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H7839 · Hebrew · Old Testament
שַׁחֲרוּת
shacharuth
Noun, feminine
dawn, youth, the time of dawn/early life

Definition

Shacharuth (שַׁחֲרוּת) refers to the time of dawn or the period of early youth — the fresh, beginning stage of life. It appears only in Ecclesiastes 11:10 in a poignant exhortation to enjoy youth (shacharuth) before it vanishes. The root shachar means dawn or early morning — so shacharuth is the 'dawnhood' of life, emphasizing its beauty, brevity, and gift-character.

Usage & Theological Significance

Ecclesiastes 11:10 stands as a call to intentional, joyful living in youth — not recklessness, but the recognition that shacharuth is a season given by God that will not return. The New Testament echoes this in the call to 'redeem the time' (Ephesians 5:16). Every morning (shachar) is a grace; every dawn of life is a gift to be offered back to God before it becomes twilight.

Key Bible Verses

Ecclesiastes 11:10 So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth [shacharuth] and vigor are meaningless.
Psalm 110:3 Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning's womb.
Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come.
Psalm 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning [shachar] with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Zephaniah 3:5 Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail.

Word Study

The connection between shachar (dawn) and shacharuth (youth) is theologically rich: youth is the dawn of life, and like physical dawn, it moves irreversibly toward noon and evening. Ecclesiastes uses this to motivate wisdom — not pessimism. God's mercies are new every morning (shachar, Lamentations 3:23), and the dawn of a life well-lived is precious to Him.

Related Words

External Resources

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