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הָרַס

𐤄𐤓𐤎

hâraç

H2040 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To tear down, break apart, demolish. Refers primarily to the physical act of destroying structures (such as buildings, walls, or altars). In metaphorical usage, can describe the overthrow or nullification of abstractions such as power, alliances, or plans. The verb emphasizes a forceful, often violent, reduction of something to ruin, as opposed to gradual decay or minor damage.

Semantic Range

to tear down buildings or structures, to demolish city walls or fortifications, to destroy or ruin intentionally, to overthrow (in a figurative or literal sense), to annul or render plans ineffective (metaphorically)

Root / Etymology

Root: הרס. The core meaning of the root is 'to break down.' The verb הָרַס is the primary verbal form deriving directly from the root, and it carries the explicit sense of active, deliberate destruction or dismantling, especially of constructed objects.

Historical & Contextual Notes

הָרַס is attested throughout biblical Hebrew, especially in contexts regarding buildings, city walls, or ritual objects—often in conquest, judgment, or ritual reform narratives. Its semantic field is distinct from שָׁבַר (to break, often into pieces or of objects generally), and from חָרַב (to make desolate or dry, often with a focus on devastation or wilderness). Unlike terms meaning 'to ruin' by neglect or decay (e.g., שָׁמֵם), הָרַס nearly always refers to an agent's deliberate act of dismantling or destroying. During the monarchic and exilic periods, it is frequently used of the destruction of city fortifications or sanctuaries. In later biblical literature, it can also refer metaphorically to the annulment or frustration of evil plans (e.g., Job, Psalms), though the core sense of active force remains. English translations as 'destroy' or 'break down' may miss the nuance of deliberate demolition, especially where cultic reforms or military activity are involved. In post-biblical Hebrew, the root continues with similar senses, but also may broaden to non-material domains.

Translation Consistency

primary "demolish" 28 occurrences

The primary sense is forceful removal of buildings or structures and the overthrow/nullification of things; 'demolish' best captures that physical, violent breaking-down and fits the majority P2 renderings (e.g. 'demolished', 'demolish'). It is natural English, specific to tearing down constructions while still working for metaphorical overthrow, and is preferable to the broader 'destroy' for preserving the structural emphasis.

Alternatives (15 occurrences):
"tear down" (2x) "break through" (2x) "torn down" (2x) "destroy" (1x) "tear you down" (1x) "demolishers" (1x) "ruined places" (1x) "tear them down" (1x) "break" (1x) "tears it down" (1x) "broken down" (1x) "tears down" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to pull down or in pieces, break, destroy; beat down, break (down, through), destroy, overthrow, pluck down, pull down, ruin, throw down, [idiom] utterly.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

הרס (hărîyçâh) — to tear down, demolish, break down

Root הרס to break down, to pull down, to demolish
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2034 הֲרִיסָה and his demolitions
H2035 הֲרִיסוּת your devastation
H2041 הֶרֶס the ruin-heap

Word Forms

30 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2040-03 הָרָ֑ס haras HVqp3ms break he demolished he demolished 4
H2040-01 אֶהֱרֹ֔ס eheros HVqi1cs I-will-overthrow I will tear down I will demolish 3
H2040-20 וְ/הָרְס֤וּ veharesu HC/Vqq3cp and-they-will-break-down and they demolished and they demolished 3
H2040-04 הָרָ֔סוּ harasu HVqp3cp have torn down they demolished they demolished 2
H2040-10 נֶהֶרְס֖וּ neheresu HVNp3cp are broken down they were demolished they were demolished 2
H2040-18 וְ/הָ֨רַסְתִּ֜י veharaseti HC/Vqq1cs and I will demolish and I demolished and I will demolish 2
H2040-21 וְ/לַ/הֲר֑וֹס velaharos HC/R/Vqc and to overthrow and to demolish and to demolish 2
H2040-22 וְ/נֶהֶרְס֖וּ veneheresu HC/VNq3cp and the mountains shall be thrown down and they were demolished and they were demolished 2
H2040-30 יֶהֶרְס֤וּ yeheresu HVqi3mp break through they will tear down they break through 2
H2040-02 הַ/נֶּ֣הֱרָס֔וֹת haneherasot HTd/VNsfpa the-ruined-places the demolished ones the ruined places 1

Occurrences in Scripture

43 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2040-11 Exodus 15:7 תַּהֲרֹ֣ס taharos HVqi2ms you overthrow you tear down you tear down
H2040-30 Exodus 19:21 יֶהֶרְס֤וּ yeheresu HVqi3mp they break through they will tear down they break through
H2040-30 Exodus 19:24 יֶֽהֶרְס֛וּ yeheresu HVqj3mp break through they will tear down they will break through
H2040-05 Exodus 23:24 הָרֵס֙ hares HVpa overthrow to utterly demolish to utterly demolish
H2040-13 Exodus 23:24 תְּהָ֣רְסֵ֔/ם teharesem HVpi2ms/Sp3mp you shall overthrow them you will demolish them you shall demolish them
H2040-17 Judges 6:25 וְ/הָרַסְתָּ֗ veharaseta HC/Vqq2ms and tear down and you tore down and you shall tear down
H2040-19 2 Samuel 11:25 וְ/הָרְסָ֖/הּ veharesah HC/Vqv2ms/Sp3fs and-destroy-it and demolish her and destroy it
H2040-06 1 Kings 18:30 הֶ/הָרֽוּס heharus HTd/Vqsmsa that had been torn down demolished one demolished one
H2040-04 1 Kings 19:10 הָרָ֔סוּ harasu HVqp3cp have torn down they demolished they demolished
H2040-04 1 Kings 19:14 הָרָ֔סוּ harasu HVqp3cp they have torn down they demolished they demolished
H2040-24 2 Kings 3:25 יַהֲרֹ֡סוּ yaharosu HVqi3mp they-demolished they will demolish they demolished
H2040-03 Isaiah 14:17 הָרָ֑ס haras HVqp3ms destroyed he demolished he demolished
H2040-27 Isaiah 22:19 יֶהֶרְסֶֽ/ךָ yeheresekha HVqi3ms/Sp2ms he will pull you down he will demolish you he will tear you down
H2040-08 Isaiah 49:17 מְהָֽרְסַ֥יִ/ךְ meharesayikhe HVprmpc/Sp2fs your destroyers your demolishers your demolishers
H2040-21 Jeremiah 1:10 וְ/לַ/הֲר֑וֹס velaharos HC/R/Vqc and to overthrow and to demolish and to demolish
H2040-01 Jeremiah 24:6 אֶהֱרֹ֔ס eheros HVqi1cs I-will-overthrow I will tear down I will demolish
H2040-21 Jeremiah 31:28 וְ/לַ/הֲרֹ֖ס velaharos HC/R/Vqc and to overthrow and to demolish and to demolish
H2040-25 Jeremiah 31:40 יֵהָרֵ֛ס yehares HVNi3ms be demolished he will be torn down it will not be torn down
H2040-01 Jeremiah 42:10 אֶהֱרֹ֔ס eheros HVqi1cs I will demolish I will tear down I will demolish
H2040-07 Jeremiah 45:4 הֹרֵ֔ס hores HVqrmsa I am breaking down the one who demolishes am demolishing
H2040-10 Jeremiah 50:15 נֶהֶרְס֖וּ neheresu HVNp3cp are thrown down they were demolished they were demolished
H2040-18 Ezekiel 13:14 וְ/הָ֨רַסְתִּ֜י veharaseti HC/Vqq1cs and-I-will-tear-down and I demolished and I will demolish
H2040-20 Ezekiel 16:39 וְ/הָרְס֤וּ veharesu HC/Vqq3cp and-they-will-tear-down and they demolished and they demolished
H2040-20 Ezekiel 26:4 וְ/הָֽרְסוּ֙ veharesu HC/Vqq3cp and-they-will-demolish and they demolished and they demolished
H2040-20 Ezekiel 26:12 וְ/הָֽרְסוּ֙ veharesu HC/Vqq3cp and-they-will-break-down and they demolished and they demolished
H2040-22 Ezekiel 30:4 וְ/נֶהֶרְס֖וּ veneheresu HC/VNq3cp and will be demolished and they were demolished and they were demolished
H2040-16 Ezekiel 36:35 וְ/הַ/נֶּהֱרָס֖וֹת vehaneherasot HC/Td/VNsfpa and the ruined the demolished ones the demolished ones
H2040-02 Ezekiel 36:36 הַ/נֶּ֣הֱרָס֔וֹת haneherasot HTd/VNsfpa the-ruined-places the demolished ones the ruined places
H2040-22 Ezekiel 38:20 וְ/נֶהֶרְס֣וּ veneheresu HC/VNq3cp and the mountains shall be thrown down and they were demolished and they were demolished
H2040-10 Joel 1:17 נֶהֶרְס֖וּ neheresu HVNp3cp are broken down they were demolished they were demolished
H2040-18 Micah 5:10 וְ/הָרַסְתִּ֖י veharaseti HC/Vqq1cs and I will demolish and I demolished and I will demolish
H2040-01 Malachi 1:4 אֶהֱר֑וֹס eheros HVqi1cs will-tear-down I will tear down I will demolish
H2040-26 Psalms 11:3 יֵֽהָרֵס֑וּ/ן yeharesun HVNi3mp/Sn are destroyed they will be demolished are demolished
H2040-28 Psalms 28:5 יֶ֝הֶרְסֵ֗/ם yeheresem HVqi3ms/Sp3mp he will tear them down he will demolish them he will tear them down
H2040-03 Psalms 58:7 הֲרָס haras HVqv2ms break he demolished break
H2040-12 Proverbs 11:11 תֵּהָרֵֽס tehares HVNi3fs it is torn down she will be torn down it will be torn down
H2040-14 Proverbs 14:1 תֶהֶרְסֶֽ/נּוּ teheresenu HVqi3fs/Sp3ms tears it down she will demolish him tears it down
H2040-09 Proverbs 24:31 נֶהֱרָֽסָה neherasah HVNp3fs was broken down was demolished was broken down
H2040-29 Proverbs 29:4 יֶֽהֶרְסֶֽ/נָּה yeheresenah HVqi3ms/Sp3fs tears it down he will demolish her he will demolish it
H2040-23 Job 12:14 יַ֭הֲרוֹס yaharos HVqi3ms he tears down he tears down he tears down
H2040-03 Lamentations 2:2 הָרַ֧ס haras HVqp3ms has thrown down he demolished he demolished
H2040-03 Lamentations 2:17 הָרַ֖ס haras HVqp3ms he has overthrown he demolished he demolished
H2040-15 1 Chronicles 20:1 וַ/יֶּֽהֶרְסֶֽ/הָ vayehereseha HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3fs and overthrew it and he demolished her and he demolished it
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