Lexical Summary
shaag: To roar, to cry aloud
Original Word:שָׁאַג
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:sha'ag
Pronunciation:shah-ag
Phonetic Spelling:(shaw-ag')
KJV: X mightily, roar
NASB:roar, roaring, roars, roared, groan, roar mightily
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to rumble or moan
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
mightily, roar
A primitive root; to rumble or moan -- X mightily, roar.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto roar
NASB Translationgroan (1), roar (6), roar mightily (1), roared (3), roaring (4), roars (4).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(Late Hebrew
id.; Arabic
low, bleat, Frey); —
Perfect3masculine singularIsaiah 5:29 Kt consecutive (> Qr ),Amos 3:8, etc.;Imperfect3masculine singularAmos 3:4 +, etc.;Infinitive absoluteJeremiah 25:30;ParticipleJudges 14:5;Psalm 22:14,Ezekiel 22:25,Zephaniah 3:3;Psalm 104:21; —
roar, of lionJudges 14:5 (with ),Amos 3:4,8;Psalm 104:21 (with of prey), figurative of invaders and foesJeremiah 2:15 (with person)Psalm 22:14, comparePsalm 74:4, simileIsaiah 5:29;Jeremiah 51:38; figurative of rapacious rulersZephaniah 3:3;Ezekiel 22:25 (read for and modern); of (like lion) calling scattered IsraelHosea 11:10 (twice in verse) (on text of see see Now); of roaring in thunderJeremiah 25:30a =Amos 1:2 =Joel 3:16, alsoJeremiah 25:30 (, followed by ); compareJob 37:4 ("" ).
Psalm 38:9 (with causative).
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Imageryשָׁאַג portrays an overwhelming, resonant sound—most often the roar of a lion, but at times the crash of thunder, the clamorous voice of hostile armies, or the agonized cry of the afflicted. The term evokes power, threat, and urgency, summoning the listener to attention or fear.
Distribution in the Old Testament
Appearing twenty times, שָׁאַג spans every major section of the Hebrew canon: narrative (Judges 14:5), wisdom (Job 37:4), psalmody (Psalm 22:13; 38:8; 74:4; 104:21), and prophets both early and late (Isaiah 5:29;Jeremiah 2:15; 25:30; 51:38;Ezekiel 22:25;Hosea 11:10;Joel 3:16;Amos 1:2; 3:4; 3:8;Zephaniah 3:3). Its usage clusters in contexts of conflict and covenant warning, yet also frames divine protection.
Literal Lion Roaring
1. Predatory threat: “Suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him” (Judges 14:5).
2. Creational order: “The young lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God” (Psalm 104:21).
3. Prophetic simile: “Their roaring is like that of a lion; they roar like young lions” (Isaiah 5:29).
The lion’s roar signifies imminent action. Ancient hearers, accustomed to nocturnal roars in the Jordan rift, would sense danger and majesty simultaneously.
Metaphorical Use for Human Anguish
David likens persecutors to roaring beasts: “They open their mouths against me like lions mauling and roaring” (Psalm 22:13). In personal lament he confesses, “I groan because of the anguish of my heart” (Psalm 38:8), where שָׁאַג underscores the depth of inward pain.Psalm 74:4 extends the image to invading armies who “have roared within Your meeting place,” desecrating the sanctuary.
The Voice of God in Judgment
Prophets repeatedly equate God’s judicial proclamation with a roar:
• “The LORD roars from on high… He roars loudly over His pasture” (Jeremiah 25:30).
• “The LORD roars from Zion” (Amos 1:2;Joel 3:16).
• “The lion has roared—who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken—who will not prophesy?” (Amos 3:8).
The roaring voice authenticates the prophetic word; resistance becomes folly when the Creator’s thunderous decree reverberates through history.
National Devastation and Oppression
Shattering imagery arises where foreign aggressors roar over Judah’s desolation: “Young lions have roared at him… his cities are burned and deserted” (Jeremiah 2:15).Ezekiel 22:25 compares corrupt princes to “a roaring lion tearing its prey,” indicting leadership that devours the vulnerable.
Covenant Hope and Restoration
Remarkably, the same roar that announces judgment can also summon mercy: “They will walk after the LORD; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling from the west” (Hosea 11:10).Joel 3:16 balances cosmic trembling with refuge: “The LORD will roar from Zion… But the LORD will be a refuge for His people.” Divine roar therefore becomes a rallying cry, drawing repentant Israel back to covenant security.
Natural Phenomena and Reverence
Job 37:4 connects שָׁאַג with thunder: “After His voice resounds, He thunders with His majestic voice.” The storm’s roar displays transcendence and reinforces the Creator–creature divide emphasized throughout the book.
Liturgical and Pastoral Implications
1. Worship: The roar motif invites reverent awe; congregational reading ofAmos 1–3 can elicit corporate repentance.
2. Preaching: Prophets model fearless proclamation, compelled by the divine roar (Amos 3:8). Ministers today echo that urgency in calling listeners to reconciliation.
3. Counseling: Psalms legitimise honest lament; believers may “roar” their pain before God, confident He hears (Psalm 38:8).
Christological and Eschatological Echoes
Psalm 22:13, fulfilled at the cross (Matthew 27:39–44), frames Messianic suffering amid roaring foes.Revelation 10:3 describes a mighty angel crying out “like the roar of a lion,” portending final judgment and consummation. The motif culminates inRevelation 5:5 where the victorious “Lion of the tribe of Judah” secures redemption—His once-silenced roar to resound eternally.
Key Themes for Modern Ministry
• The same sound that terrifies the rebellious consoles the redeemed.
• Divine judgment and mercy are not contradictory but complementary notes in the roar.
• Authentic preaching carries the urgency of a lion’s roar, yet offers the refuge promised inJoel 3:16.
• Personal lament is not weakness; it is biblical realism that drives the sufferer to the covenant God who hears even anguished roars.
Summary
שָׁאַג embodies an auditory symbol of power—feral, divine, or human. Whether announcing predation, proclaiming judgment, expressing anguish, or summoning the wayward home, the roar shakes complacency and demands response. Scripture’s twenty uses weave a tapestry in which God’s sovereign voice reverberates through lion, thunder, prophet, and psalmist, directing history toward the final day when the Lion’s victorious roar will be unmistakable.
Forms and Transliterations
אגתי הֲיִשְׁאַ֤ג הישאג וְשֹׁאֵֽג׃ ושאג׃ יִשְׁאֲג֣וּ יִשְׁאַ֔ג יִשְׁאַג֙ יִשְׁאַג־ יִשְׁאָ֑ג יִשְׁאָ֑גוּ יִשְׁאָ֔ג יִשְׁאָ֗ג יִשְׁאָג֙ יִשְׁאַ֨ג ישאג ישאג־ ישאגו שָׁ֝אַ֗גְתִּי שָׁאֲג֣וּ שָׁאָ֖ג שָׁאֹ֤ג שֹֽׁאֲגִ֑ים שֹׁאֲגִ֣ים שֹׁאֵ֖ג שׁוֹאֵ֖ג שאג שאגו שאגים שואג ’aḡ·tî ’aḡtî Agti hă·yiš·’aḡ hăyiš’aḡ hayishAg šā’āḡ šā’ăḡū šā’ōḡ šā·’ă·ḡū šā·’āḡ šā·’ōḡ shaAg shaaGu shaOg shoaGim shoEg šō’ăḡîm šō’êḡ šō·’ă·ḡîm šō·’êḡ šō·w·’êḡ šōw’êḡ veshoEg wə·šō·’êḡ wəšō’êḡ yiš’aḡ yiš’āḡ yiš’aḡ- yiš’ăḡū yiš’āḡū yiš·’ă·ḡū yiš·’ā·ḡū yiš·’aḡ yiš·’āḡ yiš·’aḡ- yishag yishaGu
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