Word Study for H612 (אֵסוּר) | Strong's Concordance

ʼêçûwr /ay-soor'/ Ask about this word

Meaninga bond (especially manacles of a prisoner)

KJV usageband

Idioms & phrasesphrase prison.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼêçûwr — 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 ʼêçûwr, represented by H612, means a bond (especially manacles of a prisoner); band, [phrase] prison. A derivative of the word אָסַר, it appears 3 times across 3 unique verses. It describes both physical restraints and places of confinement.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H612 is used in a few distinct ways. It describes the physical restraints on Samson, whose bands were loosed from his hands when the Spirit of the LORD came upon him Judges 15:14. It is also used metaphorically in Ecclesiastes, which warns of a woman whose hands are "as bands," entrapping the sinner Ecclesiastes 7:26. Finally, it can refer to a location of confinement, as when the prophet Jeremiah was put in prison by the princes of Judah Jeremiah 37:15.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the concept of being bound or confined:

H5688 ʻăbôth (something intwined, i.e. a string, wreath or foliage; band, cord, rope, thick bough (branch), wreathen (chain)): This word is used for the "cords" on Samson's arms that were broken along with his bands Judges 15:14, and elsewhere describes a "rope" used to draw sin Isaiah 5:18.
H4685 mâtsôwd (a net (for capturing animals or fishes); a fastness or (beseiging) tower; bulwark, hold, munition, net, snare): In Ecclesiastes, this word for "snares" is used alongside H612 to describe the entrapping nature of a dangerous woman's heart Ecclesiastes 7:26.
H2764 chêrem (a net (either literally or figuratively); usually a doomed object; abstractly extermination; (ac-) curse(-d, -d thing), dedicated thing, things which should have been utterly destroyed, (appointed to) utter destruction, devoted (thing), net.): This term for "nets" is also used in the description of the woman in Ecclesiastes 7:26, linking the idea of being bound with being caught or cursed.
H3608 keleʼ (a prison; prison.): This word is used in direct parallel with H612 when Jeremiah is put in prison, clarifying that the house of Jonathan had been made "the prison" Jeremiah 37:15.

Theological Significance

The significance of H612 is found in its portrayal of bondage and deliverance.

Literal and Figurative Restraint: The word is applied to both physical manacles, like those on Samson Judges 15:14, and the metaphorical "bands" of a woman whose influence ensnares a sinner Ecclesiastes 7:26.
Confinement and Persecution: It is used to denote a place of official punishment, where Jeremiah was held by the princes who were angry with him Jeremiah 37:15.
Divine Liberation: The story of Samson powerfully illustrates that bonds represented by H612 can be broken by the Spirit of the LORD Judges 15:14. Similarly, the one who pleases God can escape the metaphorical bands described in Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes 7:26.

Summary

In summary, H612 is a specific term for band or prison that carries significant weight despite its infrequent use. It illustrates the reality of physical bondage, such as Samson's chains or Jeremiah's imprisonment, as well as the spiritual danger of being ensnared by sin. Ultimately, the use of ʼêçûwr in Scripture highlights a key theme: while humans and sin can impose bonds, divine power provides a means of escape and liberation.

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 3 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.

אֲסוּרִים
אֱסוּרָי
אֵסוּר

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 3 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Judges, Ecclesiastes, and Jeremiah (1 verse each); never once in the other 36.

Judges

Ecclesiastes

Jeremiah

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.