סִיר (sir)
sir
pot; thorn
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 21 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun sir refers primarily to a cooking pot, a common household utensil used for boiling food. In the Old Testament, it appears in contexts describing daily life and temple rituals, such as when Jeremiah warns that disaster will boil out of Jerusalem like water in a pot (Jeremiah 1:13). It also denotes specific vessels used in the temple service, highlighting its role in both domestic and sacred settings.
Less commonly, the word can mean a thorn or hook, likely referring to the curved shape of certain plant brambles. This dual meaning is rare but shows how ancient vocabulary often linked everyday objects with natural imagery through shared physical characteristics. The sources note this usage occurs alongside the more frequent "pot" sense, though it remains a minor definition in most biblical passages.
With twenty-one occurrences across books like Jeremiah and Kings, sir grounds readers in the tangible realities of ancient Israelite life. Whether describing a pot on a fire or a thorn in the path, the word connects spiritual messages to familiar objects, making divine warnings and promises feel immediate and real.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sir describes a cooking pot, an everyday item in ancient Israel. It appears in stories about temple worship and simple family meals. This reminds us that God cares about ordinary life. He is present in the kitchen as much as in the sanctuary.
Jeremiah uses this image to show how trouble spreads quickly from Jerusalem. Yet Elisha also uses a pot to bring healing to hungry prophets. These stories show that our daily struggles and routines are seen by God. He brings both warning and restoration through familiar things.
Your faith grows in these small moments. God meets you where you are, whether in hardship or in simple service.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 21 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ pots8×
- the/ pot3×
- in the/ pot2×
- [the] pot of2×
- with/ hooks of1×
- thorns1×
- pots/ its1×
- pot1×
- in <the>/ pots1×
- a pot1×
- [is] in the/ pot1×
- <the>/ thorns1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- סִּֽירֹתָי/ו֙1×
- סִירִ֔ים1×
- סִ֨יר1×
- סִ֥יר1×
- סִ֤יר1×
- סִ֣יר1×
- הַ֨/סִּיר֔וֹת1×
- הַ֠/סִּרוֹת1×
- הַ֠/סִּירוֹת1×
- הַ/סִּירוֹת֙1×
- הַ/סִּירֹ֨ת1×
- הַ/סִּירֹ֤ת1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 1:13
Yahweh’s word came to me the second time, saying, “What do you see?” I said, “I see a boiling cauldron; and it is tipping away from the north.”
This verse uses the boiling pot as a vivid picture of impending judgment coming from the north.
-
II Kings 4:40
So they poured out for the men to eat. As they were eating some of the stew, they cried out and said, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.
Here the word highlights a moment of danger when poison was found in the stew, showing God's power to protect life.
-
Exodus 16:3
and the children of Israel said to them, “We wish that we had died by Yahweh’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots, when we ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
The Israelites mention meat pots to express their longing for Egypt, revealing how memory can distort past hardships.
-
Zechariah 14:21
Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to Yahweh of Armies; and all those who sacrifice will come and take of them, and cook in them. In that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of Yahweh of Armies.
This prophecy promises that even common cooking pots will become holy objects in the future restoration of Jerusalem.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word sir mean?
Why is sir mentioned in Jeremiah 1:13?
How is sir different from other words for vessels?
Does sir ever mean something other than a pot?
Every Occurrence (21 verses across 10 books)
Exodus 3 verses
and the children of Israel said to them, “We wish that we had died by Yahweh’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat…
Exodus 27:3You shall make its pots to take away its ashes; and its shovels, its basins, its meat hooks, and its fire pans. You…
Exodus 38:3He made all the vessels of the altar: the pots, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the fire pans. He made all its…