English · KJV
H5582

סָעַד

çâʻad /saw-ad'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto suport (mostly figurative)
KJV usagecomfort, establish, hold up, refresh self, strengthen, be upholden.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of çâʻad — 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 çâʻad, represented by H5582, is a primitive root used to describe support, which is mostly figurative. It appears 12 times across 12 unique verses in the Bible. Its meanings include to comfort, establish, hold up, refresh self, strengthen, and be upholden.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, H5582 conveys support in both physical and spiritual contexts. It is used literally when describing hospitality, such as Abraham offering to comfort his guests with a morsel of bread Genesis 18:5 or a father urging his son-in-law to comfort his heart with bread before a journey Judges 19:5. The word also depicts God's direct intervention and support. When the psalmist's foot slips, he declares that the LORD's mercy held him up Psalms 94:18. In a royal context, it is used prophetically to describe the establishment of David's kingdom with judgment and justice Isaiah 9:7.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the scope of support and sustenance:

  • H3899 lechem (food... especially bread): This word is often the physical agent of strengthening. In Psalms, it is bread which is said to strengthen man's heart Psalms 104:15.
  • H2617 chêçêd (kindness... mercy): This term often describes the motivation behind God's support. A king's throne is upholden by mercy Proverbs 20:28, and it is God's mercy that holds up the psalmist Psalms 94:18.
  • H3467 yâshaʻ (to be safe... to free or succor): This word describes the result of being held up by God. The psalmist cries out, "Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe" Psalms 119:117.

Theological Significance

The theological concepts associated with H5582 are centered on God as the ultimate sustainer.

  • Divine Upholding: The word is frequently used to portray God's active support in a person's life. His mercy H2617 holds believers up when they falter Psalms 94:18, and His right hand H3225 provides stability Psalms 18:35.
  • Physical and Spiritual Sustenance: While it can refer to physical refreshment through bread H3899 Genesis 18:5, it is primarily used to describe the strengthening of the heart H3824, representing the inner person Psalms 104:15. God also strengthens the sick on their bed H6210 of languishing Psalms 41:3.
  • Establishment of Righteous Rule: God's support extends to his divine plans for governance. He promises to establish the throne of David with judgment H4941 and justice H6666 Isaiah 9:7, demonstrating that righteous authority is ultimately upheld by Him.

Summary

In summary, H5582 illustrates a progression from the tangible act of providing comfort with food to the profound truth of God's sustaining power. It is a word that captures the essence of divine support, whether for an individual in distress, a person in need of strength, or an everlasting kingdom being established in righteousness. It shows that both physical refreshment and spiritual stability find their source in a supportive God.

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 12 occurrences, inflected in 6 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.

  • סְעָד
  • יִסְעָדֶ
  • סָעַד
  • סַעֲדוּ
  • תִסְעָדֵ
  • סַעֲדָ

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H3899 לֶחֶם from לָחַם; See also בֵּית לְעַפְרָה; food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it); (shew-) bread H2617 חֵסֵד from חָסַד; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty; favour, H3467 יָשַׁע a primitive root; properly, to be open, wide or free, i.e. (by implication) to be safe; causatively, to free or succor; H3225 יָמִין from יָמַן; the right hand or side (leg, eye) of a person or other object (as the stronger and more dexterous); locally, H3824 לֵבָב from לָבַב; used also like לֵב; the heart (as the most interior organ); [phrase] bethink themselves, breast, comfortably H6210 עֶרֶשׂ from an unused root meaning perhaps to arch; a couch (properly, with a canopy); bed(-stead), couch.

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 12 verses across 6 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (6 verses); never once in the other 33.

1
Genesis
2
Judges
1
1 Kings
6
Psalms
1
Proverbs
1
Isaiah

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.