Lexical Summary
cether: Secret, hiding place, covering, shelter
Original Word:סֵתֶר
Part of Speech:noun masculine; noun feminine
Transliteration:cether
Pronunciation:SAY-ter
Phonetic Spelling:(say'-ther)
KJV: backbiting, covering, covert, X disguise(-th), hiding place, privily, protection, secret(-ly, place)
Word Origin:[fromH5641 (סָתַר - hide)]
1. a cover (in a good or a bad, a literal or a figurative sense)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
backbiting, covering, covert, disguise, hiding place, protection, secretly,
Or (feminine) cithrah (Deut. 32:38), {sith-raw'}; fromcathar; a cover (in a good or a bad, a literal or a figurative sense) -- backbiting, covering, covert, X disguise(-th), hiding place, privily, protection, secret(-ly, place).
see HEBREWcathar
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; — absolute
Judges 3:19 +,
2 Samuel 12:12;
Proverbs 25:23,
Psalm 139:15; construct
1 Samuel 25:20 +; suffix
Psalm 18:12 (insert also ""
2 Samuel 22:12 Th Bu HPS),
Psalm 119:114; plural
Proverbs 9:17; —
covering, cover,1 Samuel 25:20under cover of the mountain, concealed by it; of clouds as covering for (shutting out his view)Job 22:14, of darkness (i.e. dark clouds) as 'shiding-place (in theoph.)Psalm 18:12 (=2 Samuel 22:12 see above), so 2Sam 81:8hiding-place of thunder; of adultererJob 24:15 i.e. disguiseth himself.
hidng-place,1 Samuel 19:2;Isaiah 28:17Songs 2:14 (in figurative; "" ), of hippopotamusJob 40:21; figurative of Israel as shelter to Moab withIsaiah 16:6, of ideal Israelite, asIsaiah 32:2, especially of asshelter:Psalm 27:5,Psalm 31:21,Psalm 61:5,Psalm 91:1,Psalm 32:7; comparePsalm 119:114.
secret place, of wombPsalm 139:15 ("" ).
secrecy:Judges 3:19a matter of secrecy, secret matter; plural abstract intensiveProverbs 9:17bread of utter secrecy (i.e. gained stealthily, "" );Proverbs 25:23tongue of secrecy, i.e. slanderous; elsewherein secrecy, secretlyDeuteronomy 13:7;Deuteronomy 27:15,24;Deuteronomy 28:57;2 Samuel 12:12;Jeremiah 37:17;Jeremiah 38:16;Jeremiah 40:15;Isaiah 45:19;Isaiah 48:16;Job 13:10;Job 31:27;Proverbs 21:14;Psalm 101:5.
,Deuteronomy 32:38 (read perhaps , compare Dr)let them (the strange gods)be over you as a shelter.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scopeסֵתֶר (seter) speaks of a place or state of concealment—whether for safety, intimacy, or secrecy. The word appears about thirty-six times across the Old Testament, spanning Torah, Prophets, and Writings. Context determines whether the concealment is gracious (divine refuge) or ominous (hidden sin, ambush).
Shelter in Covenant Relationship
1. Refuge under YHWH’s wings
•Psalm 91:1 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”
•Psalm 27:5 “For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tent and 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 a shelter from accusing tongues.”
These texts join the imagery of tabernacle, rock, and wings. Seter is less a physical bunker than the covenant nearness available to those who trust Him. The motif shapes Israel’s worship vocabulary, encouraging a posture of confident prayer in threats both external (enemies, plague) and internal (fear, guilt).
2. Historical outworking
David repeatedly experienced this “seter” while pursued by Saul (1 Samuel 19:2; compare2 Samuel 22:12). Prophets such as Elijah found the same hiding place in drought and persecution (1 Kings 17:3). The pattern establishes that divine shelter precedes renewed public ministry.
Secrecy Exposed by Righteous Judgment
1. Hidden sin
•Job 13:10 “He will surely rebuke you if you secretly show partiality.”
•Isaiah 29:15 “Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, ‘Who sees us?’”
•Psalm 19:12 (verbally related): the psalmist begs cleansing from “hidden faults.”
Seter warns that what humans conceal, God uncovers. The same omnipresence that shelters the righteous unmasks hypocrisy (Psalm 139:12–15;Proverbs 9:17–18).
2. Ambush and violence
•Psalm 10:8–9 portrays the wicked lurking “in secret places” to slay the innocent.
•Lamentations 3:10–13 likens divine judgment to a bear lying in wait—an ironic reversal wherein seter, once refuge, becomes the scene of chastening when covenant is broken.
Messianic and Redemptive Trajectory
Isaiah 49:2 anticipates the Servant: “He made Me a polished arrow; in His quiver He hid Me.” Messiah’s years of obscurity precede His public revelation, reflecting the pattern of protective concealment for eventual redemptive mission (compareLuke 2:52). Ultimately, believers are “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3), fulfilling the Old Testament shadow.
Liturgical and Devotional Usage
The Psalms convert historical memory into corporate liturgy. By singing of God as their “seter,” worshipers rehearse both His kingship and His tenderness. This dual focus guards against triumphalism (ignoring suffering) and despair (forgetting sovereignty).
Pastoral and Practical Applications
• Assurance in spiritual warfare: believers facing persecution or temptation may cling toPsalm 91, confident that the “secret place” is not escapism but communion.
• Accountability against hidden sin: leaders must rememberJob 13:10; secret partiality erodes credibility and invites discipline. Regular confession keeps ministry transparent.
• Counseling trauma survivors: passages of divine shelter provide vocabulary for lament and hope, affirming that God sees what was done “in secret” and offers safety stronger than past violation.
• Solitude as formation: Jesus’ pattern of withdrawing to lonely places (Mark 1:35) echoes seter. Quiet, Scripture-saturated retreat fosters resilience for public witness.
Representative References
Torah:Deuteronomy 27:15; 32:38
Historical Books:1 Samuel 19:2;2 Samuel 12:12;1 Kings 17:3
Wisdom Literature:Job 13:10;Psalm 27:5; 31:20; 64:2; 91:1;Proverbs 9:17
Major Prophets:Isaiah 16:4; 29:15;Jeremiah 37:17
Minor Prophets:Habakkuk 3:4
Poetic:Lamentations 3:10
Summary
סֵתֶר intertwines protection and disclosure. For the faithful, it is a welcoming refuge; for the rebellious, a reminder that no secrecy withstands divine light. Through Israel’s account and the Messiah’s mission, seter points to the ultimate security found in God Himself, calling every generation to hide in Him and to walk transparently before Him.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּסֵ֖תֶר בְּסֵ֙תֶר֙ בְּסֵ֣תֶר בְּסֵ֥תֶר בְסֵ֖תֶר בַּ֝סֵּ֗תֶר בַּ֭סֵּתֶר בַּסֵּ֔תֶר בַּסֵּ֣תֶר בַּסָּ֑תֶר בַסֵּ֑תֶר בַסֵּ֖תֶר בַסֵּ֣תֶר בַסֵּ֨תֶר בַסֵּ֨תֶר ׀ בַסָּ֑תֶר בסתר וְסֵ֖תֶר וְסֵ֣תֶר וְסֵ֥תֶר וסתר סְתָרִ֣ים סִתְר֗וֹ סִתְרִ֣י סִתְרָֽה׃ סֵ֥תֶר סֵֽתֶר־ סָֽתֶר׃ סתר סתר־ סתר׃ סתרה׃ סתרו סתרי סתרים bas·sā·ṯer ḇas·sā·ṯer bas·sê·ṯer ḇas·sê·ṯer basSater bassāṯer ḇassāṯer basSeter bassêṯer ḇassêṯer bə·sê·ṯer ḇə·sê·ṯer beSeter bəsêṯer ḇəsêṯer sā·ṯer Sater sāṯer sə·ṯā·rîm sê·ṯer sê·ṯer- setaRim səṯārîm Seter sêṯer sêṯer- siṯ·rāh siṯ·rî siṯ·rōw sitRah siṯrāh sitRi siṯrî sitRo siṯrōw vasSater vasSeter veSeter wə·sê·ṯer wəsêṯer
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
