English · KJV
H6279

עָתַר

ʻâthar /aw-thar'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root (rather denominative from עֶתֶר)
Meaningto burn incense in worship, i.e. intercede (reciprocally, listen to prayer)
KJV usageintreat, (make) pray(-er).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʻâthar — 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 ʻâthar, represented by H6279, means to burn incense in worship, to intercede, or to be intreated. It appears 20 times across 19 unique verses in the Bible. Its definition highlights a reciprocal dynamic: both the act of making a plea and the act of God listening to that plea. The term signifies a successful petition that elicits a favorable response.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H6279 is used to describe specific, earnest prayers that are answered. It is used for a personal plea, as when Isaac intreated the Lord for his barren wife, and "the LORD was intreated of him" Genesis 25:21. It is also frequently used for intercession, such as when Pharaoh repeatedly asks Moses to intreat the Lord on his behalf to remove the plagues (Exodus 8:8, Exodus 9:28). The term can also carry national significance, as seen after David built an altar, and "the LORD was intreated for the land" 2 Samuel 24:25, stopping a plague.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the specific meaning of entreaty:

  • H6419 pâlal (to intercede, pray): This is a broader term for prayer. Its connection to H6279 is seen when Manasseh prayed to God, and as a result, God "was intreated of him" and heard his supplication 2 Chronicles 33:13.
  • H2199 zâʻaq (to shriek, cry out): This word denotes a desperate cry from anguish or danger. During a battle, the people "cried to God," and as a result, "he was intreated of them" because they trusted him 1 Chronicles 5:20.
  • H1245 bâqash (to search out, seek, request): This term describes the act of seeking or beseeching. In Ezra, the people fasted and "besought" God, leading to the outcome that "he was intreated of us" Ezra 8:23.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H6279 is significant, highlighting specific aspects of the relationship between God and humanity.

  • Reciprocal Communication: The word's usage in passages like Genesis 25:21, where Isaac intreated and the Lord "was intreated," underscores that prayer is a two-way interaction. It is not merely a human monologue but a plea that God actively receives and responds to.
  • Answered Intercession: The repeated requests from Pharaoh for Moses to intreat the Lord establish a clear biblical pattern of intercessory prayer, where one person stands in the gap to plead on behalf of another Exodus 8:29.
  • Divine Favor and Action: God being "intreated" is consistently linked to a positive, tangible outcome. This is seen when a prophecy of judgment against Egypt is paired with the promise that they will return to the Lord and "he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them" Isaiah 19:22.

Summary

In summary, H6279 is a precise term that moves beyond the general act of praying. It specifically captures the concept of a successful entreaty—a prayer or plea that is heard and favorably answered by God. Whether in the context of a personal need, an intercessor's cry, or a nation's repentance, ʻâthar signifies the powerful moment when a human petition is met with divine grace and action.

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 20 occurrences, inflected in 10 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.

  • יֵּעָתֵר
  • הַעְתִּירוּ
  • יֶּעְתַּר
  • הַעְתַּרְתִּי
  • אַעְתִּיר
  • תַּעְתִּיר
  • נֶעְתַּר
  • נַעְתּוֹר
  • הֵעָתֶר
  • יֶעְתַּר

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.

H6419 פָּלַל a primitive root; to judge (officially or mentally); by extension, to intercede, pray; intreat, judge(-ment), (make) pra H2199 זָעַק a primitive root; to shriek (from anguish or danger); by analogy, (as a herald) to announce or convene publicly; assembl H1245 בָּקַשׁ a primitive root; to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after; ask

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 19 verses across 9 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Exodus (8 verses); never once in the other 30.

1
Genesis
8
Exodus
1
Judges
2
2 Samuel
1
1 Chronicles
2
2 Chronicles
1
Ezra
2
Job
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.