8115. Shomrayin

Lexical Summary

Shomrayin: Samaria

Original Word: שְׁמְרַיִן
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Shomrayin
Pronunciation: shoh-mrah-yeen
Phonetic Spelling: (shom-rah'-yin)
KJV: Samaria
NASB: Samaria
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H8111 (שׁוֹמְרוֹן - Samaria)]

1. Shomrain, a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Samaria

(Aramaic) corresponding to Shomrown; Shomrain, a place in Palestine -- Samaria.

see HEBREW Shomrown

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to Shomron
Definition
capital of N. kingdom of Isr.
NASB Translation
Samaria (2).

Topical Lexicon

Meaning and Geographic Scope

The term designates the people or region of Samaria, the mountainous district bounded by the Plain of Esdraelon to the north and the hill country of Judah to the south. In the Persian period, when the Book of Ezra was compiled, Samaria was an influential province embracing the former territory of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

Historical Development

1. Northern Kingdom Capital
• Omri built the city of Samaria and made it the capital (1 Kings 16:24).
• After Israel’s exile in 722 BC, the Assyrians resettled peoples from various nations there (2 Kings 17:24).
2. Assyrian–Persian Transition
• Those foreign settlers intermarried with the remnant of Israel, producing a mixed community that adopted Yahweh worship along with pagan practices (2 Kings 17:33–41).
• Under the Persians, Samaria became a distinct administrative unit, often at odds with the Judean province centered in Jerusalem.

Occurrences in Ezra

Ezra 4 preserves an Aramaic memorandum showing the political tension:
• Ezra 4:10: “and the rest of the peoples whom the great and illustrious Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in the region west of the Euphrates.”
• Ezra 4:17 records Artaxerxes’ reply “to Rehum the commander… who dwell in Samaria.”

These passages reveal Samaria as the power base of opposition to the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple. The “enemies of Judah” (Ezra 4:1) used legal maneuvering to hinder the work, demonstrating that the post-exilic community faced not only local discouragement but imperial bureaucracy fueled by Samarian hostility.

Religious Identity and Relationship with Judah

• Syncretism: The Samarians claimed descent from Jacob (Genesis 33:19) yet combined Mosaic rites with idolatry.
• Mount Gerizim: By the fourth century BC they had built a rival sanctuary, deepening the schism.
• Covenant Loyalty: Ezra and Nehemiah insisted on purity of worship and lineage (Ezra 9–10; Nehemiah 13), refusing Samarian partnership in temple construction because true covenant renewal required exclusive devotion to the LORD.

Prophetic and Messianic Dimensions

Prophets such as Hosea and Amos had earlier condemned Samaria’s idolatry, yet they also foretold restoration (Hosea 14:4–7). The tension between judgment and mercy foreshadows the gospel’s future reach to Samaritans.

New Testament Continuity

Though the Hebrew term itself does not appear in the New Testament, its legacy is unmistakable:
• Jesus ministered in Sychar, declaring Himself the Messiah to a Samaritan woman (John 4:26).
• He portrayed a Samaritan as the model neighbor (Luke 10:30–37).
• Philip preached in Samaria, and many believed (Acts 8:5–8).

These events show the gospel overcoming centuries of division rooted in the Persian-era conflict highlighted in Ezra.

Lessons for the Church Today

1. Guarding Pure Worship: The post-exilic stand against syncretism underscores the necessity of doctrinal fidelity.
2. Reconciling Hostile Peoples: The later inclusion of Samaritans illustrates God’s redemptive plan to break ethnic and historical barriers.
3. Persevering Amid Opposition: The opposition from Samaria in Ezra encourages believers to trust God’s sovereignty when hindered by political or cultural resistance.

Thus Strong’s Hebrew 8115 encapsulates a region, a people, and a complex history that moves from enmity to evangelistic opportunity, reinforcing the unity and missionary breadth of Scripture.

Forms and Transliterations

בְּשָֽׁמְרָ֑יִן בשמרין שָׁמְרָ֑יִן שמרין bə·šā·mə·rā·yin bəšāmərāyin beshameRayin šā·mə·rā·yin šāmərāyin shameRayin

Englishman's Concordance

Ezra 4:10
HEB: בְּקִרְיָ֖ה דִּ֣י שָׁמְרָ֑יִן וּשְׁאָ֥ר עֲבַֽר־
NAS: in the city of Samaria, and in the rest
KJV: in the cities of Samaria, and the rest
INT: the city which of Samaria the rest of the region

Ezra 4:17
HEB: דִּ֥י יָתְבִ֖ין בְּשָֽׁמְרָ֑יִן וּשְׁאָ֧ר עֲבַֽר־
NAS: live in Samaria and in the rest
KJV: that dwell in Samaria, and [unto] the rest
INT: who live Samaria the rest beyond

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 8115
2 Occurrences

bə·šā·mə·rā·yin — 1 Occ.
šā·mə·rā·yin — 1 Occ.