H3474 H3474
To be straight, right, or pleasing; in Piel/Hifil, to make straight, direct, or level; physically, to go directly forward.
Yashar captures the Hebrew intuition that moral rightness and physical straightness are the same thing seen from different angles. A road that goes straight, a path that has been leveled, a deed that is 'right in someone's eyes' — all share this single root. The Qal stative 'it was right in his eyes' becomes a recurring formula for approval throughout Judges, Samuel, and Kings, while the Piel 'make straight' carries both the literal force of Hezekiah redirecting a water channel (2 Chr 32:30) and the spiritual force of Proverbs 3:6, 'He will make straight your paths.' The cognate Akkadian isharu ('to be straight, just') and Arabic yasara ('to be easy, tractable') confirm that the physical-to-moral metaphor is ancient across the Semitic family.
Senses
1. be right or pleasing — The Qal stative sense: to be right, pleasing, or agreeable in someone's eyes — the formulaic expression yashar be'eynay ('it was right in his/my eyes'). Samson tells his parents that the Philistine woman 'is right in my eyes' (Judg 14:3, 7); Saul is pleased when David's marriage 'was right in his eyes' (1 Sam 18:20, 26). Spanish parecer recto and the recurring 'right in the eyes of' formula across translations confirm this as a lexicalized evaluative expression. Twelve occurrences, heavily concentrated in the Judges-Samuel narrative cycle where personal moral judgment is a persistent theme. 12×
AR["تَرُقْ", "حَسُنَ", "فَـ-حَسُنَ", "مُستَقيمَةً", "مُسْتَقِيمٌ", "مُسْتَقِيمَةٌ", "وَ-اسْتَقَامَ", "وَ-اسْتَقَامَتْ", "وَ-حَسُنَ", "يَسْتَقِيمُ"]·ben["এবং-সঠিক-হল", "এবং-সরল-ছিল", "এবং-সরল-হল", "ও-ভালো-লাগল", "ঠিক", "পসন্দ-হল", "ভালো-মনে-হবে", "সঠিক", "সঠিক-ছিল"]·DE["[ויישר]", "[ישר]", "[ישרה]", "es-wird-sein-rechts", "ist-rechts", "sie-waren-rechte", "und-sie-war-rechts", "und-war-rechte"]·EN["and-she-was-right", "and-was-right", "is-right", "is-upright", "it-will-be-right", "right", "they-were-right", "was-right"]·FR["[ויישר]", "[ישר]", "cela-fera-être-droit", "droit", "est-droite", "et-elle-était-droite", "et-fut-droite", "ils-furent-droite", "être-droit"]·heb["ו-יישר", "ו-ישר", "ו-ישרה", "יָשְׁרוּ", "יישר", "ישר", "ישרה"]·HI["और-अचच-लग", "और-ठीक-लगी", "और-सही-लगी", "ठीक-लगे", "पसन्द-आए", "सही", "सही-था", "सही-है", "सीधा"]·ID["baik", "benar", "dan-baik", "dan-benar", "dan-lurus", "dan-menyenangkan", "lurus", "menyenangkan"]·IT["[ויישר]", "[ישר]", "[ישרה]", "e-ella-fu-destra", "e-era-destra", "essere-diritto", "essi-erano-destra", "esso-fara-essere-destra", "è-destra"]·jav["Lan-leres", "badhe-leres", "bener", "lan-leres", "lan-sae", "leres", "lurus", "sae"]·KO["그리고-올바랐다", "그리고-올았다", "그리고-좋았다", "올바르다", "올바른", "올바를-것이다", "정직하지", "좋았다"]·PT["E-foi-reto", "e-foi-reta", "e-foi-reto", "era-reto", "foi-reto", "foram-retas", "reta", "será-reto"]·RU["будет-угодно", "и-было-правильно", "и-было-хорошо", "и-понравилась", "правильна", "правильно", "правильное", "пряма", "угодно", "угодны-были"]·ES["Y-pareció-recto", "es-recta", "es-recto", "fue-recto", "fueron-rectas", "recto", "sea-recto", "y-fue-recta", "y-fue-recto"]·SW["alivyokuwa-sawa", "hawakupendeza", "ilionyeshwa-kuwa-sawa", "itakuwa-vizuri", "na-akawa-mzuri", "na-ikawa-vizuri", "na-likampendeza", "ni-mzuri", "nyofu", "sawa", "wayiּyshar"]·TR["Ve-iyi-göründü", "doğru", "doğru-olur", "düzgün-geldiler", "ve-doğru-göründü", "ve-hoş-oldu"]·urd["اور-اچھا-لگا", "اور-اچھی-لگی", "اور-درست-لگا", "اچھا-لگا", "اچھی", "بھلی-لگے", "درست-تھی", "سیدھی", "مناسب-لگے", "پسند-آئے"]
2. make straight, direct, level — The Piel factitive: to make straight, smooth, or direct — to actively establish rightness or levelness in a path, whether literal or metaphorical. Hezekiah 'directed' the waters of the upper Gihon straight down to the west side of the City of David (2 Chr 32:30); the psalmist declares 'all your precepts I consider right' (Ps 119:128); Proverbs promises 'He will make straight your paths' (Prov 3:6). Spanish enderezar ('to straighten') and German richten ('to direct') both capture the causative transformation from crooked to straight. Seven occurrences spanning moral instruction, urban engineering, and wisdom teaching. 7×
AR["الْمُسْتَقِيمِينَ", "قَوَّمْتُ", "قَوِّمُوا", "وَ-أَجْرَاهَا", "يُسَوِّي", "يُقَوِّمُ", "يُقَوِّمُ-"]·ben["আমি-সঠিক-মনে-করেছি", "ও-সরল-করলেন-তাদের", "যারা-সোজা-চলছে", "সরল-কর", "সোজা-করবেন", "সোজা-করে", "সোজা-করে-"]·DE["[המישרים]", "[ויישרם]", "[יישר]", "[ישרו]", "[תישר]", "ich-consider-recht"]·EN["I-consider-right", "and-he-directed-them", "make-straight", "makes-smooth", "those-going-straight-on", "walks", "will-make-straight"]·FR["[ויישרם]", "le-être-droit", "être-droit"]·heb["ה-מיישרים", "ו-יישרם-ם", "ייישר", "ייישר־", "יישרתי", "ישרו", "תיישר"]·HI["और-उसे-सीधा-किया", "सीधा-करता-है", "सीधा-करेगा", "सीधा-करो", "सीधा-चलनेवालों", "सीधी-करती-है"]·ID["akan-meluruskan", "aku-anggap-benar", "dan-mengarahkannya", "luruskanlah", "meluruskan", "meluruskan-", "yang-meluruskan"]·IT["[ויישרם]", "essere-diritto", "il-raddrizzare", "raddrizzare", "rettiffico'"]·jav["bakal-nglencengaken", "kula-anggep-bener", "lan-nglurugaken", "lenceng-na", "nglencengaken", "tiyang-kang-nglencengaken"]·KO["곧게-하라", "그리고-그가-그것들을-곧게-했다", "모든", "바르게-가는-자-들-을", "바르게-하느니라-", "바르게-할-것이다", "바르게한다"]·PT["considero-retos", "e-endireitou-as", "endireita", "endireita-", "endireitai", "endireitara", "os-que-endireitam"]·RU["выпрямит", "выпрямите", "выпрямляет", "выпрямляет-", "и-направил-их", "идущим-прямо", "признал-истинными-я"]·ES["enderecé", "endereza", "enderezad", "enderezará", "los-que-van-recto", "y-las-dirigió"]·SW["anatembea", "atanyoosha", "inanyoosha", "nimeyaona-kuwa-sawa", "nyoosheni", "wanaokwenda-moja-kwa-moja", "wayaּyshּrem"]·TR["doğrultanlara", "doğrultdum", "doğrultur-", "duzlestirin", "düzleştirecek", "düzleştirir", "ve-düzleştirdi-onları"]·urd["اور-سیدھا-کیا-اُنہیں", "سیدھا-کرتا-ہے", "سیدھا-کرو", "سیدھی-کرے-گا", "سیدھی-کرے-گی", "سیدھے-مانے", "سیدھے-چلنے-والوں-کو"]
3. cause to be straight, direct gaze — The Hifil causative: to cause to go straight, to direct forward, to level a way. In Psalm 5:8 the psalmist asks God to 'make straight your way before me'; in Proverbs 4:25 the sage commands 'let your eyes look directly forward'; in Isaiah 45:2 God promises to 'level the rough places' before Cyrus. The Hifil adds a stronger causative force than the Piel — not just smoothing what exists but actively clearing and directing the path ahead. Spanish allanar and the German causative constructions confirm the intensified agency. Six occurrences, four of them involving divine action. 6×
AR["(أُمَهِّدُ)", "[ketiv]", "[أمهد]", "أُمَهِّدُ", "اجْعَلْ", "تُوَجَّهُ"]·ben["(সমতল-করব)", "[কেতিব]", "আমি-সমতল-করব", "করো", "সরল", "সোজা-দেখুক"]·DE["[(אישר)]", "[[אושר]]", "[ketiv]", "[אישר]", "[יישרו]", "machen-straight"]·EN["I-will-level", "I-will-make-level", "[ketiv]", "ketiv", "let-look-straight", "make-straight"]·FR["être-droit"]·heb["אישר", "הושר", "הישר", "ייישרו"]·HI["(समतल-करूंगा)", "[समतल]", "सीधा-कर", "सीधा-करूंगा", "सीधा-देखें"]·ID["Aku-ratakan", "[Qere]", "akan-Aku-ratakan", "hendaklah-lurus", "ratakanlah"]·IT["essere-diritto", "raddrizzare", "rettiffico'"]·jav["Ingsun-badhé-nglencengaken", "[Ingsun-badhé-nglencengaken]", "[ketib-qere]", "lurus", "ratakna"]·KO["[평탄하게-하리라]", "글자", "펴소서", "평탄하게-하리라", "향하여라"]·PT["(aplanarei)", "[Qere]", "[variante]", "aplanarei", "endireita", "endireitem"]·RU["(выровняю)", "[выпрями]", "[выпрямлю]", "выпрями", "выровняю", "пусть-направляются"]·ES["(allanaré)", "[Qere]", "[endereza]", "allanaré", "endereza", "miren-recto"]·SW["[kusawazisha]", "fanya-nyofu", "fanya-sawa", "nitasawazisha", "zi-elekeze-mbele"]·TR["(duzlestirecegim)", "[duzlestireces]", "[ketiv]", "duzlestirecegim", "düzleştir", "yönelsin"]·urd["[سیدھی-کروں-گا]", "سیدھا-کر", "سیدھی-کر", "سیدھی-کروں-گا", "سیدھے-دیکھیں", "میں-سیدھا-کروں-گا"]
4. go straight, move directly — The Qal dynamic sense: to go straight, to move directly in a physical direction without deviating. The cows pulling the ark 'went straight along the road to Beth-shemesh' (1 Sam 6:12), neither turning right nor left — one of the most vivid directional descriptions in the Hebrew Bible. In Job 37:3 God 'lets loose' his lightning and it goes straight to the ends of the earth. Spanish ir recto and German gerade gehen both select directional-motion vocabulary distinct from the evaluative 'be right.' Two occurrences, but the concretely spatial meaning is important as the likely etymological starting point from which the moral senses developed. 2×
AR["وَ-اسْتَقَامَتِ", "يُطْلِقُهُ"]·ben["এবং-সরলপথে-গেলেন", "তিনি-তা-ছেড়ে-দেন"]·DE["[ישרהו]", "und-sie-ging-straight"]·EN["and-they-went-straight", "he-lets-it-loose"]·FR["et-ils-alla-droit", "être-droit-lui"]·heb["ו-יישרנה", "ישלחהו"]·HI["और-सीधा-चलीं", "भेजता-है-उसे"]·ID["Ia melepaskannya", "dan-berjalanlah-lurus"]·IT["e-essi-andò-dritto", "raddrizzare-suo"]·jav["Lan-mlampah-lempeng", "Panjenengan-ipun-nglepasaken"]·KO["그가-펼치신다-그것을", "그리고-바로-갔다"]·PT["o-solta", "¶ E-seguiram-direto"]·RU["и-пошли-прямо", "направляет-его"]·ES["Y-fueron-recto", "lo-suelta"]·SW["anauachia", "na-wakaenda-moja-kwa-moja"]·TR["Ve-doğru-gittiler", "salar-onu"]·urd["اور-سیدھیاں-چلیں", "وہ بھیجتا ہے اسے"]
5. be made level or even — The Pual passive: to be made level, smooth, or evenly spread — the passive counterpart of the Piel factitive. A single occurrence in 1 Kings 6:35 describes the gold overlay on the temple doors as 'evenly spread' or 'leveled' onto the carved work. Spanish ajustado ('fitted, adjusted') captures the craftsmanship context. This is the only passive occurrence, but it preserves the root's concrete spatial meaning — physical surfaces made smooth by skilled hands — in a way that anchors the entire metaphorical range. 1×
AR["مُسْتَوِيًا"]·ben["সমান"]·DE["evenly-spread"]·EN["evenly-spread"]·FR["evenly-étendit"]·heb["מיושר"]·HI["बराबर"]·ID["yang-diratakan"]·IT["evenly-stese"]·jav["rata"]·KO["곧은"]·PT["nivelado"]·RU["выровненным"]·ES["ajustado"]·SW["iliyonyooshwa"]·TR["düz"]·urd["برابر"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† יָשַׁר vb. be smooth, straight, right (NH id., and deriv.; Arabic يَسَرَ be gentle, tractable, easy, ii. make easy; يَسَرٌ manageable, easy; but Sab. ותֿר, הותֿר, אהל יתֿרן OsZMG 1865, 270 CIS iv, 29, 2; Assyrian išâru, be or go straight, right, mêšêru, justice, mêšêriš, righteously, DlHWB 310)— Qal Pf. יָשַׁר Je 18:4 + 2 times; 3 f. יָשְֽׁרָה Ju 14:3; Hb 2:4; 3 mpl. יָֽשְׁרוּ 1 K 9:12; Impf.…