Word Study for H5568 (סָמַר) | Strong's Concordance

çâmar /saw-mar'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto be erect, i.e. bristle as hair

KJV usagestand up, tremble.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of çâmar — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word çâmar, represented by H5568, is a primitive root meaning to be erect, i.e. bristle as hair; stand up, tremble. Though it appears only 2 times in 2 unique verses, it conveys a powerful and specific physical reaction to a divine or supernatural presence. The term describes an involuntary, visceral response of awe and terror that manifests in the body.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The two uses of H5568 in scripture vividly illustrate its meaning. In Psalms, the writer describes a profound physical reaction to the majesty of God's law, stating, "My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments" Psalms 119:120. Here, the word signifies a body shaking with awe. In the book of Job, the term is used more literally when a spirit passes by, causing "the hair of my flesh stood up" Job 4:15. In both cases, H5568 captures a tangible, bodily manifestation of an encounter with something beyond the natural world.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context in which H5568 is used:

H1320 bâsâr (flesh): This is the physical medium that experiences the reaction of H5568. In both occurrences, it is the "flesh" that either trembles or whose hair stands on end (Psalms 119:120, Job 4:15).
H8185 saʻărâh (hair): This word provides the literal imagery for the action in Job, where the "hair" of the flesh is what stands erect, giving a clear picture of the physical response Job 4:15.
H3372 yârêʼ (to fear): This term defines the emotional cause for the physical reaction in Psalms. The trembling of the flesh is a direct result of being "afraid" of God's judgments Psalms 119:120.
H7307 rûwach (spirit): In Job, the passing of a "spirit" is the direct catalyst for the physical reaction described by H5568, linking the term to a supernatural encounter Job 4:15.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H5568 lies in its depiction of the human response to the divine.

Visceral Response to God: The word emphasizes that a true encounter with the divine or its power is not just an intellectual or emotional event, but one that can have a profound physical effect, causing the body itself to react (Psalms 119:120, Job 4:15).
Physical Manifestation of Awe: H5568 shows that biblical fear and awe are not abstract feelings. They are powerful enough to cause the flesh to tremble and the hair to stand on end, illustrating a tangible reaction to God's judgments or the presence of a spirit.
The Overwhelming Nature of the Supernatural: The use of this word in Job, where a spirit passes by, highlights the unsettling and overwhelming nature of the supernatural realm when it intersects with the human experience Job 4:15.

Summary

In summary, H5568 is a specific and potent term that, while rare, provides a key insight into the biblical understanding of awe and fear. It describes the body's involuntary reaction—trembling or bristling—when confronted with the power of God's judgments or a supernatural entity. The word çâmar bridges the gap between a spiritual reality and a physical response, demonstrating that an encounter with the divine can be an all-encompassing experience that registers in the very flesh and hair of a person.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

תְּסַמֵּר
סָמַר

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Job and Psalms (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Job

Psalms

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.