---
title: שָׂרָה — persist · The Tanakh dictionary
description: שָׂרָה (8280), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 3 times: persist. BDB 1906: vb. persist, exert oneself, persevere. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# שָׂרָה

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«שָׂרָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **persist** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 3 times · **Key:** 8280 · **BDB:** שָׂרָה²

### Glosses

he.struggled (2); you.have.struggled (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

persist [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8280/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. persist, exert oneself, persevere [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8280/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. persist, exert oneself, persevere (Arabic شَرِىَ persist, persevere);— Pf. 3 ms. שׂ׳ אֶת־א׳ Ho 12:4 he persevered with God; 2 ms. שָׂרִיתָ עִם־א׳ וְעִם אֲנָשִׁים Gn 32:29 (J).—Ho 12:5 has Impf. וַיָּ֫שַׂר in same meaning, as if from a (non-existent) שׂוּר; וַיִּ֫שֶׂר (apoc. from וַיִּשְׂרֶה).—שׂוֹרָה Is 28:25 v. supra, p. 965a.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 3 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (19 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (12 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «שָׂרָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8280/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Hosea 12:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/HOS.12.4/)

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בַּבֶּ֖טֶן עָקַ֣ב אֶת־אָחִ֑יו וּבְאוֹנ֖וֹ שָׂרָ֥ה אֶת־אֱלֹהִֽים׃

*Word for word:* in the womb he.took.by.the.heel (et) brother his and in strength his he.struggled with God

*JPS 1917:* In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and by his strength he strove with a godlike being;

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[Genesis 32:29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/GEN.32.29/)

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וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לֹ֤א יַעֲקֹב֙ יֵאָמֵ֥ר עוֹד֙ שִׁמְךָ֔ כִּ֖י אִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּֽי־שָׂרִ֧יתָ עִם־אֱלֹהִ֛ים וְעִם־אֲנָשִׁ֖ים וַתּוּכָֽל׃

*Word for word:* and he.said not Jacob it.will.be.called again name your (dm) (if) Israel (dm) you.have.struggled with God and with people and you.have.prevailed

*JPS 1917:* And he said: 'Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast striven with God and with men, and hast prevailed.'

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