StrongerBible

asar

אָסַר

HebrewH0631bind, imprison, ...

Appears 72 times · tap a cell to see the verses

Gen 39:20Gen 40:3Gen 40:5Gen 42:16Gen 42:19Gen 42:24Gen 46:29Gen 49:11Exo 14:6Num 30:2(3)Num 30:3(4)Num 30:4(5) (2×)Num 30:5(6)Num 30:6(7)Num 30:7(8)Num 30:8(9)Num 30:9(10)Num 30:10(11)Num 30:11(12)Jdg 15:10Jdg 15:12Jdg 15:13 (3×)Jdg 16:5Jdg 16:6Jdg 16:7Jdg 16:8Jdg 16:10Jdg 16:11 (2×)Jdg 16:12Jdg 16:13Jdg 16:21 (2×)Jdg 16:251Sa 6:71Sa 6:102Sa 3:341Ki 18:441Ki 20:142Ki 7:10 (2×)2Ki 9:21 (2×)2Ki 17:42Ki 23:332Ki 25:72Ch 13:32Ch 33:112Ch 36:6Neh 4:18(12)Job 12:18Job 36:8Job 36:13Psa 105:22
Root family
Word studyah-SARverb

What asar means

to make fast by tying: to bind, fasten, harness, or hold a person or thing in restraint

TranslatabilityPartialCertaintySettled

The picture under every use of this word is the same: something is held fast by a cord, a chain, or a tie. From that one image the word reaches in three directions. Most plainly it ties one thing to another, harnessing an animal to a chariot or fastening an offering to the altar.

From tying a thing it moves to holding a person, binding a captive or shutting a prisoner away in chains. The same act that secures a load is the act that takes away a person's freedom, so the word does double duty for harnessing and for jailing without changing its core.

It then turns inward. A person can tie themselves down with a promise, taking on a binding obligation by their own word. Here no rope is involved, yet the logic is identical: the vow holds the person as surely as a cord holds an animal, and the word for the cord is the word for the commitment. The three senses are one act of binding seen against a thing, against a captive, and against one's own will.

Nuances

1ato tie or fasten one thing to another; to harness or yoke an animal or a vehicle
Gen 42:24Gen 46:29Gen 49:11Exo 14:61Ki 18:441Ki 20:142Ki 9:21 (2×)Psa 118:27Jer 46:4
1bto bind a person with cords or chains, and so to take captive or imprison
Gen 39:20Gen 40:3Gen 40:5Gen 42:16Gen 42:19Jdg 15:10Jdg 15:12Jdg 15:13 (3×)Jdg 16:5Jdg 16:6Jdg 16:7Jdg 16:8
1cto bind oneself by a vow; to take on a binding obligation by one's own word
Num 30:2(3)Num 30:3(4)Num 30:4(5) (2×)Num 30:5(6)Num 30:6(7)Num 30:7(8)Num 30:8(9)Num 30:9(10)Num 30:10(11)Num 30:11(12)

What scholars say about asar

The standard lexica treat this as a single verb with a unified core of binding or tying fast, fanning out into the concrete tying of animals and objects, the binding and imprisonment of captives, and the figurative binding of oneself by a vow. The vow idiom is concentrated in Numbers 30, where the verb and its related obligation-noun describe a self-imposed pledge. The lexica do not split the word into homonyms; the prison sense is read as a natural extension of physical binding rather than a separate root.

Sources

  • HALOT, s.v. אסרlexicon
  • BDB, s.v. אסרlexicon
  • DCH, s.v. אסרlexicon
  • TWOT, s.v. אסר (no. 141)dictionary

All attested forms of אָסַר

qal consecutive-imperfect 3ms

וַיַּאַסְרֵ, וַיֶּאְסֹר, וַיֶּאֱסֹר

2Ki 17:4, 2Ki 23:33, 2Ki 25:7, 2Ch 36:6, Jer 39:7, Jer 52:11, Gen 46:29, Exo 14:6

qal passive-participle m p absolute

אֲסוּרִים, הָסוּרִים

Gen 39:20, Gen 40:5, Jdg 16:21, Jdg 16:25, Neh 4:18, Job 36:8, Psa 146:7, Isa 49:9

qal perfect 3fs

אָסְרָה

Num 30:4, Num 30:4, Num 30:5, Num 30:6, Num 30:7, Num 30:8, Num 30:9, Num 30:10

qal infinitive-construct construct

אְסֹר, אֱסוֹר, אֱסָרְ, אָסְרָ

Num 30:2, Psa 105:22, Psa 149:8, Jdg 15:10, Jdg 15:12, Hos 10:10

qal passive-participle m s absolute

אָסוּר

Gen 40:3, 2Ki 7:10, 2Ki 7:10, Sng 7:5, Jer 40:1

qal consecutive-imperfect 3mp

וַיַּאַסְרֻ, וַיַּאַסְרוּ

Jdg 15:13, 2Ch 33:11, Jdg 16:21, 1Sa 6:10

niphal imperfect 2ms

תֵּאָסֵר

Jdg 16:6, Jdg 16:10, Jdg 16:13

pual perfect 3cp

אֻסְּרוּ, אֻסָּרוּ

Isa 22:3, Isa 22:3

qal consecutive-imperfect 3fs

וַתַּאַסְרֵ

Jdg 16:8, Jdg 16:12

qal imperative 2mp

אִסְרוּ

Psa 118:27, Jer 46:4

qal imperative 2ms

אֱסֹר

1Ki 18:44, 2Ki 9:21

qal imperfect 3mp

יַאַסְרֻ, יַאַסְרוּ

Jdg 16:7, Jdg 16:11

qal infinitive-absolute absolute

אָסוֹר, אָסֹר

Jdg 16:11, Jdg 15:13

niphal imperative 2mp

הֵאָסְרוּ

Gen 42:16

niphal imperfect 3ms

יֵאָסֵר

Gen 42:19

qal consecutive-perfect 1cp

וַאֲסַרְנֻ

Jdg 16:5

qal consecutive-perfect 2mp

וַאֲסַרְתֶּם

1Sa 6:7

qal consecutive-perfect 3cp

וַאֲסָרוּ

Ezk 3:25

qal consecutive-perfect 3fs

וְאָסְרָה

Num 30:3

qal imperfect 1cp

נֶאֱסָרְ

Jdg 15:13

qal imperfect 3ms

יֶאְסֹר

1Ki 20:14

qal participle m s construct

אֹסְרִי

Gen 49:11

qal passive-participle f p absolute

אֲסֻרוֹת

2Sa 3:34

qal perfect 3ms

אֲסָרָ

Job 36:13