Lexical Summary sa'ar: To storm, to rage, to tremble, to be agitated Original Word: שָׂעַר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be horribly afraid, fear, hurl as a storm, be tempestuousA primitive root; to storm; by implication, to shiver, i.e. Fear -- be (horribly) afraid, fear, hurl as a storm, be tempestuous, come like (take away as with) a whirlwind. Brown-Driver-Briggs [שָׂעַר] verbdenominative bristle, with horror; — Qal Perfect3plural שָֽׂעֲרוּ שַׂעַר Ezekiel 27:35 ("" שָׁמַם עַל, רָֽעֲמוּ); Imperfect3masculine plural יִשְׂעֲרוּ עָלַיךָ שַׂעַר Ezekiel 32:10 ("" שָׁמַם Hiph`il); Imperative masculine plural שַׂעֲרוּ Jeremiah 2:12 ("" שֹׁמּוּ עַלֿ). — Deuteronomy 32:17 see III. שׂער. II. [שָׂעַר] verb sweep or whirl away (of storm-wind) (= סָעַר, q. v.; Assyrian šâru, wind, DlHWB 635; >Thes1334 compare I. שׂער); — Qal Imperfect3masculine singular suffix יִשְׂעָרֶנּוּ Psalm 58:10 figurative he (׳י) shall sweep it away. Niph`al Perfect3feminine singular impersonal נִשְׂעֲרָה Psalm 50:3 round about him it is tempestuous exceedingly. Pi`el Imperfect3masculine singular suffix וִישַׂעֲרֵ֫הוּ Job 27:21 and it [an east wind] shall whirl him away from (מִן) his place. Hitph. Imperfect3masculine singular וְיִשְׂתָּעֵר עָלָיו Daniel 11:40 the king shall storm against him. III. [שָׂעַר] verb perhaps be acquainted with (Arabic Qal Perfect3plural suffix שְׂעָרוּם Deuteronomy 32:17 new gods, with whom your fathers had no acquaintance (ᵐ5 εἴδησαν; "" יְדָעוּם); usually fear, Thes revere with awe, Dr shudder before, [שָׂעַר] denominative, although not elsewhere with accusative of person IV. שׂער (assumed as √ of following). Topical Lexicon Scope and Range of Usage שָׂעַר occurs eight times across the canon, always marking an experience of violent disturbance—either in nature or in the human spirit. Whether describing a literal tempest, nations swept away in war, or hearts convulsed with dread, the word consistently underscores the disruptive force of God’s judgment or the terror He permits. Storm Language and Theophany In Psalm 50:3 the psalmist links the Lord’s advent to elemental upheaval: “Our God comes and will not be silent; devouring fire precedes Him, and a tempest rages around Him”. The whirlwind imagery heightens the majesty of the divine appearing, reminding worshipers that the God who covenants is also the God who confronts. Similar storm language in Job 27:21 and Psalm 58:9 pictures the wicked as lightweight debris swept away by an east wind—an implicit contrast to the righteous who take refuge in the same Lord who sends the storm. Moral Shock and Awe Jeremiah 2:12 broadens the field from meteorology to morality: “Be stunned by this, O heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled, declares the LORD”. Here שָׂעַר conveys cosmic horror at covenant infidelity. Ezekiel adopts the term twice (27:35; 32:10) to depict pagan kings who “shudder with horror” at Tyre’s and Egypt’s downfall. The vocabulary of quaking terror testifies that God’s judgments are designed to awaken consciences—whether of rebellious Israel or surrounding nations—to His unimpeachable holiness. Corporate and Eschatological Conflict Daniel 11:40 uses the verb militarily: the northern king will “storm against” the southern coalition, “sweeping through them like a flood”. The eschatological setting anticipates end-time convulsions in which empires crash like wind-driven waves, yet remain bounded by God’s timetable (11:35–36). Believers may thus read contemporary turbulence through the prophetic lens of divine sovereignty that both ordains and limits geopolitical upheaval. Idolatry Exposed Deuteronomy 32:17 links שָׂעַר with false worship: Israel’s fathers “did not fear” the new gods their descendants embraced. The absence of trembling before Yahweh inevitably leads to distorted fear—either of demons (v.17) or of the disasters He sends (vv.22–25). The verse warns congregations that reverence displaced will become reverence misplaced. Pastoral and Homiletical Directions 1. Revive holy fear. Preaching on Psalm 50:3 or Jeremiah 2:12 corrects cultures that trivialize God, reminding hearers that grace never cancels divine majesty. Christological Fulfillment The Gospels reveal Jesus commanding literal tempests (Mark 4:39), thereby identifying Him as the Lord of Psalm 50. At Calvary the sky darkened and the earth quaked—creation itself “shuddered” as He bore judgment. Yet the resurrection assures believers that the ultimate storm fell on Him, so that those who fear the Lord need not fear destruction. Key References Deuteronomy 32:17; Job 27:21; Psalm 50:3; Psalm 58:9; Jeremiah 2:12; Ezekiel 27:35; Ezekiel 32:10; Daniel 11:40 Forms and Transliterations וְיִשְׂתָּעֵ֨ר וְשַׂעֲר֛וּ וִֽ֝ישָׂעֲרֵ֗הוּ וישערהו וישתער ושערו יִשְׂעֲר֤וּ יִשְׂעָרֶֽנּוּ׃ ישערו ישערנו׃ נִשְׂעֲרָ֥ה נשערה שְׂעָר֖וּם שָׂ֣עֲרוּ שערו שערום niś‘ărāh niś·‘ă·rāh nisaRah śā‘ărū śā·‘ă·rū Saaru śə‘ārūm śə·‘ā·rūm seaRum vesaaRu veyistaEr visaaRehu wə·śa·‘ă·rū wə·yiś·tā·‘êr wəśa‘ărū wəyiśtā‘êr wî·śā·‘ă·rê·hū wîśā‘ărêhū yiś‘ārennū yiś‘ărū yiś·‘ā·ren·nū yiś·‘ă·rū yisaRennu yisaRuLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 32:17 HEB: בָּ֔אוּ לֹ֥א שְׂעָר֖וּם אֲבֹתֵיכֶֽם׃ NAS: Whom your fathers did not dread. KJV: up, whom your fathers feared not. INT: came did not dread your fathers Job 27:21 Psalm 50:3 Psalm 58:9 Jeremiah 2:12 Ezekiel 27:35 Ezekiel 32:10 Daniel 11:40 8 Occurrences |
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perceive [Sabean שער id.? HomChrest. 124]; compare Aramaic סְעַר, 
, visit, inspect, BaES 67 RS in DrDt PerlesAnal. 79); —