הָכַר
𐤄𐤊𐤓
hâkar
H1970 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To treat as a stranger, regard as foreign, or behave as if one is unfamiliar or unknown; can also carry the sense of behaving with estrangement, turning away, or acting in a way that causes distance in a relationship. The term may additionally refer to doing harm or acting adversarially toward someone, often expressed through estrangement or alienation rather than direct physical injury.
Semantic Range
to treat or regard as a stranger, to alienate, to estrange, to behave as unknown or foreign, (rarely) to injure in a relational sense
Root / Etymology
Root: הכר (H-K-R). While the core root meaning revolves around 'recognizing' or 'regarding/distinguishing' (as in the much more frequent verb נכר), the specific formation הָכַר is a rare denominative verb, likely formed after the causative (hiphil) pattern, though attested rarely and with uncertain nuance. The sense 'to make oneself strange' may develop from the general idea of distinguishing or treating differently. Etymology uncertain regarding the nuanced sense of 'injure'; this may reflect a relational or social injury rather than physical.
Historical & Contextual Notes
הָכַר is an extremely rare term, with very limited attestation in the Hebrew Bible (used only twice: Job 19:13 and Psalm 69:9 [10]), primarily in poetic contexts. In both appearances, it refers to the alienation or estrangement of close relations — i.e., relatives and acquaintances treating the subject (Job, an Israelite) as if they were a stranger. The nuance is not of mere unfamiliarity, but of an active turning away or distancing. While Strong suggested a possible sense of 'injure,' modern scholarship emphasizes the verb's relational context: it describes social alienation, not physical harm. The word shares a root with נָכַר (to recognize, to distinguish; sometimes to alienate), but in this conjugation, it carries the nuance of making someone out to be a stranger or treating as alien. English translations like 'estranged' or 'alienated' best capture the core sense, rather than simple 'to injure'. In post-exilic Hebrew, related forms (esp. hiphil of נכר) continue with the meaning 'to recognize' or 'to regard as foreign.' The term should not be confused with more concrete verbs for physical harm or injury (such as פגע or חבל).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; apparently; to injure; make self strange.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
הכר (h-k-r) — to distinguish, to recognize, to treat as different/other
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1970-01 |
תַּהְכְּרוּ | tahekeru | HVhi2mp |
to wrong | you estrange | you estrange | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1970-01 |
Job 19:3 | תַּהְכְּרוּ | tahekeru | HVhi2mp |
to wrong | you estrange | you estrange |