Lexical Summary sha'aruwrah: Abomination, horror, atrocity Original Word: שַׁעֲרוּרָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance horrible thing Or shanariyriyah {shah-ar-ee-ree-yaw'}; or shaparurith {shah-ar-oo-reeth'}; feminine from sha'ar in the sense of sa'ar; something fearful -- horrible thing. see HEBREW sha'ar see HEBREW sa'ar Brown-Driver-Briggs שַׁעֲרוּרָה noun feminine horror = horrible thing; — ׳שַׁמָּה וְשׁ Jeremiah 5:30 an astounding and horrible thing has occurred; ׳רָאִיתִי שׁ ׳בִּנְבִיאֵי ירושׁ Jeremiah 23:14. שַׁעֲרוּרִיָּה, שַׁעֲרֻרִית noun feminine id.; — absolute רָאִיתִי שַׁעֲרוּרִיָּה Hosea 6:10 Qr ( >Kt שׁערירית); שַׁעֲרֻרִת עָֽשְׂתָה ׳בְּתוּלַת יִשׂ Jeremiah 18:13. Topical Lexicon Overview The term שַׁעֲרוּרָה designates an outrage so repulsive that it shocks the conscience of any who fear the LORD. It frames sin as something more than law-breaking—it is a breach that threatens covenant order and invites judgment. Occurrences and Immediate Contexts 1. Jeremiah 5:30: “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land.” The prophet laments a systemic breakdown in which prophets prophesy falsely and priests rule by their own authority. Theological Nuance • Moral perversion: Each usage couples שַׁעֲרוּרָה with adultery, deceit, or idolatry, presenting the sin as moral inversion rather than mere weakness. Historical Setting Jeremiah ministers on the eve of Babylonian exile; Hosea, a century earlier, warns the Northern Kingdom before Assyria’s conquest. In both periods, outward religiosity masked deep-seated compromise with Canaanite cults and political opportunism. The prophetic use of שַׁעֲרוּרָה signals that national calamity is not arbitrary but a moral inevitability when covenant boundaries are trampled. Ministry Implications • Prophetic responsibility: Those who handle the Word must guard against becoming the very outrage they are called to expose (1 Timothy 4:16). Christological Echoes Jesus confronts temple corruption with words reminiscent of Jeremiah’s indictments (Matthew 21:13). At Calvary He bears the full weight of covenant outrage (2 Corinthians 5:21), turning the “horrible thing” into grounds for amazing grace. Yet Revelation’s warnings against Laodicean lukewarmness show that the category of שַׁעֲרוּרָה remains relevant until His return. Summary שַׁעֲרוּרָה exposes sin in its ugliest form—an offense that violates covenant love, corrupts leadership, and endangers the community. The prophets employ it sparingly but with searing effect, reminding every generation that holiness is non-negotiable and that only wholehearted repentance averts judgment and restores fellowship with the Holy One of Israel. Forms and Transliterations וְשַׁ֣עֲרוּרָ֔ה ושערורה שַֽׁעֲרֻרִת֙ שַׁעֲרוּרָ֗ה שַׁעֲרֽוּרִיָּ֑ה שערורה שערוריה שעררת ša‘ărūrāh ša‘ăruriṯ ša‘ărūrîyāh ša·‘ă·rū·rāh ša·‘ă·rū·rî·yāh ša·‘ă·ru·riṯ shaaruRah shaaruRit shaaruriYah veShaaruRah wə·ša·‘ă·rū·rāh wəša‘ărūrāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 5:30 HEB: שַׁמָּה֙ וְשַׁ֣עֲרוּרָ֔ה נִהְיְתָ֖ה בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ NAS: An appalling and horrible thing Has happened KJV: A wonderful and horrible thing is committed INT: an appalling and horrible has happened the land Jeremiah 18:13 Jeremiah 23:14 Hosea 6:10 4 Occurrences |
    |