Word Study for H5850 (עֲטָרָה)

ʻăṭârâh /at-aw-raw'/ Ask about this word

Meaninga crown

KJV usagecrown.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʻăṭârâh — 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 ʻăṭârâh, represented by H5850, is a term for a crown. It appears 23 times across 23 unique verses in the Bible. Derived from the root H5849 ʻâṭar, meaning to encircle, it denotes a literal crown worn by royalty but is also used figuratively to represent honor, glory, and blessing.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its literal sense, H5850 refers to the royal headwear of kings. David took the golden crown from a conquered king's head 2 Samuel 12:30, and Mordecai wore a great crown of gold when he was elevated in the kingdom Esther 8:15. It is also used to describe the crown King Solomon wore on his wedding day Song of Solomon 3:11. The term is frequently used metaphorically to symbolize honor and virtue. A virtuous woman is described as a crown to her husband Proverbs 12:4, and grandchildren are the crown of old men Proverbs 17:6. Conversely, the loss of a crown signifies a loss of honor and glory, with the prophet lamenting that the crown is fallen from our head because of sin Lamentations 5:16.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help define the scope of honor and authority associated with a crown:

H5849 ʻâṭar (to encircle... especially to crown): The root verb from which H5850 is derived. It is used in the description of Solomon's coronation, where his mother crowned him with the crown Song of Solomon 3:11.
H8597 tiphʼârâh (ornament... beauty... glory): This word is often paired with H5850 to describe a "crown of glory." This combination appears in contexts of righteousness, such as the hoary head being a crown of glory Proverbs 16:31, and in prophetic promises of God's blessing Isaiah 62:3.
H4701 mitsnepheth (a tiara, i.e. official turban... diadem, mitre): This term for a priestly or royal turban is used alongside H5850 in Ezekiel's prophecy, which calls for the removal of the diadem and the taking off of the crown, signifying a major shift in authority Ezekiel 21:26.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H5850 is demonstrated through its use as a symbol of both human and divine glory.

Symbol of Blessing and Righteousness: The crown represents the fruit of a virtuous life. Grandchildren are the crown of old men Proverbs 17:6, and a hoary head is a crown of glory if found in the way of righteousness Proverbs 16:31. Conversely, losing the crown signifies judgment for sin Lamentations 5:16.
Royal and Priestly Authority: As a literal object, the crown denotes the authority of kings 1 Chronicles 20:2 and the high priest Zechariah 6:11. This authority is God-given and can be removed by Him, as seen when the command is given to "take off the crown" Ezekiel 21:26.
Divine Glory: The metaphor extends to God Himself, who is prophesied to be a crown of glory to His people Isaiah 28:5. His people, in turn, become a crown of glory in His hand, signifying their value to Him and His restoration of their honor Isaiah 62:3.

Summary

In summary, H5850 extends far beyond the literal headwear of a monarch. It serves as a powerful biblical symbol for honor, authority, and righteousness. From the tangible gold crown set on a king's head Psalms 21:3 to the metaphorical crown of a virtuous wife Proverbs 12:4, the word illustrates what is worthy of the highest respect. Ultimately, it points to the honor bestowed by God, who is Himself the ultimate crown of glory for His people.

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 noun across 23 occurrences, inflected in 3 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.

עֲטֶרֶת
עֲטָרוֹת
עֲטָרָה

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 23 verses across 12 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Proverbs (5 verses); never once in the other 27.

2 Samuel

1 Chronicles

Esther

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Song of Solomon

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Ezekiel

Zechariah

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.