Lexical Summary shamir: briars, diamond, emery Original Word: שָׁמִיר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance adamant stone, brier, diamond From shamar in the original sense of pricking; a thorn; also (from its keenness for scratching) a gem, probably the diamond -- adamant (stone), brier, diamond. see HEBREW shamar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition a thorn, adamant, flint NASB Translation briars (8), diamond (1), emery (1), flint (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. שָׁמִיר noun masculine: Ezekiel 3:9 thorn(s), adamant, flint; — absolute ׳שׁ Isaiah 5:6 +; suffix שְׁמִירוֺ Isaiah 10:17; — 1 collective thorns, thorn-bushes, token of waste-land, only Isaiah, + שַׁיִת Isaiah 5:6; Isaiah 7:23,24,25; Isaiah 27:4; figurative Isaiah 9:17; Isaiah 10:17; ׳קוֺץ שׁ Isaiah 32:13. 2 adamant, as sharp, כְּתוּבָה ֗֗֗ בְּצִמֹּרֶן ׳שׁ Jeremiah 17:1 ("" בְּעֵט בַּדְוֶל); as hard, figurative of prophet's firmness Ezekiel 3:9; Zechariah 7:12 figurative of hard heart. Topical Lexicon Overview שָׁמִיר (Strong’s 8068) functions in Scripture as both a botanical and a mineral image, appearing eleven times across prophetic literature. When rendered “briars” or “thorns,” it evokes neglect, judgment, and the inevitable encroachment of curse upon land and people who reject covenant faithfulness. When rendered “diamond,” “adamant,” or “flint,” it conveys unyielding hardness—either the gracious durability God grants His servants or the obstinate callousness of hearts resisting His word. Occurrences in Two Thematic Clusters 1. Thorns/Briars: Isaiah 5:6; 7:23–25; 9:18; 10:17; 27:4; 32:13 Thorns as the Harvest of Unbelief • Isaiah repeatedly couples שָׁמִיר with images of a once-fruitful vineyard now overrun. “I will make it a wasteland... briars and thorns will grow up” (Isaiah 5:6). These passages present a moral agronomy: abandoned cultivation mirrors spiritual negligence, allowing sin to flourish unchecked. Hard Stone: Instrument and Illustration • Jeremiah 17:1 laments that Judah’s sin is “engraved... with a diamond point”, an indictment of indelible guilt. The prophetic metaphor assumes scribal practice: an adamantine stylus incises marks even in the toughest surfaces. The people’s hearts have become the tablet; their iniquity, the inscription. Historical and Cultural Insights Agriculturally, thorns often marked land left untended after war or economic collapse; their proliferation signaled covenant curses listed in Leviticus 26. The mineral image likely corresponds to corundum or emery, materials used on metal or stone in the ancient Near East. Both uses share an emphasis on resistance—of ground against farmer, of stone against tool—mirroring the tension between God’s holiness and human rebellion. Theological Significance 1. Divine Judgments Are Measured Yet Certain: Thorns do not appear capriciously; they sprout where covenant responsibilities are neglected. Ministry Applications • Preaching: Use שָׁמִיר to illustrate the perils of spiritual drift and the necessity of continual cultivation through word, prayer, and obedience. Christological Reflection Thorns crown the Crucified King (Matthew 27:29), signifying His willingness to bear the curse symbolized by שָׁמִיר. The “adamant” steadfastness affirmed in Ezekiel finds its fullest expression in Jesus, whose face was “set... toward Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). In Him, the thorny curse is consumed and the true Vine flourishes. Forms and Transliterations וּשְׁמִיר֖וֹ ושמירו כְּשָׁמִ֛יר כשמיר לַשָּׁמִ֥יר לשמיר שָׁמִ֑יר שָׁמִ֖יר שָׁמִ֗יר שָׁמִ֣יר שָׁמִ֥יר שמיר kə·šā·mîr kəšāmîr keshaMir laš·šā·mîr lashshaMir laššāmîr šā·mîr šāmîr shaMir ū·šə·mî·rōw ūšəmîrōw ushemiRoLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 5:6 HEB: יֵעָדֵ֔ר וְעָלָ֥ה שָׁמִ֖יר וָשָׁ֑יִת וְעַ֤ל NAS: or hoed, But briars and thorns KJV: but there shall come up briers and thorns: INT: hoed will come briars and thorns and Isaiah 7:23 Isaiah 7:24 Isaiah 7:25 Isaiah 9:18 Isaiah 10:17 Isaiah 27:4 Isaiah 32:13 Jeremiah 17:1 Ezekiel 3:9 Zechariah 7:12 11 Occurrences |
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