אָסַר
a.sar
to bind
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew word "a.sar" (Strong's number H0631) primarily means "to bind." This physical action involves tying or fastening something together. Given its definition, "a.sar" is used in various situations, such as securing something physically in place or forming alliances through bindings or oaths (e.g., a peace treaty). Throughout the 72 occurrences of "a.sar" in the Bible, we see it applied in different contexts, including war (binding enemies), ritual (binding sacrifices), and social relationships (binding agreements). Its broad range of usage suggests that the concept of binding is fundamental to many aspects of ancient life, covering both literal physical actions and metaphorical commitments. Given its pervasive use in the Bible, "a.sar" may be seen as an important concept reflecting the complexities of human relationships, obligations, and power struggles. Its multiple applications also highlight the dynamic and multifaceted nature of binding and securing things.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
72 total occurrences across the text — showing 50
Therefore Yahweh brought on them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
2 Chronicles 36:6Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him, and bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon.
Nehemiah 4:18Among the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me.
Job 12:18He loosens the bond of kings. He binds their waist with a belt.
Job 36:8If they are bound in fetters, and are taken in the cords of afflictions,
Job 36:13“But those who are godless in heart lay up anger. They don’t cry for help when he binds them.
Psalms 105:22to discipline his princes at his pleasure, and to teach his elders wisdom.
Psalms 118:27Yahweh is God, and he has given us light. Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.
Psalms 146:7who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. Yahweh frees the prisoners.
Psalms 149:8to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
Ecclesiastes 4:14For out of prison he came out to be king; yes, even in his kingdom he was born poor.
Song of Solomon 7:5Your head on you is like Carmel. The hair of your head like purple. The king is held captive in its tresses.
Isaiah 22:3All your rulers fled away together. They were bound by the archers. All who were found by you were bound together. They fled far away.
Isaiah 22:3All your rulers fled away together. They were bound by the archers. All who were found by you were bound together. They fled far away.
Isaiah 49:9saying to those who are bound, ‘Come out!’; to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves!’ “They shall feed along the paths, and their pasture shall be on all treeless heights.
Isaiah 61:1The Lord Yahweh’s Spirit is on me, because Yahweh has anointed me to preach good news to the humble. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to those who are bound,
Jeremiah 39:7Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.
Jeremiah 40:1The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah, who were carried away captive to Babylon.
Jeremiah 46:4Harness the horses, and get up, you horsemen, and stand up with your helmets. Polish the spears, put on the coats of mail.
Jeremiah 52:11He put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison until the day of his death.
Ezekiel 3:25But you, son of man, behold, they will put ropes on you, and will bind you with them, and you will not go out among them.
Hosea 10:10When it is my desire, I will chastise them; and the nations will be gathered against them, when they are bound to their two transgressions.
2 Chronicles 13:3Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men; and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valor.
Genesis 39:20Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody.
Genesis 40:3He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
Genesis 40:5They both dreamed a dream, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the cup bearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.
Genesis 42:16Send one of you, and let him get your brother, and you shall be bound, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you, or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies.”
Genesis 42:19If you are honest men, then let one of your brothers be bound in your prison; but you go, carry grain for the famine of your houses.
Genesis 42:24He turned himself away from them, and wept. Then he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.
Genesis 46:29Joseph prepared his chariot, and went up to meet Israel, his father, in Goshen. He presented himself to him, and fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
Genesis 49:11Binding his foal to the vine, his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; he has washed his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.
Exodus 14:6He prepared his chariot, and took his army with him;
Numbers 30:2When a man vows a vow to Yahweh, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
Numbers 30:3“Also, when a woman vows a vow to Yahweh and binds herself by a pledge, being in her father’s house, in her youth,
Numbers 30:4and her father hears her vow and her pledge with which she has bound her soul, and her father says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge with which she has bound her soul shall stand.
Numbers 30:4and her father hears her vow and her pledge with which she has bound her soul, and her father says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge with which she has bound her soul shall stand.
Numbers 30:5But if her father forbids her in the day that he hears, none of her vows or of her pledges with which she has bound her soul, shall stand. Yahweh will forgive her, because her father has forbidden her.
Numbers 30:6“If she has a husband, while her vows are on her, or the rash utterance of her lips with which she has bound her soul,
Numbers 30:7and her husband hears it, and says nothing to her in the day that he hears it; then her vows shall stand, and her pledges with which she has bound her soul shall stand.
Numbers 30:8But if her husband forbids her in the day that he hears it, then he makes void her vow which is on her and the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul. Yahweh will forgive her.
Numbers 30:9“But the vow of a widow, or of her who is divorced, everything with which she has bound her soul shall stand against her.
Numbers 30:10“If she vowed in her husband’s house or bound her soul by a bond with an oath,
Numbers 30:11and her husband heard it, and held his peace at her and didn’t disallow her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge with which she bound her soul shall stand.
Judges 15:10The men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against us?” They said, “We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he has done to us.”
Judges 15:12They said to him, “We have come down to bind you, that we may deliver you into the hand of the Philistines.” Samson said to them, “Swear to me that you will not attack me yourselves.”
Judges 15:13They spoke to him, saying, “No, but we will bind you securely and deliver you into their hands; but surely we will not kill you.” They bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock.
Judges 15:13They spoke to him, saying, “No, but we will bind you securely and deliver you into their hands; but surely we will not kill you.” They bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock.
Judges 15:13They spoke to him, saying, “No, but we will bind you securely and deliver you into their hands; but surely we will not kill you.” They bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock.
Judges 16:5The lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him, and see in which his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.”
Judges 16:6Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and what you might be bound to afflict you.”