samach · sustain, lean on

What it means

samach (סָמַךְ) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “sustain, lean on”.

Prop up, sustain, uphold; provide for. Also lean on, lay one's hand on.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To rest a hand on an animal or person.
2. To rest one's weight on something or someone so as not to fall; to support.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

To lean on, to sustain: to put one’s weight on something, and also to hold someone up so that he does not fall. In worship, to lay the hand on the head of the animal offered or on a person.

• Laying the hand on the head of the sacrifice Leviticus 1:4Leviticus 16:21
• Moses lays his hands on Joshua Numbers 27:18Deuteronomy 34:9
• Leaning on something or someone Judges 16:292 Kings 18:21Amos 5:19
• YHWH sustains the one who falls Psalms 3:5Psalms 37:24Psalms 145:14
• Providing for someone Genesis 27:37

Historical and cultural background

On the day of expiation, Aaron laid both his hands on the head of the live goat and confessed over it the iniquities of the people (Leviticus 16:21). Joshua was “full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him” (Deuteronomy 34:9).

How we translate it

“Lay” (the hands) in the rites (“He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering”, Leviticus 1:4; “shall lay” 14 times, “laid” 6), and in the Psalms, “sustain” or “uphold” (“YHWH sustains me”, Psalm 3:5; “YHWH upholds all who fall”, 145:14). When the weight rests on something, “leans” (2 Kings 18:21; Amos 5:19) or “braced himself” (Judges 16:29). In Genesis 27:37, “with grain and new wine I have sustained him”.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• shall lay ×14
• laid ×6
• upheld ×4
• lay ×3
• leans ×3
• sustains ×3
• has leaned ×2
• sustain me ×2
• sustained ×2
• I have leaned ×1
• others ×8

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×1
• Exodus×3
• Leviticus×14
• Numbers×4
• Deuteronomy×1
• Judges×1
• 2 Kings×1
• 2 Chronicles×2
• Psalms×11
• Song of Songs×1
• Isaiah×6
• Ezekiel×2
• Amos×1

• Genesis 27:37

  Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Look, I have made him master over you, and all his brothers I have given to him as servants, and with grain and new wine I have sustained him. So for you, then, what can I do, my son?”

• Exodus 29:10

  You shall bring near the bull before the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull.

• Exodus 29:15

  Then you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram.

• Exodus 29:19

  You shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram.

• Leviticus 1:4

  He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted for him to make expiation for him.

• Leviticus 3:2

  He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall splash the blood against the altar all around.

• Leviticus 3:8

  He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it before the tent of meeting, and the sons of Aaron shall splash its blood against the altar all around.

• Leviticus 3:13

  He shall lay his hand on its head and slaughter it before the tent of meeting, and the sons of Aaron shall splash its blood against the altar all around.

• Leviticus 4:4

  He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the tent of meeting before YHWH, lay his hand on the head of the bull, and slaughter the bull before YHWH.

• Leviticus 4:15

  The elders of the community shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before YHWH, and one shall slaughter the bull before YHWH.

• Leviticus 4:24

  He shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and slaughter it in the place where one slaughters the burnt offering before YHWH; it is a sin offering.

• Leviticus 4:29

  He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering.

• Leviticus 4:33

  He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it as a sin offering in the place where one slaughters the burnt offering.

• Leviticus 8:14

  He brought near the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering.

• Leviticus 8:18

  He presented the ram of the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.

• Leviticus 8:22

  He presented the second ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.

• Leviticus 16:21

  And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions, for all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is ready.

• Leviticus 24:14

  “Bring the one who cursed outside the camp, and let all who heard lay their hands on his head, and let all the community stone him.

• Numbers 8:10

  And you shall bring the Levites before YHWH, and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites.

• Numbers 8:12

  And the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and offer the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to YHWH, to make expiation for the Levites.

• Numbers 27:18

  YHWH said to Moses, “Take for yourself Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom there is the spirit, and lay your hand on him.

• Numbers 27:23

  He laid his hands on him and gave him orders, as YHWH had spoken through Moses.

• Deuteronomy 34:9

  And Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as YHWH had commanded Moses.

• Judges 16:29

  And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he braced himself against them, one with his right hand and one with his left.

• 2 Kings 18:21

  Now, look, you have trusted in the staff of this broken reed, in Egypt, on which a man leans, and it goes into his palm and pierces it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.

• 2 Chronicles 29:23

  Then they brought near the male goats of the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them.

• 2 Chronicles 32:8

  With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is YHWH our Elohim to help us and to fight our wars.” And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

• Psalms 3:5

  I lay down and slept; I awoke, for YHWH sustains me.

• Psalms 37:17

  For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the one who sustains the righteous is YHWH.

• Psalms 37:24

  When he falls, he will not be hurled down, for YHWH sustains his hand.

• Psalms 51:12

  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and let a generous spirit sustain me.

• Psalms 54:4

  Look, Elohim is my helper; Adonai is among those who sustain my soul.

• Psalms 71:6

  On you I have leaned from the womb; from the inward parts of my mother you are the one who took me out; in you is my praise continually.

• Psalms 88:7

  Upon me your fury has leaned, and with all your breakers you have afflicted me. Selah.

• Psalms 111:8

  upheld forever and ever, done in truth and uprightness.

• Psalms 112:8

  Upheld is his heart; he will not fear, until he looks on his adversaries.

• Psalms 119:116

  Uphold me according to your saying, and I will live, and do not put me to shame in my hope.

• Psalms 145:14

  YHWH upholds all who fall, and makes straight all who are bent down.

• Song of Songs 2:5

  Sustain me with raisin cakes, refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love.

• Isaiah 26:3

  The purpose that is sustained you will keep in peace, peace, for in you it trusts.

And 8 more times.