What does שׁוֹעֵר (šwōʿēr) mean in the Bible?
שׁוֹעֵר (šwōʿēr): Gatekeepers in ancient Israel served as temple custodians and security officials, controlling sacred space access
Hebrew · H7778
שׁוֹעֵר
A janitor
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שׁוֹעֵרH7778
Pronunciationšwōʿēr
What does שׁוֹעֵר (šwōʿēr) mean in the Bible?
שׁוֹעֵר (šwōʿēr): Gatekeepers in ancient Israel served as temple custodians and security officials, controlling sacred space access
Full entry for שׁוֹעֵר (H7778) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7778?
The BSB source-word alignment has 37 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the gatekeepers (9), gatekeepers (5), and gatekeepers (4), and the gatekeepers (3), of the gatekeepers (3).
Where does שׁוֹעֵר (šwōʿēr) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at 2 Samuel 18:26. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Chronicles (14), Nehemiah (10), 2 Chronicles (6), Ezra (4).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itthe gatekeepers9×2 Kings 7:10, 2 Kings 7:11, 1 Chronicles 9:24, Ezra 2:42
gatekeepers5×1 Chronicles 9:26, 2 Chronicles 23:19, Ezra 7:7, Nehemiah 7:73
and gatekeepers4×2 Chronicles 34:13, Nehemiah 12:45, Nehemiah 12:47, Nehemiah 13:5
and the gatekeepers3×1 Chronicles 15:18, 2 Chronicles 35:15, Nehemiah 11:19
of the gatekeepers3×1 Chronicles 26:1, 1 Chronicles 26:12, 1 Chronicles 26:19
[He also appointed] gatekeepers1×2 Chronicles 8:14
[These were] the gatekeepers1×1 Chronicles 9:17
[were] gatekeepers1×Nehemiah 12:25
are to be gatekeepers1×1 Chronicles 23:5
shall keep watch1×2 Chronicles 23:4
the gatekeeper1×2 Samuel 18:26
the keeper1×2 Chronicles 31:14
to be gatekeepers1×1 Chronicles 9:22
was the gatekeeper1×1 Chronicles 9:21
were also to be guardians1×1 Chronicles 15:24
were the gatekeepers1×1 Chronicles 9:18
were to be gatekeepers1×1 Chronicles 16:38
were to be guardians1×1 Chronicles 15:23
Show sample aligned rows
2 Samuel 18:26הַשֹּׁעֵ֔רtothe gatekeeperArticle | Noun - masculine singular2 Kings 7:10שֹׁעֵ֣רtothe gatekeepersNoun - masculine singular construct2 Kings 7:11הַשֹּֽׁעֲרִ֑יםtoThe gatekeepersArticle | Noun - masculine plural1 Chronicles 9:17וְהַשֹּׁעֲרִים֙to[These were] the gatekeepersConjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural1 Chronicles 9:18הַשֹּׁ֣עֲרִ֔יםtowere the gatekeepersArticle | Noun - masculine plural1 Chronicles 9:21שֹׁעֵ֥רtowas the gatekeeperNoun - masculine singular1 Chronicles 9:22לְשֹׁעֲרִ֣יםtoto be gatekeepersPreposition-l | Noun - masculine plural1 Chronicles 9:24הַשֹּׁעֲרִ֑יםtoThe gatekeepersArticle | Noun - masculine plural1 Chronicles 9:26הַשֹּׁעֲרִ֔יםtogatekeepersArticle | Noun - masculine plural1 Chronicles 15:18הַשֹּׁעֲרִֽים׃toand the gatekeepersArticle | Noun - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row2 Samuel 18:26
Aligned rows37
Books represented6
2 Samuel12 Kings21 Chronicles142 Chronicles6Ezra4Nehemiah10
Source forms
הַשֹּׁ֣עֲרִ֔ים3xhaš·šō·‘ă·rîm1 Chronicles 9:18, 1 Chronicles 26:19, Ezra 10:24
הַשֹּֽׁעֲרִ֗ים2xhaš·šō·‘ă·rîmEzra 2:42, Nehemiah 7:45
וְהַשֹּׁעֲרִ֖ים2xwə·haš·šō·‘ă·rîm2 Chronicles 35:15, Nehemiah 12:47
וְהַשֹּׁעֲרִ֑ים2xwə·haš·šō·‘ă·rîmNehemiah 12:45, Nehemiah 13:5
שֹׁעֲרִ֖ים2xšō·‘ă·rîm1 Chronicles 15:23, 1 Chronicles 15:24
הַשּׁוֹעֵ֣ר1xhaš·šō·w·‘êr2 Chronicles 31:14
הַשּׁ֣וֹעֲרִ֔ים1xhaš·šō·w·‘ă·rîm2 Chronicles 23:19
הַשּׁוֹעֲרִ֥ים1xhaš·šō·w·‘ă·rîmNehemiah 7:1
Parsing patterns
Article | Noun - masculine plural13x2 Kings 7:11, 1 Chronicles 9:18, 1 Chronicles 9:24, 1 Chronicles 9:26
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural11x1 Chronicles 9:17, 2 Chronicles 8:14, 2 Chronicles 35:15, Ezra 2:70
Noun - masculine plural4x1 Chronicles 15:23, 1 Chronicles 15:24, 1 Chronicles 23:5, Nehemiah 12:25
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural3x1 Chronicles 9:22, 1 Chronicles 16:38, 1 Chronicles 26:1
Article | Noun - masculine singular2x2 Samuel 18:26, 2 Chronicles 31:14
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural1x2 Chronicles 34:13
Noun - masculine singular1x1 Chronicles 9:21
Noun - masculine singular construct1x2 Kings 7:10
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Gatekeepers in ancient Israel served as temple custodians and security officials, controlling sacred space access
Source Gloss
a janitor
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Gatekeepers in ancient Israel served as temple custodians and security officials, controlling sacred space access
a janitor BDB: porter Usage: doorkeeper, porter.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
שׁוֹעֵר is built from these roots: