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H833 · Hebrew · Old Testament
אָשַׁר
Ashar
Verb
To go straight / Be blessed / Pronounce happy

Definition

The Hebrew verb ashar means to go straight, to walk uprightly, or to pronounce someone blessed and fortunate. It is the verbal root behind esher (H835), the word used in the Beatitudes of the Old Testament, often translated 'Blessed is the man who...'

Usage & Theological Significance

Ashar describes the inner state of flourishing that flows from covenant faithfulness. When the Psalms and Proverbs declare someone blessed (ashre), it is this root at work. The word is not about external wealth but about the rightness of one's path before God.

Theologically, it connects human obedience with divine favor. To be ashar is to be on the right path — aligned with God's ways. It anticipates the New Testament idea of true blessedness (Greek makarios, G3107).

Key Bible Verses

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take.
Proverbs 31:28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.
Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
Psalm 41:1 Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the LORD delivers them in times of trouble.
Proverbs 3:18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.

Related Words

External Resources

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