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שְׂעֹרָה

𐤔𐤏𐤓𐤄

sᵉʻôrâh

H8184 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שׂער to be rough, bristly, hairy

Definition

Barley, a cereal grain (Hordeum vulgare) widely cultivated in the ancient Near East; refers both to the plant and its harvested grain. In biblical contexts, שְׂעֹרָה designates the major crop used for food, animal fodder, ritual offerings, and as an economic measure (e.g., in trade or legal transactions).

Semantic Range

barley (plant), barley (grain), barley as food staple, barley as offering, barley as economic measure; occasionally, byproduct or reference to roughness of the plant

Root / Etymology

From the root שָׂעַר, meaning 'to be hairy, bristly, rough,' likely referencing the long, rough awns of the barley plant. The form שְׂעֹרָה is the standard feminine singular noun for the plant, with occasional masculine variants referring to the grain itself. Though related by root to hairiness or roughness, the lexical meaning in context is 'barley.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Barley was among the earliest domesticated grains in the Levant, flourishing particularly in the cooler, wetter regions and serving as a staple food among the Israelites. Unlike wheat, which was costlier and associated with more refined consumption, barley was often referenced as a basic food for commoners and the poor (e.g., 2 Kings 4:42, Judges 7:13). The term שְׂעֹרָה is commonly associated with harvest rites (e.g., the 'Omer' offering at Passover, Leviticus 23:10–14) and as a standard in ancient measures and commerce (e.g., Ruth 2:17, Ezekiel 45:13). In prophetic and wisdom literature, barley might symbolize abundance, restoration, or, at times, low social status. Though 'barley' is the dominant translation, in ritual or legal texts, the word carries strong economic and societal overtones not fully conveyed by the English term. The transition from Israelite monarchy through the exilic and post-exilic periods saw continuity in barley's role in diet and economy, with no major semantic shift. When the Greek Septuagint or later English translations render שְׂעֹרָה, the underlying economic and ritual associations can be lost if translated merely as 'barley.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or שְׂעוֹרָה (feminine meaning the plant); and (masculine meaning the grain); also שְׂעֹר; or שְׂעוֹר; from שָׂעַר in the sense of roughness; barley (as villose); barley.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שׂער (ś-ʿ-r) — to be rough, bristly, hairy

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H8163 שָׂעִיר the shaggy male-goat
H8164 שָׂעִיר tempestuous downpours
H8165 שֵׂעִיר in Seir
H8166 שְׂעִירָה she-goat of
H8167 שְׂעִירָה to the Seirah

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8184-04 שְׂעֹרִ֔ים seorim HNcfpa of barley barley grains 17
H8184-06 וּ/שְׂעֹרִ֖ים useorim HC/Ncfpa and barley and barleys 5
H8184-02 הַ/שְּׂעֹרִֽים haseorim HTd/Ncfpa the barley the barleys 4
H8184-08 וְ/הַ/שְּׂעֹרִ֣ים vehaseorim HC/Td/Ncfpa and the barley and the barleys 2
H8184-03 שְׂעֹרָ֑ה seorah HNcfsa barley barley 2
H8184-05 וּ/שְׂעֹרָ֔ה useorah HC/Ncfsa and barley and barley 2
H8184-01 הַ/שְּׂעֹרָה֙ haseorah HTd/Ncfsa the barley the barley 1
H8184-07 וְ/הַ/שְּׂעֹרָ֖ה vehaseorah HC/Td/Ncfsa and the barley and the barley 1

Occurrences in Scripture

34 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8184-07 Exodus 9:31 וְ/הַ/שְּׂעֹרָ֖ה vehaseorah HC/Td/Ncfsa and the barley and the barley
H8184-01 Exodus 9:31 הַ/שְּׂעֹרָה֙ haseorah HTd/Ncfsa the barley the barley
H8184-04 Leviticus 27:16 שְׂעֹרִ֔ים seorim HNcfpa of barley barley grains
H8184-04 Numbers 5:15 שְׂעֹרִ֑ים seorim HNcfpa of barley barley grains
H8184-05 Deuteronomy 8:8 וּ/שְׂעֹרָ֔ה useorah HC/Ncfsa and barley and barley
H8184-04 Judges 7:13 שְׂעֹרִים֙ seorim HNcfpa barley barley grains
H8184-04 2 Samuel 14:30 שְׂעֹרִ֔ים seorim HNcfpa barley barley grains
H8184-06 2 Samuel 17:28 וּ/שְׂעֹרִ֖ים useorim HC/Ncfpa and barley and barleys
H8184-04 2 Samuel 21:9 שְׂעֹרִֽים seorim HNcfpa of barley barley grains
H8184-08 1 Kings 5:8 וְ/הַ/שְּׂעֹרִ֣ים vehaseorim HC/Td/Ncfpa and the barley and the barleys
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