Original Word: שָׂרֻק
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: saruq
Pronunciation: sah-roke
Phonetic Spelling: (saw-rook')
KJV: speckled See H8291
NASB: sorrel
Word Origin: [from H8319 (שָׁרַק - hiss)]

1. bright red (as piercing to the sight), i.e. bay

speckled

From sharaq; bright red (as piercing to the sight), i.e. Bay -- speckled. See saruwq.

see HEBREW sharaq

see HEBREW saruwq

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
perhaps sorrel
NASB Translation
sorrel (1).

I. [שָׂרֹק] adjective perhaps sorrel (? from II. ׳שׂ, or compare having ruddy tinge over white, of horses sorrel Lane¹⁵⁸¹); — plural אֲדֻמִּים שְׂרֻקִּים וּלְבָנִים Zechariah 1:8. of horses.

Canonical Setting

In Zechariah 1:8 the prophet recounts the first of his night visions: “I looked out in the night and saw a man riding on a red horse, standing among the myrtle trees in the ravine, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses” (Berean Standard Bible). The term שָׂרֻק appears here alone, distinguishing the sorrel-colored horse from the red and the white.

Symbolic Significance of the Sorrel Horse

Zechariah’s vision employs color to convey theological truth. Red commonly evokes judgment or war, while white suggests holiness or victory. The sorrel (a reddish-brown or chestnut) stands between the two, hinting at a mediating role in God’s dealings with the nations. The placement “behind” the rider on the red horse pictures an ordered patrol of heavenly emissaries. Their report—“We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is at rest and quiet” (Zechariah 1:11)—reveals that even when the world seems tranquil, the Lord’s sovereign watch continues.

Historical Background

Zechariah ministered to post-exilic Judah about 520 BC. The people had returned from Babylon yet faced political weakness and spiritual apathy. The colored horses reassured them that divine forces were already active, surveying the whole earth, not merely Persia’s vast empire. The solitary occurrence of שָׂרֻק in this context therefore anchors it to a specific historical moment when Judah needed encouragement that God had not abandoned His covenant purposes.

Relationship to Other Biblical Imagery

1. Zechariah 6:1-8 broadens the motif with four chariots whose colored horses are explicitly called “the four spirits of heaven.” While שָׂרֻק does not recur there, the thematic link underscores continuity in Zechariah’s message.
2. Revelation 6:1-8 presents colored horses as agents of global events. The Old Testament precedent in Zechariah establishes that such imagery signifies divinely commissioned activity, reinforcing the unity of prophetic revelation.

Theological Themes

• Divine Surveillance: The sorrel horse forms part of a celestial reconnaissance squad, affirming that nothing on earth escapes God’s notice (Proverbs 15:3).
• Mercy within Judgment: The intermediate hue suggests a nuanced divine posture—wrath against sin tempered by covenant compassion. This balance emerges in the angel’s plea, “O LORD of Hosts, how long will You withhold mercy from Jerusalem?” (Zechariah 1:12).
• Covenant Faithfulness: The vision precedes promises of temple rebuilding and Messianic blessing (Zechariah 3:8-10), demonstrating that God’s redemptive plan advances even during apparent inactivity.

Ministry Application

Believers discouraged by geopolitical turmoil can find comfort in the image of the sorrel horse. God’s agents still traverse the earth, ensuring that every promise in Scripture moves toward fulfillment. Pastors may draw on this passage to assure congregations that apparent delay does not equal divine indifference (2 Peter 3:9). Intercessors, like the angel in Zechariah, are encouraged to appeal boldly for mercy on the grounds of God’s covenant.

Christological Perspective

While Zechariah’s immediate focus is post-exilic restoration, the vision anticipates the Messiah who ultimately accomplishes the reconciliation of justice and grace symbolized by the sorrel hue. Jesus Christ, the righteous Judge (2 Timothy 4:8) and merciful High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16), embodies the dual themes of judgment and compassion.

Conclusion

שָׂרֻק, though appearing only once, contributes a vital strand to prophetic symbolism. The sorrel horse assures God’s people that heavenly forces are ever active, that justice and mercy coexist in His governance, and that history progresses under His vigilant eye toward the culmination foretold by all the prophets.

שְׂרֻקִּ֖ים שרקים śə·ruq·qîm serukKim śəruqqîmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts