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שַׂעֲרָה

𐤔𐤏𐤓𐤄

saʻărâh

H8185 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שׂער to be hairy, grow hair, be rough

Definition

A single hair; a strand or filament of hair. Refers specifically to an individual hair, usually in the context of physical description or oaths. The term can denote a literal strand of human or animal hair and is often used to emphasize minuteness or insignificance.

Semantic Range

individual hair, strand of hair, filament, something minute or insignificant

Root / Etymology

From the root שָׂעַר (שׂ־ע־ר), meaning 'to be hairy' or 'to be rough.' שַׂעֲרָה is the feminine noun form, derived from the general noun שֵׂעָר (hair) with a focus on a single strand or filament. The form highlights the individual or minute aspect of hair.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, שַׂעֲרָה typically appears in expressions emphasizing precision, smallness, or the impossibility of an event (e.g., 'not a hair of your head will fall'). Unlike the collective noun שֵׂעָר (hair, as a mass), שַׂעֲרָה draws attention to the individual unit, underscoring details or minutiae. The distinction is similar to English 'hair' (collective) versus 'a hair' (countable, individual). In oaths or vows, citing a 'hair' was a way of pointing to something very slight or inconsequential. There is no significant semantic shift across periods, but contextual uses emphasize the symbolic dimension of smallness or thoroughness. Standard English translations as 'hair' or 'strand of hair' generally capture the literal meaning, but may not fully convey the idiomatic emphasis on minuteness present in Hebrew expressions.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine of שֵׂעָר; hairiness; hair.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

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

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

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8185-02 מִ/שַּׂעֲרַ֤ת misaarat HR/Ncfsc from a hair from a single hair-strand 2
H8185-04 מִ/שַּֽׂעֲר֥וֹת misaarot HR/Ncfpc from-hairs from strands of hair 2
H8185-05 שַֽׂעֲרַ֥ת saarat HNcfsc hair strand of hair 1
H8185-01 הַֽ/שַּׂעֲרָ֖ה hasaarah HTd/Ncfsa a hair the single hair 1
H8185-03 מִ/שַּׂעֲרָת֖/וֹ misaarato HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms from his hair from his single hair 1

Occurrences in Scripture

7 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8185-01 Judges 20:16 הַֽ/שַּׂעֲרָ֖ה hasaarah HTd/Ncfsa a hair the single hair
H8185-02 1 Samuel 14:45 מִ/שַּׂעֲרַ֤ת misaarat HR/Ncfsc of his hair from a single hair-strand
H8185-02 2 Samuel 14:11 מִ/שַּׂעֲרַ֥ת misaarat HR/Ncfsc from a hair from a single hair-strand
H8185-03 1 Kings 1:52 מִ/שַּׂעֲרָת֖/וֹ misaarato HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms from his hair from his single hair
H8185-04 Psalms 40:13 מִ/שַּֽׂעֲר֥וֹת misaarot HR/Ncfpc from-hairs from strands of hair
H8185-04 Psalms 69:5 מִ/שַּׂעֲר֣וֹת misaarot HR/Ncfpc than-the-hairs-of from strands of hair
H8185-05 Job 4:15 שַֽׂעֲרַ֥ת saarat HNcfsc hair strand of hair
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