What does שָׂכַר (sakar) mean in the Bible?
שָׂכַר (sakar): Labor compensation concept: wages earned through work or service, including hired labor and divine reward for obedience
Hebrew · H7936
שָׂכַר
To hire
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שָׂכַר H7936
Pronunciation sakar
What does שָׂכַר (sakar) mean in the Bible?
שָׂכַר (sakar): Labor compensation concept: wages earned through work or service, including hired labor and divine reward for obedience
Full entry for שָׂכַר (H7936) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7936?
The BSB source-word alignment has 21 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include . . . (2), hired (2), they hired (2), to hire (2), and he has hired me (1).
Where does שָׂכַר (sakar) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 30:16. Its strongest book concentrations include Nehemiah (3), 1 Chronicles (2), 2 Chronicles (2), Genesis (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 . . . 2× Genesis 30:16, Haggai 1:6
hired 2× Judges 9:4, 2 Samuel 10:6
they hired 2× Deuteronomy 23:4, Ezra 4:5
to hire 2× 1 Chronicles 19:6, 2 Chronicles 24:12
and he has hired me 1× Judges 18:4
but had hired 1× Nehemiah 13:2
had been hired 1× Nehemiah 6:13
had hired him 1× Nehemiah 6:12
He also hired 1× 2 Chronicles 25:6
hire themselves out 1× 1 Samuel 2:5
I have hired you 1× Genesis 30:16
is he who hires 1× Proverbs 26:10
must have hired 1× 2 Kings 7:6
or 1× Proverbs 26:10
So they hired 1× 1 Chronicles 19:7
they hire 1× Isaiah 46:6
You earn wages 1× Haggai 1:6
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 30:16 שָׂכֹ֣ר to I have hired you Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute Genesis 30:16 שְׂכַרְתִּ֔יךָ to . . . Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular Deuteronomy 23:4 שָׂכַ֨ר to they hired Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Judges 9:4 וַיִּשְׂכֹּ֨ר to hired Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Judges 18:4 וַיִּשְׂכְּרֵ֕נִי to and he has hired me Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular 1 Samuel 2:5 נִשְׂכָּ֔רוּ to hire themselves out Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural 2 Samuel 10:6 וַיִּשְׂכְּרוּ֩ to hired Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 2 Kings 7:6 שָֽׂכַר־ to must have hired Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 1 Chronicles 19:6 לִשְׂכֹּ֣ר to to hire Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct 1 Chronicles 19:7 וַיִּשְׂכְּר֣וּ to So they hired Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 30:16
Aligned rows 21
Books represented 13
Genesis 2 Deuteronomy 1 Judges 2 1 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 1 2 Kings 1 1 Chronicles 2 2 Chronicles 2 Ezra 1 Nehemiah 3 Proverbs 2 Isaiah 1 Haggai 2
Source forms
וַיִּשְׂכֹּ֨ר 2x way·yiś·kōr Judges 9:4, Nehemiah 13:2
וְשֹׂכֵ֥ר 2x wə·śō·ḵêr Proverbs 26:10
וְהַ֨מִּשְׂתַּכֵּ֔ר 1x wə·ham·miś·tak·kêr Haggai 1:6
וַיִּשְׂכֹּ֣ר 1x way·yiś·kōr 2 Chronicles 25:6
וַיִּשְׂכְּרוּ֩ 1x way·yiś·kə·rū 2 Samuel 10:6
וַיִּשְׂכְּר֣וּ 1x way·yiś·kə·rū 1 Chronicles 19:7
וַיִּשְׂכְּרֵ֕נִי 1x way·yiś·kə·rê·nî Judges 18:4
וְסֹכְרִ֧ים 1x wə·sō·ḵə·rîm Ezra 4:5
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 3x Judges 9:4, 2 Chronicles 25:6, Nehemiah 13:2
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 2x 2 Samuel 10:6, 1 Chronicles 19:7
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 2x Proverbs 26:10
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 2x Deuteronomy 23:4, 2 Kings 7:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular 1x Judges 18:4
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural 1x Ezra 4:5
Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine singular 1x Haggai 1:6
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct 1x 1 Chronicles 19:6
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Labor compensation concept: wages earned through work or service, including hired labor and divine reward for obedience
Strong's H7936
Lexical occurrences 21 verses Word forms 3 forms 8 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Hosea 8:8-14 Source Gloss
to hire
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Labor compensation concept: wages earned through work or service, including hired labor and divine reward for obedience
to hire BDB: hire Usage: earn wages, hire (out self), reward, × surely.
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 3 Aligned forms 8
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 6×
Perfect 2Kgs 7:6 · Deut 23:5 2×
Participle active 2Chr 24:12 1×
Infinitive absolute Gen 30:16 1×
Imperfect Isa 46:6 1×
Participle passive Neh 6:13 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 1×
Perfect 1Sam 2:5 1×
Hithpael reflexive or reciprocal — the subject acts on itself or mutually with others 1×
Participle active Hag 1:6 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
to hire
Showing 1 selected witness from 21 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שָׂכַר is built from these roots:
Why This Word Matters
Diplomatic bribery reflecting covenant distrust. Hosea 8:8-14
Canonical Themes
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