סָמַךְ
çâmak · saw-mak'
to prop (literally or figuratively); reflexively, to lean upon or take hold of (in a favorable or unfavorable sense)
Lexicon
Derivation: a primitive root;
to prop (literally or figuratively); reflexively, to lean upon or take hold of (in a favorable or unfavorable sense)
- to prop (literally or figuratively)
- reflexively, to lean upon or take hold of (in a favorable or unfavorable sense)
Definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Wording is Strong's own, including his etymological notes, which are not separate meanings.
KJV renderings: bear up, establish, (up-) hold, lay, lean, lie hard, put, rest self, set self, stand fast, stay (self), sustain.
Letters
- סSamekh60
Picture: a prop or pillar
- Concrete
- pillar · prop · thorn
- Extended
- to support · to uphold · to turn around · to be trusted
- מMem40
Picture: waves of water
- Concrete
- water · sea · blood · liquid
- Extended
- chaos · mighty and uncontrollable · the masses · from / out of
- כKaf20
Picture: open palm
- Concrete
- palm · open hand · sole of the foot
- Extended
- to open · to allow · to cover · to tame · like / as
Possible cultural reading (auto-composed)
to support and uphold › water, chaos, the mighty deep › the open hand that covers
To support and uphold of water, chaos, the mighty deep of the open hand that covers.
Interpretive, not lexical. The dictionary sense of סָמַךְ above is the attested meaning; this pictographic reading is a tradition about how the sign-shapes may have been heard. Both can be held at once, they are answering different questions.
Usage
48 occurrences · 48 OT · 0 NT · 37 distinct forms
KJV renderings of this word, by how often each one is used.
- and he shall lay6 · 15%
- shall put4 · 10%
- shall lay3 · 8%
- laid3 · 8%
- upholdeth3 · 8%
- lean2 · 5%
- have i sustained1 · 3%
- and he shall put1 · 3%
- and shall lay1 · 3%
- him lay1 · 3%
- and lay1 · 3%
- and he laid1 · 3%
- had laid1 · 3%
- and on which it was borne up1 · 3%
- and they laid1 · 3%
- rested1 · 3%
- sustained1 · 3%
- and uphold1 · 3%
- is with them that uphold1 · 3%
- by thee have i been holden up1 · 3%
- lieth hard1 · 3%
- they stand fast1 · 3%
- is established1 · 3%
- uphold1 · 3%
- stay1 · 3%
Where it is used, by book.
Inflected forms found in the text.
Counts are computed from the tagged Hebrew and Greek text aligned to the King James Version, not from an estimate.