סָמַךְ
çâmak · H5564 · Hebrew · 48 occurrences
Meanings
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To Lay One's Hand On
Action by which humans put their hand(s) on another human, an animal, or an object, often as a ritual before sacrifice or as a sign of authority or punishment
ExamplesExodus 29:10 “Then you shall bring the bull in front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull.
Exodus 29:15 “You shall also take the one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram;
Exodus 29:19 “Then you shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram.
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to lean
Action by which humans put a hand on or against an object for support or strength
ExamplesJudges 16:29 Then Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and braced himself against them, the one with his right hand and the other with his left.
2 Kings 18:21 “Now behold, you have relied on the support of this broken reed, on Egypt; on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. That is how Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all who rely on him.
Isaiah 36:6 “Behold, you have relied on the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him.
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to be confident, to be encouraged, to rely on, to depend on
Process by which humans receive mental strength as a result of the help provided by others
Examples2 Chronicles 32:8 “With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Psalm 71:6 I have leaned on You since my birth; You are He who took me from my mother’s womb; My praise is continually of You.
Psalm 112:8 His heart is firm, he will not fear, But will look with satisfaction on his enemies.
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to lay siege, to attack
Literally: to lean on; hence: action by which an army puts pressure on a city by laying siege to it
ExamplesEzekiel 24:2 “Son of man, write the name of the day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.
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to be established, to be sustained
Process by which laws endure for a long period of time
ExamplesPsalm 111:8 They are upheld forever and ever; They are performed in truth and uprightness.
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to uphold, to sustain
Causative process by which deities provide mental strength to humans
ExamplesPsalm 51:12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And sustain me with a willing spirit.
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to uphold, to support
Literally: to uphold; hence: action by which humans or deities provide help and support to (other) humans
ExamplesGenesis 27:37 But Isaac replied to Esau, “Behold, I have made him your master, and I have given to him all his relatives as servants; and with grain and new wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?”
Psalm 3:5 I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me.
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Process by which an event is heavily affecting humans (to lie heavily (on someone))
ExamplesPsalm 88:7 Your wrath has rested upon me, And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah
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to uphold
Action by which humans or deities keep (other) humans from falling or collapsing by taking hold of them
ExamplesPsalm 37:17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken, But the LORD sustains the righteous.
Psalm 37:24 When he falls, he will not be hurled down, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand.
Psalm 145:14 The LORD supports all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down.
How it’s used In 8 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Who or what does itSubject
44 occurrences in 19 groups
- Not stated: he, she or it 11
- בֵּןson 7
- אַהֲרוֹןAaron 7
- יְהֹוָהthe LORD, YHWH 4
- Not stated: you (one person) 3
- Other words · 14 groups that occur once or twice (18) 18
What it acts on, or what is saidObject
33 occurrences in 4 groups
- יָדhand, power 25
- נִיme 5
- וֹhim 2
- צַדִּיקrighteous, just, right 1
With prepositionsPrepositional phrases
35 occurrences in 16 groups
- עַלon, upon, over, against+ רֹאשׁhead, top, chief 18
- עַלon, upon, over, against+ וֹhim 5
- Other words · 14 groups that occur once or twice (15) 15
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
2 occurrences in 2 groups
- מִצְרַיִםEgypt 1
- נֶפֶשׁsoul, life 1
What it doesIt is the subject
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- נָפַלto fall 1
What it is said to bePredicate
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- אַיִןthere is no, not 1
What is said to be itIt is the predicate
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- אֲדֹנָיLord 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- בin/on/with 1
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Near synonyms 1 word
- סָעַד çâʻad · H5582 · to strengthen, to support, to sustain
- סָמַךְ ("to support, sustain, establish") and סָעַד ("to support, sustain, strengthen") both express the idea of supporting, establishing or strengthening, physically or figuratively. They are distinct verbs occupying the same sense of providing support or stability.
In the other Testament 2 words
- ἐπιτίθημι epitíthēmi · G2007 · to put on, to place on, to lay on
- Greek ἐπιτίθημι specifically denotes the act of placing or laying something upon another object, corresponding to the 'lay upon' sense within Hebrew סָמַךְ's broader semantic range of supporting, establishing, and leaning actions.
- ἀντιλαμβάνομαι antilambánomai · G482 · to help, to devote oneself to, to give oneself to
- סָמַךְ (çâmak, H5564) emphasizes physical or metaphorical support/upholding from beneath or behind (lean, bear up, sustain), while ἀντιλαμβάνομαι (antilambánomai, G482) focuses on active grasping or taking hold to assist (succor, help), often implying reciprocal or responsive aid rather than static bearing of weight.
Semantic domains 7 entries
- Stance002001001061
- One attested sense, the ritual gesture of laying or leaning the hand upon the head of a sacrificial animal, repeated throughout the instructions for the ordination and sin offerings.
- Confident002001002003
- A broader attested sense of resting confidently upon something, not directly shown by the citations sampled here.
- Conflict002003002006
- A broader attested sense of pressing hard against an opponent, not directly shown by the citations sampled here.
- Endure002002003001
- A broader attested sense of sustaining or upholding over time, not directly shown by the citations sampled here.
- Safe002003003019
- A broader attested sense of being upheld securely, not directly shown by the citations sampled here.
- Intense002001003011
- A broader attested sense of pressing firmly or forcefully, not directly shown by the citations sampled here.
- Strong002001001063
- Another attested sense, to sustain or strengthen, as when Isaac tells Esau that he has sustained Jacob with grain and new wine.
Word family 2 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H5564. samak סָמַךְ48 verb lean, lay, rest, support (Late Hebrew id.; Phoenician in…
סָמַךְ48 verb lean, lay, rest, support (Late Hebrew id.; Phoenician in proper name Lzb317, 329; Aramaic סְמַח, ; also Ethiopic () cause to lean upon, etc. Di335; Arabic is be high, ascend, raise, uplift, roof; —
Qal41 Perfect3masculine singular ׳ס Deu 34:9; Eze 24:2, וְסָמַךְ consecutive Amo 5:19 +; 3 feminine singular סָֽמְכָה Psa 88:8, suffix סְמָכָ֑תְהוֺ Isa 59:16, סְמָכָ֑תְנִי Isa 63:5, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular וַיִּסְמֹךְ Lev 8:14; Num 27:23, suffix יִסְמְכֵ֫נִי Psa 3:6, etc.; Imperative masculine singular suffix סָמְכֵנִי Psa 119:116; Participle active סוֺמֵךְ Isa 63:5 Isa 63:3t.; plural construct סֹמְכֵי Eze 30:6; Psa 54:6; passive סָמוּךְ Isa 26:3; Psa 112:8; plural סְמוּכִים Psa 111:8; —
1. a. lean or lay hand upon (עַלֿ): Amo 5:19; elsewhere in sacred rite: on head of sacrifice victim, as those who share in sacrifice, Exo 29:10, Exo 29:15, Exo 29:19; Lev 1:4 Lev 1:12t. Leviticus; Num 8:12 (all P), 2Ch 29:23; so of Levites, presented to ׳י Num 8:10 (P); on head of blasphemer Lev 24:14 (P; as witnesses of his guilt); on head of Joshua in consecration (Moses subject) Num 27:18, Num 27:23; Deu 34:9 (all P).
b. intransitive Psa 88:8 thy wrath hath rested upon me (עָלַי); also אֶלֿ מֶלֶךְבָּֿבֶל סָמַךְ Eze 24:2 hath leaned against, rested his weight upon, Jerusalem, i.e. invested (Toy), begun the siege of it.
2 support, uphold, sustain, only figurative: with 2 accusative Gen 27:37 (J) with corn and must have I sustained him, provided sustenance for him, compare (of ׳י) Psa 51:14; uphold Egypt Eze 30:6; absolute Isa 63:5; especially of ׳י upholding, sustaining Isa 59:16; Isa 63:5; Psa 3:6; Psa 37:17; Psa 37:24; Psa 54:6 (on בְּ essentiae see Ges§ 119i, בְּ above 7a), Psa 119:116; Psa 145:14; so passive participle Psa 111:8 they are sustained, i.e. maintained (׳יs commands), לִבּוֺ סָמוּךְ) Psa 112:8 his heart is sustained, firm, and so ס ׳יֵצֶר Isa 26:3.
Niph`al Perfect1singular נִסְמַ֫כְתִּי Psa 71:6; Psa 71:3plural נִסְמָ֑כוּ Isa 48:2; Imperfect יִסָּמֵךְ 2Ki 18:21; Isa 36:6, וַיִּסָּמֵךְ Jdg 16:29; Jdg 16:3masculine plural וַיִּסָּֽמְכוּ2Ch 32:8; — reflexive support, or brace oneself, also with עַלֿJdg 16:29 and he braced himself against (upon) them (the pillars); 2Ki 18:21 (if) a man support himself on it (Egypt as a cracked reed) = Isa 36:6; on cheering words 2Ch 32:8; on God Isa 48:2; Psa 71:6.
Pi`el Imperative masculine plural suffix + בְּ instr,: סַמְּכוּנִי Son 2:5 sustain (refresh, revive) me with raisin-cakes.
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Topical studies with this word 7 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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