Lexical Summary satam: To bear a grudge, to hate, to oppose Original Word: שָׂטַם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance hate, oppose self against A primitive root; properly, to lurk for, i.e. Persecute -- hate, oppose self against. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to bear a grudge or cherish animosity against NASB Translation bear a grudge against (1), bears a grudge against (1), bore a grudge against (1), grudge against (3), harassed (1), hunted me down (1), persecute (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [שָׂטַם] verb bear a grudge, cherish animosity, against (Late Hebrew שָׂטַם Niph`al, ᵑ7 Genesis 27:41 שְׂטַם; perhaps akin to שׂטן q. v.); — Qal Imperfect3masculine singular וַיִּשְׁטֹם Genesis 27:41, 3masculine plural suffix יִשְׂטְמוּנִי Psalm 55:4, etc.; — cherish animosity against, accusative of person Genesis 27:41 (J), Genesis 49:23 (poem in J), Genesis 50:15 (E), + בְּאַף Psalm 55:4; of ׳י's persistent assaults on Job, Job 16:9; Job 30:21. Topical Lexicon Overview of the ConceptThe verb שָׂטַם traces a thread of clandestine malice—resentment that broods beneath the surface until it erupts in open hostility. Scripture employs the word sparingly yet strategically to expose the inner workings of hatred, the danger of unresolved offense, and the gracious antidote supplied by God’s redemptive purposes. Narrative Occurrences in Genesis 1. Genesis 27:41 introduces the term as Esau “bore a grudge against Jacob” after the loss of the firstborn blessing. What began as silent fury soon matured into murderous intent, forcing Jacob’s flight. The episode highlights how unconfessed bitterness threatens covenant continuity—and how divine promise prevails despite human animosity. 2. Genesis 49:23 recalls Joseph’s trials: “The archers attacked him; they shot at him and harassed him.” The verse compresses decades of hostility—from his brothers’ jealousy to Potiphar’s false accusation—into a single verb that captures relentless malice. Yet the very next lines (verses 24-25) celebrate God’s sustaining hand, underscoring that hidden hatred cannot thwart providence. 3. Genesis 50:15 shows the brothers’ guilty fear: “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us…?” Their anxiety reveals how long-nursed resentment poisons community even after apparent reconciliation. Joseph’s gracious reply (verse 20) models the gospel pattern of forgiveness overcoming vengeance. Wisdom and Poetic Witness 4. Job 16:9 pictures God as the apparent antagonist: “His anger has torn me and opposed me.” Job’s lament gives theological space for sufferers who feel targeted by heaven itself. Later revelation clarifies that God is not malevolent; nevertheless, the verse validates anguished perception and invites honest dialogue with the Almighty. 5. Job 30:21 parallels Job’s earlier cry: “You have turned on me ruthlessly.” The vocabulary of enmity intensifies Job’s plea for vindication, foreshadowing the mediator he longs for (Job 33:23-24) and ultimately fulfilled in Christ. 6. Psalm 55:3 describes foes who “bring down disaster upon me and revile me in their anger.” David’s psalm exposes the social dimension of shāṭam: hostility that uses words as weapons, spawning fear and flight (verse 6). The psalm resolves in confident petition—“Cast your burden on the LORD” (verse 22)—affirming divine refuge amid human rancor. Theological Reflections • Hidden animosity is a breach of both the first and second great commandments, for it withholds love from God’s image-bearers (Leviticus 19:17-18; 1 John 3:15). • Shāṭam underscores the Bible’s realism about sin’s inner roots. Actions spring from the heart; therefore, regeneration, not mere behavior modification, is essential (Ezekiel 36:26; Matthew 5:21-24). • God permits the exposure of secret grudges to showcase His reconciling grace: Esau is eventually reconciled to Jacob (Genesis 33), Joseph forgives his brothers (Genesis 50:19-21), and David casts his cares upon the Lord (Psalm 55:22). Ministry Implications 1. Pastoral Care: Help believers identify simmering resentment early. Encourage confession and restorative conversation before bitterness hardens (Ephesians 4:26-27, 31-32). 2. Reconciliation Ministry: Genesis narratives supply a template—honest acknowledgment of wrongdoing, a humble posture of repentance, and an explicit declaration of forgiveness grounded in God’s sovereignty. 3. Lament and Worship: Job and the Psalms legitimize bringing feelings of being “opposed” even by God into prayer. Such candor deepens, rather than diminishes, worship. Christological Trajectory Though shāṭam never appears in direct messianic prophecy, its theme of undeserved hostility culminates at the Cross. Jesus experiences the ultimate spite—“They hated Me without cause” (John 15:25 citing Psalm 69:4)—yet answers with intercession, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34). In Him, the cycle of grudge and retaliation is decisively broken. Contemporary Application • Personal discipleship: Conduct regular “heart audits” for latent spite. Where found, apply the gospel: repent, recall Christ’s forgiveness, seek peace. • Corporate life: Churches prone to factionalism must confront undercurrents of shāṭam. Biblical peacemaking—gentle confrontation, mutual confession, and Christ-centered forgiveness—protects unity (Philippians 2:1-4). • Cultural witness: A world steeped in outrage culture needs communities that choose reconciliation over recrimination, proving the gospel’s power to transform enemies into family. In six brief appearances, שָׂטַם unveils the peril of secret hate and the surpassing triumph of divine grace that uproots it. Forms and Transliterations וַֽיִּשְׂטְמֵ֗נִי וַֽיִּשְׂטְמֻ֖הוּ וַיִּשְׂטֹ֤ם וישטם וישטמהו וישטמני יִשְׂטְמֵ֖נוּ יִשְׂטְמֽוּנִי׃ ישטמוני׃ ישטמנו תִשְׂטְמֵֽנִי׃ תשטמני׃ ṯiś·ṭə·mê·nî tisteMeni ṯiśṭəmênî vaiyisteMeni vaiyisteMuhu vaiyisTom way·yiś·ṭə·mê·nî way·yiś·ṭə·mu·hū way·yiś·ṭōm wayyiśṭəmênî wayyiśṭəmuhū wayyiśṭōm yiś·ṭə·mê·nū yiś·ṭə·mū·nî yisteMenu yiśṭəmênū yisteMuni yiśṭəmūnîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 27:41 HEB: וַיִּשְׂטֹ֤ם עֵשָׂו֙ אֶֽת־ NAS: So Esau bore a grudge against Jacob KJV: And Esau hated Jacob because INT: bore Esau Jacob Genesis 49:23 Genesis 50:15 Job 16:9 Job 30:21 Psalm 55:3 6 Occurrences |
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