What does שְׂאֹר (šĕʾōr) mean in the Bible?
שְׂאֹר (šĕʾōr): Leaven as symbolic corruption or corruption agent; fermentation's hidden expansion makes it metaphor for moral/doctrinal contamination
Hebrew · H7603
שְׂאֹר
Barm or yeast-cake (as swelling by fermentation)
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שְׂאֹרH7603
Pronunciationšĕʾōr
What does שְׂאֹר (šĕʾōr) mean in the Bible?
שְׂאֹר (šĕʾōr): Leaven as symbolic corruption or corruption agent; fermentation's hidden expansion makes it metaphor for moral/doctrinal contamination
Full entry for שְׂאֹר (H7603) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7603?
The BSB source-word alignment has 5 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include leaven (4), the leaven (1).
Where does שְׂאֹר (šĕʾōr) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 12:15. Its strongest book concentrations include Exodus (3), Deuteronomy (1), Leviticus (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itleaven4×Exodus 12:19, Exodus 13:7, Leviticus 2:11, Deuteronomy 16:4
the leaven1×Exodus 12:15
Show sample aligned rows
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowExodus 12:15
Aligned rows5
Books represented3
Exodus3Leviticus1Deuteronomy1
Source forms
שְׂאֹ֕ר1xśə·’ōrExodus 12:19
שְׂאֹ֖ר1xśə·’ōrExodus 13:7
שְׂאֹר֙1xśə·’ōrLeviticus 2:11
שְׂאֹ֛ר1xśə·’ōrDeuteronomy 16:4
שְּׂאֹ֖ר1xśə·’ōrExodus 12:15
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular5xExodus 12:15, Exodus 12:19, Exodus 13:7, Leviticus 2:11
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Leaven as symbolic corruption or corruption agent; fermentation's hidden expansion makes it metaphor for moral/doctrinal contamination
Source Gloss
barm or yeast-cake (as swelling by fermentation)
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Leaven as symbolic corruption or corruption agent; fermentation's hidden expansion makes it metaphor for moral/doctrinal contamination
barm or yeast-cake (as swelling by fermentation) BDB: leaven Usage: leaven.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Prohibited substance in grain offerings to the Lord, representing fermentation and corruption
Showing 1 selected witness from 5 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שְׂאֹר is built from this root:
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.