Lexical Summary shechor: Strong drink, intoxicating beverage Original Word: שְׁחוֹר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance coal From shachar; dinginess, i.e. Perhaps soot -- coal. see HEBREW shachar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom shachar Definition blackness NASB Translation soot (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs שְׁחוֺר noun [masculine] blackness; — תָּאֳרָם ׳חָשַׁח מִשּׁ Lamentations 4:8. Topical Lexicon Form and Meaningשְׁחוֹר (Strong’s 7815) denotes visible, tangible “blackness” that results from scorching, soot, or severe emaciation. It is not the normal Hebrew word for “darkness” (חֹשֶׁךְ) but a rarer, concrete term that calls to mind something charred or burned. Its singular appearance in Scripture (Lamentations 4:8) carries visual weight precisely because the word itself is uncommon, reserving its impact for a moment of climactic lament. Historical Context Lamentations 4 portrays Jerusalem immediately after the Babylonian siege of 586 BC. Famine has turned nobles into shadow-figures: “Now their appearance is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets.” (Lamentations 4:8) Ancient Near-Eastern warfare routinely drove the starving to fires for warmth and cooking; soot would cling to skin already darkened by malnutrition and exposure. The term therefore captures both physical grime and the deeper humiliation of covenant judgment promised in Deuteronomy 28:48–57. The “blackness” of Judah’s elites testifies that no social status can shield from divine reproof. Biblical Theology 1. Covenant Curse: The word visualizes the curses Moses warned about—hunger, disease, and loss of dignity (Deuteronomy 28:35, 48). Symbolism and Imagery • Mourning and Sorrow — Sackcloth, ashes, and soot are traditional tokens of grief (Job 30:19; Esther 4:1). Related Concepts and Cross-References • Job 30:30 “My skin grows black” employs קָדַר rather than שְׁחוֹר, yet both describe famine-induced discoloration. Ministry Implications Pastoral Care: שְׁחוֹר reminds caregivers that suffering often writes itself onto bodies. The church is called to recognize and minister to those whose appearance bears witness to hidden affliction (James 2:15–16). Preaching and Teaching: The rarity of the word provides a striking entry point for sermons on the consequences of sin and the hope of redemption. Expositors can contrast the “blackness” of Lamentations with the “garments of salvation” in Isaiah 61:10. Counseling and Lament: The term justifies honest lament before God. Believers facing personal “blackness” can echo Jeremiah’s complaint while clinging to divine faithfulness (Lamentations 3:21). Missional Application: In evangelism, שְׁחוֹר offers an Old Testament backdrop to New Testament themes of light overcoming darkness (2 Corinthians 4:6). Homiletical and Devotional Reflections • Sin leaves marks—sometimes visible, always real. Lamentations 4:8’s single use of שְׁחוֹר therefore stands as a vivid snapshot of covenant breach, divine justice, and the aching hope for restoration that finds its ultimate answer in the Light of the World. Forms and Transliterations מִשְּׁחוֹר֙ משחור miš·šə·ḥō·wr mishshechOr miššəḥōwrLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Lamentations 4:8 HEB: חָשַׁ֤ךְ מִשְּׁחוֹר֙ תָּֽאֳרָ֔ם לֹ֥א NAS: than soot, They are not recognized KJV: is blacker than a coal; they are not known INT: is blacker soot their appearance are not 1 Occurrence |
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