English · KJV
H7936

שָׂכַר

sâkar /saw-kar'/ Ask about this word
Rootor (by permutation) סָכַר
Meaning(Ezra 4:5), a primitive root (apparently akin (by prosthesis) to כָּרָה through the idea of temporary purchase; compare שָׁכַר); to hire
KJV usageearn wages, hire (out self), reward
Idioms & phrasesidiom surely.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of sâkar — 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 sâkar, represented by H7936, means to hire. It appears 21 times across 18 unique verses in the Bible. Its meaning extends beyond a simple transaction to include earning wages, being hired for a task, receiving a reward, or being used idiomatically to mean "surely."

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H7936 is frequently used in the context of hiring for military or political purposes. The children of Ammon hired Syrian mercenaries to fight against David 2 Samuel 10:6. This is also seen when they sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia 1 Chronicles 19:6. The word can also describe obtaining services for corrupt ends, such as when Tobiah and Sanballat hired someone to pronounce a false prophecy against Nehemiah Nehemiah 6:12. In a context of futility, it describes those who earneth wages only to put them into a bag with holes, signifying labor without God's blessing Haggai 1:6.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of hiring, its purpose, and its outcome:

  • H7043 qâlal (curse): This word describes the intended outcome of hiring Balaam, who was paid to curse the children of Israel (Deuteronomy 23:4, Nehemiah 13:2).
  • H2015 hâphak (to turn about or over): This demonstrates God's sovereignty over a hired transaction. Though Balaam was hired to curse, God turned the curse into a blessing Nehemiah 13:2.
  • H2318 châdash (to rebuild; renew, repair): This shows a positive use of hiring, where masons and carpenters were hired to repair the house of the LORD 2 Chronicles 24:12.
  • H2398 châṭâʼ (to miss; to sin): A man was hired so that Nehemiah would be afraid, sin, and give his enemies a reason to reproach him Nehemiah 6:13.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7936 is seen in several key principles.

  • Consequences of Human Schemes: The act of hiring often initiates a plan with significant moral consequences. Abimelech hired vain and light persons to follow him Judges 9:4, and opponents of the returning exiles hired counselors to frustrate their purpose Ezra 4:5.
  • Divine Reversal: Scripture shows that human efforts to hire agents for evil can be overturned by God. The plan to hire Balaam to curse Israel failed when God turned the intended curse into a blessing, demonstrating His ultimate authority Nehemiah 13:2.
  • Principle of Reward and Futility: The concept of earning wages is tied to divine blessing. Labor without God's favor is portrayed as earning wages that are immediately lost Haggai 1:6. The term is also used when God rewardeth the fool and transgressors, linking payment to consequence Proverbs 26:10.

Summary

In summary, H7936 moves beyond a simple economic term. It illustrates the use of resources to achieve a goal, whether it is constructive, like repairing the temple, or destructive, like hiring armies or false prophets. It serves as a powerful illustration of the conflict between human plans and divine sovereignty, showing that while people may be hired to carry out a certain task, God's will ultimately prevails.

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 21 occurrences, inflected in 12 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.

  • יִּשְׂכֹּר
  • שָׂכַר
  • מִּשְׂתַּכֵּר
  • יִּשְׂכְּרוּ
  • שֹׂכְרִים
  • שֹׂכֵר
  • נִשְׂכָּרוּ
  • יִשְׂכְּרוּ
  • שָׂכֹר
  • שְׂכֹּר
  • שָׂכוּר
  • שְׂכַרְתִּי

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.

H7043 קָלַל a primitive root; to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling H2015 הָפַךְ a primitive root; to turn about or over; by implication, to change, overturn, return, pervert; [idiom] become, change, c H2318 חָדַשׁ a primitive root; to be new; causatively, to rebuild; renew, repair. H2398 חָטָא a primitive root; properly, to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference, to forfeit, lack, expiate,

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 18 verses across 13 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Nehemiah (3 verses); never once in the other 26.

1
Genesis
1
Deuteronomy
2
Judges
1
1 Samuel
1
2 Samuel
1
2 Kings
2
1 Chronicles
2
2 Chronicles
1
Ezra
3
Nehemiah
1
Proverbs
1
Isaiah
1
Haggai

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.