Word Study for H7753 (שׂוּךְ)

sûwk /sook/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto entwine, i.e. shut in (for formation, protection or restraint)

KJV usagefence, (make an) hedge (up).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of sûwk — 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 sûwk, represented by H7753, is a primitive root meaning to entwine or shut in. It appears only 3 times in 3 unique verses. Its core definition encompasses the ideas of formation, protection, or restraint, often translated as to fence or make a hedge up.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The uses of H7753 in scripture illustrate its distinct applications. In Job, it describes God's divine protection, with Satan questioning if God has not made an hedge about Job and all that he possesses Job 1:10. The same word is used by Job to describe his own physical creation, noting how God has fenced him with bones and sinews Job 10:11. In a contrasting context, God uses the term to signify restraint and judgment, vowing to hedge up Israel's path with thorns to prevent her from pursuing her sinful ways Hosea 2:6.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning and context of H7753:

H1157 bᵉʻad (about, at by, for, over, through): This preposition is used alongside H7753 in Job 1:10 to specify the subject of the protective hedge, indicating it was placed about him and his house.
H1447 gâdêr (fence, hedge, wall): This noun often describes the result of the action of H7753. In Hosea 2:6, God promises to "hedge up" the way and also "make a wall," showing a parallel between the verb and the resulting noun.
H5518 çîyr (pot; also a thorn): This word provides the material for the hedge of restraint in Hosea 2:6, where God declares He will hedge up the path with thorns.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7753 is seen in its portrayal of God's direct actions toward humanity.

Divine Protection: The word is used to describe the providential care God provides for the righteous. In Job's case, this "hedge" was a barrier against harm and a source of blessing Job 1:10.
Sovereign Formation: H7753 is applied to the very act of creation, where God's "fencing" a person with bones and sinews illustrates His intimate and powerful role as the author of life Job 10:11.
Corrective Judgment: The concept of a hedge is also used to illustrate divine discipline. God hedges the path of the wayward, not to destroy, but to restrain and redirect them from self-destructive choices Hosea 2:6.

Summary

In summary, H7753 is a concise but potent verb that demonstrates God's sovereignty. Though rare, its three appearances powerfully convey His ability to protect, to create, and to restrain. It shows how a single concept of "fencing in" can apply to the blessing of the righteous, the physical formation of a human body, and the corrective discipline of a nation.

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 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.

תְּסֹכְכֵ
שָׂךְ
שַׂכְתָּ

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 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Job (2 verses); never once in the other 37.

Job

Hosea

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.