Original Word: שׂעֲרָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: sa`arah
Pronunciation: sah-ah-RAH
Phonetic Spelling: (sah-ar-aw')
KJV: hair
NASB: hair, hairs
Word Origin: [feminine of H8181 (שֵׂעָר שַׂעַר - hair)]

1. hairiness

hair

Feminine of se'ar; hairiness -- hair.

see HEBREW se'ar

Word Origin
from the same as sear
Definition
hair
NASB Translation
hair (4), hairs (3).

שַׂעֲרָה noun feminine a hair, noun of individual meaning (Ges^{§ 122t}); — absolute Judges 20:16: construct in phrase מִשַּׂעֲרַת ראֹשׁוֺ 1 Samuel 14:45 a single hair of his head, compare 2 Samuel 14:11; 1 Kings 1:52 (see מִן

3b (d), Dr^{1Samuel 14:45}); בְּשָׂרִי ׳שׂ Job 4:15 (apparently collective noun, ᵐ5 ᵑ9 and most; Buhl proposes plural); plural construct שַׂעֲרוֺת ראֹשִׁי Psalm 40:13; Psalm 69:5 (both as numerous).

Definition and Scope

שׂעֲרָה represents a single strand of hair or, by extension, the smallest conceivable unit in Hebrew thought. Though only seven times in the Old Testament, the term spans historical narrative, wisdom, and poetry, allowing Scripture to employ the “hair” as a vivid symbol for precision, protection, fear, and divine omniscience.

Precision and Skill (Judges 20:16)

Benjamin’s elite slingers “could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.” The image magnifies their accuracy by invoking the tiniest visible target. The verse also highlights the excellence possible when God‐given abilities are disciplined for service—even within the tragic backdrop of civil war. In preaching, the passage reminds believers that God values diligence and excellence, yet grieves when skill is divorced from covenant fidelity.

Assurance of Divine Protection (1 Samuel 14:45; 2 Samuel 14:11; 1 Kings 1:52)

Three royal episodes place שׂעֲרָה on the lips of intercessors or kings as a pledge that “not a single hair shall fall.” Behind the idiom stands Yahweh’s sovereign care: He numbers and guards each strand. Jonathan is spared because the people recognize the LORD’s deliverance through him (1 Samuel 14). The widow pleads for her son’s protection from blood revenge (2 Samuel 14). Solomon conditions Adonijah’s safety on future obedience (1 Kings 1). In each scene, human oaths of safety ultimately rest on divine oversight. Pastors can therefore proclaim that no circumstance escapes God’s notice; His covenant love secures His people down to a single follicle.

Fear and Awe in the Presence of the Holy (Job 4:15)

When Eliphaz recounts his night vision, “the hair of my flesh stood on end.” The phrase conveys visceral terror before a revelation of God’s transcendence. Even though Eliphaz’s counsel proves flawed, the text affirms that genuine encounter with the divine shakes the deepest recesses of human experience. The episode invites worshippers to retain reverent awe alongside intimate trust.

Recognition of Innumerable Sin and Enemies (Psalm 40:12; Psalm 69:4)

David laments that his iniquities and adversaries are “more than the hairs of my head.” Here שׂעֲרָה becomes a metaphor for uncountable multitudes. Both psalms ultimately move from confession or complaint to confident petition, demonstrating that acknowledgment of sin or hostility is not despair but a step toward God’s deliverance. The imagery underscores humanity’s inability to tally its own guilt, thereby magnifying the sufficiency of divine grace.

Theological and Ministerial Threads

• Omniscience and Sovereignty: Counting hairs is humanly impossible yet easy for the Creator (cf. Matthew 10:30). שׂעֲרָה thus reinforces God’s exhaustive knowledge and intimate care.
• Value and Identity: The idiom communicates personal worth; every strand signifies an object of covenant attention.
• Moral Accountability: Oaths invoking hair heighten the seriousness of promises made before God.
• Evangelical Application: The Old Testament’s hair symbolism anticipates Jesus’ assurance that disciples are worth “more than many sparrows” and that “the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Luke 12:7). Believers rest in the same providential security.

Practical Implications for Faith and Life

1. Precision in Service: Use God-given skills faithfully, knowing that excellence honors Him.
2. Rest in Protection: No threat can touch the believer apart from the Father’s will.
3. Cultivate Reverence: Healthy fear of the Lord produces wisdom and humility.
4. Confess Fully: Admit sin without measure, confident in pardoning grace greater than every hair on one’s head.

By tracing שׂעֲרָה through Scripture, the reader discovers a God who governs the smallest details, calls His people to wholehearted commitment, and offers comprehensive redemption in Christ.

הַֽשַּׂעֲרָ֖ה השערה מִשַּֽׂעֲר֥וֹת מִשַּׂעֲר֣וֹת מִשַּׂעֲרַ֤ת מִשַּׂעֲרַ֥ת מִשַּׂעֲרָת֖וֹ משערות משערת משערתו שַֽׂעֲרַ֥ת שערת haś·śa·‘ă·rāh haśśa‘ărāh hassaaRah miś·śa·‘ă·rā·ṯōw miś·śa·‘ă·raṯ miś·śa·‘ă·rō·wṯ miśśa‘ăraṯ miśśa‘ărāṯōw miśśa‘ărōwṯ missaaRat missaaraTo missaaRot śa‘ăraṯ śa·‘ă·raṯ saaRatInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts