H7603 H7603
leaven; fermented dough agent, ritually prohibited during Passover and grain offerings
Se'or is the leavening agent, the fermented dough kept back to raise the next batch of bread. All five occurrences fall within ritual law: it must be removed from Israelite homes during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exod 12:15, 19; 13:7; Deut 16:4), and it is forbidden in grain offerings (Lev 2:11). The cross-linguistic consistency is striking: Spanish 'levadura,' French 'levain,' and German 'Sauerteig' all denote the same sourdough starter, confirming a single, stable sense across all attestations.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Leaven, the fermented dough starter used to raise bread. Every occurrence is cultic and prohibitive: leaven must be purged from homes during Passover week (Exod 12:15, 19; 13:7; Deut 16:4) and is banned from cereal offerings on the altar (Lev 2:11). Spanish 'levadura,' French 'levain,' and German 'Sauerteig' unanimously confirm a single concrete referent: the sourdough agent that causes fermentation. 5×
AR["الْ-خَمِيرَ", "خَمِيرٌ", "خَمِيرٍ", "خَمِيرَةٌ"]·ben["খামির", "খামিরযুক্ত-ময়দা", "তাড়ি"]·DE["Sauerteig"]·EN["leaven"]·FR["levain"]·heb["שאור"]·HI["खमीर", "ख़मीर"]·ID["ragi"]·IT["lievito"]·jav["ragi"]·KO["누룩-과", "누룩을", "누룩이"]·PT["fermento"]·RU["закваска", "закваску"]·ES["levadura"]·SW["chachu"]·TR["maya"]·urd["خمیر"]
Related Senses
H8081 1. oil (substance) (180×)H3196 1. wine (fermented grape juice) (141×)H1706 1. honey (54×)H4682 1. unleavened bread/cakes (53×)H2461 1. milk (42×)H8492 1. new wine / must (38×)H0400 1. food, nourishment (36×)G3631 1. wine (34×)H3978 1. food, nourishment (30×)H1314 1. spice / perfume / balsam (29×)H7416 1. pomegranate (fruit/ornament) (28×)H3323 1. fresh oil, olive oil (23×)H2964 1. prey, torn flesh (19×)H3899 2. food, sustenance (19×)G1033 1. food (17×)G5160 1. food (16×)H5561 1. spices, aromatic substances (16×)H0402 1. food, nourishment (14×)G2219 1. leaven (13×)H4478a 1. manna (13×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† שְׂאֹר n.m. Ex 12:19 leaven;—abs. שׂ׳ Ex 13:7 (J), Dt 16:4 (D), Ex 12:15, 19; Lv 2:11 (all P).