Lexical Summary samar: To bristle, stand erect, shudder Original Word: סָמָר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance rough From camar; bristling, i.e. Shaggy -- rough. see HEBREW camar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom samar Definition bristling, rough NASB Translation bristly (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs סָמָר adjective bristling, rough; — ׳יֶלֶק ס Jeremiah 51:27 bristling locust, perhaps with allusion to horn-like sheaths enclosing wings of the pupa, see DrJoel and Amos, 58 (on formation compare LagBN 50). Topical Lexicon Overview The Hebrew term סָמָר appears once in the Old Testament, Jeremiah 51:27, where it conveys the picture of bristling, rough‐haired locusts. Though the vocabulary is rare, the imagery is familiar: swarming creatures that overwhelm everything in their path. Scripture regularly employs locusts as emblems of divine judgment (Exodus 10:4–19; Joel 1:4; Joel 2:25), and Jeremiah’s single use enriches that larger biblical pattern. Historical Setting Jeremiah 51 prophesies the downfall of Babylon, then the dominant world power. In verse 27 the prophet commands: “Raise a banner in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her … send the horses up like a swarm of locusts” (Berean Standard Bible). The call is not merely military strategy; it is Yahweh’s summons that stirs distant kingdoms—Ararat, Minni, Ashkenaz—to execute His judgment. The locust simile evokes the relentless, countless, and all-consuming nature of the invading cavalry. Imagery of Bristling Locusts 1. Unstoppable Advance. A locust swarm darkens the sky and devours fields in minutes. Likewise, the armies raised against Babylon would advance irresistibly, fulfilling the word of the Lord (Jeremiah 50:9; 51:11). Intertextual Echoes • Exodus 10 establishes locusts as one of the ten plagues, a climactic sign that God can devastate the world’s mightiest empire. Jeremiah’s use recalls that earlier overthrow and assures exiles that no tyranny is permanent. Theological Themes 1. Divine Sovereignty. The Lord appoints both the means and the agents of judgment. Nations are “the rod of His anger” (Isaiah 10:5). Christological and Eschatological Connections Babylon becomes a symbol for the world system set against God (Revelation 17–18). Jeremiah’s “bristling locust” preview of wrath shadows the final triumph of the Lamb. As in Jeremiah, the final overthrow is thorough, sudden, and irrevocable. Christ’s victory fulfills the prophetic arc: He conquers every Babylon, establishing everlasting righteousness (2 Peter 3:13). Ministry Application • Preaching. Jeremiah 51:27 offers vivid language to underscore that sin invites divine retribution. It confronts complacency and warns against trust in worldly power. Summary Though submerged in a single verse, סָמָר magnifies a canon-wide message: God’s judgments are swift, formidable, and perfectly just; His sovereignty extends even to the marshalling of nations; and deliverance is assured for those who trust in Him. The bristling locusts of Jeremiah 51:27 still speak, summoning every generation to humble repentance and confident hope in the Lord who rules history. Forms and Transliterations סָמָֽר׃ סמר׃ sā·mār saMar sāmārLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 51:27 HEB: ס֖וּס כְּיֶ֥לֶק סָמָֽר׃ NAS: up the horses like bristly locusts. KJV: to come up as the rough caterpillers. INT: the horses locusts bristly |
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