### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **sâthar**, represented by `{{H8368}}`, is a primitive root defined as **to break out (as an eruption); have in (one's) secret parts**. This highly specific term is exceptionally rare, appearing only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** within the entire biblical text. Its singular usage points to a very particular and graphic event.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{H8368}}` is in [[1 Samuel 5:9]], which describes a divine plague. After the Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant and carried it about, the "hand of the LORD" `{{H3068}}` was against their city with a "very great destruction" `{{H4103}}`. The scripture states that God "smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their **secret parts**" [[1 Samuel 5:9]]. Here, `{{H8368}}` provides a vivid detail of the physical judgment inflicted upon the people.
### Related Words & Concepts
The context of this word's single use links it directly to other terms describing divine judgment:
* `{{H5221}}` **nâkâh** (to strike, smite): This verb describes God's direct action. He **smote** the men of the city, which resulted in the affliction described by `{{H8368}}`.
* `{{H2914}}` **ṭᵉchôr** (emerod): This word specifies the nature of the ailment as a boil or ulcer. The text pairs it directly with `{{H8368}}` to clarify that these **emerods** broke out in the people's **secret parts** [[1 Samuel 5:9]].
* `{{H4103}}` **mᵉhûwmâh** (destruction, vexation, tumult): This word establishes the broader context of chaos and ruin brought by God's judgment. The affliction was part of a "very great **destruction**" upon the city [[1 Samuel 5:9]].
* `{{H3027}}` **yâd** (hand): This term is used to denote God's power and direct intervention, as "the **hand** of the LORD was against the city" [[1 Samuel 5:9]], causing the plague.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H8368}}` is tied entirely to its unique appearance as an instrument of divine judgment.
* **Specificity of Judgment:** The use of `{{H8368}}` demonstrates that God's judgment can be intensely specific and physical, targeting the body's "secret parts" in a humiliating and painful manner [[1 Samuel 5:9]].
* **Divine Sovereignty:** The event shows the absolute power of the "hand of the LORD" `{{H3027}}` over human bodies, inflicting a plague that could not be stopped [[1 Samuel 5:9]].
* **Consequences of Irreverence:** The affliction described is a direct consequence of the Philistines' mishandling of the holy Ark of the Covenant. The use of this word underscores the severe physical outcome of treating sacred things with contempt.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H8368}}` is a powerful and graphic word whose meaning is confined to a single, dramatic event of divine retribution. Though used only once, **sâthar** illustrates the personal, physical, and severe nature of God's judgment when His holiness is violated. It serves as a stark reminder of the consequences that befell the men of the city when the "hand of the LORD" brought destruction upon them [[1 Samuel 5:9]].
TRV