Word Study for H615 (אָסִיר) | Strong's Concordance

ʼâçîyr /aw-sere'/ Ask about this word

Meaningbound, i.e. a captive

KJV usage(those which are) bound, prisoner.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼâçîyr — 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 ʼâçîyr, represented by H615, means bound, i.e. a captive or prisoner. It is derived from the word H631 ("to bind") and appears 12 times across 12 unique verses. This term is used to describe individuals in both literal, physical confinement and those in a state of metaphorical bondage or affliction.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narrative, H615 describes the literal confinement of Joseph, who was put into the prison where the king's prisoners were bound Genesis 39:20. He was later put in charge of all the prisoners in the prison Genesis 39:22. The term also depicts states of deep suffering, such as those who sit in darkness and are bound in affliction and iron Psalms 107:10. On the other hand, the status of a prisoner is frequently linked to divine deliverance. God hears the groaning of the prisoner Psalms 102:20 and does not despise his prisoners Psalms 69:33. In a powerful image of future restoration, God's people are called prisoners of hope Zechariah 9:12.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand on the experience of captivity and release:

H631 ʼâçar (to bind): As the root of H615, this word signifies the act of binding or imprisoning. It is used to describe how the king's prisoners were bound in the same prison as Joseph Genesis 39:20.
H1004 bayith (house): This common word is also used to denote a place of confinement like a prison or dungeon. In Joseph's story, he is held in the "house of the prison" Genesis 39:20. It is also used in Isaiah 14:17 to refer to the "house of his prisoners."
H6605 pâthach (to open, let go free): This term represents the act of liberation and stands in contrast to being bound. God acts to loose those appointed to death Psalms 102:20, while a wicked ruler is condemned because he opened not the house of his prisoners Isaiah 14:17.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H615 is centered on God's relationship with the afflicted and oppressed.

Divine Compassion: The state of the prisoner consistently highlights God's compassion. The LORD hears the poor and does not despise His prisoners Psalms 69:33. The sighing of the prisoner comes before God, who preserves those appointed to die by the greatness of His power Psalms 79:11.
Physical and Spiritual Bondage: The word illustrates both literal confinement, as with Joseph Genesis 39:22, and spiritual bondage. Job speaks of a place where prisoners rest together and no longer hear the voice of the oppressor Job 3:18, while the Psalms describe those bound in affliction Psalms 107:10.
Covenantal Redemption: The liberation of prisoners is directly linked to God's covenant. God promises to send forth His prisoners from the pit "by the blood of thy covenant" Zechariah 9:11. This transforms the captive's condition into one of expectation, creating "prisoners of hope" Zechariah 9:12.

Summary

In summary, ʼâçîyr H615 evolves from a literal description of a captive to a profound spiritual symbol. It portrays the depths of human suffering, from a physical prison Genesis 39:20 to a state of being bound in darkness Psalms 107:10. Ultimately, the word serves to illuminate God's character as a deliverer who hears the cries of the captive, acts with covenant faithfulness Zechariah 9:11, and offers hope to those in bondage.

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 noun across 11 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.

אֲסִירֵי
אֲסִירִים
אָסִיר

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 12 verses across 6 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (5 verses); never once in the other 33.

Genesis

Job

Psalms

Isaiah

Lamentations

Zechariah

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.