Word Study for H8327 (שָׁרַשׁ)

shârash /shaw-rash'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto root, i.e. strike into the soil, or (by implication) to pluck from it

KJV usage(take, cause to take) root (out).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of shârash — 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 shârash, represented by H8327, is a primitive root meaning to root. It appears 8 times across 8 unique verses in the Bible. The term carries a dual meaning, signifying both the act of striking into the soil to become established and the opposite action of being plucked from it.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical application, H8327 is used to illustrate divine blessing and judgment. In a positive sense, God promises that Jacob will take root, allowing Israel to blossom and fill the world with fruit Isaiah 27:6. Similarly, God is described as preparing room for his people, causing them to take deep root and fill the land Psalms 80:9. Conversely, the word depicts severe judgment, as God threatens to root out the wicked from the land of the living Psalms 52:5. The foolish may be seen taking root, but their habitation is suddenly cursed Job 5:3, and the unrighteous will not take root in the earth Isaiah 40:24.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the agricultural metaphor of being rooted:

H8328 sheresh (a root): This is the noun form of H8327 and refers to the root itself. It is used in Psalms 80:9 to emphasize the action of causing something to take deep root.
H5193 nâṭaʻ (to plant): This action often precedes taking root. In Isaiah 40:24, the unrighteous are described as those who will not be planted and thus not take root. The wicked in Jeremiah 12:2 are planted and have taken root, yet they are far from God.
H5255 nâçach (to pluck, root): This word describes the destructive counterpart to taking root. It is used alongside H8327 in Psalms 52:5, where God will pluck thee out and root thee out of the dwelling place.
H6524 pârach (to blossom, bud, flourish): This represents the positive outcome of taking root. In Isaiah 27:6, after Jacob is caused to take root, Israel will bud and blossom.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H8327 centers on the themes of divine establishment and judgment.

Establishment and Fruitfulness: Taking root is a direct result of God's favor, leading to stability, growth, and fruitfulness for His people (Isaiah 27:6, Psalms 80:9). It signifies a secure and blessed existence under His provision.
Divine Judgment: To be "rooted out" is a metaphor for complete removal and destruction. This judgment is applied to the wicked Psalms 52:5 and serves as a curse for sin, affecting one's offspring and increase (Job 31:8, Job 31:12).
The Deception of Wickedness: Scripture acknowledges that the wicked may appear to prosper and take root (Jeremiah 12:2, Job 5:3). However, this rootedness is ultimately false or temporary, as their hearts are far from God and their end is destruction Isaiah 40:24.

Summary

In summary, H8327 is a vivid verb that conveys profound truths about security and peril. It illustrates that true, lasting rootedness is a divine gift that results in life and blessing, while the act of being rooted out signifies a final and decisive judgment. The word serves as a powerful reminder that spiritual stability is dependent on God's favor, not merely on outward appearances of success.

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 8 occurrences, inflected in 8 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Hiphil Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Singular Feminine 1×
Hiphil Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Hiphil Participle Singular Masculine Absolute 1×
Piel Consecutive Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Piel Imperfect 3rd Singular Feminine 1×
Piel Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Pual Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 1×
Pual Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 1×

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
common gender: Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Piel: The intensive stem — strengthened or emphatic action.
Pual: The passive of the intensive (Piel) stem.
Hiphil: The causative stem — the subject causes the action.
Consecutive Imperfect: Imperfect with vav — carries narrative forward ("and he…").
Consecutive Perfect: Perfect with vav — continues a sequence into the future.
Absolute: The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).

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 8 verses across 4 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Job (3 verses); never once in the other 35.

Job

Psalms

Isaiah

Jeremiah

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, 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.