Lexical Summary sharash: To root out, to take root Original Word: שָׁרַשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance take, cause to take root out A primitive root; to root, i.e. Strike into the soil, or (by implication) to pluck from it -- (take, cause to take) root (out). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origindenominative verb from shoresh Definition to deal with the roots NASB Translation take root (1), taken root (2), taking root (1), took (1), uproot (2), uprooted (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [שָׁרַשׁ] verb denominative Pi`el = deal with the roots; — 1 root up, out : Perfect3masculine singular suffix consecutive וְשֵׁרֶשְׁךָ Psalm 52:7 he shall root thee up from (מִן) the land of the living; of fire (burn) roots, root : Imperfect3feminine singular תְּשָׁרֵשׁ בְּ Job 31:12 fore (figurative) roots at all my increase. Pu`al Imperfect3masculine plural יְשֹׁרָשׁוּ Job 31:8 be rooted up (of produce). 2. Po`el take root, establish oneself firmly: Perfect3masculine singular גִּזְעָם שֹׁרֵשׁ בָּאָרֶץ Isaiah 40:24 (figurative of princes, etc.). Po`al id.: Perfect3masculine plural שֹׁרָֹשׁוּ Jeremiah 12:2 (figurative of wicked). Hiph`il id.: Imperfect3masculine singular יַשְׁרֵשׁ Isaiah 27:6 (figurative of Israel); 3 feminine singular וַתַּשְׁרֵשׁ Psalm 80:10 (id.; with accusative of congnate meaning with verb); Participle מַשְׁרִי Job 5:3 (figurative of person). Topical Lexicon Overview of the ThemeThe verb שָׁרַשׁ (Strong’s 8327) portrays the moment when a plant sinks its roots deep into the soil or, conversely, when those roots are pulled up. Scripture employs this image eight times to illustrate both the security God grants and the judgment He executes. Whether depicting a fool whose apparent stability is illusory (Job 5:3) or Israel’s eventual worldwide fruitfulness (Isaiah 27:6), the rooting-or-uprooting motif highlights covenant faithfulness, moral integrity, and divine sovereignty. Agricultural Imagery and Covenant Security From Eden onward, agriculture furnishes the Bible’s theological vocabulary. In Psalm 80:9 the psalmist recalls the exodus‐vine transplanted into Canaan: “You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land.” The same root image reappears in Isaiah 27:6, promising that “Jacob will take root… and fill the whole world with fruit.” Together these texts affirm God’s long-range purpose for His people: secure establishment leading to global blessing. The rooting metaphor assures that the covenant will not be thwarted, despite intervening seasons of pruning and exile. Moral Wholeness and Personal Integrity Job invokes שָׁרַשׁ twice in his self-defense. In Job 31:8 he volunteers a curse of uprooting should he be guilty of hidden sin: “may my crops be uprooted.” Verse 12 intensifies the thought, comparing lust to “a fire that… would root out my entire harvest.” Here rooting is linked to personal righteousness; integrity allows one’s life work to remain planted, whereas moral compromise invites eradication. The passage provides a sober warning to leaders and laity alike: unchecked sin jeopardizes every field of ministry. Judgment on the Wicked Psalm 52 sets שָׁרַשׁ in a courtroom. Confronting Doeg’s treachery, David declares, “He will uproot you from the land of the living” (Psalm 52:5). Likewise, Job 5:3 notes that the fool only seems to “take root,” yet his house is swiftly cursed. Such texts show that apparent prosperity apart from God is shallow; divine judgment can yank it out overnight. Isaiah 40:24 pictures world rulers as seedlings: “Scarcely has their stem taken root… when He blows on them and they wither.” The rooting image thus underscores the frailty of human power in contrast with divine might. Corporate Hypocrisy Exposed Jeremiah laments Judah’s religious duplicity: “You planted them, and they have taken root… You are ever on their lips, but far from their hearts” (Jeremiah 12:2). Outward establishment does not guarantee inward faithfulness. Ministries may appear deeply rooted—attendance, finances, influence—yet without wholehearted devotion they remain vulnerable to God’s corrective uprooting. Missionary Hope and Eschatological Fulfillment The forward look of Isaiah 27:6 stands in tension with the failures of Jeremiah’s day. In the prophetic horizon Israel not only survives but thrives, sending fruit “to the whole world.” The rooting verb here anticipates the New Covenant expansion when the gospel, emerging from Israel’s Messiah, takes root among the nations (compare Romans 11:17-24). The long-range plan culminates in the New Creation, where all planting labors are secure (Revelation 22:2). Pastoral and Practical Applications 1. Spiritual Formation: Deep rooting requires cultivated soil—consistent intake of Scripture, prayer, and obedience (Psalm 1:2-3). Summary Shārash threads through Scripture as a vivid shorthand for establishment or eradication. God plants the righteous for endurance, yet He can uproot pride, hypocrisy, and injustice in an instant. The disciple who abides in the true Vine (John 15) experiences the secure rooting foreshadowed throughout the Old Testament, bearing fruit that remains to the glory of God and the blessing of the nations. Forms and Transliterations וְשֵֽׁרֶשְׁךָ֨ וַתַּשְׁרֵ֥שׁ ושרשך ותשרש יְשֹׁרָֽשׁוּ׃ יַשְׁרֵ֣שׁ ישרש ישרשו׃ מַשְׁרִ֑ישׁ משריש שֹׁרֵ֥שׁ שֹׁרָ֔שׁוּ שרש שרשו תְשָׁרֵֽשׁ׃ תשרש׃ maš·rîš mashRish mašrîš shoRashu shoResh šō·rā·šū šō·rêš šōrāšū šōrêš ṯə·šā·rêš ṯəšārêš teshaResh vattashResh veshereshCha wat·taš·rêš wattašrêš wə·šê·reš·ḵā wəšêrešḵā yaš·rêš yashResh yašrêš yə·šō·rā·šū yeshoRashu yəšōrāšūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 5:3 HEB: רָ֭אִיתִי אֱוִ֣יל מַשְׁרִ֑ישׁ וָאֶקּ֖וֹב נָוֵ֣הוּ NAS: the foolish taking root, And I cursed KJV: the foolish taking root: but suddenly INT: have seen the foolish taking cursed his abode Job 31:8 Job 31:12 Psalm 52:5 Psalm 80:9 Isaiah 27:6 Isaiah 40:24 Jeremiah 12:2 8 Occurrences |
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