H5641 H5641
To hide, conceal; reflexively to hide oneself; causatively to hide another; of God hiding his face in judgment or discipline.
Satar governs one of the most emotionally charged theological images in the Hebrew Bible: God hiding his face. In its Hifil stem — accounting for over half of all occurrences — the verb becomes the language of divine withdrawal, the terrifying moment when God 'conceals his face' (hester panim) from his people (Deut 31:17-18; Isa 54:8). Yet the same root also describes the very human instinct to hide: Adam from God, David from Saul, the prudent man from danger (Prov 22:3). The Nifal reflexive and Hitpael deliberative forms capture this self-concealing impulse beautifully, while Arabic satara ('to veil, screen') and Syriac setar preserve the same Semitic root with its ancient connotation of drawing a curtain between the visible and the hidden.
Senses
1. Hifil: hide, conceal (causative) — Hifil causative: to hide or conceal someone or something, including the theologically crucial idiom hester panim ('hiding the face'). This is the dominant sense at 44 occurrences, spanning God concealing his face in judgment (Deut 31:17-18; Ps 13:1; Isa 54:8), Moses hiding his face at the burning bush (Exod 3:6), and humans concealing others from danger. Spanish esconder and Arabic satara both handle the causative force, while Korean 숨기다 consistently distinguishes this active concealment from reflexive self-hiding (숨다). The hester panim passages are theologically foundational — they express not annihilation but relational withdrawal, the most devastating form of divine discipline. 44×
AR["أَحْجُبُ","أَخْفَيْتُ","أُخْفِ","اسْتُرْنِي","اِسْتُرْنِي","تَحجُب","تَحْجُبْ","تُخْفي","تُخْفِ","تُخْفِي","حَجَبَ","سَتَرْتُ","فَأَخْفَيْتُ","وَأَخْفَيْتُ","يَحْجُبْ"]·ben["-আমি-লুকিয়েছিলাম","আপনি-লুকান","আমাকে-লুকাও","আমাকে-লুকিয়ে-রাখুন","আমি-লুকাব","আমি-লুকিয়েছি","আমি-লুকিয়েছিলাম","আর-লুকালাম","তিনি-লুকিয়েছেন","তুমি-লুকাও","তুমি-লুকিও","তুমি-লুকিয়ে-রাখ","লুকাও","লুকাব","লুকিয়ে-রাখুন"]·DE["[תסתיר]","ich-wird-verbergen","und-verbergen","verbarg","verbergen"]·EN["I-hid","I-will-hide","You-hide","and-I-hid","do-You-hide","do-you-hide","he-has-hidden","hidden","hide","hide-me","you-hide"]·FR["cacher","et-cacher","je-fera-cacher","le-cacher"]·heb["אסתיר","אסתירה","הסתיר","הסתרתי","ו-אסתרתי","תסתיר","תסתירני","תסתר"]·HI["उसने-छिपाया","और-मैंने-छिपाया","छिपा","छिपा-मुझे","छिपाऊँगा","छिपाता-है-तू","छिपाया-उसने","छिपाया-मैंने","तू-छिपाता-है","मैंने-छिपाया"]·ID["Aku-menyembunyikan","Aku-sembunyikan","Engkau-menyembunyikan","Engkau-sembunyikan","Ia-menyembunyikan","Sembunyikanlah-aku","dan-Aku-menyembunyikan","menyembunyikan","sembunyikan","sembunyikanlah-aku"]·IT["e-nascondere","io-fara-nascondere","nascondere","nascose"]·jav["Ingsun-sampun-ndhelikaken","Kawula-ndhelikaken","Kula-sampun-nutupi","Panjenengan-ndhelikaken","Panjenengan-ndhelikaken-kula","Panjenengan-singitaken","Singidna-kawula","lan-Ingsun-ndhelikaken","ndhelikaken","nyingidaken"]·KO["가리셨도다","그리고-숨겼다","내가-숨기리라","내가-숨긴","당신-이-숨기시도다","당신이-숨기시나이까","숨겨-주소서","숨겼느니라","숨기리라","숨기소서","숨기시나이까","숨기지","숨기지-마소서","숨기지-않았느니라"]·PT["Esconde-me","Escondes","e-escondi","escondas","esconde-me","esconderei","escondes","escondeu","escondi"]·RU["-скрывай","Скрываешь-Ты","и-скрыл-Я","скрываешь","скрываешь-Ты","скрывай","скрывал-Я","скрыл-Я","сокрою","сокрыл","сокрыл-Я","укрой-меня"]·ES["Escondes","Escóndeme","escondas","esconderé","escondes","escondió","escondéme","escondí","y-escondí"]·SW["Unifiche","ameficha","ficha","fiche","hakuficha","nikaficha","niliuficha","nimeficha","nitauficha","sikuficha","uficha","unaficha","unifiche","usifiche"]·TR["gizle","gizle-beni","gizledi","gizledim","gizleme","gizlersin","gizleyeceğim","gizliyorsun","sakla","ve-gizledim"]·urd["اور-میں-نے-چھپایا","اُس-نے-چھپا-لیا","تو-میں-نے-چھپایا","تُو-چھپا-مجھے","تُو-چھپاتا-ہے","ضرور-چھپاؤںگا","میں-نے-چھپایا","چُھپا-مُجھے","چھپا","چھپاؤںگا-میں","چھپاتا-ہے-تُو","چھپایا","چھپایا-میں-نے"]
Exod 3:6, Deut 31:17, Deut 31:18, Deut 31:18, Deut 32:20, 1 Sam 20:2, 2 Kgs 11:2, 2 Chr 22:11, Job 3:10, Job 13:24, Job 14:13, Job 34:29 (+32 more)
2. Nifal: hide oneself, be hidden — Nifal reflexive/passive: to hide oneself, to be hidden, to become concealed. At 31 occurrences this covers both active self-concealment (Cain fearing he will be 'hidden from God's face,' Gen 4:14; the prudent man seeing danger and hiding himself, Prov 27:12) and the passive state of being hidden (hidden faults in Ps 19:12; secret things belonging to the LORD in Deut 29:29). German verborgen sein captures the stative 'being hidden' while sich verbergen catches the reflexive 'hiding oneself.' The substantival participle nistarot ('hidden things') at Deut 29:29 has become a key text in Jewish theology about the boundary between revealed and concealed knowledge. 31×
AR["[ويستتر]","اخْتَبَأْتَ","اخْتَبِئْ","استُتِرَت","اسْتَتَرُوا","اسْتَتَرْنَا","اُسْتُرِتْ","اِخْتَفَتْ","تَختَفي","تَخْفَ","لِ-يَختَفِي","مَخْفِيٌّ","مَسْتورَةٌ","نَخْتَفِي","وَ-أَخْتَبِئُ","وَ-اخْتَبَأَ","وَ-اخْتَفِ","وَ-اسْتَتَرَتْ","يَخْتَفِي","يَسْتَتِرُ"]·ben["এবং-আমি-লুকিয়ে-থাকব","এবং-গোপন-থাকে","এবং-তুমি-লুকাবে","এবং-লুকালেন","এবং-লুকিয়ে-থাকে","গোপন","তারা-লুকায়","তুমি-লুকিয়েছিলে","লুকাতে","লুকানো-হবে","লুকানো-হয়েছে","লুকিয়ে-থাক","লুকিয়ে-থাকব","লুকিয়ে-থাকে","লুকিয়ে-নেই","লুকিয়ে-যাবে","লুকিয়েছি-আমরা"]·DE["[[ויסתר]]","[יסתר]","[יסתרו]","[להסתר]","[נסתר]","[נסתרה]","du-verbarg","und-ich-wird-verberge","und-sie-ist-concealed","und-verbarg","und-verberge-dich-selbst","verbarg","verbergen","wir-verbergen-uns"]·EN["[and-hides-himself]","and-I-will-hide","and-hid","and-hide-yourself","and-hides-himself","and-she-is-concealed","hidden","hide","hides-himself","is-concealed","is-hidden","they-are-hidden","they-conceal-themselves","to-hide","we-are-hidden","you-hid"]·FR["cacher","et-cacha","et-cache-toi-même","et-cacher","et-elle-est-concealed","et-je-fera-cache","nous-sont-caché","tu-cacha","à-cacher"]·heb["[ויסתר]","היסתר","ו-נסתר","ו-נסתרה","ו-נסתרת","ו-נסתרתי","ייסתר","יסתרוּ","ל-היסתר","נסתר","נסתרה","נסתרו","נסתרנו","נסתרת"]·HI["[और-छिपता-है]","और-गुप्त-हो","और-छिप","और-छुप","और-छुप-जअओओनग","चुप-तु","छिप","छिप-जाता","छिपता","छिपने-के-लिए","छिपा-दी-गई-हैं","छिपा-हुआ","छिपी-है","छिपी-हैं","छिपे-हैं-हम","छिपे-हों-हम","छिपें"]·ID["Tersembunyi","[dan-bersembunyi]","bersembunyi","dan-aku-akan-bersembunyi","dan-bersembunyi","dan-bersembunyilah","dan-dia-menyembunyikan-diri","kami-bersembunyi","kamu-bersembunyi","kita-tersembunyi","sembunyikanlah","tersembunyi","untuk-bersembunyi","yang-tersembunyi"]·IT["e-ella-e-concealed","e-io-vorrà-nascondi","e-nascondere","e-nascondi-te-stesso","e-nascose","nascondere","nascose","noi-sono-nascosto","per-nascondere","tu-nascose"]·jav["Kasingidaken","dipundelikaken","kanggé-ndhelik","kasidhem","kawula-ndhelik","kita-ndhelik","lan-kula-ndhelik","lan-ndhelik","lan-piyambakipun-ndhelik","lan-singidana","ndhelik","panjenengan-ndhelik","sami-ndhelik","sinidhem","sumimpen"]·KO["[그리고-숨기나]","감춰졌다","그리고-내가-숨겠다","그리고-숨겨지면","그리고-숨었다","그리고-숨으라","숨겨졌느니라","숨겨졌다","숨겨지리라","숨겨지지","숨겨진","숨기-위해","숨긴-것-이","숨다","숨었던","숨으라","숨으면","우리가-숨었다"]·PT["E-escondeu-se","[e-se-esconde]","e-esconder-me-ei","e-esconder-te-ás","e-foi-escondido","esconde-se","esconde-te","escondeste-te","escondido","estivermos-escondidos","está-escondida.","está-escondido","estão-escondidos","foram-escondidas","nos-escondemos","para-esconder-se","se-ocultarem","será-escondido"]·RU["[ктив:и-скрывается]","и-скройся","и-спрятался","и-спрячусь-я","и-утаится","мы-укрылись","скроемся","скроется","скроются","скрывается","сокрыт","сокрыта","сокрытого","сокрыты","спрятался-ты","спрячься","чтобы-скрыться"]·ES["Oculto-está","Y-se-escondió","[y-se-esconde]","escondido","escóndete","estarán-escondidas","estemos-ocultos","está-escondida","está-escondido","nos-hemos-escondido","para-esconderse","se-esconde","se-escondieron","se-ocultan","será-escondido","te-escondiste","y-escóndete","y-me-esconderé","y-se-esconde"]·SW["Imefichwa","Unstrh","fichwa","hujificha","imefichwa","imesitiriwa","itafichwa","jifiche","kilichofichwa","kujificha","na-akajificha","na-hujificha","na-nijifiche","na-ujifiche","tumefichana","tumejificha","ulijificha","watajificha","zimefichwa"]·TR["Ve-saklandı","[ve-gizlenir]","gizlen","gizlendi","gizlendik","gizlendiler","gizleneceğiz","gizlenir","gizlenirlerse","gizlenmek-için","gizli","saklandı","saklandın","ve-gizlen","ve-gizlenir","ve-saklanacağım","ve-örtülü-kalır"]·urd["اور-پوشیدہ-ہو","اور-چھپ","اور-چھپا","اور-چھپوں-گا-میں","تُو-چھپا-تھا","پوشیدہ ہے","چھپ","چھپ-جائے-گی","چھپ-جاتا-ہے","چھپا-ہوا","چھپائی-گئیں","چھپنے کے لیے","چھپی-ہوئی-ہے","چھپی-ہے","چھپیں","چھپیں-گے","چھپے-ہوںگے-ہم","ہم-چھپے"]
Gen 4:14, Gen 31:49, Num 5:13, Deut 7:20, Deut 29:29, 1 Sam 20:5, 1 Sam 20:19, 1 Sam 20:24, 1 Kgs 17:3, Job 3:23, Job 13:20, Job 28:21 (+19 more)
3. Hitpael: hide oneself deliberately — Hitpael reflexive-iterative: to hide oneself deliberately and repeatedly, emphasizing intentionality or persistence in concealment. Only 5 occurrences, but each is memorable: David's men hiding in the wilderness from Saul (1 Sam 23:19; 26:1), and remarkably, God described as 'a God who hides himself' (El mistatter) in Isa 45:15 — one of the most profound statements about divine transcendence in all of Scripture. Spanish ocultarse and German sich verbergen both capture the deliberate reflexive force. The Hitpael's iterative nuance suggests not a one-time act but an ongoing posture of hiddenness. 5×
AR["المُحْتَجِبُ","تَخْتَفِي","مُختَبِئًا","مُخْتَبِئًا"]·ben["যিনি-লুকিয়ে-থাকেন","লুকিয়ে-আছে","লুকিয়ে-যাবে"]·DE["verbarg","verbergen","verbergend"]·EN["hiding","shall-be-hidden","who-hides-Himself"]·FR["cachant","cacher","de-cacher"]·heb["מסתתר","תסתתר"]·HI["छिप-जाएगी","छिपा-हुआ","छिपा-हुआ-है"]·ID["bersembunyi","tersembunyi","yang-menyembunyikan-diri"]·IT["nascondendo","nascondere","nascose"]·jav["dipun-singidaken","ingkang-ndhelik","ndhelik","umpetan"]·KO["숨고-있다","숨어-있다","숨어있다","숨으시는","숨을-것이다"]·PT["escondendo-se","está-escondendo-se","que-se-esconde","se-esconderá"]·RU["скрывается","скрывающийся","сокроется"]·ES["escondiéndose","está-escondido","que-te-ocultas","se-ocultará"]·SW["anajificha","anayejificha","utafichwa"]·TR["gizlenecek","gizlenen","saklanıyor"]·urd["چُھپا-ہُوا","چھپ-جائے-گی","چھپا-ہوا"]
4. sense 4 — Passive participle or stative use denoting a hidden or concealed state, distinct from the processual Nifal. At Prov 27:5 the contrast between 'open rebuke' and 'hidden love' (ahavah mesutteret) uses this form to describe the static quality of being concealed rather than the act of concealing. Spanish oculto ('hidden, secret' as an adjective) and German verborgen match this adjectival sense precisely. 1×
AR["مُسْتَتِرَةٍ"]·ben["লুকানো"]·DE["[מסתרת]"]·EN["hidden"]·FR["cacher"]·heb["מסותרת"]·HI["छिपी।"]·ID["yang-tersembunyi"]·IT["nascondere"]·jav["kang-ndhelik"]·KO["숨겨진"]·PT["escondido"]·RU["скрытая"]·ES["oculto"]·SW["uliofichwa"]·TR["gizli"]·urd["چھپی-ہوئی"]
5. sense 5 — Imperative or jussive with the sense of providing shelter or refuge — 'hide' as protective concealment for the vulnerable. In Isa 16:3 the command is to 'hide the outcasts' from the oppressor, and the multilingual evidence (Spanish esconde, German verbergen) treats this as active sheltering rather than mere concealment. The protective nuance connects satar to the vocabulary of divine and human refuge found throughout the Psalms. 1×
AR["اسْتُرِي"]·ben["লুকাও"]·DE["verbergen"]·EN["hide"]·FR["cacher"]·heb["סתרי"]·HI["छिपाओ"]·ID["sembunyikanlah"]·IT["nascondere"]·jav["singidna"]·KO["숨기라"]·PT["esconde"]·RU["укрой"]·ES["esconde"]·SW["waficha"]·TR["sakla"]·urd["چھپاؤ"]
Related Senses
H3045 1. Qal: to know, perceive, understand (829×)H5315 1. soul, inner being (647×)H3820a 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (572×)H4672 1. Qal: find, discover (289×)G1492 1. know facts or truths (285×)H3824 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (250×)H1245 1. seek, search for (200×)G1097 1. know, be acquainted with (196×)H2142 1. Qal: remember, recall (173×)G2588 1. heart (inner self, mind, will) (158×)H0977 1. choose, select (Qal active) (145×)G2147 1. find, discover (144×)G5590 1. soul, inner self (100×)H4672 2. Niphal: be found, be discovered (99×)H1875 1. seek, search for (96×)H5315 2. life, vitality (94×)H1847 1. knowledge, discernment (90×)H2450 1. wise, prudent (84×)H7911 1. Qal: to forget (83×)H3684 1. fool, dullard (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† סָתַר vb. hide, conceal (NH id., der. species; 𝔗 סְתַר Pa. Ithpa., Syriac ܣܬܰܪ Pe. Pt. pass., chiefly Pa. Ithpa., id.; Arabic سَتَرَ veil, conceal, hide, Lane1304; Ethiopic ሰተረ (rare) Di364);— Niph. Pf. 3 ms. נִסְתָּ֑ר Pr 27:12 + 22:3 Qr (Kt וַיִּסָּתֵר); 2 ms. נִסְתַּ֫רְתָּ 1 S 20:19; 1 pl. נִסְתָּ֑רְנוּ Is 28:15, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִסָּתֵר Ho 13:14 +; 1 s. אֶסָּתֵר Gn 4:14 +; 3 mpl.…