Lexical Summary
sagar: shut, closed, pure
Original Word:סָגַר
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:cagar
Pronunciation:sah-GAR
Phonetic Spelling:(saw-gar')
KJV: close up, deliver (up), give over (up), inclose, X pure, repair, shut (in, self, out, up, up together), stop, X straitly
NASB:shut, closed, pure, isolate, delivered, deliver, surrender
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to shut up
2. (figuratively) to surrender
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
close up, deliver up, give over up, enclose, pure, repair, shut in, self,
A primitive root; to shut up; figuratively, to surrender -- close up, deliver (up), give over (up), inclose, X pure, repair, shut (in, self, out, up, up together), stop, X straitly.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto shut, close
NASB Translationbattle-axe (1), close (2), closed (9), confined (1), deliver (5), delivered (6), gave over (2), given (1), given over (1), hand over (1), hands over (1), imprison (1), imprisons (1), isolate (7), locked (1), pure (9), quarantine (3), quarantined (1), shut (31), shuts (2), surrender (4), tightly shut (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. (Late Hebrew
id., Aramaic ,
id.; Zinjirli
prison Lzb
328; Phoenician Pi`el or Hiph`il
deliver over; possibly Ethiopic
(prison)
guard Prä
BAS i. 371); —
Perfect3masculine singularGenesis 19:6 +, 3 plural 2Chronicles 29:7,Psalm 17:10 (compare Baer's n., Ges§ 29o Köii, 1, 535 Anm.),Genesis 19:10;Joshua 2:7;ImperfectJob 12:14;Malachi 1:10, 1plural cohortativeNehemiah 6:10, etc.;Imperative masculine singularPsalm 35:3;Isaiah 26:20 ( Baer Ginsb), masculine plural2 Kings 6:32;Infinitive constructJoshua 2:5;Participle activeIsaiah 22:22; feminineJoshua 6:1 (but see below);passive1 Kings 6:20 12t.; —
shut door ()Genesis 19:10 (J)2 Kings 6:32;Malachi 1:10;Nehemiah 6:10; 2Chronicles 28:24; 29:7; gate ()Joshua 2:7 (JE)Ezekiel 46:12, compareEzekiel 44:1,2(twice in verse);Ezekiel 46:1,Joshua 2:5 (JE), also ( omitted)Joshua 6:1 (si vera 1.; dittograph according to BuhlLex 13); door after one (), on leaving roomGenesis 19:6 (J); upon, behind, oneself, from within ( q. v.)2 Kings 4:4,5,33;Isaiah 26:20 (figurative), also ( omitted)Judges 9:51;2 Kings 4:21; with + upon one left insideJudges 3:23, and ( omitted)Genesis 7:16 (J); figurativeJob 3:10, compare1 Samuel 1:5,1 Samuel 1:6; absoluteshut (opposed to )Isaiah 22:22 (twice in verse); metaphorPsalm 17:10their fat (i.e. gross, unreceptive heart)they have closed.
close in upon ()Judges 3:22 (fat upon blade of sword), so possibly alsoGenesis 2:21 (J)and flesh closed in, in place of it (usually and he closed flesh, i.e. closed the gap with flesh);Exodus 14:3the wilderness hath closed in upon them; object omitted,Job 12:14he closeth in upon a man, figurative of imprisonment.
close up breach () [in wall] of city1 Kings 11:27; possiblyclose up [path] (si vera 1.)Psalm 35:3 Vrss Ol De Bae; JDMich DeW Ew Hup-Now Che take here as weapon, usuallybattle-axe [Greek ] of Massagetae Herodi. 215 compare LagGes. Abh. 203, also Egyptiansagart· (loan-word) Bondi55; both improbable, text probably corrupt; SchwZAW xi (1891), 258 reads > HalRev. Sém. iii (1894), 47 (comparePsalm 59:5).
Passive participle, closed up =closely joined with tight seal,Job 41:7 (of scales of crocodile).
Passive participle in (goldshut up, and soprized, rare, fine ?), only of temple adornment and utensils1 Kings 6:20,21;1 Kings 7:49,50;1 Kings 10:21 =1 Chronicles 9:20;1 Chronicles 4:20,22; perhaps read (abbreviated for )Job 28:15 (for , so Hoffm Bu Du): compare Assyrian—urâƒu sakru, DlHWB 499.
Perfect3masculine singular1 Samuel 23:7;Imperfect3masculine singularEzekiel 46:2; 3feminine singular jussiveNumbers 12:14,Numbers 12:15; 3masculine pluralIsaiah 45:1;Isaiah 60:11,Nehemiah 13:19;Imperative masculine singularEzekiel 3:24; —
subject personbe shut up [in city]1 Samuel 23:7,Numbers 12:14,15 (E);Ezekiel 3:24.
be shut, closed, of city gatesEzekiel 46:2;Isaiah 45:1;Isaiah 60:11 and ()Nehemiah 13:19.
Perfect3masculine singular1 Samuel 26:8;2 Samuel 18:28; suffix1 Samuel 24:19;Imperfect3masculine singular suffix1 Samuel 17:46; —deliver up to (leave no other opening for one, shut one up to), compare [], , p. 171 b above), only Samuel: with accusative of person +1 Samuel 17:46;1 Samuel 24:19;1 Samuel 26:8; omitted2 Samuel 18:28 (see also ). p. 698
Perfect3masculine singularIsaiah 24:10; 3pluralJeremiah 13:19, consecutiveIsaiah 24:22;Participle feminineJoshua 6:1; —be shut up:
of citiesJeremiah 13:19 (opposed to ), of beleaguered cityJoshua 6:1 (JE), of housesIsaiah 24:10 (+ ).
of prisonersIsaiah 24:22 =down into a dungeon.
of doorsEcclesiastes 12:14.
Perfect3masculine singularLeviticus 14:46 +; 2 masculine singular suffixPsalm 31:9; 1singularAmos 6:8, etc.;Imperfect3masculine singularJob 11:10,Psalm 78:48;Psalm 78:62; 2masculine singularDeuteronomy 23:16, jussive Obadiah 14, etc.;Infinitive constructAmos 1:6, suffix1 Samuel 23:20,Amos 1:9; —
deliver up to (compare ), with accusative of person +1 Samuel 23:11,12,20;1 Samuel 30:15;Joshua 20:5 (D)Psalm 31:9; +Amos 1:9;Psalm 78:50;Psalm 78:62, and (accusative of person omitted)Amos 1:6; +Deuteronomy 23:16;Job 16:11; with accusative of animal +Psalm 78:48; with accusative of person aloneDeuteronomy 32:30; Obadiah 14, accusative omitted1 Samuel 23:12; with accusative urb. aloneAmos 6:8.
shut up (late; chieflyLeviticus 13, 14, P):
with accusative of personLeviticus 13:5,11,21,26 compareLeviticus 13:4;Leviticus 13:31;Leviticus 13:33, so (absolute) =imprisonJob 11:10; with accusative of thingLeviticus 13:54 compareLeviticus 13:50.
with accusativeLeviticus 14:38 and (indefinite subject)Leviticus 14:46.
(see Biblical Hebrew) —
Perfect3masculine singularDaniel 6:23shut the lions' mouth (accusative).
Topical Lexicon
Overviewסָגַר (sagar) gathers the ideas of shutting, closing, enclosing, confining, and handing over. From the first pages of Genesis to the post-exilic chronicles of Israel, the verb marks the decisive moment when something or someone passes from one sphere of control to another—whether for shelter, judgment, stewardship, or warfare. About ninety-one occurrences span narrative, legal, poetic, and prophetic texts, weaving a multi-faceted theology of divine sovereignty over boundaries and destinies.
Divine protection: shutting in to save
•Genesis 7:16 records the archetypal act of protective closure: “Then the LORD shut him in.” The ark becomes a sanctuary precisely because God Himself seals the doorway.
•Job 11:10 treats the same action conceptually: “If He comes along to imprison, and convenes a court, who can oppose Him?” The security of His people rests on the inescapability of His shut door.
• Psalms often invert the motif, thanking God for not handing the righteous over (Psalm 31:8;Psalm 37:33). The verb underscores that safety is not chance but deliberate divine custody.
Divine judgment: shutting up to punish
• When a house showed signs of mildew, the priest “shall shut it up for seven days” (Leviticus 14:38). Sagar establishes a quarantine in which holiness exposes corruption.
•Deuteronomy 32:30 speaks of one chasing a thousand “unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up.” Military calamity is interpreted as God’s deliberate handing over.
• The prophets reuse the verb for national judgment.Isaiah 22:22 portrays Messiah shutting so none can open;Ezekiel 39:23 explains exile as the LORD giving His people into enemy hands “because they were unfaithful to Me.”
Military and political deliverance into hands
Sagar punctuates Israel’s warfare narratives:
•Judges 4:7; 6:14; 7:2—repeated assurances that the LORD “will give” the enemy into Israel’s hand.
•1 Samuel 23:7–14—Saul assumes David is “shut in” by God, but the very same verb narrates God’s secret preservation of David.
•2 Kings 17:20 summarizes the Northern Kingdom’s fall: “He delivered them into the hand of plunderers.” The verb prevents Israel from reading history merely as stronger armies; it is the outworking of covenant sanctions.
Priestly quarantine and ritual purity
Leviticus devotes twenty-one occurrences to leprous persons or objects being “shut up.” Sagar frames holiness as both separation and hopeful anticipation: if healing appears, the door opens; if not, permanent exclusion follows (Leviticus 13:4–5, 21, 26, 31, 33–36, 50–54). The rhythm of closing and reopening prepares the canonical imagination for a final High Priest who will declare, “Be clean” without re-infection.
Gatekeeping, boundary, and worship
Nehemiah 7:3 instructs Jerusalem’s watchmen “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot, and while they stand guard, let them shut and bar the doors.” Post-exilic community life depends on wise use of sagar for scheduling worship and defense.Malachi 1:10 laments the absence of any who would “shut the temple doors” against profane offerings, highlighting that wrong gates open when right gates stay un-shut.
Messianic and Christological insights
Revelation re-echoes the imagery with the Key of David: “What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open” (Revelation 3:7, drawing fromIsaiah 22:22). The Gospel narratives culminate in a tomb stone shut by men and opened by God, reversing the pattern of judgment to proclaim resurrection life. Thus sagar functions typologically: Christ is first delivered into the hands of sinners (Matthew 26:45), then rises to hold the keys.
Practical application for ministry and discipleship
1. Assurance of salvation: As in Noah’s ark, believers rest in the enclosure God Himself secures (John 10:28–29).
2. Church discipline: Temporary “shutting out” (1 Corinthians 5) mirrors Levitical quarantine—always aimed at restoration.
3. Spiritual warfare: Recognizing that victories and defeats are “delivered” by God leads to humility in success and repentance in loss.
4. Intercession: Like Moses and Samuel, leaders plead that God not give His people over to the desires of their foes (Psalm 79:9–13).
Selected representative occurrences
Genesis 7:16;Exodus 14:3;Leviticus 13:4;Leviticus 14:38;Numbers 24:11;Deuteronomy 32:30;Judges 3:10;Judges 4:7;1 Samuel 17:47;1 Samuel 23:7;2 Samuel 18:28;1 Kings 14:10;2 Kings 17:20;Job 11:10;Psalm 31:8;Psalm 78:48;Isaiah 22:22;Jeremiah 32:25;Ezekiel 39:23;Zechariah 11:9;Malachi 1:10;Nehemiah 7:3.
Summary
סָגַר is a small verb with massive theological weight, tracing a line from God’s secure ark, through Israel’s gates and prisons, to the empty tomb. Whether He shelters, disciplines, or hands over, the God who shuts is the same God who, in Christ, opens the way into His everlasting kingdom.
Forms and Transliterations
הֲיַסְגִּ֜רוּ הֲיַסְגִּרֻ֣נִי הִ֭סְגַּרְתַּנִי הִסְגִּ֣יר הִסְגִּֽיר׃ הִסְגִּיר֙ הִסְגִּירָֽם׃ הִסָּגֵ֖ר הַסְגִּיר֖וֹ הַסְגִּירָ֞ם היסגרו היסגרני הסגיר הסגיר׃ הסגירו הסגירם הסגירם׃ הסגר הסגרתני וְהִסְגִּ֥יר וְהִסְגִּ֧יר וְהִסְגִּ֨יר וְהִסְגִּיר֥וֹ וְהִסְגִּיר֧וֹ וְהִסְגַּרְתִּ֖י וְיִסְגֹּ֣ר וְיַסְגִּ֑יר וְנִסְגְּרָה֙ וְסָגַ֖ר וְסָגַ֤רְתְּ וְסָגַ֥ר וְסֻגְּר֖וּ וְסֻגְּר֤וּ וַֽיִּסְגְּר֖וּ וַיִּסְגֹּ֖ר וַיִּסְגֹּ֞ר וַיִּסְגֹּ֤ר וַיִּסְגֹּ֥ר וַיִּסָּגְר֣וּ וַיַּסְגֵּ֣ר וַתִּסְגֹּ֣ר וַתִּסְגֹּ֥ר וַתִּסָּגֵ֥ר וּ֭סְגֹר וּֽסְגֹ֥ר וּמְסֻגֶּ֔רֶת והסגיר והסגירו והסגרתי ויסגיר ויסגר ויסגרו ומסגרת ונסגרה וסגר וסגרו וסגרת ותסגר יְסַגֶּרְךָ֩ יִסְגֹּ֥ר יִסָּגֵ֑רוּ יִסָּגֵ֖ר יִסָּגֵֽרוּ׃ יַסְגִּ֥רוּ יַסְגִּֽירוּ׃ יַסְגִּירֵ֣נִי יַסְגִּרֶ֔נּוּ יסגירו׃ יסגירני יסגר יסגרו יסגרו׃ יסגרך יסגרנו לְהַסְגִּ֥יר לִסְגּ֗וֹר להסגיר לסגור נִסְגַּ֣ר נסגר סִגְּרַ֧נִי סִגְר֤וּ סִגַּ֨ר סִגַּר֙ סָ֝ג֗וּר סָ֭גַר סָּגְר֑וּ סָֽגְר֞וּ סָג֑וּר סָג֔וּר סָג֨וּר סָגַ֕ר סָגַ֥ר סָגָ֔רוּ סָגָֽרוּ׃ סָגֽוּר׃ סֹגֵ֔ר סֹגֶ֣רֶת סֻגְּר֖וּ סֻגַּ֥ר סגור סגור׃ סגר סגרו סגרו׃ סגרני סגרת תִּסָּגֵ֞ר תַּסְגִּרֵ֙נִי֙ תַּסְגֵּ֥ר תַסְגִּ֥יר תסגיר תסגר תסגרני hă·yas·gi·rū hă·yas·gi·ru·nî has·gî·rām has·gî·rōw hasgiRam hasgîrām hasgiRo hasgîrōw hayasGiru hăyasgirū hayasgiRuni hăyasgirunî his·gar·ta·nî his·gî·rām his·gîr his·sā·ḡêr Hisgartani hisgartanî hisGir hisgîr hisgiRam hisgîrām hissaGer hissāḡêr lə·has·gîr lehasGir ləhasgîr lis·gō·wr lisGor lisgōwr nis·gar nisgar sā·ḡā·rū sā·ḡar sā·ḡə·rū sā·ḡūr saGar sāḡar saGaru sāḡārū sageRu sāḡərū saGur sāḡūr sig·gar sig·gə·ra·nî siḡ·rū siggar siggeRani siggəranî sigRu siḡrū sō·ḡe·reṯ sō·ḡêr soGer sōḡêr soGeret sōḡereṯ sug·gar sug·gə·rū suggar suggeRu suggərū tas·gêr tas·gi·rê·nî ṯas·gîr tasGer tasgêr tasGir ṯasgîr tasgiReni tasgirênî tis·sā·ḡêr tissaGer tissāḡêr ū·mə·sug·ge·reṯ ū·sə·ḡōr umesugGeret ūməsuggereṯ Usegor ūsəḡōr vaiyasGer vaiyisgeRu vaiyisGor vaiyissageRu vattisGor vattissaGer vehisgarTi vehisGir vehisgiRo venisgeRah vesaGar vesaGart vesuggeRu veyasGir veyisGor wat·tis·gōr wat·tis·sā·ḡêr wattisgōr wattissāḡêr way·yas·gêr way·yis·gə·rū way·yis·gōr way·yis·sā·ḡə·rū wayyasgêr wayyisgərū wayyisgōr wayyissāḡərū wə·his·gar·tî wə·his·gî·rōw wə·his·gîr wə·nis·gə·rāh wə·sā·ḡar wə·sā·ḡart wə·sug·gə·rū wə·yas·gîr wə·yis·gōr wəhisgartî wəhisgîr wəhisgîrōw wənisgərāh wəsāḡar wəsāḡart wəsuggərū wəyasgîr wəyisgōr yas·gî·rê·nî yas·gi·ren·nū yas·gi·rū yas·gî·rū yasgiReni yasgîrênî yasgiRennu yasgirennū yasGiru yasgirū yasgîrū yə·sag·ger·ḵā yesaggerCha yəsaggerḵā yis·gōr yis·sā·ḡê·rū yis·sā·ḡêr yisGor yisgōr yissaGer yissāḡêr yissaGeru yissāḡêrū
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