Lexical Summary shaag: To roar, to cry aloud Original Word: שָׁאַג Strong's Exhaustive Concordance mightily, roar A primitive root; to rumble or moan -- X mightily, roar. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to roar NASB Translation groan (1), roar (6), roar mightily (1), roared (3), roaring (4), roars (4). Brown-Driver-Briggs שָׁאַג verb roar (Late Hebrew id.; Arabic  low, bleat, Frey); — Qal Perfect3masculine singular ׳וְשׁ Isaiah 5:29 Kt consecutive (> Qr יִשְׁאַג), שָׁאָ֖ג Amos 3:8, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular יִשְׁאַג Amos 3:4 +, etc.; Infinitive absolute שָׁאֹג Jeremiah 25:30; Participle שֹׁאֵג Judges 14:5; Psalm 22:14, שׁוֺאֵג Ezekiel 22:25, שֹׁאֲגִים Zephaniah 3:3; Psalm 104:21; — 1 roar, of lion Judges 14:5 (with לִקְרָאתוֺ), Amos 3:4,8; Psalm 104:21 (with ל of prey), figurative of invaders and foes Jeremiah 2:15 (with עַל person) Psalm 22:14, compare Psalm 74:4, simile Isaiah 5:29; Jeremiah 51:38; figurative of rapacious rulers Zephaniah 3:3; Ezekiel 22:25 (read נְשִׂיאֶיהָ for נְבִיאֶתהָ ᵐ5 and modern); of ׳י (like lion) calling scattered Israel Hosea 11:10 (twice in verse) (on text of see see Now); of ׳י roaring in thunder Jeremiah 25:30a = Amos 1:2 = Joel 3:16, also Jeremiah 25:30 (שָׁאֹג יִשְׁאַג, followed by עַלנָֿוֵהוּ); compare יִשְׁאַגקֿוֺל Job 37:4 ("" יַרְעֵם). 2 of human cry in distress Psalm 38:9 (with מִן causative). Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imagery שָׁאַג portrays an overwhelming, resonant sound—most often the roar of a lion, but at times the crash of thunder, the clamorous voice of hostile armies, or the agonized cry of the afflicted. The term evokes power, threat, and urgency, summoning the listener to attention or fear. Distribution in the Old Testament Appearing twenty times, שָׁאַג spans every major section of the Hebrew canon: narrative (Judges 14:5), wisdom (Job 37:4), psalmody (Psalm 22:13; 38:8; 74:4; 104:21), and prophets both early and late (Isaiah 5:29; Jeremiah 2:15; 25:30; 51:38; Ezekiel 22:25; Hosea 11:10; Joel 3:16; Amos 1:2; 3:4; 3:8; Zephaniah 3:3). Its usage clusters in contexts of conflict and covenant warning, yet also frames divine protection. Literal Lion Roaring 1. Predatory threat: “Suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him” (Judges 14:5). The lion’s roar signifies imminent action. Ancient hearers, accustomed to nocturnal roars in the Jordan rift, would sense danger and majesty simultaneously. Metaphorical Use for Human Anguish David likens persecutors to roaring beasts: “They open their mouths against me like lions mauling and roaring” (Psalm 22:13). In personal lament he confesses, “I groan because of the anguish of my heart” (Psalm 38:8), where שָׁאַג underscores the depth of inward pain. Psalm 74:4 extends the image to invading armies who “have roared within Your meeting place,” desecrating the sanctuary. The Voice of God in Judgment Prophets repeatedly equate God’s judicial proclamation with a roar: The roaring voice authenticates the prophetic word; resistance becomes folly when the Creator’s thunderous decree reverberates through history. National Devastation and Oppression Shattering imagery arises where foreign aggressors roar over Judah’s desolation: “Young lions have roared at him… his cities are burned and deserted” (Jeremiah 2:15). Ezekiel 22:25 compares corrupt princes to “a roaring lion tearing its prey,” indicting leadership that devours the vulnerable. Covenant Hope and Restoration Remarkably, the same roar that announces judgment can also summon mercy: “They will walk after the LORD; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling from the west” (Hosea 11:10). Joel 3:16 balances cosmic trembling with refuge: “The LORD will roar from Zion… But the LORD will be a refuge for His people.” Divine roar therefore becomes a rallying cry, drawing repentant Israel back to covenant security. Natural Phenomena and Reverence Job 37:4 connects שָׁאַג with thunder: “After His voice resounds, He thunders with His majestic voice.” The storm’s roar displays transcendence and reinforces the Creator–creature divide emphasized throughout the book. Liturgical and Pastoral Implications 1. Worship: The roar motif invites reverent awe; congregational reading of Amos 1–3 can elicit corporate repentance. Christological and Eschatological Echoes Psalm 22:13, fulfilled at the cross (Matthew 27:39–44), frames Messianic suffering amid roaring foes. Revelation 10:3 describes a mighty angel crying out “like the roar of a lion,” portending final judgment and consummation. The motif culminates in Revelation 5:5 where the victorious “Lion of the tribe of Judah” secures redemption—His once-silenced roar to resound eternally. Key Themes for Modern Ministry • The same sound that terrifies the rebellious consoles the redeemed. Summary שָׁאַג embodies an auditory symbol of power—feral, divine, or human. Whether announcing predation, proclaiming judgment, expressing anguish, or summoning the wayward home, the roar shakes complacency and demands response. Scripture’s twenty uses weave a tapestry in which God’s sovereign voice reverberates through lion, thunder, prophet, and psalmist, directing history toward the final day when the Lion’s victorious roar will be unmistakable. Forms and Transliterations אגתי הֲיִשְׁאַ֤ג הישאג וְשֹׁאֵֽג׃ ושאג׃ יִשְׁאֲג֣וּ יִשְׁאַ֔ג יִשְׁאַג֙ יִשְׁאַג־ יִשְׁאָ֑ג יִשְׁאָ֑גוּ יִשְׁאָ֔ג יִשְׁאָ֗ג יִשְׁאָג֙ יִשְׁאַ֨ג ישאג ישאג־ ישאגו שָׁ֝אַ֗גְתִּי שָׁאֲג֣וּ שָׁאָ֖ג שָׁאֹ֤ג שֹֽׁאֲגִ֑ים שֹׁאֲגִ֣ים שֹׁאֵ֖ג שׁוֹאֵ֖ג שאג שאגו שאגים שואג ’aḡ·tî ’aḡtî Agti hă·yiš·’aḡ hăyiš’aḡ hayishAg šā’āḡ šā’ăḡū šā’ōḡ šā·’ă·ḡū šā·’āḡ šā·’ōḡ shaAg shaaGu shaOg shoaGim shoEg šō’ăḡîm šō’êḡ šō·’ă·ḡîm šō·’êḡ šō·w·’êḡ šōw’êḡ veshoEg wə·šō·’êḡ wəšō’êḡ yiš’aḡ yiš’āḡ yiš’aḡ- yiš’ăḡū yiš’āḡū yiš·’ă·ḡū yiš·’ā·ḡū yiš·’aḡ yiš·’āḡ yiš·’aḡ- yishag yishaGuLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Judges 14:5 HEB: כְּפִ֣יר אֲרָי֔וֹת שֹׁאֵ֖ג לִקְרָאתֽוֹ׃ NAS: lion [came] roaring toward KJV: lion roared against INT: A young lion roaring against Job 37:4 Psalm 22:13 Psalm 38:8 Psalm 74:4 Psalm 104:21 Isaiah 5:29 Jeremiah 2:15 Jeremiah 25:30 Jeremiah 25:30 Jeremiah 25:30 Jeremiah 51:38 Ezekiel 22:25 Hosea 11:10 Hosea 11:10 Joel 3:16 Amos 1:2 Amos 3:4 Amos 3:8 Zephaniah 3:3 20 Occurrences |
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