Lexical Summary emer: Word, speech, saying Original Word: אֵמֶר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance answer, appointed unto him, saying, speech, word From 'amar; something said -- answer, X appointed unto him, saying, speech, word. see HEBREW 'amar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom amar Definition speech, word NASB Translation arguments (1), chastisement (1), command (1), decreed (1), promise (1), sayings (4), slander* (1), speech (2), thing (1), utterances (1), words (43). Brown-Driver-Briggs [אִמְרָה] noun feminine utterance, speech, word (in poetry, mostly singular collective, compare plural verb Psalm 119:103, but here read probably Pluraln. compare ᵐ5 Ol Hi De Che) — construct אִמְרַת Isaiah 5:24 +; אִמְרָתִי Genesis 4:23 + etc.; Plural absolute אֲמָרוֺת Psalm 12:7; construct אִמֲרוֺת ib.; — utterance, speech Genesis 4:23 (song of Lamech, "" קוֺל); so Isaiah 28:23; Isaiah 32:9; Deuteronomy 32:2 ("" לֶקַח), Psalm 17:9; Isaiah 29:4 (twice in verse) ("" also דִּבֶּד); especially saying(s), words(s) of ׳י (command & promise) Deuteronomy 33:9 ("" בְּרִית); Isaiah 5:24 ("" תּוֺרָה) 2 Samuel 22:31 = Psalm 18:31; Psalm 12:7; Psalm 105:19 ("" דָּבָר; esp Psalm 119:11; Psalm 119:38; Psalm 119:41 16t.; Psalm 138:2; Psalm 147:15 ("" דָּבָר), Proverbs 30:5. Topical Lexicon Overview אֵמֶר (’emer) is the common Old Testament noun for a spoken utterance, whether divine or human. Appearing about forty-eight times, it ranges in sense from the sovereign decree of God to the casual or even deceitful talk of men. Its plural construct form אִמְרֵי (’imrei) is especially frequent in poetry and wisdom literature. Distribution in the Canon • Torah – Genesis 4:23; Deuteronomy 32:2 Categories of Usage 1. Divine Word The term often frames inspired revelation. Psalm 19:14 prays, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Proverbs 30:5 adds, “Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” Here אֵמֶר marks God’s speech as pure, protective, and powerful. A similar link between the word and divine refuge appears in 2 Samuel 22:31 and Psalm 18:30, underscoring the reliability of God’s self-disclosure in every generation. 2. Covenant and Legal Contexts Deuteronomy 32:2 treats God’s words as life-giving “rain” upon the covenant community. Conversely, Hosea 10:4 warns that Israel “speak mere words; with empty oaths they make covenants,” revealing how empty speech leads to breached relationships and judgment. By employing אֵמֶר in both blessing and curse, Scripture highlights the covenantal weight attached to words. 3. Royal and Judicial Decree In 1 Kings 2:3 David urges Solomon to “keep the charge of the LORD… to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, commandments, judgments, and testimonies.” The king’s final words derive their authority from God’s unchanging decrees. Ancient Near Eastern parallels show that royal edicts relied on a written or spoken “word” as the binding instrument; Israel’s monarchy was to subordinate every royal אֵמֶר to Yahweh’s higher authority. 4. Wisdom Instruction Proverbs brims with the term. “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24). The sage repeatedly urges the young to treasure his words (Proverbs 4:10; 7:1, 24), showing that well-chosen speech imparts life, while careless talk destroys (Proverbs 15:26; Hosea 10:4). Wisdom literature thus elevates disciplined, gracious speech as a mark of fearing the LORD. 5. Worship and Devotion Psalms employ אֵמֶר to celebrate the reliability of divine revelation and to shape corporate praise. Psalm 12:6 exalts the “words of the LORD” as refined silver. Psalm 119 climaxes with the psalmist’s delight in and obedience to those words (verses 11, 140). Public reading and singing of such texts reinforced Israel’s identity as a people formed by God’s speech. 6. Prophetic Warning Isaiah 29:4 predicts that humbled Jerusalem will whisper “as from the dust,” a poetic reversal in which once-proud words become powerless murmurs. Habakkuk 3:9 pictures God’s “oaths” (’imrei) to the tribes as the basis for His redemptive intervention. The prophets remind Israel that the same word that promises salvation also threatens judgment when ignored. Theological Themes • Authority – God’s אֵמֶר stands above every human utterance, rendering obedience a matter of faith and life. Historical Background In the Ancient Near East, royal proclamations carried covenantal force; disobedience invited sanctions. Israel’s prophets co-opted this cultural expectation, declaring Yahweh’s אֵמֶר as the supreme charter that judges kings and nations alike. Written scrolls preserved these words, but public reading ensured that the covenant community remained orally anchored to them. Christological Perspective John 1:1 identifies Jesus as the eternal Logos. While Logos is Greek and דָבָר is the usual Hebrew conceptual parallel, the nuanced vocabulary of אֵמֶר enriches our understanding: the incarnate Son embodies every saving utterance of God. His earthly ministry fulfilled the flawless “words of God” (Proverbs 30:5) and demonstrated their life-giving power (Matthew 8:8, 16). Ministry Applications • Preaching – Faithful exposition must treat every biblical utterance as authoritative and life-changing. Conclusion אֵמֶר threads through the Old Testament as a reminder that speech is never neutral. God’s words create, command, and covenant; human words are judged by the same standard. Embracing, proclaiming, and embodying these words remains central to faithful life and ministry. Forms and Transliterations אֲ֝מָרַ֗י אֲ֝מָרָ֗יו אֲ֭מָרָיו אֲמָרִ֣ים אֲמָרִ֥ים אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ אֲמָרַ֖י אֲמָרָ֑י אֲמָרָ֣יו אִמְר֣וֹ אִמְרֵ֣י אִמְרֵ֥י אִמְרֵי־ אִמְרֵיכֶֽם׃ אמרו אמרי אמרי־ אמריה אמריו אמריכם׃ אמרים בְּאִמְרֵי־ בְאִמְרֵי־ באמרי־ וּ֝בְאִמְרֵיכֶ֗ם ובאמריכם לְאִמְרֵי־ לַ֝אֲמָרַ֗י לאמרי לאמרי־ מֵֽאִמְרֵי־ מֵאִמְרֵי־ מאמרי־ ’ă·mā·rāw ’ă·mā·ray ’ă·mā·rāy ’ă·mā·re·hā ’ă·mā·rîm ’ămārāw ’ămāray ’ămārāy ’ămārehā ’ămārîm ’im·rê ’im·rê- ’im·rê·ḵem ’im·rōw ’imrê ’imrê- ’imrêḵem ’imrōw amaRai amaRav amaReiha amaRim bə’imrê- ḇə’imrê- bə·’im·rê- ḇə·’im·rê- beimrei imrei imreiChem imRo la’ămāray la·’ă·mā·ray laamaRai lə’imrê- lə·’im·rê- leimrei mê’imrê- mê·’im·rê- meimrei ū·ḇə·’im·rê·ḵem ūḇə’imrêḵem uveimreiChem veimreiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 49:21 HEB: שְׁלֻחָ֑ה הַנֹּתֵ֖ן אִמְרֵי־ שָֽׁפֶר׃ ס NAS: He gives beautiful words. KJV: he giveth goodly words. INT: let gives words beautiful Numbers 24:4 Numbers 24:16 Deuteronomy 32:1 Joshua 24:27 Job 6:10 Job 6:25 Job 6:26 Job 8:2 Job 20:29 Job 22:22 Job 23:12 Job 32:12 Job 32:14 Job 33:3 Job 34:37 Psalm 5:1 Psalm 19:14 Psalm 54:2 Psalm 78:1 Psalm 107:11 Psalm 138:4 Psalm 141:6 Proverbs 1:2 Proverbs 1:21 48 Occurrences |
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