Lexical Summary shoar: Gatekeeper, doorkeeper Original Word: שֹׁעָר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance vile From sha'ar; harsh or horrid, i.e. Offensive -- vile. see HEBREW sha'ar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition horrid, disgusting NASB Translation split-open (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [שֹׁעָר] adjective horrid, disgusting (Ba NB 167); — plural כַּתְּאֵנִיוֺ הַשֹּׁעָרִיוֺ Jeremiah 29:17 (uneatable). Topical Lexicon Meaning in Context The single appearance of שֹׁעָר lies in Jeremiah 29:17, where the LORD promises to “make them like rotten figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten”. The term paints a picture of fruit that has grown putrid, revolting to sight, smell, and taste—an apt metaphor for people whose covenant disobedience has rendered them repulsive in His sight. Canonical Setting Jeremiah 29 is the letter the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the first wave of exiles already in Babylon (Jeremiah 29:1-3). While urging the deportees to settle down and seek the peace of Babylon (29:4-14), Jeremiah also exposes the illusion of safety cherished by those left behind in Judah. Verse 17 announces that those who refused the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar would face sword, famine, and plague, becoming as worthless as the שֹׁעָר figs. In the preceding vision of two baskets of figs (Jeremiah 24), the LORD had already contrasted obedient exiles (“good figs”) with obstinate stay-behinds (“bad figs”). The rare word שֹׁעָר intensifies that earlier image: the “bad” figs are not merely inedible; they are nauseatingly rotten. Historical Background After the first Babylonian deportation in 597 BC, many in Jerusalem expected a quick restoration. False prophets such as Hananiah (Jeremiah 28) promised a two-year return of captives. Jeremiah counters their claims by declaring that the disaster would deepen, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem (586 BC). The שֹׁעָר metaphor underscores the certainty and severity of that judgment. Far from being privileged, those who avoided exile would become an abhorrence “in all the kingdoms of the earth” (Jeremiah 29:18). Theological Significance 1. Divine disgust with hypocrisy: The rotten-fig image confronts the notion that outward temple allegiance can coexist with hardened rebellion. As figs were meant to be sweet firstfruits (Deuteronomy 8:8), so Judah was intended as a pleasing offering. Their corruption evokes revulsion, revealing that God’s appraisal looks beneath ritual to covenant fidelity. Intertextual Echoes • Jeremiah 24:1-10 sets the background for the rotten-fig symbol and shows that exile itself can be an act of purifying grace. Ministry and Pastoral Application 1. Discernment against false assurances: Just as Judah trusted soothing prophecies, contemporary believers face messages that deny the seriousness of sin. Jeremiah’s letter urges testing every claim by Scripture. Summary שֹׁעָר, though occurring only once, powerfully conveys the LORD’s loathing of persistent rebellion. The word transforms a common agricultural image into a theological indictment, calling God’s people to forsake hypocrisy, submit to His corrective hand, and bear fruit worthy of their covenant calling. Forms and Transliterations כַּתְּאֵנִים֙ כתאנים kat·tə·’ê·nîm kattə’ênîm katteeNimLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 29:17 HEB: וְנָתַתִּ֣י אוֹתָ֗ם כַּתְּאֵנִים֙ הַשֹּׁ֣עָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר NAS: and I will make them like split-open figs KJV: and will make them like vile figs, INT: and pestilence will make split-open figs that 1 Occurrence |
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