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הֹצֶן

𐤄𐤑𐤍

hôtsen

H2021 noun

SILEX Entry

Root הצן to be sharp, to be strong (root level; uncertain)

Definition

A war implement, specifically an offensive weapon such as a spear or lance; in some contexts, may denote military equipment associated with chariots or horsemen. The precise type of weapon is uncertain, but always carries martial connotations, referring to the armaments used in battle rather than to vehicles themselves.

Semantic Range

weapon of war, offensive weapon, martial equipment for horsemen or chariots

Root / Etymology

From the root הָצַן (uncertain in form and meaning, possibly related to a root meaning 'to be sharp' or 'to be strong'). The actual form הֹצֶן occurs only once in biblical Hebrew, and the underlying root is not attested elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible, making the etymological relationship conjectural.

Historical & Contextual Notes

הֹצֶן occurs only in Micah 5:10 (Hebrew 5:9), in a context listing the removal of war-related items. Most modern translators identify it as a weapon rather than a chariot, despite some translation traditions using 'chariot.' The association with chariots likely arose from early translator attempts to make sense of a rare term in a military context. The word does not refer to a vehicle but to a weapon or possibly the collective armaments related to horsemen. Comparative philology offers possible cognates in Aramaic and late Hebrew, but none are definitive. The term's isolation prevents confident identification with any single type of weapon. English translations often render it as 'chariot,' 'war-horse,' or 'weapon,' but the weight of evidence points to an offensive weapon, possibly a spear or lance.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root meaning apparently to be sharp or strong; a weapon of war; chariot.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

הצן (ḥ-ṣ-n) — sharpness, strength

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2021-01 הֹ֠צֶן hotsen HNcmsc hosts war-weapon of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2021-01 Ezekiel 23:24 הֹ֠צֶן hotsen HNcmsc hosts war-weapon of
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