8331. sharshah
Lexical Summary
sharshah: Root, foundation

Original Word: שַׁרְשָׁה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: sharshah
Pronunciation: shar-SHAH
Phonetic Spelling: (shar-shaw')
KJV: chain
Word Origin: [from H8327 (שָׁרַשׁ - taken root)]

1. a chain (as rooted, i.e. linked)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
chain

From sharash; a chain (as rooted, i.e. Linked) -- chain. Compare sharahrah.

see HEBREW sharash

see HEBREW sharahrah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
the same as sharsherah, q.v.

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[שַׁרְשָׁה] Exodus 28:22 see following.



Topical Lexicon
Occurrence and Context

The term appears once, in Exodus 28:22: “Then you are to make braided chains of pure gold, like cords, for the breastpiece.” It belongs to the detailed divine instructions given to Moses for the making of the high priest’s garments. The chainwork linked the Breastpiece of Judgment to the ephod, ensuring that the twelve stones bearing the tribes’ names rested securely over Aaron’s heart whenever he ministered before the LORD.

Craftsmanship and Sanctity

The chain was to be “braided…of pure gold,” underscoring both durability and holiness. Gold, the most precious and incorruptible metal known to Israel, visually proclaimed the purity and eternal worthiness required for approach to God (Exodus 28:36; Revelation 21:18). The braided design added strength, preventing separation between the breastpiece and the ephod. This meticulous artistry testified that God is worthy of man’s finest skill offered in obedient worship (Exodus 31:1-11).

Symbolic Significance within Priestly Vestments

1. Permanence of Covenant Representation – The chain ensured that the engraved stones representing the tribes were never displaced. Thus Israel’s covenant relationship was symbolically unbreakable (Exodus 28:29).
2. Unity of the People – Twelve diverse gems were held together by a single golden fastening, prefiguring corporate solidarity under one divine calling (Psalm 133:1).
3. Mediatorial Ministry – As the chain joined breastpiece to ephod, it illustrated the inseparable link between intercession (breastpiece) and service (ephod). The high priest could not perform one without the other, pointing to the holistic ministry later fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:25-27).

Role in Sanctuary Worship

During daily ministry and on the Day of Atonement, every movement of the high priest was guarded by this gold chain. The unbroken attachment affirmed that the sacred names on the stones were continually “over his heart before the LORD” (Exodus 28:30). In public perception it communicated assurance that God remembered each tribe, even when individual sin might threaten that confidence (Numbers 14:11-19).

Theological Implications

• Divine Initiative – The design originated with God, not human creativity (Exodus 25:40). Salvation and mediation are likewise divine provisions (Romans 11:36).
• Security in Representation – The breastpiece could not slip because the chain bound it. Believers have a High Priest whose advocacy is sure (John 10:28-29; 1 John 2:1).
• Glory and Beauty – The garments were made “for glory and for beauty” (Exodus 28:2). God delights in adorning His servants, a truth echoed in Isaiah 61:10 and Revelation 1:6.

Practical Lessons for Ministry Today

1. Excellence in Worship – Just as Israel’s artisans lavished care on a hidden piece of chainwork, modern ministry should honor God with excellence even in unseen details (Colossians 3:23-24).
2. Permanence of Intercession – Leaders must carry God’s people “on the heart” consistently, not sporadically. Prayer chains in churches reflect this principle.
3. Unity of the Body – The golden linkage of diverse stones models how love must bind differing members into one priestly community (Ephesians 4:3).

Christological Fulfillment

The chain’s role finds its culmination in Jesus Christ, the true High Priest whose deity (symbolized by gold) and humanity (symbolized by the breast-carried stones) are eternally joined. “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19). Nothing can sever the believer from His mediatorial care (Romans 8:38-39).

New Testament Echoes

Hebrews 8:5 recognizes the tabernacle garments as “a copy and shadow of what is in heaven,” grounding their ongoing instructional value.
1 Peter 2:9 identifies the Church as “a royal priesthood,” inheriting the calling once typified in Aaron’s robes.
Revelation 21:12-14 shows the redeemed city bearing twelve names on foundation stones, eternally secured, reflecting the breastpiece imagery.

Summary

Though appearing only once, the golden braided chain of Exodus 28:22 conveys enduring truths: the steadfastness of divine covenant, the unity of God’s people, the beauty demanded in worship, and the absolute security provided by a flawless High Priest. What was literally forged in gold now lives spiritually in every believer who is “in Christ,” linked forever to God by a bond that cannot break.

Forms and Transliterations
שַֽׁרְשֹׁ֥ת שרשת šar·šōṯ šaršōṯ sharShot
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Exodus 28:22
HEB: עַל־ הַחֹ֛שֶׁן שַֽׁרְשֹׁ֥ת גַּבְלֻ֖ת מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה
KJV: upon the breastplate chains at the ends
INT: on the breastpiece chains of twisted work

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 8331
1 Occurrence


šar·šōṯ — 1 Occ.

8330
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