שָׂרַף117 H8313
To burn or set fire to; consume with fire, whether actively, passively, or as a resulting state of having been burned
The verb saraph is the primary Hebrew word for burning, appearing overwhelmingly with the phrase ba'esh ('with fire'). It spans the full voice system: active burning of idols, corpses, and sacrificial remains (Exod 32:20, Lev 4:12), passive 'being burned' as punishment or purification (Gen 38:24, Lev 7:17), and the resultant state 'burned' describing ruined cities and scorched walls (1 Sam 30:3, Neh 4:2). The Assyrian cognate sharapu and Arabic أَحْرَقَ confirm the same core meaning. Ritual contexts dominate: roughly half the occurrences involve Levitical procedures for disposing of sacrificial remains outside the camp.
Senses
1. burn, set fire to — The active transitive sense: to burn, set fire to, or consume something with fire. This is the overwhelmingly dominant use, covering destruction of idols (Deut 7:5), disposal of sacrificial remains (Lev 4:12), and military devastation (Josh 11:9). Arabic أَحْرَقَ (Form IV), Korean 태우다/불태우다, and Swahili kuchoma all render it as a straightforward transitive 'burn.' 94×
AR["أَحْرَقَ", "أَحْرَقَهَا", "أَحْرَقَهُ", "حَرَقَ", "وَ-أَحرَقَهُ", "وَ-أَحْرَقَ", "وَأَحْرَقَ", "وَأَحْرَقَهَا"]·ben["এবং-তিনি-পুড়িয়ে-দিলেন", "এবং-পোড়ালেন", "এবং-সে-পোড়াল", "দগ্ধ-করেছেন", "পোড়াল", "পোড়ালেন", "পোড়িয়েছে", "সে-পোড়াল"]·DE["er-verbrannte", "und-er-verbrannte", "verbrannte", "verbrennen"]·EN["and-he-burned", "burned", "he-burned"]·FR["brûla", "brûler", "et-il-brûla", "il-brûla"]·heb["ו-ישרוף", "ו-שרף", "שרף"]·HI["उसने-जलाया", "और-जलाया", "जला-दिया", "जलाया", "वे-जलाया"]·ID["dan-ia-membakar", "dan-membakar", "dia-bakar", "dibakar", "ia-bakar", "ia-membakar", "ia-telah-membakar"]·IT["bruciare", "brucio", "bruciò", "e-egli-bruciò", "egli-brucio", "egli-bruciò"]·jav["dipun-obong", "dipunobong", "lan-ngobong", "lan-piyambakipun-mbesmi", "lan-piyambakipun-ngobong", "ngobong", "piyambakipun-ngobong"]·KO["그-가-태운", "그가-불태웠다", "그리고-불살랐다", "그리고-불태웠다", "그리고-태웠다", "불살랐다", "불태웠다", "불태웠다-그가", "태운", "태웠다"]·PT["e-queimou", "queimou"]·RU["и-сжёг", "сжёг", "сожёг"]·ES["quemó", "y-la-quemó", "y-lo-quemó", "y-los-quemó", "y-quemó"]·SW["akachoma", "alichoma", "alichoma-moto", "alivyoteketeza", "na-akachoma", "na-akaicha", "na-akaiteketeza", "sharap"]·TR["ve-ateşe-verdi", "ve-yaktı", "yakti", "yaktı"]·urd["اور-جلایا", "جلا-دیا", "جلایا"]
Exod 29:14, Exod 29:34, Exod 32:20, Lev 4:12, Lev 4:21, Lev 4:21, Lev 8:17, Lev 8:32, Lev 9:11, Lev 10:6, Lev 13:52, Num 19:5 (+38 more)
2. be burned (passive) — The passive sense: to be burned, to be consumed by fire. Tamar faces this sentence in Genesis 38:24, and Levitical law specifies that leftover sacrificial meat 'shall be burned' (Lev 7:17, 19). Arabic passive يُحْرَقُ and Korean 태워지다 distinguish this from the active agent construction, and it typically appears in Niphal or Pual stems. 15×
AR["أُحْرِقَ", "تَحْتَرِقُ", "تُحْرَقَ", "تُحْرَقُ", "وَ-أُحْرِقَتْ", "وَ-لِتُحْرَقْ", "يُحرَقُ", "يُحْرَقُ", "يُحْرَقُونَ"]·ben["আর-পোড়ানো-হোক", "ও-পুড়িয়ে-দেওয়া-হল", "তারা-পুড়ে-যাবে", "পুড়ে-যাবে", "পোড়ানো-হবে", "পোড়ানো-হয়েছে", "পোড়াবে।"]·DE["[ישרפו]", "[תשרפנה]", "es-soll-sein-verbrannte", "es-war-verbrannte", "lass-sein-verbrannte", "sie-sind-verbrannte", "sie-soll-sein-verbrannte", "soll-sein-verbrannte", "und-sie-soll-verbrannt-werden", "und-verbrennen", "verbrennen"]·EN["and-burned", "and-let-her-be-burned", "be-burned", "it-shall-be-burned", "it-was-burned", "let-be-burned", "shall-be-burned", "she-shall-be-burned", "they-are-burned", "will-be-burned"]·FR["brûler", "cela-devra-être-brûla", "cela-était-brûla", "devra-être-brûla", "elle-devra-être-brûla", "et-brûler", "et-que-sa-être-brûla", "ils-sont-brûla", "laisse-être-brûla", "תשרפנה"]·heb["ו-ישרפו", "ו-תשרף", "יישרף", "יישרפו", "ישרף", "שרף", "תישרף", "תישרפנה"]·HI["और-जला-दी-जाए", "और-जलाए-गए", "जलाई-जाए", "जलाई-जाएंगी", "जलाए-जाएंगे", "जलाया-गया-था", "जलाया-जाए", "जलाया-जाएगा", "जलेंगे"]·ID["akan-dibakar", "dan-biarlah-ia-dibakar", "dan-mereka-dibakar", "dibakar", "harus-dibakar", "ia-akan-dibakar", "telah-dibakar", "terbakar"]·IT["bruciare", "dovere-essere-bruciò", "dovra-essere-brucio", "e-bruciare", "e-let-suo-essere-bruciò", "ella-dovra-essere-brucio", "essere-burned", "essi-sono-bruciò", "esso-dovra-essere-brucio", "esso-fu-brucio", "lascia-essere-brucio"]·jav["badhé-dipun-obong", "badhé-dipunobong", "dipun-obong", "dipun-obong.", "dipunobong", "kaobong", "lan-dipun-obong", "lan-dipunobong"]·KO["그-와-불태웠다", "그것-이-타라", "그리고-태우자", "불태워지리라", "불태워질-것이다", "타겠느냐", "타리라", "태우라", "태워야-한다", "태워지리라", "태웠다"]·PT["e-foram-queimados", "e-seja-queimada", "foi-queimado", "se-queimarão", "será-queimada", "será-queimado", "serão-queimados"]·RU["будет-сожжена", "будет-сожжено", "будет-сожжён", "будут-сожжены", "и-пусть-будет-сожжена", "и-сожжёны-были", "пусть-будет-сожжена", "пусть-будет-сожжено", "сгорят?", "сожжены-будут", "сожжён"]·ES["había-sido-quemado", "se-quemarán", "será-quemada", "será-quemado", "serán-quemadas", "serán-quemados", "y-fueron-quemados", "y-será-quemada"]·SW["atachomwa", "hazitaungua", "itachomwa", "kuchomwa", "na-achomwe", "na-yakateketezwa", "ulichomwa", "utateketezwa", "zitateketezwa"]·TR["ve-yakıldılar", "ve-yakılsın", "yakılacak", "yakılacaklar", "yakılmayacak", "yakılmış", "yanar-mı"]·urd["اور-جلائی-جائے-وہ", "اور-جلائے-گئے", "جلائی-جائیں-گی", "جلائی-جائے", "جلائی-جائے-گی", "جلایا-جائے", "جلایا-جائے-گا", "جلایا-گیا-تھا", "جلیں-گے", "وہ-جلائے-جائیں-گے"]
3. burned (resultative state) — The resultative-state use of the Qal passive participle, describing something already burned. Psalm 80:16 laments the vine 'burned with fire,' Nehemiah 4:2 surveys walls that are 'burned,' and 1 Samuel 30:3 finds Ziklag 'burned.' Arabic participial forms مُحْرَقَة distinguish this adjectival state from ongoing process. 5×
AR["الْمُحْتَرِقُونَ", "مَحْرُوقَةٌ", "مُحتَرِقَةٌ", "مُحرَقَةٌ", "مُحْتَرِقَةٌ"]·ben["পুড়ে-গেছে", "পুড়ে-যাওয়ারা", "পোড়া", "পোড়ানো"]·DE["[שרופות]", "der-verbrannte-die", "verbrannt", "verbrannte", "verbrennen"]·EN["burned", "burned-with", "the-burned-ones"]·FR["brûla", "brûler", "le-brûla-ones"]·heb["ה-שרף", "שרופה", "שרופות"]·HI["जला-दी-गई-है", "जलि-हुइ", "जली-हुई-हैं", "जले-हुए", "जले-हुओं-ने"]·ID["Terbakar", "terbakar", "yang-terbakar"]·IT["bruciare", "brucio'", "bruciò", "il-brucio-quelli"]·jav["Dipunobong", "dipunkobong", "ingkang-dipun-obong", "kabrongot", "kobong"]·KO["불에-탔고", "불에-태워졌나이다", "불타버린", "불탄-것들이다", "불탄-자들이"]·PT["Queimada", "os-queimados", "queimada", "queimadas"]·RU["сожжена", "сожжён", "сожжённые"]·ES["Quemada", "los-quemados", "quemada", "quemadas", "quemadas-de"]·SW["Imechomwa", "imeteketezwa", "walioteketezwa", "yamechomwa"]·TR["yakılan", "yakılmış", "yakılmış-olanlar", "yanmış"]·urd["جلا-ہوا", "جلی-ہوئی", "جلے-ہوئوں-نے", "جلے-ہوئے"]
4. one who burns (agent) — The agentive participle used substantively: 'one who burns,' the person performing the ritual burning. Leviticus 16:28 prescribes that 'the one who burns' the sin offering must wash his clothes, and Numbers 19:8 similarly purifies the agent. This specialized ritual role is distinct enough that Korean 태우는 자 ('burning person') and Swahili anayechoma ('one who burns') render it as a substantive. 3×
AR["وَ-الْ-حَارِقُ", "وَ-الْمُحْرِقُ", "يُحْرِقُونَ"]·ben["এবং-যে-পোড়ায়", "পোড়াচ্ছিল"]·DE["und-der-burner", "und-der-eins-burning", "verbrennend"]·EN["and-the-burner", "and-the-one-burning", "burning"]·FR["brûlant", "et-le-burner", "et-le-un-brûlant"]·heb["ו-ה-שרף", "שורפים"]·HI["और-जलाने वाला", "और-जो-जलाता-है", "जलाने-वाले"]·ID["Dan-yang-membakar", "dan-yang-membakar", "membakar"]·IT["bruciando", "e-il-burner", "e-il-uno-burning"]·jav["lan-ingkang-ngobong", "nggeseng"]·KO["그리고-그-태우는-자-가", "그리고-태우는-자-는", "불태우는-자들로"]·PT["E-o-que-queima", "E-o-queimador", "queimando"]·RU["и-сжигающий", "сжигающие"]·ES["Y-el-que-quema", "Y-el-que-queme", "quemando"]·SW["Na-achomaye", "Na-mteketezaji", "wakiwateketeza"]·TR["ve-yakan", "yakıyorlardı"]·urd["اور-جلانے-والا", "اور-جو-جلاتا-ہے", "جلاتے-تھے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)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×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)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×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H4325 1. water, waters (582×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
שָׂרַף117 vb. burn (70 times + בָּאֵשׁ, 2 times + בְּמוֹ־אֵשׁ) (NH (rare) = BH; Assyrian šarâpu; Aramaic שְׂרַף (rare); ܣܪܰܦ is absorb, consume);— Qal Pf. 3 ms. שׂ׳ Jos 11:9 +, 3 fs. sf. שְׂרָפָ֫תַם Is 47:14, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִשְׂרֹף Nu 19:5 + 2 times, more often וַיִּשְׂרֹף Ex 32:20 +, 2 mpl. תִּשְׂרְפוּן Dt 7:5 + 2 times; Inf. abs. שָׂרוֹף 2 S 23:7; cstr. שְׂרֹף Je 36:25 +; sf. שָׂרְפוֹ Ju…