H7789 H7789
To behold, gaze upon; to lie in wait or lurk with hostile intent; to sing or chant (a rare poetic variant).
The Hebrew verb shur is a word of intense looking — a gaze that lingers and penetrates. In its primary sense, it describes beholding or contemplating someone or something with sustained attention, appearing in some of Scripture's most visually dramatic poetry: Balaam's oracle gazing upon Israel from a mountaintop ('I behold him, but not near; I see him, but not now,' Num 24:17) and Job's anguished awareness that God's eye is upon him (Job 7:8; 34:29). Spanish contemplar and French regarder capture this attentive quality. But looking can turn predatory: in Jeremiah 5:26 and Hosea 13:7, shur describes lying in wait like a hunter or a leopard, watching with intent to strike. Spanish acechar ('to stalk') and French guetter mark this shift into hostile surveillance. A single puzzling occurrence in Job 33:27 may preserve a homonymous root meaning 'to sing,' perhaps related to shir, though the textual evidence remains debated.
Senses
1. to behold, see, look at — To behold, gaze upon, observe — perceiving visually with sustained attention or contemplation. This primary sense accounts for thirteen occurrences, spanning Balaam's prophetic vision ('I behold him from afar,' Num 24:17), Job's existential lament that God's eye will no longer see him (Job 7:8; 20:9), and the lover's invitation to gaze from the peaks of Lebanon (Song 4:8). Spanish contemplar/mirar, French regarder/observer, and German schauen converge on attentive visual perception. The verb often appears in parallel with ra'ah ('to see'), but carries a more deliberate, penetrating quality — this is not a glance but a sustained gaze. 13×
AR["أُبْصِرُهُ", "تَراني", "تَراهُ", "تَرَانِي", "تَشُورِي", "وَ-تَأَمَّل", "وَأَرعاهُ", "يَراها", "يَراهُ", "يَرَاهُ", "يُراقِبُها"]·ben["আমাকে-দেখবে", "আমি-দেখি-তাকে", "আমি-দেখি-তাদের", "আর-লক্ষ্য-কর", "এবং-আমি-তাকে-দেখব", "তাকে-দেখবে", "তিনি-দেখেন-তা", "তুমি-দেখ-তাঁকে", "দেখবে-আমাকে", "দেখবে-তাঁকে", "দেখবে-তাকে", "দেখেন-এটা", "নীচে-তাকাও"]·DE["[ואשורנו]", "[ושור]", "[ישורנה]", "[ישורנו]", "[תשורי]", "[תשורנו]", "[תשורני]", "ich-siehe-ihn"]·EN["I-behold-him", "and-I-will-look-upon-him", "and-behold", "can-behold-Him", "look", "one-perceives-it", "regards-it", "will-behold-him", "will-see-it", "will-see-me", "you-behold-Him"]·FR["Tu-regarderas", "et-observer", "je-voici-lui", "observer", "observer-moi"]·heb["אשורנו", "ו-אשורנו", "ו-שור", "ישורנה", "ישורנו", "תשורי", "תשורנו", "תשורני"]·HI["उसे-देखेगी", "और-निहार", "और-मैं-उस-पर-दृष्टि-रखूंगा", "देख", "देखता-उसे", "देखता-हूँ-उसे", "देखता-है-उसे", "देखता-है-उसे-तू", "देखेगा", "देखेगा-उसे", "देखेगी-मुझे", "मुझे-देखेगी"]·ID["Berangkatlah", "akan-melihatku", "aku-memandangnya", "dan-pandanglah", "engkau memandangNya", "melihatku", "melihatnya", "memandangNya", "memandangnya", "orang memperhatikannya"]·IT["[ואשורנו]", "e-osservare", "io-ecco-lui", "osservare", "osservare-mio"]·jav["badhe-mirsani", "kula-mandeng-Piyambakipun", "kula-mirsani-piyambakipun", "lan-Kawula-mirsani-piyambakipun", "lan-mirsanana", "mirsani-Panjenengan-ipun", "mirsani-kawula", "mirsani-piyambakipun", "ningali-kawula", "ningali-piyambakipun", "panjenengan-badhe-mirsani", "panjenengan-mirsani-Panjenengan-ipun", "tiyang-mangertosi"]·KO["그가-살펴보신다-그것을", "그것을-보신다", "그를-보리오", "그리고-관찰하라", "그리고-돌보리마-그를", "내가-그를-바라본다", "네가-그를-보지-못한다고", "바라보라", "보지-못하리라", "볼-것이다-나를", "볼-수-있겠느냐"]·PT["Contemplo-o", "a-verá", "contemplo-o", "e-contempla", "e-olharei-para-ele", "me-verá", "o-avistará", "o-percebês", "olharás", "percebe-a", "percebe-se", "perceberá-lo-á"]·RU["видишь-Его", "замечает-её", "замечают-его", "и-взирал-на-него", "и-смотри", "смотрю-на-него", "созерцаю-его", "спустись", "увидит", "увидит-Его", "увидит-его", "увидит-меня"]·ES["la-ve", "la-verá?", "lo-contemplo", "lo-mirará", "lo-verá", "lo-ves", "me-verá", "mira", "se-percibe", "y-contempla", "y-lo-miraré"]·SW["anaiona", "anaona", "angalia", "ataliona", "atamuona", "halitamwona", "halitaniona", "na-nitamwangalia", "na-tazama", "ninamtazama", "unamuona"]·TR["algılar-onu", "bakacaksin", "bakıyorum-ona", "görebilir-onu", "görecek-beni", "görür", "görür-beni", "görür-onu", "görürsnO'nu", "seyrediyorum-onu", "ve-bakacağım-ona", "ve-seyret"]·urd["آدمی اسے سمجھتا", "اسے دیکھے گا", "اور-غور کر", "اور-میں-اُسے-دیکھتا-ہوں", "تو اسے دیکھتا", "دیکھتا اسے", "دیکھتا-ہوں-اُسے", "دیکھوں-گا-اُسے", "دیکھے گا", "دیکھے گا-اُسے", "دیکھے گی-مجھے", "مجھے-دیکھے-گی", "نظر-کر"]
2. to lie in wait, lurk — To watch with hostile or stealthy intent — lying in wait, lurking, spying upon someone as a predator watches prey. Two occurrences shift the verb's valence from contemplation to menace: in Jeremiah 5:26, wicked men 'lie in wait' like fowlers setting traps, and in Hosea 13:7, God warns 'like a leopard I will lurk (ashur) beside the way.' Spanish acechar and French guetter deploy dedicated stalking vocabulary, confirming that translators perceive genuine hostile intent rather than neutral observation. The semantic bridge from 'behold' to 'lurk' is the intensity of the gaze — watching that becomes predatory. 2×
AR["أَرصُدُ", "يَتَرَبَّصُونَ"]·ben["আমি-ঘাতি-পাতব", "উঁকি-মারে"]·DE["Assyrien", "[ישור]"]·EN["I-will-lurk", "they-lie-in-wait"]·FR["Assyrie", "[ישור]"]·heb["אשור", "יארוב"]·HI["मैं-घात-लगाऊंगा", "वे-घात-लगाते-हैं"]·ID["Mereka-mengintai"]·IT["Assiria", "[ישור]"]·jav["piyambakipun-ndhelik"]·KO["앗수르의", "엿본다"]·PT["Espreitam", "espreitarei"]·RU["подстерегаю", "подстерегают"]·ES["acechan", "acecharé"]·SW["ninawavizia", "wanavizia"]·TR["gözetliyorlar", "pusu-kurarım"]·urd["میں-گھات-لگاؤں-گا", "چھپ-کر-بیٹھتے-ہیں"]
3. to sing — To sing or chant — a rare and debated sense attested in Job 33:27, where Elihu describes a restored person who 'sings before others' in confession. This may reflect a distinct homonymous root related to shir ('to sing') rather than the visual verb. Spanish canta ('he sings') and some traditional renderings support the vocal reading, though others emend the text or reinterpret the verb as 'to look about' in triumph. The single attestation and textual uncertainty make this the most fragile of the three senses. 1×
AR["يُغَنّي"]·ben["গান-করেন"]·DE["aufrichtig"]·EN["he-sings"]·FR["observer"]·heb["ישור"]·HI["गाएगा"]·ID["Ia bernyanyi"]·IT["osservare"]·jav["Piyambak-ipun-nyanyi"]·KO["그가-노래한다"]·PT["Cantará"]·RU["будет-петь"]·ES["Canta"]·SW["ataangalia"]·TR["Şarkı-söyler"]·urd["وہ گاتا ہے"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H???? 1. (4670×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. [שׁוּר] vb. behold, regard (especially Jb);— Qal Impf. 3 ms. יָשׁוּר Je 5:26, sf. יְשׁוּרֶנּוּ Jb 34:29, etc.; Imv. ms. שׁוּר Jb 35:5;— 1. behold, c. acc. pers. Nu 23:9; 24:17 (poems in JE, ‖ רָאָה), לֹא תְּשׁוּרֵנִי, subj. eye, Jb 24:15, and (= I shall not exist) 7:8, cf. 20:9 (subj. מְקוֹמוֹ), 17:15; God object 34:29; 35:14; look, gaze, abs., מִן loc. Ct 4:8. 2. regard with watchful care…