Lexical Summary sheer: Flesh, body, kindred, relative Original Word: שְׁאֵר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance body, flesh, food, near kinsman near nigh of kin From sha'ar; flesh (as swelling out), as living or for food; generally food of any kind; figuratively, kindred by blood -- body, flesh, food, (near) kin(-sman, -swoman), near (nigh) (of kin). see HEBREW sha'ar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition flesh NASB Translation blood relative (4), blood relatives (2), body (1), flesh (4), food (1), himself (1), meat (2), relative (1), relatives (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs שְׁאֵר noun masculinePsalm 73:26 flesh (perhaps originally the inner flesh, full of blood, next the bones, compare HoffmZAW iii (1883), 107, and בָּשָׂר = (originally) flesh next the. skin); — ׳שׁ absolute Psalm 78:20; Psalm 78:27, construct Micah 3:3 +, suffix שְׁאֵרִי Jeremiah 51:35; Psalm 73:26, etc; — 1 flesh : a. as food, Exodus 21:10 (HPS also 1 Samuel 9:24, for הַנִּשְׁאָר), Psalm 78:20 ("" לֶחֶם), Psalm 78:27 ("" עוֺף כָּנָף); figurative Micah 3:2 ("" עוֺר), Micah 3:3 ("" id.), Jeremiah 51:35 ("" דָּם), b. figurative for physical power Psalm 73:26 (+ לֵבָב), Proverbs 5:11 (+ בָּשָׂר). 2 in HP = flesh- (= blood-) relation (i.e. one near of kin):שְׁאֵר אָבִיךָ Leviticus 18:12 compare Leviticus 18:13; Leviticus 20:19, also Leviticus 18:17 (read שְׁאֵרְךָ for שַׁאֲרָה ᵐ5 Ew Dr-Wh; compare of. Di Baen); + אֵלָיו הַקָּרֹב Leviticus 21:2; Numbers 27:11 בְשָׂרוֺ ׳שׁ Leviticus 18:6; Leviticus 25:49. 3 = self, Proverbs 11:17 ("" נֶפֶשׁ), שַׁאֲרָה Leviticus 18:17 see שְׂאֵר, 2 above Topical Lexicon OverviewSefer’s sixteen occurrences reveal three intertwined themes: (1) physical flesh or meat, (2) the covenant obligation to provide sustenance, and (3) the bond of near blood-kin. Scripture employs the term in legal, poetic, and prophetic settings, tying together daily needs, family responsibility, and spiritual symbolism. Flesh: Human Frailty and Mortality Psalm 73:26 sets the tone for the poetic uses: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever”. Here שְׁאֵר underscores the perishable nature of the body in contrast with the steadfastness of God. Proverbs 5:11 speaks of the sinner who laments when “your flesh and your body are spent,” while Proverbs 11:17 warns that cruelty ultimately harms “his own flesh.” These verses frame שְׁאֵר as a reminder of human limitation and the need for righteousness rooted in dependence on the Lord. Meat: Divine Provision In the wilderness narratives retold in Psalm 78, שְׁאֵר refers to meat supplied by God. Verse 20 records the skeptical question of Israel, “Can He also give bread or provide His people with meat?” Verse 27 answers triumphantly: “He rained meat on them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas.” The term thus becomes a testimony of God’s power to sustain His covenant people even when their unbelief questioned His care. Ministry application: preaching and teaching can highlight God’s faithfulness to provide both physical and spiritual nourishment, a theme carried into the New Testament feeding miracles. Kinship: “Flesh and Blood” Obligations Leviticus repeatedly combines שְׁאֵר with בָּשָׂר (“flesh”) to forbid incest (Leviticus 18:6, 12-13; 20:19). The regulative phrase “your father’s close relative” or “your mother’s close relative” guards family purity and preserves covenant holiness. Leviticus 21:2 allows a priest to be defiled only for “his nearest relatives,” showing that duties to the sanctuary do not extinguish obligations to family. The redemption laws (Leviticus 25:49; Numbers 27:11) further elevate the kinsman’s role: the nearest שְׁאֵר may buy back a relative from bondage or ensure that an inheritance remains within the tribe. These passages lay the legal foundation for the “kinsman-redeemer” (goel) motif culminating in the work of Jesus Christ. Marriage Provision Exodus 21:10 extends the meaning of שְׁאֵר to include marital sustenance: “If he takes another wife, he must not deprive the first one of her food, her clothing, or her marital rights.” The verse obligates a husband to maintain the economic and relational well-being of his wife, establishing a timeless principle of covenant faithfulness within marriage. Pastoral counseling draws on this text to affirm the husband’s ongoing duty to provide. Prophetic Indictment Micah 3:2-3 condemns leaders who “tear the skin from My people and the flesh from their bones…they eat the flesh of My people.” The graphic metaphor of cannibalizing שְׁאֵר portrays exploitation that violates both physical welfare and kinship bonds. Jeremiah 51:35 invokes covenant justice: “May the violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon,” appealing for retribution against a power that attacked Israel’s family integrity. Christological Foreshadowing By joining flesh, family, and redemption, שְׁאֵר anticipates the Incarnation. The eternal Son “became flesh” (John 1:14) and entered our human family in order to be the ultimate Redeemer. Hebrews 2:14-15 notes that He shared in our flesh and blood to deliver us from bondage, fulfilling the pattern of the near-kinsman who buys back his own. Ministry Implications 1. Care for Family: Pastoral leadership should exhort believers to honor obligations to parents, spouses, and relatives, mirroring the covenant concern for שְׁאֵר. Conclusion שְׁאֵר weaves through Scripture as a rich thread binding together bodily life, covenant kinship, and divine provision. It calls believers to honor family commitments, trust God for daily bread, heed warnings against exploitation, and place ultimate hope in the Redeemer who became our own flesh to secure eternal redemption. Forms and Transliterations ארו וּשְׁאֵרִי֙ וּשְׁאֵרֶֽךָ׃ וּשְׁאֵרָ֖ם ושארי ושארך׃ ושארם לִשְׁאֵר֔וֹ לִשְׁאֵר֞וֹ לשארו מִשְּׁאֵ֧ר משאר שְׁ֝אֵר֗וֹ שְׁאֵ֑ר שְׁאֵ֣ר שְׁאֵ֥ר שְׁאֵר֛וֹ שְׁאֵרִ֗י שְׁאֵרָ֛הּ שאר שארה שארו שארי ’ê·rōw ’êrōw eRo liš’êrōw liš·’ê·rōw lisheRo miš·šə·’êr mishsheEr miššə’êr šə’êr šə’êrāh šə’êrî šə’êrōw šə·’ê·rāh šə·’ê·rî šə·’ê·rōw šə·’êr sheEr sheeRah sheeRi sheeRo ū·šə·’ê·rām ū·šə·’ê·re·ḵā ū·šə·’ê·rî ūšə’êrām ūšə’êreḵā ūšə’êrî usheeRam usheeRecha usheeRiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 21:10 HEB: יִֽקַּֽח־ ל֑וֹ שְׁאֵרָ֛הּ כְּסוּתָ֥הּ וְעֹנָתָ֖הּ NAS: he may not reduce her food, her clothing, KJV: him another [wife]; her food, her raiment, INT: another takes her food her clothing her conjugal Leviticus 18:6 Leviticus 18:12 Leviticus 18:13 Leviticus 20:19 Leviticus 21:2 Leviticus 25:49 Numbers 27:11 Psalm 73:26 Psalm 78:20 Psalm 78:27 Proverbs 5:11 Proverbs 11:17 Jeremiah 51:35 Micah 3:2 Micah 3:3 16 Occurrences |
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