Lexical Summary sharah: To sing, to chant Original Word: שָׁרָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance direct A primitive root; to free -- direct. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to let loose NASB Translation lets it loose (1), set you free (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [שָׁרָה] verb let loose (Late Hebrew id., dissolve; Assyrian šarû, Pi`el open (building, for use), dedicate it; tašrîtu, dedication; Oaram. שרה loose, so Aramaic שְׁרָא,  ; Ethiopic  remit, condone); — Qal Imperfect3masculine singular suffix יִשְׁרֵ֫הוּ Job 37:3 he (God) lets it loose (i.e. the thunder). Pi`el Perfect1singular suffix שֵׁרִיתִ֫ךָ Jeremiah 15:11 Qr I will set thee free (compare Jeremiah 40:4 ᵑ7 ᵑ6), but dubious; Kt שרותך (i.e. שָָׁרוֺתִךָ, √ שׁרר), Thes Gie I vex thee [שָׁרַר = צָרַר, very dubious]; Ew and others RV strengthen thee; this yields best sense, but as Aramaic שׁרר is intransitive, read then שֵׁרַרְתִּךָ or הֲשֵׁרוֺתִךָ, Dr; Jerome Rabb read שֵׁרִיתְךָ = שְׁאֵרִיתְךָ thy remnant (AV). II. שׁרה (√ of following; compare Arabic Topical Lexicon OverviewThe form שָׁרָה stands behind a small yet weighty family of Hebrew verbs that picture intense engagement—striving that ends in blessing, and loosening that ends in freedom. Although this exact spelling is absent from the Masoretic Text, its cognates frame decisive moments in salvation history and shape the self-understanding of God’s covenant people. Root and Kindred Expressions • Genesis 32:28 employs a cognate when the mysterious Wrestler tells Jacob, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed”. These paired nuances—contending and releasing—together portray earnest faith that clings to God and, by doing so, experiences liberation. Historical Significance 1. Birth of a Nation’s Name At Peniel Jacob receives both a limp and a new name. The nation that descends from him carries the memory of wrestling with God into every generation, reinforcing that covenant privilege is inseparable from persevering faith. 2. Prophetic Call to Repentance Hosea cites the same episode to confront eighth-century Israel’s complacency. By invoking Jacob’s struggle, the prophet demands heartfelt return, not ritual formality. 3. Exodus-Shaped Freedom Isaiah applies the root’s “loosening” element to social justice. The prophetic vision insists that worship without deliverance of the oppressed is hollow. Theological Themes • Persevering Prayer Jacob’s night vigil models intercession that refuses to let go (compare Luke 18:1-8). The Wrestler wounds before He blesses, underscoring grace that humbles and heals. Physical and spiritual chains fall when God’s people appropriate the freedom implicit in the root (see also Luke 4:18). New Testament Resonance • Jesus urges, “Strive to enter through the narrow door” (Luke 13:24), echoing the call to holy struggle. Implications for Ministry 1. Intercessory Leadership Pastors and prayer leaders guide congregations into tenacious petition, confident that wrestling ends in blessing. Suffering saints are shown that God sometimes wounds in order to rename and renew. The gospel both frees individuals from sin and propels the church toward works that “undo the ropes of the yoke” (Isaiah 58:6). Illustrative Passages for Study Genesis 32:24-30; Hosea 12:3-6; Isaiah 58:6; Luke 13:24; Colossians 4:12. Personal Application Believers are invited to embrace the paradox of שָׁרָה—clinging to God with relentless faith while releasing every burden into His sovereign hands. This posture of wrestling-and-resting marks the true Israel of God and prepares the church to walk in the fullness of His blessing and freedom. Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance wə·šê·rê·ḇə·yāh — 2 Occ.haš·šar·ḇîṭ — 1 Occ. šar·ḇîṭ — 3 Occ. yə·śō·rā·ḡū — 1 Occ. yiś·tā·rə·ḡū — 1 Occ. śā·rə·ḏū — 1 Occ. haś·śə·rāḏ — 3 Occ. śə·rāḏ — 1 Occ. ḇaś·śe·reḏ — 1 Occ. śā·rāh — 1 Occ. śā·rā·ṯî — 1 Occ. śā·rō·wṯ — 2 Occ. śā·rō·w·ṯe·hā — 1 Occ. wə·śā·rō·w·ṯê·hem — 1 Occ. lə·śā·rāh — 4 Occ. śā·rāh — 29 Occ. ū·lə·śā·rāh — 2 Occ. wə·śā·rāh — 3 Occ. ḇə·šā·rō·w·ṯe·hā — 1 Occ. wə·haš·šê·rō·wṯ — 1 Occ. |
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be moist; Aramaic תְּרָא, 
id.; 
grape-juice; Late Hebrew שָׁרָא soften, dissolve; whence following properly = moisture (DiNu Dr§ 178 PatersonNu Hpt GrayNu), and so Assyrian mešru, succulence (HptPaterson Nu)).