y), indicating a person or people identified with that city or region. Derived from the root שמר (to keep, to watch), though the place name's application is semantically distinct from the root's basic verbal sense.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, the term שֹׁמרֹנִי is used primarily to denote people originating from the city or territory of Shomron, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel after its establishment by Omri. The designation functions as a geographic or political identity, not as an ethno-religious label. In later periods, especially during Hellenistic and Roman times, inhabitants of the region were called Samaritans (in Greek, Σαμαρεῖται), which later acquired additional religious significance. However, biblical שֹׁמרֹנִי does not automatically denote what later sources identify as "Samaritans" in the post-exilic, Hellenistic, or rabbinic sense. In English Bibles, "Samaritan" can anachronistically suggest religious distinctions that did not exist or were not yet crystallized in the biblical texts; this term in the Hebrew Bible is best understood as 'inhabitant of Samaria.' The word is used primarily in genealogical or territorial lists and appears occasionally in reference to individuals or families.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
patrial from שֹׁמְרוֹן; a Shomeronite (collectively) or inhabitants of Shomeron; Samaritans.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שמר (š-m-r) — to keep, to watch, to guard
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3461 | יִשְׁמְרַי | He-preserves |
| H4929 | מִשְׁמָר | the guard-duty |
| H7763 | שׁוֹמֵר | the guarding one |
| H8068 | שָׁמִיר | like a hard-thorn |
| H8104 | שָׁמַר | in their guarding |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8118-01 |
הַ/שֹּׁ֣מְרֹנִ֔ים | hashomeronim | HTd/Ngmpa |
the Samaritans | the Shomeronites | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8118-01 |
2 Kings 17:29 | הַ/שֹּׁ֣מְרֹנִ֔ים | hashomeronim | HTd/Ngmpa |
the Samaritans | the Shomeronites |