English · KJV
H7788

שׁוּר

shûwr /shoor/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningproperly, to turn, i.e. travel about (as a harlot or a merchant)
KJV usagego, singular See also שִׁיר.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of shûwr — 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 shûwr, represented by H7788, is a primitive root with the core meaning to turn or travel about. It appears 2 times across 2 unique verses, where it carries the sense of going about for a specific purpose, such as a merchant or a harlot would.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The two uses of H7788 present a sharp contrast in context. In Isaiah, it depicts a negative spiritual journey, where one "wentest H7788 to the king H4428 with ointment H8081" and perfumes, ultimately leading to self-debasement "even unto hell H7585" Isaiah 57:9. In Ezekiel, the word is used in the context of prosperous international trade, where "The ships H591 of Tarshish H8659 did sing H7788 of thee in thy market H4627," contributing to a city being "replenished H4390, and made very H3966 glorious H3513" Ezekiel 27:25.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words from its contexts help clarify its meaning:

  • H591 ʼŏnîyâh (a ship): This word identifies the vessel used for the commercial traveling described in Ezekiel's prophecy, directly linking H7788 to maritime trade Ezekiel 27:25.
  • H4627 maʻărâb (traffic; by implication, mercantile goods; market): This term establishes the setting for the travel in Ezekiel as one of commerce and merchandise, highlighting the "merchant" aspect of the definition of H7788.
  • H8213 shâphêl (to depress or sink... to humiliate): In contrast, this word reveals the outcome of the journey in Isaiah, where the traveling about is an act that will "abase" or bring one low Isaiah 57:9.
  • H7585 shᵉʼôwl (Hades or the world of the dead... grave, hell, pit): This specifies the ultimate destination of the debased journey in Isaiah, showing that this type of "going about" leads to separation and the grave Isaiah 57:9.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7788 is demonstrated through its two contrasting applications, illustrating the significance of the direction and purpose of one's journey.

  • Journeys of Spiritual Unfaithfulness: As seen in Isaiah, the act of "going about" can represent a departure from God to seek alliances with worldly powers. This travel, marked by idolatrous overtures, results in spiritual humiliation and degradation Isaiah 57:9.
  • The Glory and Peril of Worldly Commerce: In Ezekiel, the word is associated with the bustling activity that brings wealth and glory. The "ships of Tarshish" traveling in the market represent the height of human achievement and trade. However, this glory is centered "in the midst of the seas H3220," a symbol of worldly power that is ultimately fleeting Ezekiel 27:25.

Summary

In summary, H7788 is a rare but potent verb for "traveling about." Its two biblical appearances powerfully contrast a journey of spiritual unfaithfulness that leads to debasement and death with a journey of worldly commerce that leads to great material glory. The word shûwr thereby serves as a reminder that the nature and destination of one's pursuits carry profound and divergent consequences.

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.

  • תָּשֻׁרִי
  • תָּשׁוּרִי
  • שָׁרוֹתַיִ

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.

H4428 מֶלֶךְ from מָלַךְ; a king; king, royal. H8081 שֶׁמֶן from שָׁמַן; grease, especially liquid (as from the olive, often perfumed); figuratively, richness; anointing, [idiom] f H7585 שְׁאוֹל or שְׁאֹל; from שָׁאַל; Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inm H591 אֳנִיָּה feminine of אֳנִי; a ship; ship(-men). H8659 תַּרְשִׁישׁ probably the same as תַּרְשִׁישׁ (as the region of the stone, or the reverse); Tarshish, a place on the Mediterranean, h H4627 מַעֲרָב from עָרַב, in the sense of trading; traffic; by implication, mercantile goods; market, merchandise.

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

1
Isaiah
1
Ezekiel

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.