Lexical Summary
sathar: hide, hidden, hid
Original Word:סָתַר
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:cathar
Pronunciation:sah-thar'
Phonetic Spelling:(saw-thar')
KJV: be absent, keep close, conceal, hide (self), (keep) secret, X surely
NASB:hide, hidden, hid, concealed, hides, conceal, hiding
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to hide (by covering), literally or figuratively
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
be absent, keep close, conceal, hide self, keep secret, surely
A primitive root; to hide (by covering), literally or figuratively -- be absent, keep close, conceal, hide (self), (keep) secret, X surely.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto hide, conceal
NASB Translationabsent (1), conceal (3), concealed (4), cover (1), hid (11), hidden (16), hide (33), hides (4), hiding (3), placed (1), secret things (1), surely hide (1), undetected (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(Late Hebrew
id., derived species; Pa`el, Ithpa`al, Syriac
Pe`al Passive participle, chiefly Pa`el, Ithpa`al,
id.; Arabic
veil, conceal, hide, Lane
1304; Ethiopic
(rare) Di
354); —
Perfect3masculine singularProverbs 27:12 +Proverbs 22:3 Qr (Kt ); 2 masculine singular1 Samuel 20:19; 1pluralIsaiah 28:15, etc.;Imperfect3masculine singularHosea 13:14 +; 1 singularGenesis 4:14 +; 3 masculine pluralAmos 9:3; 1pluralGenesis 31:49, etc.;Imperative masculine singularJeremiah 36:19;Infinitive constructJob 34:22;ParticiplePsalm 19:7; pluralDeuteronomy 7:20; feminine pluralDeuteronomy 29:28, -Psalm 19:13; —
hide oneself, with local,1 Samuel 20:5,24;1 Kings 17:3;Jeremiah 23:24, so (figurative)Isaiah 28:15; with1 Samuel 20:19;Job 34:22; absoluteJeremiah 36:19;Proverbs 22:3;Proverbs 27:12;Proverbs 28:28;Psalm 89:47; with personDeuteronomy 7:20;Job 13:20, with personPsalm 55:13.
be hid, concealed, especially figurative of escaping God's notice, with personGenesis 4:14 (J),Jeremiah 16:17,Amos 9:3,Isaiah 65:16;Hosea 13:14 (subject , i.e. I will not repent, change my purpose of judgment),Psalm 38:10;Isaiah 40:27; from heat of sunPsalm 19:7 (i.e. it penetrates everywhere); from birdsJob 28:21 (of place of wisdom); reciprocalGenesis 31:49 (J) whenwe are hidden each from the other (i.e. separated); absoluteNumbers 5:13;Job 3:23 (whose way is hid that is, from himself),Zephaniah 2:3 (i.e. escape 's judgment); participlehidden, secret things, in GeneralDeuteronomy 29:28; of sinsPsalm 19:13.
Imperative feminine singularIsaiah 16:3carefully hide (i.e.shelter) the outcasts (Moab speaks to Zion).
Participle feminine singularProverbs 27:5love carefully concealed.
Imperfect3feminine singularIsaiah 29:14;Participle1 Samuel 23:19 3t.; —hide oneself carefully, of David's taking refuge with () Ziphites1 Samuel 23:19 =Psalm 54:2 (title), in () a hill1 Samuel 26:1;Isaiah 45:15a God that completely hides himself.
Perfect3masculine singularPsalm 10:11;Psalm 22:25; 2masculine singularPsalm 30:8;Isaiah 64:6; etc.;Imperfect3masculine singular1 Samuel 20:2,Exodus 3:6;Job 3:10, suffixPsalm 27:5,Jeremiah 36:26; 3feminine singular suffix 2Chronicles 22:11; 1 singularEzekiel 39:23,24, etc.;Imperative masculine singularPsalm 51:11;Infinitive absoluteDeuteronomy 31:18;Isaiah 57:17;constructProverbs 25:2 (see Köi. 213 and references; yet compare infinitive absoluteProverbs 25:27),Isaiah 29:15 (Ges§ 53q);ParticipleIsaiah 8:17; —conceal, hide:
() enemy2 Kings 11:2 2Chronicles 22:11; subject , withPsalm 64:3, absoluteJeremiah 36:26;hide anything from () one1 Samuel 20:2, a thing, in General,Proverbs 25:2; anything (from ; in "" clause)Isaiah 29:15; in General =shelter a personJob 14:13, with local (subject )Psalm 17:8;Psalm 27:5;Psalm 31:21 (all metaphor); toil (),Job 3:10; commands from, person (subject )Psalm 119:19;hide one as arrow in quiverIsaiah 49:2.
especiallyhide the face:
literally, of MosesExodus 3:6 (E), usually figurative:
subject with i.e. be not observant of sinPsalm 51:11, absolutePsalm 10:11; more often
hides his face from ( person), i.e. withdraws his favour,Micah 3:4;Isaiah 8:17;Isaiah 54:8;Isaiah 64:6;Deuteronomy 31:17;Deuteronomy 32:20;Jeremiah 33:5;Ezekiel 39:23,24,29;Psalm 13:2;Psalm 22:25;Psalm 27:9;Psalm 69:18;Psalm 88:15;Psalm 102:3;Psalm 143:7; absoluteDeuteronomy 31:18;Job 13:24;Job 34:29;Psalm 30:8; comparePsalm 104:29;Psalm 44:25; omittedIsaiah 57:17; compareIsaiah 59:2 your sinshave hidden (his)face from () you; of hiding one's face from () shame, i.e. avoiding itIsaiah 50:6 (of servant of ).
I. [] (see Biblical Hebrew); —Passive participle feminine plural emphaticDaniel 2:22the hidden things.
Topical Lexicon
Overview of the Biblical Motifסָתַר pictures the act of hiding, covering, or concealing, either reflexively (“to hide oneself”) or transitively (“to hide something or someone”). The verb occurs about eighty times, stretching from the books of Moses to the post-exilic prophets. Two dominant theological themes emerge: (1) the self-concealment of God—either in judgment or in mercy, and (2) the divine protection that flows from being hidden by God. Around these poles, Scripture also describes human efforts to hide from God, to hide evil, or to hide the righteous in times of danger.
Distribution across the Old Testament
Torah – approximately 10 occurrences
Historical Books – about 15 occurrences
Poetic/Wisdom Books – roughly 25 occurrences (especially Psalms)
Major and Minor Prophets – around 30 occurrences
This spread shows that the idea of hiding is woven into every major literary genre of the Hebrew Scriptures.
God Hides His Face: Judgment and Discipline
When the covenant people reject Him, the Lord sometimes “hides His face,” withdrawing the felt blessing of His presence.
Deuteronomy 31:17 – “My anger will burn against them… and I will surely hide My face in that day.”
Deuteronomy 32:20 – “I will hide My face from them; I will see what their end will be.”
Isaiah 54:8 – “In a surge of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you.”
The motif functions covenantally: divine concealment warns Israel that broken fellowship, not divine impotence, lies behind calamity. Yet even in discipline, the promise of renewed mercy always stands (Isaiah 8:17;Micah 3:4 vs.Micah 7:8-9).
God Hides His People: Protection and Refuge
In striking contrast, the same verb describes the Lord as a secure hiding place for the faithful.
Psalm 27:5 – “For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock.”
Psalm 31:20 – “You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the schemes of men; You conceal them in Your shelter from accusing tongues.”
Isaiah 26:20 – “Come, My people, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourselves a little while until the wrath has passed.”
The covenant king (David), the nation as a whole, and individual believers all experience the Lord’s protective concealment. The word thereby joins the vocabulary of salvation, expressing both immediate deliverance from enemies and the eschatological safety yet to come.
Human Attempts to Hide from God
Sinful humanity reverses the intended order of things by trying to hide from the Creator.
Job 34:22 – “There is no darkness or deep shadow where evildoers can hide.”
Jeremiah 23:24 – “Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?”
The futility of such concealment underscores divine omniscience. Whenever men manage to hide from other humans, they remain exposed before God (Isaiah 29:15;Amos 9:3).
Hiding Sin versus Confessing Sin
Because סָתַר describes the effort to cover wrongdoing, it supplies vivid imagery for the choice between hypocrisy and repentance.
Proverbs 28:13 (cf. broader OT motif) – “He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.”
While another Hebrew root appears in this specific verse, the broader biblical usage of סָתַר enhances the contrast: God both sees and will expose hidden sin (Numbers 32:23;Ecclesiastes 12:14). Conversely, those who expose their sin before God find that He, not they, becomes the One who hides them from judgment.
Hiding the Righteous in Times of Persecution
God’s people sometimes act as agents of deliverance by hiding others.
1 Kings 18:4 – Obadiah “had taken a hundred prophets, hidden them in two caves, and provided them with bread and water.”
Jeremiah 38:6-13 – Ebed-melech arranges to pull Jeremiah out of the cistern after the prophet had been hidden away in the mud.
These texts illustrate covenant solidarity. Risking their lives, the faithful shelter the endangered because they share the Lord’s commitment to preserve His servants.
Prophetic and Eschatological Nuances
Isaiah and the Minor Prophets employ סָתַר in oracles of both doom and hope. The hiddenness of God becomes a signpost to the coming day of salvation.
Isaiah 45:15 – “Truly You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, the Savior!”
Habakkuk 3:4 (implicit) – Divine brightness flashes forth while His power remains partially concealed, intensifying the awe of the theophany.
By coupling hiddenness with revelation, the prophets prepare readers for a salvation that is already at work yet still veiled, waiting to be fully unveiled in God’s appointed time.
Christological and New Testament Echoes
Although סָתַר itself is Hebrew, its theology resonates in the New Testament.
Colossians 3:3 – “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”
Revelation 6:16 – The impenitent cry to the mountains, “Hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne.”
Thus the gospel draws together both sides of the Old Testament picture: wrath for those who remain exposed, refuge for those whose lives are hidden in the Messiah.
Pastoral and Ministry Implications
1. Assurance of Protection – Believers facing persecution or uncertainty can prayPsalm 27:5 andPsalm 31:20 with confidence that the Lord still hides His own.
2. Call to Repentance – The preacher may warn that secret sin is an illusion; the God who sees all will unmask hidden evil (Luke 8:17).
3. Model for Hospitality – Obadiah’s rescue of the prophets offers a pattern for protecting the vulnerable, whether refugees, persecuted Christians, or the unborn.
4. Encouragement in Divine Silence – When God seems hidden, passages likeIsaiah 45:15 teach waiting faith, trusting that hiddenness never negates covenant love.
Historical Reflections
Throughout Israel’s history, periods of exile, occupation, and oppression repeatedly brought the language of hiding to the fore. In caves during Elijah’s day, in Babylon during exile, and in the intertestamental era under Antiochus, the faithful clung to promises that God would shelter them even when He seemed concealed. Early church fathers likewise adopted the imagery, interpreting martyrdom as a momentary hiddenness that would end in resurrection glory.
Conclusion
סָתַר gathers into one word the paradox of a God who both hides and reveals, judges and protects. From Moses to Malachi, and echoing into the New Testament, the verb instructs God’s people to forsake futile self-concealment, to seek refuge in the only sure Hiding Place, and to mirror that refuge to others until the day when “nothing is concealed that will not be disclosed” (Matthew 10:26).
Forms and Transliterations
אֶסָּתֵ֑ר אֶסָּתֵֽר׃ אַסְתִּ֤יר אַסְתִּ֤ירָה אַסְתִּ֥יר אסתיר אסתירה אסתר אסתר׃ הִסְתִּ֣יר הִסְתִּ֥יר הִסְתִּ֧ירוּ הִסְתִּירָֽנִי׃ הִסְתַּ֔רְתִּי הִסְתַּ֤רְתִּי הִסְתַּ֤רְתָּ הִסְתַּ֥רְתָּ הִסְתַּ֨רְתִּי הִסָּתֵ֖ר הַ֨נִּסְתָּרֹ֔ת הַמַּסְתִּ֥יר הַסְתֵּ֣ר המסתיר הנסתרת הסתיר הסתירו הסתירני׃ הסתר הסתרת הסתרתי וְאֶסָּתֵ֥ר וְהִסְתַּרְתִּ֨י וְהַנִּסְתָּרִ֖ים וְיַסְתֵּ֣ר וְיַסְתֵּ֨ר וְנִסְתְּרָ֖ה וְנִסְתַּרְתִּ֣י וְנִסְתַּרְתָּ֙ וְנִסְתָּ֑ר וַיִּסָּתֵ֥ר וַיַּסְתִּ֧רוּ וַיַּסְתִּרֵ֖ם וַיַּסְתֵּ֤ר וַיַּסְתֵּ֥ר וַתַּסְתִּירֵ֡הוּ וָאַסְתִּ֥ר ואסתר והנסתרים והסתרתי ויסתר ויסתרו ויסתרם ונסתר ונסתרה ונסתרת ונסתרתי ותסתירהו יִסָּ֨תְר֜וּ יִסָּתֵ֣ר יִסָּתֵ֥ר יִסָּתֵ֨ר יַ֭סְתִּרֵנִי יַסְתִּ֨יר יסתיר יסתר יסתרו יסתרני לְהִסָּ֥תֶר לַסְתִּ֣ר להסתר לסתר מְסֻתָּֽרֶת׃ מִֽנִּסְתָּר֥וֹת מִסְתַּתֵּ֑ר מִסְתַּתֵּ֥ר מִסְתַּתֵּ֨ר מִסְתַּתֵּר֙ מנסתרות מסתרת׃ מסתתר נִ֝סְתָּ֗ר נִסְתְּר֖וּ נִסְתְּרָ֤ה נִסְתַּ֥רְתָּ נִסְתָּ֑ר נִסְתָּ֑רָה נִסְתָּֽרְנוּ׃ נִסְתָּֽרָה׃ נִסָּתֵ֖ר נסתר נסתרה נסתרה׃ נסתרו נסתרנו׃ נסתרת סַתְּרִי֙ סתרי תִּסְתַּתָּֽר׃ תִּסָּ֣תְר֔וּ תִּסָּתֵ֣ר תַּ֭סְתִּירֵנִי תַּסְתִּ֖יר תַּסְתִּ֥יר תַּסְתִּירֵ֤ם ׀ תַּסְתִּירֵֽנִי׃ תַּסְתֵּ֣ר תַּסְתֵּ֥ר תַּסְתֵּ֬ר תַסְתִּ֑יר תסתיר תסתירם תסתירני תסתירני׃ תסתר תסתרו תסתתר׃ ’as·tî·rāh ’as·tîr ’astîr ’astîrāh ’es·sā·ṯêr ’essāṯêr asTir asTirah essaTer ham·mas·tîr hammasTir hammastîr han·nis·tā·rōṯ hannistaRot hannistārōṯ has·têr hasTer hastêr his·sā·ṯêr his·tar·tā his·tar·tî his·tî·rā·nî his·tî·rū his·tîr hissaTer hissāṯêr hisTarta histartā hisTarti histartî hisTir histîr histiRani histîrānî hisTiru histîrū las·tir lastir lə·his·sā·ṯer lehisSater ləhissāṯer mə·sut·tā·reṯ mesutTaret məsuttāreṯ min·nis·tā·rō·wṯ minnistaRot minnistārōwṯ mis·tat·têr mistatTer mistattêr nis·sā·ṯêr nis·tā·rāh nis·tā·rə·nū nis·tār nis·tar·tā nis·tə·rāh nis·tə·rū nissaTer nissāṯêr nisTar nistār nisTarah nistārāh nisTarenu nistārənū nisTarta nistartā nisteRah nistərāh nisteRu nistərū sat·tə·rî satteRi sattərî tas·têr tas·tî·rê·nî tas·tî·rêm tas·tîr ṯas·tîr tasTer tastêr tasTir tastîr ṯastîr tastiRem tastîrêm Tastireni tastîrênî tis·sā·ṯə·rū tis·sā·ṯêr tis·tat·tār tissaTer tissāṯêr tisSateRu tissāṯərū tistatTar tistattār vaasTir vaiyasTer vaiyastiRem vaiyasTiru vaiyissaTer vattastiRehu veessaTer vehannistaRim vehistarTi venisTar venistarTa venistarTi venisteRah veyasTer wā’astir wā·’as·tir wat·tas·tî·rê·hū wattastîrêhū way·yas·têr way·yas·ti·rêm way·yas·ti·rū way·yis·sā·ṯêr wayyastêr wayyastirêm wayyastirū wayyissāṯêr wə’essāṯêr wə·’es·sā·ṯêr wə·han·nis·tā·rîm wə·his·tar·tî wə·nis·tār wə·nis·tar·tā wə·nis·tar·tî wə·nis·tə·rāh wə·yas·têr wəhannistārîm wəhistartî wənistār wənistartā wənistartî wənistərāh wəyastêr yas·ti·rê·nî yas·tîr yasTir yastîr Yastireni yastirênî yis·sā·ṯə·rū yis·sā·ṯêr yissaTer yissāṯêr yisSateRu yissāṯərū
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