Hebrew word · H8333

שַׁרְשְׁרָה

sharsherot

chain

A chain, especially a decorative chain. The doubled-sounding form may echo shoresh, 'root' (a chain of tendril-like links), but this is uncertain.

Appears 7 times in 5 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

chain

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Exodus 28:14

Range of meaning

A chain, especially a decorative chain. The doubled-sounding form may echo shoresh, 'root' (a chain of tendril-like links), but this is uncertain.

Against the English

Every English version says 'chains'. That is accurate.

Used elsewhere in the period

Elsewhere only in temple architecture: chainwork on the pillar capitals and in the inner sanctuary (1 Kgs 7:17; 2 Chr 3:5, 16).

Similar words

Where it appears

Exodus · 3

  1. Exodus 28:14 שַׁרְשְׁרֹת֙ שַׁרְשְׁרֹ֥ת chains of, [the] chains of

    and two chains of pure gold, made of braided cord work; and attach these chains to the settings.

    Here: Chains, here linked to 'gold' that follows (literally 'chains of gold'). A rare word that otherwise appears for the decorative chainwork on Solomon's temple pillars and woodwork. It means real metal chains, not loose ribbons.

  2. Exodus 39:15 שַׁרְשְׁרֹ֥ת chains of

    For the breastpiece they made braided chains like cords of pure gold.

    Here: Chains. The word itself has a doubled sound (shar-sher), which some link to a root for 'string together'. Here it names the two gold chains that hold the breastpiece up from the shoulder-pieces of the ephod (39:17–18).

1 Kings · 1

  1. 1 Kings 7:17 שַׁרְשְׁר֔וֹת chains

    For the capitals on top of the pillars he made a network of lattice, with wreaths of chainwork, seven for each capital.

2 Chronicles · 3

  1. 2 Chronicles 3:5 וְשַׁרְשְׁרֽוֹת׃ and chains

    He paneled the main room with cypress, which he overlaid with fine gold and decorated with palm trees and chains.

  2. 2 Chronicles 3:16 שַׁרְשְׁרוֹת֙ בַּֽשַּׁרְשְׁרֽוֹת׃ chains, on the chains

    He made interwoven chains and put them on top of the pillars. He made a hundred pomegranates and fastened them into the chainwork.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.