What does סָחַר (sāḥar) mean in the Bible?
סָחַר (sāḥar): Movement with purpose—circling territory as merchant or heart palpitating in urgent repetition.
Hebrew · H5503
סָחַר
To travel round (specifically as a pedlar); intensively, to palpitate
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סָחַר H5503
Pronunciation sāḥar
What does סָחַר (sāḥar) mean in the Bible?
סָחַר (sāḥar): Movement with purpose—circling territory as merchant or heart palpitating in urgent repetition.
Full entry for סָחַר (H5503) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5503?
The BSB source-word alignment has 21 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include merchants (2), traders (2), and the merchants (1), and trade (1), and traded (1).
Where does סָחַר (sāḥar) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 23:16. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (7), Genesis (5), Isaiah (3), 2 Chronicles (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It merchants 2× 1 Kings 10:28, 2 Chronicles 1:16
traders 2× Genesis 37:28, Isaiah 23:8
and the merchants 1× Ezekiel 38:13
and trade 1× Genesis 34:21
and traded 1× Isaiah 47:15
and traders 1× 2 Chronicles 9:14
and you can trade 1× Genesis 42:34
like the merchant 1× Proverbs 31:14
move about freely 1× Genesis 34:10
of the merchants 1× Genesis 23:16
pounds 1× Psalms 38:10
Those who trade 1× Ezekiel 27:36
traded with you 1× Ezekiel 27:18
trading 1× Ezekiel 27:21
travel 1× Jeremiah 14:18
was your customer 1× Ezekiel 27:16
were your customers 1× Ezekiel 27:21
you merchants 1× Isaiah 23:2
your merchant 1× Ezekiel 27:12
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 23:16 לַסֹּחֵֽר׃ to of the merchants Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Genesis 34:10 וּסְחָר֔וּהָ to move about freely Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural | third person feminine singular Genesis 34:21 וְיִסְחֲר֣וּ to and trade Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural Genesis 37:28 סֹֽחֲרִ֗ים to traders Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural Genesis 42:34 תִּסְחָֽרוּ׃ to and you can trade Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural 1 Kings 10:28 סֹחֲרֵ֣י to merchants Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct 2 Chronicles 1:16 סֹחֲרֵ֣י to merchants Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct 2 Chronicles 9:14 וְהַסֹּחֲרִ֖ים to and traders Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural Psalms 38:10 סְ֭חַרְחַר to pounds Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular Proverbs 31:14 סוֹחֵ֑ר to like the merchant Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 23:16
Aligned rows 21
Books represented 8
Genesis 5 1 Kings 1 2 Chronicles 2 Psalms 1 Proverbs 1 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 1 Ezekiel 7
Source forms
סֹחֲרֵ֣י 3x sō·ḥă·rê 1 Kings 10:28, 2 Chronicles 1:16, Ezekiel 27:21
סֹחַרְתֵּ֖ךְ 2x sō·ḥar·têḵ Ezekiel 27:12, Ezekiel 27:16
וְהַסֹּחֲרִ֖ים 1x wə·has·sō·ḥă·rîm 2 Chronicles 9:14
וְיִסְחֲר֣וּ 1x wə·yis·ḥă·rū Genesis 34:21
וּסְחָר֔וּהָ 1x ū·sə·ḥā·rū·hā Genesis 34:10
וְסֹחֲרֵ֨י 1x wə·sō·ḥă·rê Ezekiel 38:13
לַסֹּחֵֽר׃ 1x las·sō·ḥêr Genesis 23:16
סוֹחֵ֑ר 1x sō·w·ḥêr Proverbs 31:14
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular 3x Ezekiel 27:12, Ezekiel 27:16, Ezekiel 27:18
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct 3x 1 Kings 10:28, 2 Chronicles 1:16, Ezekiel 27:21
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural 2x Genesis 37:28, Ezekiel 27:36
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular 2x Isaiah 47:15, Ezekiel 27:21
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x Genesis 34:21
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural | third person feminine singular 1x Genesis 34:10
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct 1x Ezekiel 38:13
Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural 1x 2 Chronicles 9:14
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Movement with purpose—circling territory as merchant or heart palpitating in urgent repetition.
Source Gloss
to travel round (specifically as a pedlar); intensively, to palpitate
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Movement with purpose—circling territory as merchant or heart palpitating in urgent repetition.
to travel round (specifically as a pedlar); intensively, to palpitate BDB: go around Usage: go about, merchant(-man), occupy with, pant, trade, traffick.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 10
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 9×
Participle active 1Kgs 10:28 · 2Chr 1:16 · Ezek 27:21 · Ezek 27:36 · Gen 37:28 · Isa 23:2 · Prov 31:14 7×
Imperfect Gen 42:34 1×
Perfect Jer 14:18 1×
Pael 1×
Perfect Ps 38:11 1×
Word Origins
סָחַר is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain