Lexical Summary sahar: To be round, to revolve, to go about Original Word: סַהַר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance round From an unused root meaning to be round; roundness -- round. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition roundness NASB Translation round (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs סַ֫הַר noun [masculine] roundness; — ׳אַגַּן הַמּ Cant 7:3 a bowl of roundness = a round bowl (in simile). Topical Lexicon Etymology and Semantic Range The noun denotes something perfectly circular—a rim, bowl, or socket—evoking symmetry, fullness, and contained capacity. In Hebrew poetry the term bridges literal anatomy (the navel) with crafted vessels (a circular goblet). Biblical Occurrence Songs 7:2 employs the word in the bridal ode: “Your navel is a rounded bowl; it never lacks blended wine. Your waist is a mound of wheat encircled by lilies” (Berean Standard Bible). The verse nests the image within a catalogue of praises that move from feet upward, celebrating the bride’s physical beauty while simultaneously portraying covenantal delight. Symbolic Imagery in the Song of Songs 1. Center of Life. In antiquity the navel, situated at the body’s midpoint and source of prenatal supply, conveyed vitality and generational continuity. Cultural and Historical Background Ancient Near Eastern love poetry routinely employed sensory metaphors to laud a beloved’s body parts. Bowls and goblets, often carved of alabaster or bronze, were prized tableware at royal banquets. The imagery merges palace luxury with agrarian fertility (“mound of wheat,” “lilies”), situating love amid both refined celebration and earthbound abundance. Theological Threads 1. Covenant Fidelity. As the Song extols exclusive marital devotion, the circular bowl intimates loyalty without breach—an emblem of Yahweh’s steadfast love toward His people (Isaiah 54:5). Ministry Application • Marriage Enrichment: The verse encourages spouses to speak life-giving, creative words of affirmation, nurturing intimacy that mirrors divine celebration. Christ-Centered Typology The rounded bowl represents the fullness of grace found in Christ (John 1:16). Just as the bride’s navel perpetually “never lacks” wine, the Church continually draws from the inexhaustible riches of her Bridegroom. Devotional Reflection Praise that begins with the feet and culminates at the head pauses at the navel, the locus of dependency once hidden in the womb. The believer’s deepest identity is likewise sourced in Another; life flows from intimate attachment to Christ. In Him the circle of redemption is complete, the goblet always full, and the banquet never ends. Forms and Transliterations הַסַּ֔הַר הסהר has·sa·har hassaharLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Songs 7:2 HEB: שָׁרְרֵךְ֙ אַגַּ֣ן הַסַּ֔הַר אַל־ יֶחְסַ֖ר NAS: Your navel is [like] a round goblet KJV: Thy navel [is like] a round goblet, INT: navel goblet is a round never lacks 1 Occurrence |
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