שֹׁ֫רֶשׁ (she.resh)
she.resh
root
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 24 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun sheresh refers to a root, whether in its literal botanical sense or as a metaphor for stability and origin. In the Old Testament, it appears twenty-four times, often describing the deep, hidden foundation that sustains life. For instance, Jeremiah 17:8 depicts a tree planted by water whose roots reach the stream, illustrating resilience during drought, while Proverbs 12:3 contrasts the unstable wicked with those whose root is firm.
Beyond agriculture, sheresh signifies the source or cause of something. It can denote the lowest part of an object, such as the bottom of a mountain in Job 28:9, or the underlying cause of conflict, as seen when Job warns against offending the "root" of controversy in Job 19:28. The term also extends to lineage and identity, referring to the ancestral stock from which a people or nation grows.
A particularly significant usage connects sheresh to messianic hope. Isaiah 11:10 speaks of a "root of Jesse," identifying the Messiah as emerging from the humble lineage of David’s father. This imagery transforms the word from a simple botanical term into a powerful symbol of enduring strength and divine promise, suggesting that true stability comes from deep, unseen foundations rather than superficial appearances.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word sheresh points to the hidden foundation that sustains life. In ancient agriculture, a tree’s survival depended not on its visible branches but on roots reaching deep into the soil or near running water. This imagery offers a quiet reassurance: true stability comes from what is unseen. When circumstances feel unstable, your faith can draw strength from a source that remains firm regardless of surface conditions.
Scripture uses this concept to describe both personal resilience and divine promise. Jeremiah 17:8 portrays a person planted by water whose roots reach the stream, allowing them to remain green even during droughts. Similarly, Isaiah 11:10 identifies the Messiah as the root of Jesse, suggesting that hope emerges from humble origins to provide lasting shelter for all nations.
This word invites you to consider where your own stability lies. Rather than focusing solely on immediate results or visible success, it encourages a focus on deep, enduring connections with God. Such foundations do not vanish when seasons change; they continue to nourish and hold firm through every trial.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 24 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ [the] root of4×
- root/ their3×
- roots/ its2×
- a root2×
- roots/ his1×
- roots/ her1×
- root/ your1×
- root/ my1×
- root/ its1×
- from/ roots/ his1×
- from/ [the] root of1×
- from/ [the] root1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שֹׁ֣רֶשׁ3×
- שָׁרְשָׁ/ם֙2×
- שָֽׁרָשָׁ֣י/ו2×
- וְ/שֹׁ֥רֶשׁ2×
- וְ/שֹׁ֖רֶשׁ2×
- שָׁרָשֶׁ֖י/הָ1×
- שָׁרְשָׁ֥/ם1×
- שָׁרְשֵׁ֥י1×
- שָׁרְשֵׁ֔/ךְ1×
- שָׁרְשִׁ֣/י1×
- שָׁרְשׁ֑/וֹ1×
- שָֽׁרָשָׁ֔י/ו1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 17:8
For he will be as a tree planted by the waters, who spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes, but its leaf will be green, and will not be concerned in the year of drought. It won’t cease from yielding fruit.
This verse uses the root imagery to describe a person who remains resilient and fruitful during drought because their spiritual foundation is securely anchored near God's provision.
-
Isaiah 11:10
It will happen in that day that the nations will seek the root of Jesse, who stands as a banner of the peoples; and his resting place will be glorious.
Here the term identifies the Messiah as the root of Jesse, transforming the botanical image into a promise that nations will find hope and gathering in this humble lineage.
-
Proverbs 12:3
A man shall not be established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
The proverb contrasts the wicked with the righteous by stating that while evil may seem strong, the root of the righteous remains unmoved, highlighting enduring moral stability.
-
Job 8:17
His roots are wrapped around the rock pile. He sees the place of stones.
Job describes a plant whose roots wrap around rocks to illustrate how superficial success can appear secure even when the foundation is precarious and destined to fail.