שָׂרַט
𐤔𐤓𐤈
sâraṭ
H8295 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To incise or gash the body, especially as a mark or wound. Used specifically in contexts involving ritual or mourning practices that involve making incisions or lacerations in the flesh, typically as a sign of grief or in connection with religious rites. The core sense is purposeful cutting or scratching of the body, distinct from accidental injury.
Semantic Range
to incise or scratch the skin, to make ritual cuttings in mourning, to gash the body, to mark the flesh intentionally; by extension, to cut or score a surface
Root / Etymology
From the root שׂרט, which means 'to incise, gash, or scratch'. The form שָׂרַט is a primitive or basic stem deriving directly from the root. The underlying sense of the root is to cut or scratch the surface, most often the body but also potentially material surfaces.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, שָׂרַט appears in prohibitive contexts, notably in Leviticus 19:28 and Deuteronomy 14:1, where Israelite ritual practice is being distinguished from those of surrounding peoples. Here, it refers to the act of self-laceration as part of mourning or cultic practice, which is prohibited for Israelites. This usage highlights a cultural and religious boundary for the community. The root is distinct from other Hebrew terms for cutting or wounding, such as חָתַךְ (to cut, hew, sever), or פצע (to wound), with שָׂרַט especially signifying a ritual or purposeful act rather than a result of violence or accident. Later, in rabbinic and post-biblical Hebrew, related forms may appear in discussions of mourning customs or as metaphors. English translations sometimes render it as 'cuttings', 'gashes', or 'marks', but the term's ritual and cultural specificity may be lost in those renderings.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to gash; cut in pieces, make (cuttings) pieces.
Bantu Hebrew
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שׂרט (ś-r-ṭ) — incising, scratching, gashing, cutting into flesh
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H8296 | שֶׂרֶט | ritual skin-incision |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8295-03 |
יִשְׂרְט֖וּ | yiseretu | HVqi3mp |
make cuts | they will gash | 1 |
H8295-01 |
שָׂר֣וֹט | sarot | HVqa |
a cut | incisions | 1 |
H8295-02 |
יִשָּׂרֵ֑טוּ | yisaretu | HVNi3mp |
will be cut | they will be gashed | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8295-03 |
Leviticus 21:5 | יִשְׂרְט֖וּ | yiseretu | HVqi3mp |
make cuts | they will gash |
H8295-01 |
Zechariah 12:3 | שָׂר֣וֹט | sarot | HVqa |
a cut | incisions |
H8295-02 |
Zechariah 12:3 | יִשָּׂרֵ֑טוּ | yisaretu | HVNi3mp |
will be cut | they will be gashed |