חוּג
𐤇𐤅𐤂
chûwg
H2328 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To draw, trace, or inscribe a circle; to encircle or make a circular boundary. The verb is used primarily of the act of drawing or delineating a circle, often with a focus on the physical or cosmic act of circular demarcation.
Semantic Range
to inscribe a circle, to draw a boundary, to define a limit (especially cosmically), to encircle, to describe the horizon, to set a circular limit
Root / Etymology
Root חוּג (ח-ו-ג). Derived from the verbal root meaning 'to make a circle' or 'move in a circle.' While similar in form to חָגַג (to make a pilgrimage, celebrate a festival), the semantic domains are distinct: חוּג refers to circularity, encircling, or describing a perimeter, whereas חָגַג focuses on cyclical festivities and movement. The two may share a broader Proto-Semitic background involving circular motion, but their direct semantic developments are independent.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb חוּג occurs rarely in Biblical Hebrew, notably in poetic and wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs 8:27; Isaiah 40:22; Job 26:10). It most often describes the act of setting or inscribing a circle, particularly as a metaphor for divine acts of creation: drawing the horizon over the waters ('circle of the deep'), marking the heavens, or establishing boundaries. The imagery conveys both the act of encircling (demarcating territory or limits) and the geometric idea of circular form. Later interpreters sometimes connect this verb to the process of compass-drawing, but the biblical context is broader, implying any activity of making or defining a circle, not necessarily geometry in a technical sense. English translations often render it as 'circle,' 'compass,' or 'horizon,' but these may miss the nuance of active encirclement. The cognate noun חוּג (circle, circuit) is found with a similar sense in poetic texts. The term does not carry the calendrical or festival meaning of חָגַג, nor does it refer to pilgrimage or cyclical religious acts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root (compare חָגַג); to describe a circle; compass.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חגג (ḥ-g-g) — to celebrate, to make pilgrimage, to move in a circle
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2282 | חַג | in the pilgrimage festivals |
| H2283 | חָגָא | to whirling terror |
| H2287 | חָגַג | my festival-celebration |
| H2291 | חַגִּי | the Festive-descendant |
| H2294 | חַגִּית | Festive Woman |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2328-01 |
חָ֭ג | chag | HVqp3ms |
he has drawn | pilgrimage festival of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2328-01 |
Job 26:10 | חָ֭ג | chag | HVqp3ms |
he has drawn | pilgrimage festival of |