Lexical Summary
sa'ar: To storm, to rage, to tremble, to be agitated
Original Word:שָׂעַר
Part of Speech:verb
Transliteration:sa`ar
Pronunciation:sah-AR
Phonetic Spelling:(saw-ar')
KJV: be (horribly) afraid, fear, hurl as a storm, be tempestuous, come like (take away as with) a whirlwind
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to storm
2. (by implication) to shiver, i.e. fear
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
be horribly afraid, fear, hurl as a storm, be tempestuous
A primitive root; to storm; by implication, to shiver, i.e. Fear -- be (horribly) afraid, fear, hurl as a storm, be tempestuous, come like (take away as with) a whirlwind.
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] , with horror; —
Perfect3pluralEzekiel 27:35 ("" , );Imperfect3masculine pluralEzekiel 32:10 ("" Hiph`il);Imperative masculine pluralJeremiah 2:12 ("" ). —Deuteronomy 32:17 see III. .
II. [] (of storm-wind) (= , q. v.; Assyrianšâru,wind, DlHWB 635; >Thes1334 compare I. ); —
Imperfect3masculine singular suffixPsalm 58:10 figurativehe ()shall sweep it away.
Perfect3feminine singular impersonalPsalm 50:3 round about himit is tempestuous exceedingly.
Imperfect3masculine singular suffixJob 27:21and it [an east wind]shall whirl him away from () his place.
Imperfect3masculine singularDaniel 11:40 the kingshall storm against him.
III. [] perhaps (Arabic
perceive [Sabeanid.? HomChrest. 124]; compare Aramaic ,
,visit, inspect, BaES 67 RS in DrDt PerlesAnal. 79); —
Perfect3plural suffixDeuteronomy 32:17 new gods,with whom your fathershad noacquaintance ( ; "" ); usuallyfear, Thesrevere with awe, Drshudder before, [] denominative, although not elsewhere with accusative of person
IV. (assumed as √ of following).
Topical Lexicon
Scope and Range of Usageשָׂעַר occurs eight times across the canon, always marking an experience of violent disturbance—either in nature or in the human spirit. Whether describing a literal tempest, nations swept away in war, or hearts convulsed with dread, the word consistently underscores the disruptive force of God’s judgment or the terror He permits.
Storm Language and Theophany
InPsalm 50:3 the psalmist links the Lord’s advent to elemental upheaval: “Our God comes and will not be silent; devouring fire precedes Him, and a tempest rages around Him”. The whirlwind imagery heightens the majesty of the divine appearing, reminding worshipers that the God who covenants is also the God who confronts. Similar storm language inJob 27:21 andPsalm 58:9 pictures the wicked as lightweight debris swept away by an east wind—an implicit contrast to the righteous who take refuge in the same Lord who sends the storm.
Moral Shock and Awe
Jeremiah 2:12 broadens the field from meteorology to morality: “Be stunned by this, O heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled, declares the LORD”. Here שָׂעַר conveys cosmic horror at covenant infidelity. Ezekiel adopts the term twice (27:35; 32:10) to depict pagan kings who “shudder with horror” at Tyre’s and Egypt’s downfall. The vocabulary of quaking terror testifies that God’s judgments are designed to awaken consciences—whether of rebellious Israel or surrounding nations—to His unimpeachable holiness.
Corporate and Eschatological Conflict
Daniel 11:40 uses the verb militarily: the northern king will “storm against” the southern coalition, “sweeping through them like a flood”. The eschatological setting anticipates end-time convulsions in which empires crash like wind-driven waves, yet remain bounded by God’s timetable (11:35–36). Believers may thus read contemporary turbulence through the prophetic lens of divine sovereignty that both ordains and limits geopolitical upheaval.
Idolatry Exposed
Deuteronomy 32:17 links שָׂעַר with false worship: Israel’s fathers “did not fear” the new gods their descendants embraced. The absence of trembling before Yahweh inevitably leads to distorted fear—either of demons (v.17) or of the disasters He sends (vv.22–25). The verse warns congregations that reverence displaced will become reverence misplaced.
Pastoral and Homiletical Directions
1. Revive holy fear. Preaching onPsalm 50:3 orJeremiah 2:12 corrects cultures that trivialize God, reminding hearers that grace never cancels divine majesty.
2. Encourage steadfastness.Job 27:21 andPsalm 58:9 assure the righteous that wickedness is inherently unstable; it will be carried off in God’s time.
3. Frame world events biblically.Daniel 11:40 offers a template for interpreting modern conflicts without despair, confident that no storm outruns God’s decree.
4. Counsel the fearful.Ezekiel 27:35; 32:10 show that panic accompanies judgment; those in Christ can exchange terror for trust by sheltering under the One who calmed the sea.
Christological Fulfillment
The Gospels reveal Jesus commanding literal tempests (Mark 4:39), thereby identifying Him as the Lord ofPsalm 50. At Calvary the sky darkened and the earth quaked—creation itself “shuddered” as He bore judgment. Yet the resurrection assures believers that the ultimate storm fell on Him, so that those who fear the Lord need not fear destruction.
Key References
Deuteronomy 32:17;Job 27:21;Psalm 50:3;Psalm 58:9;Jeremiah 2:12;Ezekiel 27:35;Ezekiel 32:10;Daniel 11:40
Forms and Transliterations
וְיִשְׂתָּעֵ֨ר וְשַׂעֲר֛וּ וִֽ֝ישָׂעֲרֵ֗הוּ וישערהו וישתער ושערו יִשְׂעֲר֤וּ יִשְׂעָרֶֽנּוּ׃ ישערו ישערנו׃ נִשְׂעֲרָ֥ה נשערה שְׂעָר֖וּם שָׂ֣עֲרוּ שערו שערום niś‘ărāh niś·‘ă·rāh nisaRah śā‘ărū śā·‘ă·rū Saaru śə‘ārūm śə·‘ā·rūm seaRum vesaaRu veyistaEr visaaRehu wə·śa·‘ă·rū wə·yiś·tā·‘êr wəśa‘ărū wəyiśtā‘êr wî·śā·‘ă·rê·hū wîśā‘ărêhū yiś‘ārennū yiś‘ărū yiś·‘ā·ren·nū yiś·‘ă·rū yisaRennu yisaRu
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