### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **sheresh**, represented by `{{H8328}}`, literally means **root**. It appears **33 times** across **32 unique verses** in the Bible. While often referring to the physical root of a tree or plant, it is used extensively in a figurative sense to denote a source, foundation, lineage, or the very core of a matter. Its meaning also extends to "bottom" or "heel."
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical texts, `{{H8328}}` is used to illustrate concepts of both stability and destruction. A person who trusts in God is described as a tree whose **roots** spread out by the water, remaining green and fruitful even in a drought [[Jeremiah 17:8]]. Conversely, divine judgment is often depicted as the destruction of a people's **root**, ensuring they cannot recover, as when God promises to leave the wicked "neither **root** nor branch" [[Malachi 4:1]]. The word is also central to messianic prophecy, with the "root of Jesse" signifying the promised descendant who will be an ensign to the nations [[Isaiah 11:10]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help illustrate the full scope of `{{H8328}}`:
* `{{H1503}}` **gezaʻ** (stem, stock): This word often appears alongside **sheresh** to describe the full structure of a tree or lineage. In [[Isaiah 11:1]], a rod comes from the **stem** of Jesse, while a branch grows from his **roots**.
* `{{H6529}}` **pᵉrîy** (fruit): As the visible outcome of a plant's health, **pᵉrîy** is the natural counterpart to **sheresh**. This is seen in warnings of total destruction, where God destroys the **fruit** from above and the **roots** from beneath [[Amos 2:9]].
* `{{H5342}}` **nêtser** (branch): This term for a shoot or descendant frequently connects back to its source, the root. A messianic figure is described as a **Branch** that will grow out of Jesse's **roots** [[Isaiah 11:1]].
* `{{H3001}}` **yâbêsh** (to dry up, wither): This verb describes what happens when a root is cut off from its source of life. The wicked are threatened that their **root** will be **dried up** ([[Job 18:16]], [[Hosea 9:16]]).
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H8328}}` is significant, highlighting several key principles:
* **Stability and Righteousness:** The root is a metaphor for a person's foundational trust. "The **root** of the righteous shall not be moved" [[Proverbs 12:3]], signifying unshakeable faith and stability.
* **Source of Posterity:** The term establishes lineage and origin. The "root of Jesse" is the ancestral source of the Davidic line and the Messiah [[Isaiah 11:1]]. In a negative sense, a serpent's **root** can bring forth a cockatrice, showing that a corrupt source yields corrupt descendants [[Isaiah 14:29]].
* **Total Judgment:** Divine judgment is often expressed as the complete eradication of a person or nation, from the visible branches down to the hidden **root** [[Malachi 4:1]]. A root that becomes like "rottenness" ensures the entire plant will perish [[Isaiah 5:24]].
* **Origin of Corruption:** The word can also describe the origin of sin and apostasy within a community, as seen in the warning against having a "**root** that beareth gall and wormwood" [[Deuteronomy 29:18]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H8328}}` is a foundational word in scripture that carries deep symbolic meaning. It moves beyond its literal botanical sense to represent the unseen source of life, stability, and lineage. Whether referring to the unwavering foundation of the righteous or the corrupt origin of wickedness, **sheresh** illustrates the profound biblical principle that the nature of the root determines the ultimate fate of the entire being.
TRV