Original Word: שׁוּר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: shuwr
Pronunciation: shoor
Phonetic Spelling: (shoor)
KJV: wall
NASB: wall, walls
Word Origin: [from H7788 (שׁוּר - carriers)]

1. a wall (as going about)

wall

From shuwr; a wall (as going about) -- wall.

see HEBREW shuwr

Word Origin
from the same as shor
Definition
a wall
NASB Translation
wall (3), walls (1).

II. שׁוּר noun [masculine] wall (Aramaic שׁוּרָא, ); — Genesis 49:22 (poem in J), 2 Samuel 22:30 = Psalm 18:30; plural suffix שׁוּרֹתָם Job 24:11 their walls De Di De, compare Bu; but see שׁוּרָה infra; שָׁרוֺתֶיהָ Jeremiah 5:10 = its walls, according to Vrss AV RV Gf Gie, read then ׳שֻׁ, but see id.

[שׁוּרָה] noun feminine probably row of olives or vines (so Du Buhl and others; compare Late Hebrew שׁוּרָה, Jewish-Aramaic שׁוּרְתָא row, whence modern Arabic as loan-word, compare Vogelst^{Land wirthschaft 41 f.}); — plural suffix שׁוּרֹתְם Job 24:11 (al. II. שׁוּר); Bu and Du strike out suffix; here also Jeremiah 5:10 (reading ׳שֻׁ) Du Buhl Dr, her (vine-)rows, but see II. שׁוּר.

שַׁוְשָׁא

proper name, masculine 1 Chronicles 18:16, see שְׂרָיָה.

[שׁוּר] noun masculine wall (compare Biblical Hebrew II. שׁוּר id.; Egyptian Aramaic שור RŠS^{361A 5; B 1}); — plural emphatic שׁוּרַיָּה Ezra 4:16, אָ֯ Ezra 4:13; Ezra 4:12 read ׳שׁוּרַיָּא שׁ Qr, for ׳שׁורי אשׁ Kt.

Meaning and Nuance

שׁוּר (shur) denotes a wall, rampart or defensive barrier. The contexts in which the term appears show it functioning both literally—as the physical structure surrounding property or town—and figuratively—as any obstacle that must be overcome or surpassed.

Scriptural Occurrences

1. Genesis 49:22 – “Joseph is a fruitful vine… his branches climb over the wall.” Here שׁוּר pictures a boundary meant to contain, yet the blessing on Joseph proves greater than the limit.
2. 2 Samuel 22:30 – “By my God I can leap over a wall.” David’s praise song uses שׁוּר to represent formidable military defenses that become nothing before the power of God.
3. Psalm 18:29 – The psalm’s parallel line repeats the thought of 2 Samuel 22:30, stressing the believer’s ability to transcend barriers through divine strength.
4. Job 24:11 – “They crush olives within their walls.” שׁוּר marks an enclosure belonging to powerful landowners; within it the poor are exploited.

Historical Background

In the Ancient Near East, walls were essential. City-walls (often 15–30 ft thick) signified security, sovereignty and identity. Estate walls marked ownership and controlled access to water, oil and grain. Every Israelite would have understood the symbol: a wall protected what was precious but also limited movement. The four verses that use שׁוּר touch every aspect of this cultural reality—agricultural, military, social and familial.

Theological Themes

• Divine Victory over Human Barriers – David’s “leap” (2 Samuel 22, Psalm 18) celebrates salvation that dismantles man-made impediments. The episode anticipates the fuller revelation that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
• Overflowing Blessing – Joseph’s vine scaling the wall portrays covenant fruitfulness outpacing restriction. In New-Covenant terms, the abiding life of the believer “bears much fruit” (John 15:5) far beyond human limitation.
• Social Justice – Job 24 exposes the sin of safeguarding wealth behind walls while the laborers within remain thirsty. Scripture condemns any wall that protects oppression.
• The Paradox of Walls – God Himself sometimes builds walls (Isaiah 26:1), yet He also empowers His people to break through or rise above them when they hinder His purposes.

Christological Foreshadowing

Joseph’s vine is an Old-Testament shadow of Jesus Christ, the true Vine who brings boundless life. David’s leap anticipates the Son of David who “tore down the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14). The walls that once separated Jew and Gentile, holy and unclean, crumble at the cross.

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Encouragement in Spiritual Warfare – Believers facing entrenched opposition may claim David’s testimony: God enables His people to overrun the enemy’s walls.
2. Vision Casting – Ministries should expect fruit that climbs over preconceived boundaries—ethnic, cultural, geographic—because the gospel is not confined.
3. Guarding without Exploiting – Churches must build protective boundaries for doctrine and holiness while avoiding the Job 24 scenario, where walls become tools of injustice.
4. Counseling and Personal Growth – Walls of fear, addiction or past failure appear immovable, yet the Lord grants grace to “leap over” them.

Related Biblical Images

• City-wall (chomah), hedge (siyar), gate (sha‛ar) – all complement שׁוּר in portraying protection and limitation.
• God as wall of fire (Zechariah 2:5) – the ultimate safeguard.
• Broken walls as judgment (Nehemiah 1:3) – loss of security through sin.

Summary

שׁוּר pictures the strong barrier that defines possession and protection while also standing in the path of progress. Scripture presents God as both the Builder and the One who empowers His people to transcend every wall that threatens His redemptive plan.

שֽׁוּר׃ שׁוּרֹתָ֥ם שור׃ שורתם Shur shuroTam šū·rō·ṯām šūr šūrōṯāmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts