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Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary: The Old Testament Hebrew word: אסה

Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Dictionary/a/a-sa-he.html

אסה

Abarim Publications' online Biblical Hebrew Dictionary

אסה

Words that come from the root form אסה ('sh) are quite rare in the Bible. In fact, there's only one proper noun, and one name. And still, for some reason, scholars have decided that the noun and the name have nothing to do with each other and must come from different roots:


אסה I

The root אסה ('sh I) may correlate to an Arabic verb that means to heal. BDB Theological Dictionary lists the name Asa under this root. There are no other derivatives or usages of this root in the Bible.

אסה II

The root אסה ('sh II) may have to do with a comparable Arabic verb that means to be sorrowful or distressed. Its sole derivative is the masculine noun אסון ('ason), meaning mischief, harm or evil (Genesis 42:4, 42:38, 44:29, Exodus 21:22-23).

These two roots might not be two at all, since all healing is done by people who first suffered harm. Likewise, a doctor is a "man of sorrows" as much as a healer or scientist.


Associated Biblical names