סַר
sar
stubborn
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# Analysis of סַר (sar) The Hebrew word *sar* carries the meaning "stubborn," describing a quality of resistant or unyielding behavior. With only three occurrences in the biblical text, this term represents a relatively rare vocabulary choice for expressing this particular character trait. The limited frequency suggests that biblical authors turned to other terms more commonly when discussing obstinacy, making *sar* a specialized or emphatic alternative within Hebrew's moral vocabulary. The rarity of *sar* in biblical literature indicates it held particular rhetorical weight when employed. Rather than being a standard descriptor for stubborn behavior, its three-fold appearance suggests the word was reserved for moments or contexts where the author wished to emphasize resistance or inflexibility with specific force. Without access to the specific passages where this word appears, we cannot determine whether it describes human stubbornness, resistance to divine instruction, or another form of obstinate conduct, but its sparse use marks it as a deliberate choice rather than everyday language.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences across the text
The king of Israel went to his house sullen and angry, and came to Samaria.
1 Kings 21:4Ahab came into his house sullen and angry because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He laid himself down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
1 Kings 21:5But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sad, that you eat no bread?”