Word Study for H6282 (עָתָר) | Strong's Concordance

ʻâthâr /aw-thawr'/ Ask about this word

Meaningalso compare עָתַר; incense (as increasing to a volume of smoke); hence a worshipper

KJV usagesuppliant, thick.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʻâthâr — 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 ʻâthâr, represented by H6282, carries a meaning related to worship and physical volume. It is defined as incense (as increasing to a volume of smoke), and by extension, a worshipper, suppliant, or thick. Appearing only 2 times in 2 unique verses, its specific usage offers insight into the nature of religious devotion.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical occurrences, H6282 is used in two different ways. In Zephaniah 3:10, it is translated as "suppliants," referring to the dispersed people of God who will be brought from beyond Ethiopia to present an offering. This usage identifies the worshippers themselves. In contrast, Ezekiel 8:11 uses the word as "thick" to describe the volume of a cloud of incense that went up from the censers held by the elders of Israel who were engaging in idolatry.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help frame the context of H6282:

H2986 yâbal (bring): This verb, meaning to bring or lead forth, describes the action of the "suppliants" in Zephaniah 3:10, highlighting their purposeful return to God with an offering.
H7004 qᵉṭôreth (incense): This word for incense or perfume is the substance that produces the "thick" H6282 cloud in Ezekiel 8:11, directly linking H6282 to the tangible act of offering.
H6051 ʻânân (cloud): Defined as a cloud, this word is modified by H6282 in Ezekiel 8:11, where together they form the image of a "thick cloud," emphasizing the sheer amount of incense being offered.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H6282 is found in its contrasting applications. It demonstrates how a sign of devotion can be either righteous or profane.

Promise of Restored Worship: In Zephaniah, the "suppliants" H6282 are part of a prophecy of restoration. God's dispersed people will be gathered and will once again bring a proper offering H4503 to Him Zephaniah 3:10.
Evidence of Idolatry: In Ezekiel's vision, the "thick" H6282 cloud is a sign of deep-seated sin. The great volume of incense H7004 symbolizes the extensive idolatry being practiced by the ancients H2205 of the house H1004 of Israel H3478 Ezekiel 8:11.
The Nature of Devotion: The word illustrates that a great volume of worship—whether from a person or an offering—is significant. Its value is determined entirely by whether it is directed toward God or toward idols.

Summary

In summary, H6282 is a rare but potent term that encapsulates the physical and personal aspects of worship. Its dual use as both "suppliant" and "thick" creates a powerful theological comparison. It contrasts the future hope of a restored people faithfully bringing offerings with the present reality of leaders engaging in profound idolatry, showing that the nature of devotion is defined by its object.

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 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.

עֲתָרַ
עֲתַר

Related Words

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.

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 Ezekiel and Zephaniah (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Ezekiel

Zephaniah

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.