Lexical Summary sederah: Order, Arrangement Original Word: שְׂדֵרָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance board, range From an unused root meaning to regulate; a row, i.e. Rank (of soldiers), story (of rooms) -- board, range. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as seder Definition row, rank (of soldiers) NASB Translation planks (1), ranks (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs [שְׂדֵרָה] noun feminine 1. row, rank of soldiers in line. 2 architectural term. (probably for סְדֵרָה, see above and compare Ba§ 92 a); — only plural absolute שְׂדֵרוֺת 2 Kings 11:8; 2Chronicles 23:14, רֹת- 1 Kings 6:9; 2 Kings 11:15; — 1 rows, ranks, 2 Kings 11:8, and 2 Kings 11:15 2Chronicles 23:14 (where thought to be gloss by Benz, on account of מִבַּיִת, within). 2 technical term of building, גֵּבִים וּשְׂדֵרֹת בָּאֲרָוִים 1 Kings 6:9, meaning unknown. Topical Lexicon Occurrences and Immediate Contexts1 Kings 6:9 places שְׂדֵרָה within Solomon’s construction of the Temple: “So he built the house and finished it, and he covered the house with beams and rows of cedar boards”. Here the word depicts orderly layers of cedar that enclosed and protected the sanctuary. In 2 Kings 11:8 Jehoiada commands the captains, “You are to station yourselves around the king, each with his weapon in hand. Whoever breaches your ranks is to be put to death”. The same term—translated “ranks” or “ranges”—describes a cordon of armed guards securing the young Joash during his coronation. 2 Kings 11:15 and the parallel narrative in 2 Chronicles 23:14 repeat the directive, reinforcing the idea of concentric lines of protection that neither Athaliah nor her supporters could penetrate. Architectural Order and Sacred Space The Temple account links שְׂדֵרָה with structural precision. Each cedar tier supported the roof while expressing aesthetic symmetry. The Spirit-inspired blueprint in 1 Kings highlights God’s concern for beauty joined to durability (compare Exodus 25:9). Layers of cedar also provided insulation and a pleasant fragrance, emblematic of holiness ascending to heaven (Psalm 141:2). Thus שְׂדֵרָה conveys more than engineering; it signifies the ordered environment where covenant worship flourishes. Guard Lines and Covenant Kingship In the royal narratives, שְׂדֵרָה becomes a military term. Jehoiada’s ranks formed living walls safeguarding the Davidic line at its most vulnerable moment. The carefully arranged sentry rows mirrored the cedar rows of Solomon’s Temple: both shielded what belonged to God—first the house, then the rightful king. Scripture therefore portrays physical order as a visible expression of covenant faithfulness. Disorder threatened both sanctuary and throne; orderly שְׂדֵרָה preserved them. Theological Themes of Holiness, Protection, and Order 1. Holiness: Whether boards or bodyguards, the rows create a boundary between the profane and the sacred (cf. Leviticus 10:10). Ministry Implications Pastors, elders, and congregations are called to build spiritual “rows” that guard doctrine and community life (Titus 1:9). Structured teaching, disciplined fellowship, and accountable leadership serve today the same purpose Jehoiada’s ranks served—safeguarding the legitimacy and purity of Christ’s people (Acts 20:28-31). Christological and Ecclesiological Reflections The cedar rows prefigure Christ as the true Temple (John 2:21), perfectly ordered and impervious to corruption. The guard rows foreshadow the risen Lord’s unfailing protection of His church (Matthew 16:18). Believers, “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5), are set in precise spiritual rows, built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:21-22). Summary שְׂדֵרָה unites craftsmanship and guardianship into a single concept of ordered protection. Whether in cedar layers sheltering the sanctuary or armed ranks defending the Davidic heir, the word testifies to God’s meticulous care for His dwelling and His people, calling the church to reflect that same structured faithfulness in worship, leadership, and mission. Forms and Transliterations הַשְּׂדֵר֔וֹת הַשְּׂדֵר֖וֹת השדרות וּשְׂדֵרֹ֖ת ושדרת לַשְּׂדֵרֹ֔ת לשדרת haś·śə·ḏê·rō·wṯ hassedeRot haśśəḏêrōwṯ laś·śə·ḏê·rōṯ lassedeRot laśśəḏêrōṯ ū·śə·ḏê·rōṯ usedeRot ūśəḏêrōṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Kings 6:9 HEB: הַבַּ֙יִת֙ גֵּבִ֔ים וּשְׂדֵרֹ֖ת בָּאֲרָזִֽים׃ NAS: with beams and planks of cedar. KJV: with beams and boards of cedar. INT: the house beams and planks made of cedar 2 Kings 11:8 2 Kings 11:15 2 Chronicles 23:14 4 Occurrences |
    |