Lexical Summary taar: Razor, knife, sheath Original Word: תַּעַר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance penknife, razor, scabbard, shave, sheath From arah; a knife or razor (as making bare): also a scabbard (as being bare, i.e. Empty) -- (pen-)knife, razor, scabbard, shave, sheath. see HEBREW arah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom arah Definition a razor, sheath NASB Translation knife (1), razor (5), sheath (7). Brown-Driver-Briggs תַּ֫עַר noun masculinePsalm 52:4 and (Isaiah 7:20) feminine razor, sheath; — 1. a. razor, absolute ׳יְגַלַּח בְּת Isaiah 7:20 (figurative); subject of לֹא יַעֲבֹר עַלרֿאֹשׁ Numbers 6:5, object of הֶעֱבִיר עַלֿ Numbers 8:7 (P), compare construct הַגַּלָּבִים ׳ת Ezekiel 5:1; absolute מְלֻטָּשׁ ׳כְּת Psalm 52:4 (simile of tongue). b. construct הַסֹּפֵר ׳ת Jeremiah 36:23 = penknife. 2 sheath, always suffix of sword: בְּתַעְרָהּ 2 Samuel 20:8; of drawing sword, ׳שָׁלַף מִתּ 1 Samuel 17:51, ׳הוֺצִיא מִתּ Ezekiel 21:8; Ezekiel 21:10, ׳תֵּצֵא מִתּ Ezekiel 21:9; of sheathing, הֵאָֽסְפִי אֶלתַּֿרְעֵךְ Jeremiah 47:6; הָשַׁב אֶלתַּֿעְרָהּ Ezekiel 21:35. Topical Lexicon Overview Taʿar appears thirteen times across the Old Testament as the common implement of a razor or knife and, by extension, the sword and its sheath. Its contexts range from ritual purity to battlefield action and prophetic symbolism, giving the word a rich theological resonance that moves from personal consecration to national judgment. Physical Instrument in Ancient Israel Bronze and later iron razors were familiar tools in Israelite daily life, used for shaving hair or trimming parchment. Taʿar therefore evokes immediacy and precision; it cuts what is closest to the skin. The same edge that grooms also slays, underscoring the thin line between care and calamity in God’s dealings with His people. Consecration and Holiness 1. Numbers 6:5 places taʿar at the heart of the Nazirite vow: “No razor shall pass over his head until the time of his separation to the LORD is complete.” Uncut hair became the public sign of wholehearted devotion. By prohibiting or prescribing the razor, God marked off His servants as distinct. The physical act mirrored the internal call to holiness (Leviticus 11:44). Weaponry and Warfare 1 Samuel 17:51 depicts David grasping Goliath’s taʿar—“he took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from its sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with it.” The same term reappears in 2 Samuel 20:8 where Joab’s sword slips from its taʿar (scabbard) and ends Amasa’s life. Thus taʿar functions as both blade and sheath, highlighting readiness for sudden action, whether righteous or treacherous. Jeremiah 47:6 personifies the Lord’s “sword” and begs it to rest, reminding readers that the ultimate wielder of every blade is God Himself. Prophetic Symbol of Divine Judgment Isaiah 7:20 employs “the razor hired from beyond the Euphrates—the king of Assyria” to shave Israel bare, a humiliating sign of exile. Ezekiel intensifies the metaphor: In each case taʿar embodies God’s surgical justice—precise, unavoidable, and ultimately under His control. Metaphor for Speech Psalm 52:2 condemns the deceitful tongue: “Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit.” The vivid comparison highlights the lethal power of words. Just as taʿar exposes skin, slander slices reputations. The warning aligns with James 3:6 on the tongue’s destructive fire, reminding believers to wield speech with reverence. Resistance to the Word Jeremiah 36:23 recounts King Jehoiakim’s defiance: “Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the fire.” The same instrument used to prepare Scripture rolls now destroys them—yet the Lord simply tells Jeremiah to rewrite the scroll, proving the indestructibility of His word (Jeremiah 36:32). Literary and Theological Observations 1. Duality: taʿar is both purifier and destroyer. The object itself is morally neutral; its significance lies in the hand that wields it. Applications for Ministry Today • Consecration still demands visible distinctiveness. The Nazirite’s uncut hair challenges modern believers to maintain outward testimony to inward devotion. Taʿar, though a small tool, cuts a broad theological path—calling the faithful to purity, sobriety, and confidence in a Lord whose blade never misses its mark and whose mercy gladly restores all who heed His voice. Forms and Transliterations בְּתַ֣עַר בְּתַ֨עַר בְּתַעְרָ֔הּ בתער בתערה כְּתַ֥עַר כתער מִתַּעְרָ֑הּ מִתַּעְרָ֛הּ מִתַּעְרָהּ֙ מתערה תַ֙עַר֙ תַּ֖עַר תַּ֤עַר תַּעְרֵ֔ךְ תַּעְרָ֑הּ תער תערה תערך bə·ṯa‘·rāh bə·ṯa·‘ar bəṯa‘ar bəṯa‘rāh beTaar betaRah kə·ṯa·‘ar kəṯa‘ar keTaar mit·ta‘·rāh mitta‘rāh mittaRah ta‘·rāh ta‘·rêḵ ta‘ar ṯa‘ar ta‘rāh ta‘rêḵ ta·‘ar ṯa·‘ar Taar taRah taRechLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Numbers 6:5 HEB: נֶ֣דֶר נִזְר֔וֹ תַּ֖עַר לֹא־ יַעֲבֹ֣ר NAS: of separation no razor shall pass over KJV: of his separation there shall no razor come INT: of his vow of separation razor no shall pass Numbers 8:7 1 Samuel 17:51 2 Samuel 20:8 Psalm 52:2 Isaiah 7:20 Jeremiah 36:23 Jeremiah 47:6 Ezekiel 5:1 Ezekiel 21:3 Ezekiel 21:4 Ezekiel 21:5 Ezekiel 21:30 13 Occurrences |
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