חֹטֵר
𐤇𐤈𐤓
chôṭêr
H2415 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A tender shoot, sprout, or new growth that emerges from the trunk or roots of a tree, especially signifying a regenerative offshoot. Used metaphorically to indicate a descendant or successor, particularly within royal or dynastic imagery. In its primary sense, refers specifically to a young branch growing out from a main stem or stump, rather than an ordinary branch.
Semantic Range
young shoot, sapling, fresh twig, new growth from a stump; by metaphor, a descendant, successor, or legitimate offshoot
Root / Etymology
Root uncertain. Although the traditional root is sometimes reconstructed as חטר, meaning 'to sprout' or 'to shoot forth,' this root does not otherwise occur in biblical Hebrew. The noun חֹטֵר appears as a denominative formation, possibly paralleling related Semitic terms for sprouting or budding. Etymology therefore remains uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The word חֹטֵר occurs infrequently, with its most prominent use in Isaiah 11:1, describing a new growth from the stump of Jesse. Here it carries strong metaphorical connotations, indicating a legitimate new hope or restoration emerging from a seemingly ruined lineage. Unlike the more general Hebrew terms for branch (e.g. זֶמֶר, עָנָף, or שָׁרָבִית), חֹטֵר refers specifically to an initial, tender shoot or sapling — something new and fragile, distinct from mature wood. English Bible versions sometimes translate it narrowly as 'rod' or 'branch,' but 'shoot' or 'sapling' better conveys its nuance. In biblical passages, the term does not have the connotations of authority or punishment that 'rod' might in English; instead, its symbolic meaning is strongly associated with new beginnings and potential inherited lineages. In later Jewish and Christian interpretive traditions, Isaiah 11:1 receives additional messianic interpretations; however, the original Hebrew usage is focused on restoration, growth, and the emergence of a future figure from ancestral roots. The term is not widely attested outside the prophetic literature.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root of uncertain signification; a twig; rod.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חטר (ḥ-ṭ-r) — to shoot forth, to sprout
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2415-01 |
חֹ֖טֶר | choter | HNcmsa |
a shoot | tender shoot | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2415-01 |
Isaiah 11:1 | חֹ֖טֶר | choter | HNcmsa |
a shoot | tender shoot |
H2415-01 |
Proverbs 14:3 | חֹ֣טֶר | choter | HNcmsc |
is a rod | tender shoot |