English · KJV
H8317

שָׁרַץ

shârats /shaw-rats'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto wriggle, i.e. (by implication) swarm or abound
KJV usagebreed (bring forth, increase) abundantly (in abundance), creep, move.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of shârats — 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 shârats, represented by H8317, is a primitive root used to describe a wriggling or swarming motion. It conveys the idea of something that swarms, abounds, or breeds and increases abundantly. This term, which appears 16 times in 14 unique verses, is often associated with teeming, active life, whether in water or on land.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H8317 is used to describe key moments of creation and population growth. During creation, God commands the waters to "bring forth abundantly" H8317 with living creatures Genesis 1:20-21. After the flood, Noah's family and the animals are instructed to "breed abundantly" H8317 and multiply on the earth (Genesis 8:17, Genesis 9:7). The word is also used to describe the rapid population growth of the Israelites in Egypt, who "increased abundantly" H8317 Exodus 1:7. Conversely, it can illustrate an overwhelming force, such as when the land of Egypt "brought forth" H8317 frogs during the plague Psalms 105:30.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help define the scope of swarming and abundant life:

  • H8318 sherets (creep[-ing thing], move[-ing creature]): This is the noun form of H8317, referring to the "active mass of minute animals" themselves. It is used for the "moving creature" from the waters in creation Genesis 1:20 and the "creeping things" on the earth Leviticus 11:29.
  • H7430 râmas (creep, move): A similar verb meaning to glide or crawl, often used in parallel with H8317 to describe the movement of land animals and creeping things Genesis 7:21.
  • H6509 pârâh (be fruitful, grow, increase): Often appears alongside H8317 in divine commands to be "fruitful" and multiply, signifying a blessing of growth (Genesis 8:17, Exodus 1:7).
  • H7235 râbâh (increase, multiply): Another term used to emphasize abundance, frequently paired with H8317 to describe the multiplication of Israel Exodus 1:7 or the command to populate the earth Genesis 9:7.
  • H2416 chay (life, living thing): This word describes the state of the creatures that H8317 brings forth, such as the "moving creature that hath life" Genesis 1:20.
  • H5315 nephesh (creature, soul, life): This term denotes a "breathing creature" and is used to describe the kind of life with which the waters were to swarm Genesis 1:20.

Theological Significance

The use of H8317 carries significant thematic weight, particularly concerning divine power and purity.

  • The Blessing of Abundance: The word is fundamentally tied to God's creative power and his blessing of fertility. It is part of the initial mandate for life to fill the waters Genesis 1:20 and the earth Genesis 8:17, and it describes the fulfillment of God's promise to Israel Exodus 1:7.
  • Life from the Waters: A recurring theme is teeming life emerging from water. This is seen positively in the creation account Genesis 1:20 and in Ezekiel's vision of a life-giving river from the temple Ezekiel 47:9, and negatively in the plague of frogs emerging from the Nile Exodus 8:3.
  • Distinction and Purity: While abundance is often a blessing, H8317 is also used to define creatures that "creep" upon the earth, which are designated as an abomination or unclean under Levitical law (Leviticus 11:41, Leviticus 11:43). This creates a distinction between the blessed, teeming life of the sea and certain forms of swarming creatures on land.

Summary

In summary, H8317 shârats is a dynamic word that captures the essence of swarming, teeming, and abundant life. It represents both a foundational aspect of God's creative blessing and a descriptor for creatures that are to be set apart under the law. From the blessed abundance of creation to the overwhelming swarms of judgment, the word illustrates how the same concept of teeming life can have vastly different meanings depending on its context.

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 14 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.

  • שֹּׁרֵץ
  • יִּשְׁרְצוּ
  • שָׁרְצוּ
  • שָׁרַץ
  • שִׁרְצוּ
  • יִשְׁרְצוּ
  • יִשְׁרֹץ
  • שֹּׁרֶצֶת
  • שָׁרְצוּ
  • שָׁרַץ

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.

H8318 שֶׁרֶץ from שָׁרַץ; a swarm, i.e. active mass of minute animals; creep(-ing thing), move(-ing creature). H7430 רָמַשׂ a primitive root; properly, to glide swiftly, i.e. to crawl or move with short steps; by analogy to swarm; creep, move. H6509 פָּרָה a primitive root; to bear fruit (literally or figuratively); bear, bring forth (fruit), (be, cause to be, make) fruitful H7235 רָבָה a primitive root; to increase (in whatever respect); (bring in) abundance ([idiom] -antly), [phrase] archer (by mistake H2416 חַי from חָיָה; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine sin H5315 נֶפֶשׁ from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accomm

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 14 verses across 5 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Genesis and Leviticus (5 verses each); never once in the other 34.

5
Genesis
2
Exodus
5
Leviticus
1
Psalms
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.