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חוֹר

𐤇𐤅𐤓

chôwr

H2356 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חור to bore, to pierce, to dig, to make white/pale (secondary)

Definition

An opening or hollow in a solid structure, such as a hole, pit, or cavity; can also refer to a natural or manmade hollow, including a cave, den, or socket. The term is used in biblical texts to denote literal physical hollows (e.g., holes in a wall or ground, sockets for fixtures, or lairs for animals) and occasionally as a metaphor for concealment or hiding places.

Semantic Range

hole, cavity, socket (of a structure), den (of animals), cave, pit, opening, hiding place

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חור, which at its core conveys the sense 'to be white (or pale), to bore, to pierce, to dig.' The noun form חוֹר likely arises by extension to indicate something that has been pierced or bored into, hence an 'opening' such as a hole or cavity. The relationship with the color meaning is secondary and only indirectly related (via the imagery of something showing through or being exposed).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early biblical usage (e.g., Exodus 27:17; Joshua 2:15), חוֹר primarily designates literal holes or openings, such as sockets for poles, or a hole in a city wall. It can refer to both manmade and natural cavities, including dens or lairs used by animals (e.g., Job 30:6). The English translation as 'hole' or 'cave' is accurate but may obscure contextual differences in scale, from small sockets to larger hiding places. Later usage in post-exilic or poetic texts sometimes expands the sense metaphorically, but the literal sense predominates. This term contrasts with מְעָרָה (meʿarah, 'cave'), which more often refers to larger natural caverns, and with פֶּתַח (petach, 'opening' or 'entrance'), which denotes doorways or access points rather than hollows or recesses. Modern translations may default to 'hole' or 'den,' but careful attention to context is required for precise rendering.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (shortened) חֹר; the same as חוּר; a cavity, socket, den; cave, hole.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חור (ḥ-w-r) — to bore, to pierce, to dig; to be pale/white (secondary)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1032 בֵּית חוֹרוֹן Horon
H1133 בֶּן־חוּר Chur
H2352 חוּר Holes
H2353 חוּר Chur
H2354 חוּר Chur

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2356-01 חֹ֖ר chor HNcmsa a hole bored hole 2
H2356-04 הַ/חֹ֔ר hachor HTd/Ncmsa the opening the hole 1
H2356-02 חֹרָ֔י/ו chorayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms his caves his hollows 1
H2356-05 הַ/חֹרִ֖ים hachorim HTd/Ncmpa the holes the holes 1
H2356-06 בְ/חֹֽרֵי/הֶ֔ן vechoreyhen HR/Ncmpc/Sp3fp in their sockets in their holes 1
H2356-03 חֹרֵ֖י chorey HNcmpc holes holes of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

7 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2356-05 1 Samuel 14:11 הַ/חֹרִ֖ים hachorim HTd/Ncmpa the holes the holes
H2356-01 2 Kings 12:10 חֹ֖ר chor HNcmsa a hole bored hole
H2356-01 Ezekiel 8:7 חֹר chor HNcmsa hole bored hole
H2356-02 Nahum 2:13 חֹרָ֔י/ו chorayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms his caves his hollows
H2356-06 Zechariah 14:12 בְ/חֹֽרֵי/הֶ֔ן vechoreyhen HR/Ncmpc/Sp3fp in their sockets in their holes
H2356-03 Job 30:6 חֹרֵ֖י chorey HNcmpc holes holes of
H2356-04 Song of Songs 5:4 הַ/חֹ֔ר hachor HTd/Ncmsa the opening the hole
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