Lexical Summary shaarah: Remnant, remainder Original Word: שַׁאֲרָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance near kinswomen Feminine of sh'er; female kindred by blood -- near kinswomen. see HEBREW sh'er NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfem. of sheer, q.v. Topical Lexicon Kinship Flesh in Israel’s Moral Codeשַׁאֲרָה (shaʾarah) appears once—in Leviticus 18:17—where the LORD forbids sexual relations with a woman and her immediate descendants, declaring, “They are her close relatives; this is wickedness” (Berean Standard Bible). The noun refers to the woman’s own “flesh,” underscoring that family members share a single, inviolable organism of kinship. The Mosaic legislation consistently protects that oneness: the sexual boundaries in Leviticus 18 and 20 preserve the integrity of the family, guarding Israel from the confusion and exploitation that characterized surrounding nations (Leviticus 18:24-30). Holiness, Identity, and the Covenant Community Israel’s vocation was to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6); therefore even private intimacy had public covenant implications. By labeling the daughter and granddaughter “her flesh,” the text roots sexual ethics in creation theology (Genesis 2:24) and covenant solidarity. Violating a blood relative is not merely a personal sin but a desecration of the whole covenant community, which is why the offense is classified as “wickedness” (zimmah, moral outrage). The Wider Biblical Theme of ‘Flesh’ and Kin Compassion Related forms of the root appear elsewhere to describe: While only shaʾarah occurs in Leviticus 18:17, these cognate passages illuminate the broader biblical ethic: to harm one’s own flesh—whether by sexual misuse, neglect, or violence—is to rebel against God-given bonds meant for nurture and protection. Redemptive Trajectory Toward the New Covenant The New Testament echoes the sanctity of kinship flesh. Paul admonishes, “No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church” (Ephesians 5:29). Christ’s self-giving love fulfills the law’s intention, transforming the principle of guarding one’s flesh into sacrificial care for the body of believers. Ministry Significance Today 1. Sexual Ethics: Shaʾarah reminds the church that God’s design for sexuality protects the vulnerable and upholds the family as a foundational covenant unit. Shaʾarah therefore signals more than biological relation; it is a theological marker of God-ordained solidarity that demands purity, protection, and self-giving love, ultimately mirrored in the incarnate Christ who became our “kinsman-redeemer” to restore the whole household of faith. Forms and Transliterations שַׁאֲרָ֥ה שארה ša’ărāh ša·’ă·rāh shaaRahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 18:17 HEB: לְגַלּ֣וֹת עֶרְוָתָ֔הּ שַׁאֲרָ֥ה הֵ֖נָּה זִמָּ֥ה KJV: her nakedness; [for] they [are] her near kinswomen: it [is] wickedness. INT: to uncover her nakedness kinswomen in is lewdness 1 Occurrence |
    |