Lexical Summary shachar: turns black Original Word: שָׁחַר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be black A primitive root (identical with shachar through the idea of the duskiness of early dawn); to be dim or dark (in color) -- be black. see HEBREW shachar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be black NASB Translation turns black (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. שָׁחַר verb be black (Late Hebrew שָׁחוֺר and derivatives, black, blackness, etc., Ecclus 25:17 Hiph`il make black; Aramaic שְׁחַר (Jastrow Dalm), Aph`el grow black, so  ,  coal; JägerBAS ii. 295 compare Assyrian šûru, coal, šurinnu, fire-pot); — ׳שׁ, of skin Job 30:30. Topical Lexicon Linguistic Nuances and Imagery The verb שָׁחַר paints a vivid picture of something becoming soot-black or scorched. Whereas other Hebrew words for “black” may describe cloth (Song of Solomon 1:5) or hair (Leviticus 13:31), שָׁחַר portrays a living surface darkening under intense affliction, as if charred. The imagery is therefore dynamic—an active blackening that signals extreme distress. Usage in Job 30:30 “ ‘My skin grows black and peels; my body burns with fever.’ ” (Job 30:30) Here Job, once the model of health and honor, reports that his skin is literally blackening. The term helps the reader feel the cumulative, corporeal weight of his suffering; his anguish is not merely emotional but visible in his flesh. That the word never recurs elsewhere underscores the uniqueness of Job’s trial. Theological Reflection on Suffering and Mortality 1. A bodily witness to inner pain: In Job 30 Job lists social scorn, emotional isolation, and physical agony. שָׁחַר unifies these facets by showing how suffering touches spirit and body alike (Psalm 38:3-8). Historical and Cultural Background In the Ancient Near East, skin darkening could follow high fever, leprosy-like conditions, or severe dehydration. Ash-like discoloration also resulted from rubbing dust or ashes on one’s body during mourning (2 Samuel 13:19; Jeremiah 6:26). Readers in Job’s time would have interpreted שָׁחַר as evidence of a malady beyond ordinary illness—perhaps divine judgment—thus intensifying the friends’ accusation and Job’s defense. Practical Ministry Applications • Pastoral empathy: Job’s candid description invites modern believers to validate the physical dimensions of grief rather than spiritualize it away (Romans 12:15). Christological Foreshadowing Job’s blackened skin anticipates the Suffering Servant whose “appearance was marred more than that of any man” (Isaiah 52:14). Just as Job sits in ashes, Jesus bears the ashes of sin at Calvary, yet both narratives move toward vindication—Job’s restoration (Job 42:10) and Christ’s resurrection (Matthew 28:5-6). Related Biblical Themes and Connections • Physical manifestations of sin and judgment: Exodus 9:10; 2 Chronicles 26:19. Summary Though occurring only once, שָׁחַר deepens the book of Job’s portrayal of human agony, offering a tangible link between bodily decay and spiritual struggle. By recording such stark realism, Scripture equips believers to confront suffering honestly while clinging to the ultimate hope that the Lord “will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body” (Philippians 3:21). Forms and Transliterations שָׁחַ֣ר שחר šā·ḥar šāḥar shaCharLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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