Lexical Summary
ashar: To be happy, to be blessed, to go straight, to lead, to guide
Original Word:אָשַׁר
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:ashar
Pronunciation:ah-shar
Phonetic Spelling:(aw-shar')
KJV: (call, be) bless(-ed, happy), go, guide, lead, relieve
NASB:guide, happy, proceed, bless, call him blessed, call the blessed, call you blessed
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to be straight (used in the widest sense, especially to be level, right, happy)
2. (figuratively) to go forward, be honest, proper
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
call, be blessed, happy, go, guide, lead, relieve
Or rasher {aw-share'}; a primitive root; to be straight (used in the widest sense, especially to be level, right, happy); figuratively, to go forward, be honest, proper -- (call, be) bless(-ed, happy), go, guide, lead, relieve.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof prim. root
Definitionto go straight, go on, advance
NASB Translationbless (1), call him blessed (1), call the blessed (1), call you blessed (1), called her blessed (1), called me blessed (1), called blessed (1), direct (1), guide (2), guided (1), happy (2), proceed (2), reprove (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (Assyrian
ašâru Zim
BP 11; Arabic, Aramaic in derivatives) —
ImperativeProverbs 9:6go straight on in the way of understanding.
PerfectMalachi 3:12;Genesis 30:13;ImperfectProverbs 4:14 4t.;ImperativeProverbs 23:19;Participle pluralMalachi 3:15 2t.; —
go straight on, advanceProverbs 4:14.
lead onProverbs 23:19;Isaiah 3:12;Isaiah 9:15.
set right, rightenIsaiah 1:17.
pronounce happy, call blessedGenesis 30:13 (J)Job 29:11;Psalm 72:17;Proverbs 31:28;Songs 6:9;Malachi 3:12,15.
ImperfectPsalm 41:3;ParticipleProverbs 3:18;Isaiah 9:15.
be led onIsaiah 9:15.
be made happy, blessedPsalm 41:3;Proverbs 3:18.
Topical Lexicon
Semantic Scope and Nuancesאָשַׁר (ʼâshar) moves along two closely-related tracks:
1. “to declare or regard as blessed/happy.”
2. “to guide, make straight, lead in a right path.”
Both ideas grow out of the same covenant soil: life ordered aright under Yahweh’s favor becomes observable blessedness that can be publicly acknowledged.
Earliest Appearance: The Tribe of Asher
Genesis 30:13 records Leah’s exclamation, “How happy I am! For the daughters will call me blessed.” The birth of Asher (“happy/blessed”) memorializes the term in one of Israel’s tribal names, anchoring the concept of manifest blessedness in Israel’s collective memory.
Blessing Acknowledged by the Community
Job 29:11,Psalm 41:2,Psalm 72:17,Proverbs 31:28, Song of Songs 6:9,Malachi 3:12 and 3:15 use ʼâshar for verbal recognition of favor.Psalm 72:17 anticipates the Messiah:
“All nations will be blessed in Him; they will call Him blessed”.
Here ʼâshar joins the Abrahamic promise (Genesis 12:3) and anticipates worldwide acknowledgement of messianic kingship.
Wisdom Literature: Straight Paths and Right Guidance
Proverbs employs the verb both ways.
• Moral direction: “Do not set foot on the path of the wicked” (Proverbs 4:14) and “Walk in the way of understanding” (Proverbs 9:6) exhort deliberate alignment; ʼâshar depicts guiding feet to a straight road.
• Resultant happiness: “Wisdom… is a tree of life… and those who lay hold of her are blessed” (Proverbs 3:18).
Thus Proverbs joins guidance and blessedness: right guidance produces observable felicity.
Prophetic Usage: True and False Guidance
Isaiah broadens the word into leadership critique. “O My people, your guides lead you astray” (Isaiah 3:12) and “Those who guide this people mislead them” (Isaiah 9:16) play on ʼâshar’s guidance sense. Misleaders invert the verb’s intended straightness, exposing the nation to judgment. ConverselyIsaiah 1:17 urges remedial action: “Learn to do right! Seek justice, relieve the oppressed.” The verb “relieve” (ʼâshar) pictures setting the oppressed on a straight, restored path.
Covenant Hope and Eschatology
Malachi 3 contrasts covenant faithfulness and cynicism. In 3:12 Yahweh promises, “All the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight.” In 3:15 faithless Israel retorts, “Now we call the arrogant blessed.” The pivot underscores ʼâshar as the visible verdict nations (or cynics) pronounce based on perceived outcomes. Eschatologically, Yahweh guarantees the final verdict of blessedness will rest on the faithful remnant.
Christological Trajectory
The Septuagint regularly renders ʼâshar with the Greek makarizō, the root of makarios used by Jesus in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5). Thus Old-Testament ʼâshar themes of manifest favor and righteous direction flow naturally into New-Testament declarations of kingdom blessedness realized in Christ.
Ministry Implications
1. Pastoral guidance: Leaders are called to “guide hearts on the right path” (Proverbs 23:19), echoing ʼâshar’s directive aspect. Faithful shepherds straighten paths rather than distort them.
2. Public testimony: Congregational life should display tangible evidences of divine favor so that outsiders can “call them blessed.”
3. Social righteousness:Isaiah 1:17 frames relieving the oppressed as an expression of straightening what is crooked, tying social justice to covenant blessedness.
4. Gospel proclamation:Psalm 72:17 fuels missionary vision—nations will one day proclaim Messiah “blessed.” The Church participates by heralding the King in whom ultimate ʼâshar is found.
Contemporary Application
Believers pursue the straight path through obedience, wisdom, and Spirit-enabled guidance, confident that visible blessedness—characterized by spiritual fruit and covenant faithfulness—will provoke a watching world to acknowledge the favor of God.
Forms and Transliterations
אִשְּׁר֖וּנִי אַשְּׁר֣וּ אשרו אשרוני וְ֝אִשְׁר֗וּ וְאִשְּׁר֥וּ וְאַשֵּׁ֖ר וְאֻשַּׁ֣ר וַֽיְאַשְּׁר֑וּהָ וַֽיְאַשְּׁר֔וּהָ וַֽתְּאַשְּׁרֵ֑נִי וּמְאֻשָּׁרָ֖יו ואשר ואשרו ויאשרוה ומאשריו ותאשרני יְאַשְּׁרֽוּהוּ׃ יאשרוהו׃ מְאַשְּׁרִ֣ים מְאַשְּׁרֵ֥י מְאַשְּׁרֶ֣יךָ מְאֻשָּֽׁר׃ מאשר׃ מאשרי מאשריך מאשרים תְּ֝אַשֵּׁ֗ר תאשר ’aš·šə·rū ’aššərū ’iš·šə·rū·nî ’iššərūnî ashsheRu ishsheRuni mə’aššərê mə’aššəreḵā mə’aššərîm mə’uššār mə·’aš·šə·rê mə·’aš·šə·re·ḵā mə·’aš·šə·rîm mə·’uš·šār meashsheRei meashsheReicha meashsheRim meushShar tə’aššêr tə·’aš·šêr teashSher ū·mə·’uš·šā·rāw ūmə’uššārāw umeushshaRav vatteashsheReni vayashsheRuha veashSher veishRu veishsheRu veushShar wat·tə·’aš·šə·rê·nî wattə’aššərênî way’aššərūhā way·’aš·šə·rū·hā wə’aššêr wə’išrū wə’iššərū wə’uššar wə·’aš·šêr wə·’iš·rū wə·’iš·šə·rū wə·’uš·šar yə’aššərūhū yə·’aš·šə·rū·hū yeashsheRuhu
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