סָגַר
to shut up; figuratively, to surrender
Definition
The Hebrew verb סָגַר (sagar) primarily means 'to shut' or 'to close,' referring to the physical act of closing a door, gate, or container, as when God shut Noah and his family inside the ark (Genesis 7:16). In legal and ritual contexts, it describes the quarantining or shutting up of a person, such as someone suspected of having a skin disease (Leviticus 13:4-5). Figuratively, it extends to the idea of surrendering or delivering someone into confinement or the power of another, as seen when the men of Sodom demand Lot 'bring them out' so they can shut the door behind them (Genesis 19:6).
Biblical Usage
סָגַר is used 87 times across various Old Testament books, including narrative, legal, and prophetic texts. In narrative, it often describes closing doors for protection or imprisonment (e.g., Genesis 2:21, Exodus 14:3). In the Levitical law, it is a technical term for isolating the ritually unclean (Leviticus 13-14). Prophetic books like Isaiah and Jeremiah use it metaphorically for God shutting up heavens or delivering cities to enemies. A pattern emerges where physical closure often precedes or symbolizes a spiritual or judicial action.
Etymology
סָגַר is a primitive root verb in Hebrew. Its basic meaning is 'to shut' or 'to close.' Cognates exist in other Semitic languages like Aramaic and Akkadian with similar meanings of closing or blocking. The word does not derive from a simpler Hebrew root, indicating its fundamental nature in describing the concept of enclosure or restriction.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it portrays God's sovereign control over access, protection, and judgment. God shuts Noah in the ark for salvation (Genesis 7:16) and later shuts up the heavens in judgment (Deuteronomy 11:17). It illustrates themes of divine separation—between the clean and unclean, the safe and the condemned—and human surrender to God's will, as in being 'shut up' to faith (Galatians 3:23 conceptually parallels the Hebrew idea). Understanding סָגַר enriches reading by highlighting how physical acts of closing doors in scripture often carry deep spiritual implications about God's authority and human destiny.
In ancient Near Eastern culture, shutting a door was a powerful act of security, exclusion, or legal sequestration. City gates were shut for defense, and houses were sealed for privacy and safety. The ritual 'shutting up' of individuals with skin diseases (Leviticus 13) was both a medical quarantine and a religious act of separating the unclean from the community, reflecting a holistic view of health, ritual purity, and social order that differs from modern purely medical isolation.
עָצַר (atsar, H6113) — to restrain or hold back, more about detention than physical closure. סָכַךְ (sakak, H5526) — to cover or hedge in, focusing on protection rather than sealing an entrance. אָטַם (atam, H331) — to shut or stop up, often used for closing ears or sources of water.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →