שָׂגָה (sa.gah)
sa.gah
to grow; to increase
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb sâgâ describes the process of growing or increasing in size and stature. In its basic Qal stem, it is frequently applied to vegetation, capturing the natural expansion of plants as they mature. This concrete imagery grounds the word’s meaning in observable physical growth rather than abstract quantity.
The term carries significant weight when applied to people, particularly the righteous. For instance, Psalm 92:12 uses it to depict a faithful person flourishing like a cedar tree, emphasizing stability and grandeur alongside simple increase. This usage suggests that true growth involves becoming more established and prominent in one’s context.
In the Hiphil stem, the meaning shifts slightly toward causing increase or magnification. Job 36:11 employs this form to describe how obedience leads to a life filled with good days, linking moral fidelity directly to tangible expansion. The word thus bridges the gap between biological development and spiritual prosperity.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word sâgâ paints a picture of natural, steady growth. It describes how plants rise from the soil and expand with life. This imagery reminds us that spiritual maturity is rarely sudden. Like vegetation, our faith often deepens through quiet, consistent seasons of nourishment and time.
When applied to people, this verb suggests becoming more established and prominent in character. Psalm 92:12 uses this concept to show the righteous flourishing like a cedar tree. This implies that true growth involves stability and strength, not just a larger quantity of achievements or wealth.
In contexts like Job, this increase is linked to obedience and divine blessing. It offers hope that our efforts to walk faithfully are seen. Even when beginnings seem small, there is a promise of expansion that honors both physical reality and spiritual depth.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- will it grow?1×
- they increase1×
- it will grow1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יִשְׂגֶּה\־1×
- יִשְׂגֶּ֥ה1×
- הִשְׂגּוּ\־1×
Key Verses
-
Job 8:7
Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase.
This verse highlights the contrast between humble origins and significant future growth, offering encouragement that current smallness does not limit eventual prosperity.
-
Psalms 73:12
Behold, these are the wicked. Being always at ease, they increase in riches.
Here the term describes the wicked increasing in riches, serving as a stark warning that material expansion without righteousness lacks true stability.
-
Job 8:11
“Can the papyrus grow up without mire? Can the rushes grow without water?
The rhetorical question about papyrus growing without mire emphasizes that growth is entirely dependent on proper nourishment and environment.