Lexical Summary
sarar: To be stubborn, to rebel, to be obstinate
Original Word:סָרַר
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:carar
Pronunciation:sah-RAHR
Phonetic Spelling:(saw-rar')
KJV: X away, backsliding, rebellious, revolter(-ing), slide back, stubborn, withdrew
NASB:stubborn, rebellious, rebels, stubbornly rebellious
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to turn away, i.e. (morally) be refractory
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
away, backsliding, rebellious, revolting, slide back, stubborn, withdrew
A primitive root; to turn away, i.e. (morally) be refractory -- X away, backsliding, rebellious, revolter(-ing), slide back, stubborn, withdrew.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root.
Definitionstubborn or rebellious
NASB Translationrebellious (6), rebels (2), stubborn (8), stubbornly rebellious (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(usually towards ) (Late Hebrew
id., (rare); Assyrian
sarâru); —
Perfect3masculine singularHosea 4:16Israel is stubborn; Participle activeDeuteronomy 21:18, compareDeuteronomy 21:20;Isaiah 30:1,Isaiah 65:2,Psalm 78:8 (all of Israel);Jeremiah 5:23;Hosea 4:16 (simile of Israel, see above); as predicateHosea 9:15 compareIsaiah 1:23;Jeremiah 6:28revolters among the rebellious (? compare
near the end, and below); of loose womanProverbs 7:11; as substantive =the stubborn,Psalm 66:7;Psalm 68:7;Psalm 68:19; feminine singularNehemiah 9:29and they presented a stubborn shoulder (of Israel) =Zechariah 7:11 ().
Topical Lexicon
Root Idea and Thematic ThreadThe verb denotes willful resistance against rightful authority. Whether expressed by an individual son, a nation, or corrupt leaders, it always carries moral culpability. The stubbornness is not mere temperament but conscious rejection of God-given instruction, therefore inviting covenantal judgment.
Covenantal Setting
From its first appearance inDeuteronomy 21:18−20, the word stands inside Israel’s covenant life. The stubborn son refuses both parental and divine Torah, exposing himself to sanctions designed to preserve community holiness. The same dynamic surfaces in national history (Nehemiah 9:29), where corporate rebellion against the Law is confessed as the root of exile.
Portraits of Rebellion in the Writings
•Psalm 66:7 warns the nations: “Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves.” God’s universal sovereignty ensures that stubborn revolt will never overturn His rule.
•Psalm 68 twice contrasts God’s grace with human obstinacy. Verse 6 shows the barren outcomes of rebellion—“the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land”—while verse 18 marvels that the exalted Lord “received gifts from men, even from the rebellious,” highlighting triumph over sin through mercy.
•Psalm 78:8 describes a “stubborn and rebellious generation” in the wilderness, offering Israel a negative mirror so that later generations might embrace faithfulness.
Wisdom Literature
Proverbs 7:11 uses the term of the adulteress whose noisy defiance breaks household order. Her rebellion embodies sin’s seductive pull and foreshadows national unfaithfulness condemned by the prophets.
Prophetic Indictments
Isaiah links rebellion with social injustice: “Your princes are rebels, companions of thieves” (Isaiah 1:23). Political leadership becomes morally illegitimate when it casts off covenant obligations.Isaiah 30:1 and 65:2 expand the charge to policy and piety—a nation forming alliances without the Spirit and walking “in paths of their own.” Jeremiah deepens the critique: “But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts” (Jeremiah 5:23), revealing that the problem is spiritual rather than merely political.Zechariah 7:11 pictures post-exilic Judah repeating pre-exilic sins, proving that time alone cannot cure a rebellious heart.
Hosea’s Pastoral Imagery
Hosea 4:16 compares Israel to “a stubborn cow,” stressing how rebellion frustrates the shepherding care of God.Hosea 9:15 locates this obstinacy at Gilgal, once a place of covenant renewal, now infamous for apostasy. Rebellion thus turns sacred history into indictment.
Consequences and Divine Response
Rebellion leads to separation (Psalm 68:6), barren exile (Deuteronomy’s sanction), and fiery judgment (Jeremiah 6:28). Yet the Lord’s persistence in grace is equally evident.Isaiah 65:2 portrays God stretching out His hands “all day long” to the obstinate.Psalm 68:18 anticipates the Messiah who conquers rebellion and bestows gifts—a text Paul applies to Jesus Christ inEphesians 4:8, revealing ultimate resolution in the gospel.
Ministry and Discipleship Implications
1. Parental Discipline:Deuteronomy 21 warns that unchecked rebellion destroys families and societies. Faithful instruction and loving correction remain vital.
2. Corporate Confession:Nehemiah 9 models leadership that owns collective stubbornness, laying groundwork for revival.
3. Prophetic Courage: Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zechariah demonstrate that confronting rebellion is an act of covenant loyalty, not loveless judgment.
4. Gospel Hope:Psalm 68 and the New Testament echo show that divine victory includes transforming rebels into worshipers. Ministers therefore combine truth-telling with the invitation of grace.
Summary
The term traces a consistent biblical motif: rebellion resists covenant order, erodes community, and provokes divine judgment, yet God’s steadfast purpose is to overcome obstinacy through redemptive mercy. The exhortation for every generation is clear—“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”
Forms and Transliterations
הַסּוֹרְרִ֓ים ׀ הסוררים וְסֹרָ֑רֶת וסררת ס֝וֹרְרִ֗ים ס֝וֹרֲרִ֗ים סָרַ֖ר סֹֽרֵרָ֔ה סֹרְרִֽים׃ סֹרָ֑רֶת סֽוֹרְרִ֔ים סֽוֹרְרִים֙ סוֹרְרִ֗ים סוֹרֵ֑ר סוֹרֵ֣ר סוֹרֵ֪ר סוֹרֶ֔רֶת סורר סוררים סוררת סרר סררה סררים׃ סררת has·sō·wr·rîm hassorRim hassōwrrîm sā·rar saRar sārar sō·rā·reṯ sō·rê·rāh sō·rə·rîm sō·w·ră·rîm sō·w·re·reṯ sō·w·rêr sō·wr·rîm soRaret sōrāreṯ soraRim soRer soreRah sōrêrāh soReret soreRim sōrərîm sorRim sōwrărîm sōwrêr sōwrereṯ sōwrrîm vesoRaret wə·sō·rā·reṯ wəsōrāreṯ
Links
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