Lexical Summary saraph: Seraph, fiery serpent Original Word: סָרַף Strong's Exhaustive Concordance burn A primitive root; to cremate, i.e. To be (near) of kin (such being privileged to kindle the pyre) -- burn. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originthe same as saraph, q.v. Topical Lexicon Root and Semantic Field The verb סָרַף conveys the act of burning with fire. While Strong’s 5635 occurs but once, its root family appears widely, describing flames that consume offerings, corpses, idols, scrolls, cities, serpents, and ultimately all that stands under divine judgment. Fire is never a neutral element in Scripture; it purifies what is holy and destroys what is unholy, making the single use of the form in Amos 6:10 weighty with canonical resonance. Biblical Occurrence Amos 6:10 depicts a devastated household in Samaria: “Then the one who burns him will remove his remains from the house…”. The “one who burns” is most naturally a close kinsman who, in the aftermath of pestilence or invasion, resorts to cremation instead of standard burial. The verse pictures social collapse so severe that normal funerary customs are abandoned, and survivors whisper rather than invoke the divine name lest further calamity fall. Historical–Cultural Context 1. Israelite custom favored burial in family tombs (Genesis 23:19; 2 Samuel 19:37). Burning a body was exceptional and signaled extreme circumstances: Amos’s prophecy therefore sketches a scene of covenant curse (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28), where societal norms unravel under the weight of divine chastening. Theological Significance of Burning 1. Judgment: Fire falls on Sodom (Genesis 19:24) and on Elijah’s altar (1 Kings 18:38), underscoring Yahweh’s sovereignty to judge or vindicate. The lone appearance of סָרַף in Amos 6:10 thus fits a larger canonical pattern: when covenant people resist repentance, the fire that should purify instead devours. Connections within Amos Amos layers fire imagery throughout his oracles (Amos 1:4, 1:7, 1:10, 1:12, 2:5). By the time readers reach 6:10, the literal burning of corpses embodies earlier metaphor: complacent leaders who “lie on beds of ivory” (Amos 6:4) now face fiery reality. The text warns that luxurious self-indulgence cannot shield against coming heat. Pastoral and Ministry Applications • Recognize that sin unchecked culminates in visible ruin; private rebellion eventually produces public fallout. Christological Reflections Jesus bore the fire of divine wrath at the cross (Luke 12:49–50), fulfilling what the sacrificial flames foreshadowed. At Pentecost tongues “like flames of fire” (Acts 2:3) descended, marking the new-covenant people not for destruction but for purified witness. The final judgment will again involve burning (2 Peter 3:7–12), yet believers rest in the promise that, like the bush before Moses, they will be preserved though surrounded by holy fire (Exodus 3:2; Revelation 20:6). Summary Strong’s 5635 סָרַף, though confined to a single verse, illuminates the broader biblical theology of fire: a dual symbol of judgment and purification. Amos 6:10 stands as a sobering reminder that complacency invites consuming flames, while simultaneously pointing forward to the One who alone can carry believers safely through the fire. Forms and Transliterations וּמְסָרְפ֗וֹ ומסרפו ū·mə·sā·rə·p̄ōw umesareFo ūməsārəp̄ōwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Amos 6:10 HEB: וּנְשָׂא֞וֹ דּוֹד֣וֹ וּמְסָרְפ֗וֹ לְהוֹצִ֣יא עֲצָמִים֮ KJV: shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out INT: will lift uncle burneth to carry out bones 1 Occurrence |
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