שֶׁ֫גֶר (she.ger)
she.ger
offspring
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun sheger refers specifically to the young or offspring of animals. It appears only five times in the Old Testament, with occurrences concentrated in Exodus and Deuteronomy. The term distinguishes animal progeny from human descendants, which are typically described by words like ben or zera.
In its scriptural context, sheger often appears alongside terms for livestock, emphasizing the tangible, physical nature of agricultural and pastoral life. For example, it is used when discussing the firstborn of beasts in Exodus 13:12-13, highlighting the value placed on these young animals in ancient Israelite society. The word carries no metaphorical weight regarding human lineage; its meaning remains strictly biological and concrete.
Translators usually render sheger as "young" or "offspring," depending on the surrounding context. This precision helps readers understand that biblical laws concerning firstborn animals applied specifically to livestock, not to people. The limited usage of the word underscores how central animal husbandry was to the daily reality and religious observance of ancient Israel.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sheger points to the tangible reality of animal offspring in the Old Testament. It is not a metaphor for human lineage but a concrete term for the young of livestock. This distinction helps us see how ancient Israel valued their animals as part of God’s provision and care.
In passages like Deuteronomy 7:13, this word appears alongside blessings for grain and wine. It reminds us that God cares about every aspect of life, including the physical needs of farming and herding. This focus on the concrete helps ground our faith in everyday reality.
When we read these texts, we can appreciate how God’s laws addressed the daily lives of His people. The specific mention of young animals shows attention to detail in their agricultural society. This precision invites us to trust God with both the big and small matters of life.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] young of4×
- [the] offspring of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שְׁגַ֥ר3×
- שֶׁ֣גֶר1×
- שְׁגַר\־1×
Key Verses
-
Deuteronomy 7:13
He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your livestock and the young of your flock, in the land which he swore to your fathers to give you.
This verse uses sheger to list 'the young of your flock' as part of God's comprehensive blessing, showing that He cares for both human and animal prosperity.
-
Deuteronomy 28:4
You shall be blessed in the fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the fruit of your animals, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock.
Here, the word appears in a promise of blessing, linking the increase of livestock with the fruit of the ground to illustrate total abundance.
-
Deuteronomy 28:18
The fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock will be cursed.
In this warning, sheger is part of the curse where 'the young of your flock' will be lost, highlighting the severity of losing even small provisions.