אַסִּיר (as.sir)
as.sir
prisoner
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun asir refers to a person held in confinement, whether as a single captive or a collective group of prisoners. It appears in five biblical verses, with notable usage in Isaiah, Psalms, and 1 Chronicles. The word captures the physical reality of restriction and loss of liberty.
While it can denote an individual prisoner, the sources indicate it is often used collectively to describe groups of captives. This plural or collective sense highlights the communal experience of displacement and bondage found in these texts, rather than focusing on a single isolated case.
The term carries significant weight in prophetic literature, particularly in Isaiah, where it underscores themes of deliverance and restoration. By describing those held in chains, the word sets the stage for narratives of liberation, reminding readers that confinement is not the final state for those under divine care.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word asir describes a person held in confinement, whether as an individual captive or part of a larger group. It captures the heavy reality of lost liberty and physical restriction. In the biblical text, this term often highlights communal suffering rather than just isolated cases, reminding us that displacement is a shared human experience.
Yet this word also sets the stage for divine rescue. Prophetic literature, especially in Isaiah, uses asir to underscore themes of restoration. By describing those held in chains, the narrative points toward liberation. It serves as a reminder that confinement is not the final state for those under God's care, offering hope even in deep distress.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- prisoner[s]3×
- a prisoner1×
- [the] prisoner1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- אַסִּ֔יר2×
- אָ֫סִ֥יר1×
- אַסִּיר֙1×
- אַסִּ֔ר1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 42:7
to open the blind eyes, to bring the prisoners out of the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison.
This verse pairs the prisoner with the blind, showing that asir represents those trapped in darkness who need active deliverance.
-
Psalms 79:11
Let the sighing of the prisoner come before you. According to the greatness of your power, preserve those who are sentenced to death.
Here the prayer asks God to hear the sighing of the asir, linking the physical state of imprisonment with spiritual cry for preservation.
-
Isaiah 24:22
They will be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and will be shut up in the prison; and after many days they will be visited.
The text describes prisoners gathered in a pit, emphasizing the collective nature of judgment and the eventual visitation by God.