שְׂאֹר
barm or yeast-cake (as swelling by fermentation)
Definition
The Hebrew word שְׂאֹר (sᵉʼôr) refers to a fermented substance used to leaven bread, specifically a piece of old, fermented dough or a yeast-cake saved from a previous batch to cause new dough to rise. In the Bible, it consistently represents the agent of fermentation and is treated as ritually impure or corrupting in specific religious contexts. Its primary significance is its prohibition during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover) as seen in Exodus 12:15, 19 and 13:7, and its exclusion from grain offerings to the Lord in Leviticus 2:11.
Biblical Usage
שְׂאֹר is used exclusively in legal texts concerning ritual purity, appearing only in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. Its usage is uniform: it is something that must be removed from homes and is forbidden in offerings. For example, it must not be found in Israelite houses during Passover (Exodus 12:19) and must not be offered by fire to God (Leviticus 2:11). The pattern is its association with corruption and its required absence in holy contexts.
Etymology
Derived from the root שָׁאַר (šā’ar, H7604), meaning 'to remain, be left over.' This etymology connects שְׂאֹר to the concept of a remnant or leftover piece of dough that is preserved and used to ferment a new batch, highlighting its nature as an active, perpetuating agent.
Semantic Range
שְׂאֹר is theologically significant as a powerful biblical symbol for sin, corruption, and evil influence. Its fermenting action makes it a natural metaphor for how a small amount of sin can permeate and corrupt a whole community (1 Corinthians 5:6-8 draws on this concept). Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of Passover laws, revealing that the removal of leaven was not just a dietary rule but a profound object lesson in holiness, depicting the need to purge moral and spiritual corruption from one's life and community.
In ancient Israelite culture, שְׂאֹר was not modern packaged yeast but a piece of fermented dough kept from a previous baking. This 'starter' was essential for daily bread-making but carried symbolic weight. Its association with fermentation and decay led to its symbolic link with corruption and impurity in religious thought, a connection that would have been immediately understood by the original audience.
חָמֵץ (ḥāmēṣ, H2557) — This is the related term for 'leavened bread' or the fermented product itself, whereas שְׂאֹר is specifically the fermenting agent or 'leaven' that causes the dough to become חָמֵץ.
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.
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