8306. sharir
Lexical Summary
sharir: Navel, body, strength

Original Word: שָׁרִיר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: shariyr
Pronunciation: shah-REER
Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-reer')
KJV: navel
NASB: muscles
Word Origin: [from H8324 (שָׁרַר - To be firm) in the original sense as in H8270 (שׁוֹר - body)]

1. a cord, i.e. (by analogy) sinew

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
navel

From sharar in the original sense as in shor (compare shorer); a cord, i.e. (by analogy) sinew -- navel.

see HEBREW sharar

see HEBREW shor

see HEBREW shorer

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from the same as shor
Definition
sinew, muscle
NASB Translation
muscles (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[שָׁרִיר] noun [masculine] sinew, muscle (so context suggests); — pluralconstruct אוֺנוֺ בִּשְׁרִירֵי בִטְנוֺ Job 40:16 ("" כֹחוֺמְָתְנָיו).

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Occurrence

Job 40:16 is the sole use of שָׁרִיר. In the Lord’s second speech to Job, the verse reads: “Surely his strength is in his loins, and his power is in the muscles of his belly” (Berean Standard Bible). Here שָׁרִיר depicts the firm, corded muscles of the behemoth’s abdomen.

Literary Context in Job

The behemoth section (Job 40:15–24) is part of God’s climactic response that silences Job’s complaints. By pointing to the unseen, internal sinews of a creature no human can subdue, the Lord underscores His own sovereign, inscrutable power. The single appearance of שָׁרִיר therefore serves a strategic rhetorical purpose: it highlights invisible strength that comes solely from the Creator.

Ancient Near Eastern Background

Descriptions of primeval animals with immense internal strength appear in Mesopotamian texts and Egyptian iconography. The Hebrew poet, however, sets behemoth apart from mythic chaos monsters; it remains a real, divinely fashioned beast. שָׁרִיר evokes tangible anatomy—layered muscle rather than mythical magic—grounding the passage in observable creation and reinforcing the polemic against pagan deification of nature.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Omnipotence

The unyielding שָׁרִיר inside behemoth witnesses to the hidden workmanship of God (Psalm 139:15). Human beings may observe external might, but only the Lord fashions such sinews.

2. Human Limitation

Job cannot see, much less replicate, this internal strength. The verse rebukes any claim to autonomous power (Job 40:9).

3. Integrity of Creation

The same Hebrew root behind שָׁרִיר is associated with firmness and reliability. God’s world, though marred by suffering, is structurally sound. This undergirds the book’s wisdom message: the Creator remains trustworthy even when His ways are mysterious.

Intertextual Connections

Job 10:11; Ezekiel 37:6 – other terms for sinews emphasize God’s role in anatomical assembly.
Psalm 33:6; Colossians 1:16 – creation by divine word and through Christ parallels the hidden craftsmanship signified by שָׁרִיר.
Ephesians 6:10 – believers are urged to “be strong in the Lord,” echoing that true strength is supplied by God, not self-generated.

Ministry and Practical Application

• Pastoral Comfort

Point sufferers to the behemoth passage: behind life’s visible chaos stands a Designer who places unbreakable sinews in His creatures and unbreakable purposes in His plan (Romans 8:28).

• Discipleship

Just as invisible muscles give behemoth its might, unseen spiritual disciplines—prayer, meditation on Scripture—fortify believers. External activity without inner formation lacks enduring power (2 Corinthians 4:16).

• Apologetics

Highlight the verse when addressing questions on God and natural history. The Bible’s nuanced portrayal of anatomical detail, set within theological narrative, showcases inspired coherence rather than primitive myth.

Homiletical Themes

1. “Strength in Unseen Places” – God equips both creatures and Christians with hidden resources.
2. “Muscles of Grace” – contrast fleshly self-reliance with Spirit-empowered fortitude (Zechariah 4:6).
3. “Beholding Behemoth” – encourage awe and humility before the One who knits sinews and directs destinies.

Summary

Though appearing only once, שָׁרִיר magnifies the Creator’s artistry, confronts human pride, and provides a vivid metaphor for spiritual strength that operates beneath the surface of life.

Forms and Transliterations
בִּשְׁרִירֵ֥י בשרירי biš·rî·rê bishriRei bišrîrê
Links
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Englishman's Concordance
Job 40:16
HEB: בְמָתְנָ֑יו וְ֝אֹנ֗וֹ בִּשְׁרִירֵ֥י בִטְנֽוֹ׃
NAS: And his power in the muscles of his belly.
KJV: and his force [is] in the navel of his belly.
INT: his loins and his power the muscles of his belly

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 8306
1 Occurrence


biš·rî·rê — 1 Occ.

8305
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