שָׁרַק (sha.raq)
sha.raq
to whistle
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 11 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb sha.raq describes a sharp, piercing sound, typically rendered as "to whistle" or "to hiss." In the Old Testament, it is not used for pleasant music but for a loud, attention-grabbing signal. The sources indicate it often functions as an onomatopoeia, mimicking the actual noise produced by pursuers or enemies to drive people away.
This word appears eleven times, primarily in prophetic books like Jeremiah and Isaiah. It frequently depicts the sound of invading armies or divine judgment causing chaos. For instance, in Jeremiah 4:29, the "whistling" of riders signals fear and flight as cities are abandoned. The imagery is visceral: it is the noise that chases people out of their homes, marking a moment of sudden displacement and alarm.
Translators often struggle with this term because English lacks a single verb for this specific kind of aggressive hissing. While "whistle" can imply playfulness or signaling in modern contexts, sha.raq carries a tone of menace. It captures the auditory experience of being hunted or driven out, turning a simple sound into a symbol of impending disaster and loss.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word sha.raq describes a sharp, piercing sound, often translated as whistling or hissing. In the Old Testament, this is not a gentle noise but a loud signal used by pursuers to drive people away. It captures the visceral fear of being hunted and the sudden displacement that comes with divine judgment. The imagery turns a simple auditory cue into a symbol of impending disaster.
While these verses depict alarm and loss, they also highlight God's sovereignty over history. The same voice that signals invasion can also gather His people. In Zechariah 10:8, the word shifts from a sound of judgment to a call of redemption. This reminds us that even in times of chaos, God remains in control, capable of turning a signal of fear into an invitation to return.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 11 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ he may hiss3×
- they have hissed2×
- so/ he may hiss1×
- he will whistle1×
- he will hiss1×
- and/ he will whistle1×
- and/ he will hiss1×
- I will whistle1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/יִשְׁרֹ֖ק3×
- שָֽׁרְקוּ֙2×
- יִשְׁרֹ֤ק1×
- יִשְׁרֹ֖ק1×
- וְ/שָׁרָ֑ק1×
- וְ/שָׁ֥רַק1×
- וְ/יִשְׁרֹ֥ק1×
- אֶשְׁרְקָ֥ה1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 7:18
It will happen in that day that Yahweh will whistle for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
This verse uses the word metaphorically to show how God summons distant nations like insects, emphasizing His absolute authority over geopolitical events.
-
Jeremiah 49:17
“Edom will become an astonishment. Everyone who passes by it will be astonished, and will hiss at all its plagues.
Here the hissing sound accompanies the astonishment of onlookers at Edom's downfall, illustrating the social shame that follows divine judgment.
-
Zechariah 10:8
I will signal for them and gather them, for I have redeemed them. They will increase as they were before.
This is the only positive usage where God whistles to gather His redeemed people, transforming the sound from a signal of flight into one of restoration.