What does שֶׁרֶשׁ (shōresh) mean in the Bible?
שֶׁרֶשׁ (shōresh): Root as foundation of life or being—literal plant roots extend to figurative rootedness in covenant, stability, and ancestral continuity
Hebrew · H8328
שֶׁרֶשׁ
A root (literally or figuratively)
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שֶׁרֶשׁ H8328
Pronunciation shōresh
What does שֶׁרֶשׁ (shōresh) mean in the Bible?
שֶׁרֶשׁ (shōresh): Root as foundation of life or being—literal plant roots extend to figurative rootedness in covenant, stability, and ancestral continuity
Full entry for שֶׁרֶשׁ (H8328) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H8328?
The BSB source-word alignment has 33 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include its roots (3), root (3), . . . (2), take root (2), - (1).
Where does שֶׁרֶשׁ (shōresh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Deuteronomy 29:18. Its strongest book concentrations include Job (9), Isaiah (7), Ezekiel (5), Hosea (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 its roots 3× Job 14:8, Ezekiel 17:7, Ezekiel 31:7
root 3× Deuteronomy 29:18, Psalms 80:9, Hosea 14:5
. . . 2× Proverbs 12:3, Daniel 11:7
take root 2× 2 Kings 19:30, Isaiah 37:31
- 1× Ezekiel 17:9
a root 1× Malachi 4:1
and his roots 1× Amos 2:9
and like a root 1× Isaiah 53:2
and the roots 1× Job 30:4
at their base 1× Job 28:9
but the root 1× Proverbs 12:12
by its roots 1× Ezekiel 17:9
from his roots 1× Isaiah 11:1
from the root 1× Isaiah 14:29
His roots 1× Job 8:17
My roots 1× Job 29:19
since the root 1× Job 19:28
so their roots 1× Isaiah 5:24
that sends out its roots 1× Jeremiah 17:8
the depths 1× Job 36:30
the Root 1× Isaiah 11:10
The roots 1× Job 18:16
the soles 1× Job 13:27
their root 1× Hosea 9:16
with their roots 1× Judges 5:14
yet its roots 1× Ezekiel 17:6
your root 1× Isaiah 14:30
Show sample aligned rows
Deuteronomy 29:18 שֹׁ֛רֶשׁ to root Noun - masculine singular Judges 5:14 שָׁרְשָׁם֙ to with their roots Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural 2 Kings 19:30 שֹׁ֣רֶשׁ to take root Noun - masculine singular Job 8:17 שָֽׁרָשָׁ֣יו to His roots Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular Job 13:27 שָׁרְשֵׁ֥י to the soles Noun - masculine plural construct Job 14:8 שָׁרְשׁ֑וֹ to its roots Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Job 18:16 שָֽׁרָשָׁ֣יו to The roots Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular Job 19:28 וְשֹׁ֥רֶשׁ to since the root Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct Job 28:9 מִשֹּׁ֣רֶשׁ to at their base Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular Job 29:19 שָׁרְשִׁ֣י to My roots Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Deuteronomy 29:18
Aligned rows 33
Books represented 13
Deuteronomy 1 Judges 1 2 Kings 1 Job 9 Psalms 1 Proverbs 2 Isaiah 7 Jeremiah 1 Ezekiel 5 Daniel 1 Hosea 2 Amos 1 Malachi 1
Source forms
שֹׁ֣רֶשׁ 3x šō·reš 2 Kings 19:30, Isaiah 11:10, Isaiah 37:31
וְשֹׁ֥רֶשׁ 2x wə·šō·reš Job 19:28, Proverbs 12:3
וְשֹׁ֖רֶשׁ 2x wə·šō·reš Job 30:4, Proverbs 12:12
וְשָׁרָשָׁ֖יו 2x wə·šā·rā·šāw Ezekiel 17:6, Amos 2:9
שָֽׁרָשָׁ֣יו 2x šā·rā·šāw Job 8:17, Job 18:16
שָׁרְשָׁם֙ 2x šā·rə·šām Judges 5:14, Isaiah 5:24
וְכַשֹּׁ֙רֶשׁ֙ 1x wə·ḵaš·šō·reš Isaiah 53:2
וְשָׁרְשֵׁ֖י 1x wə·šā·rə·šê Job 36:30
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct 4x Job 19:28, Job 30:4, Proverbs 12:3, Proverbs 12:12
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular 4x Psalms 80:9, Ezekiel 17:7, Ezekiel 17:9, Daniel 11:7
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular 4x Job 8:17, Job 18:16, Jeremiah 17:8, Hosea 14:5
Noun - masculine singular 4x Deuteronomy 29:18, 2 Kings 19:30, Isaiah 37:31, Malachi 4:1
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural 3x Judges 5:14, Isaiah 5:24, Hosea 9:16
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular 2x Ezekiel 17:6, Amos 2:9
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 2x Job 14:8, Ezekiel 31:7
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct 1x Job 36:30
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Root as foundation of life or being—literal plant roots extend to figurative rootedness in covenant, stability, and ancestral continuity
Source Gloss
a root (literally or figuratively)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Root as foundation of life or being—literal plant roots extend to figurative rootedness in covenant, stability, and ancestral continuity
a root (literally or figuratively) BDB: root Usage: bottom, deep, heel, root.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
root
Root source or foundational origin.
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 33 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שֶׁרֶשׁ is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
The root of Jesse signifies both continuity with David and foundational hope for the nations. Hosea 9:10-17
Root struck implies irreversible decline. Isaiah 11:1-10
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