Lexical Summary caker: To hire, to engage, to employ Original Word: סָכַר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance stop, give over A primitive root; to shut up; by implication, to surrender -- stop, give over. See also cagar, sakar. see HEBREW cagar see HEBREW sakar Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [סָכַר] verb shut up, stop up (Aramaic סְכַר,  shut up, stop up, dam up; Arabic  fill, stop up, dam (river), etc., also also close, stop up door, Lane1390; Assyrian sikêru, dam up, II. 2. stop ears; compare sikkuru, bolt DlHWB 499; apparently kindr. with סגר; — hence Egyptian t&213;akar, barrier, Bondi88); — Niph`al Imperfect3masculine singular ׳יִסָּכֵר מִּי וגו Psalm 63:12 the mouth of liars shall be stopped; 3 masculine plural וַיִּסָּֽכְרוּ Genesis 8:2 (P) and the springs of the deep etc., were shut up. Pi`el Perfect וְסִכַרְתִּ֫י אֶתמִֿצְרַיִם בְּיַד Isaiah 19:4 and I will shut up (deliver) Egypt into the hand of, etc. (compare סגר, מגן). Topical Lexicon Scope of Meaning and Theological OvertonesIn its three inspired appearances, סָכַר conveys purposeful enclosure or restraint, whether of natural forces, human speech, or national destiny. The term therefore highlights God’s sovereign ability to clamp shut what He has opened, limit what He has loosed, and hand over people or powers to confinement of His choosing. Each context moves from the physical to the moral to the geopolitical, yet the unifying thread is divine mastery over boundaries. Genesis 8:2 – Restraining the Waters “The springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens were closed, and the rain from the heavens was restrained.” The global deluge ends not by chance but by deliberate restraint. After judging the antediluvian world, God “shuts up” the rain, signaling that judgment has a terminus under His covenant purposes. The same vocabulary of closure that unleashed catastrophe (Genesis 7:11) highlights His symmetrical control in ending it. Ministry reflection: catastrophic events, however overwhelming, remain bounded by divine governance; believers can minister hope by pointing to the God who both opens and shuts the floodgates (Revelation 3:7). Psalm 63:11 – Silencing the Deceitful “But the mouth of liars will be silenced.” Here, סָכַר functions on an ethical axis. David contrasts his own exultation in God (Psalm 63:11a) with the muting of slanderous voices. The word choice underscores that falsehood is not merely refuted; it is divinely locked down. In pastoral practice, this encourages patient confidence: truth need not match deceit word for word—God Himself ultimately clamps shut every lying mouth (Romans 3:19). Isaiah 19:4 – Confining a Nation “I will deliver the Egyptians into the hands of harsh masters, and a fierce king will rule over them,” declares the Lord GOD of Hosts. The prophecy pictures Egypt as being “shut in” to oppressive rule. Their political autonomy is restrained, illustrating how unrepentant nations can find themselves enclosed within consequences they cannot escape. The passage illumines God’s universal jurisdiction: He restrains even superpowers when they resist His purposes. For missions and global engagement, it is a sober reminder that political events unfold under a higher hand. Divine Restraint as Covenant Grace Though often judgmental, the restraint expressed by סָכַר can serve mercy. The post-flood restraint preserves Noah’s family for the covenant of Genesis 9. Silencing liars protects the righteous voice. Restricting Egypt prepares the stage for future redemption in Isaiah 19:19–25, where Egypt joins the worship of the LORD. Thus the word frames judgment as a pathway to grace. Intertextual Echoes 1. Job 38:8–11—The sea is “shut up” within God-set bars and doors, echoing the Flood narrative. Practical Ministry Applications • Crisis Counseling: Emphasize God’s capacity to halt destructive forces at His appointed time. Christological Perspective Jesus Christ embodies the ultimate authority to open and shut (John 10:9; Revelation 3:7). The restraint of floodwaters, liars, and empires foreshadows His power to curb sin, silence accusation, and confine evil. At the cross, the Father “shuts up” wrath in the Son’s atonement, releasing believers into freedom. Summary Strong’s Hebrew 5534 paints a multi-layered portrait of divine restraint—physical, moral, and political. It summons God’s people to revere His boundary-setting sovereignty, rest in His protective silencing of evil, and respond with worship that anticipates the day when every malign force will be finally, eternally shut away. Forms and Transliterations וְסִכַּרְתִּי֙ וַיִּסָּֽכְרוּ֙ ויסכרו וסכרתי יִ֝סָּכֵ֗ר יסכר vaiyissacheRu vesikkarTi way·yis·sā·ḵə·rū wayyissāḵərū wə·sik·kar·tî wəsikkartî yis·sā·ḵêr yissaCher yissāḵêrLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 8:2 HEB: וַיִּסָּֽכְרוּ֙ מַעְיְנֹ֣ת תְּה֔וֹם NAS: of the sky were closed, and the rain KJV: of heaven were stopped, and the rain INT: were closed the fountains of the deep Psalm 63:11 Isaiah 19:4 3 Occurrences |
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