חָנַק
𐤇𐤍𐤒
chânaq
H2614 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To strangle, throttle, or constrict such that breathing is prevented; to cause suffocation by external pressure on the neck. In reflexive or passive forms, to be strangled or to strangle oneself. Can also convey the act of hanging oneself leading to death by strangulation. In figurative contexts, may describe constrictive oppression.
Semantic Range
to strangle, to choke, to cause to suffocate, to hang oneself (by strangulation), to be throttled or strangled (reflexive/passive), to die by suffocation
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root חנק (ḥ-n-q), which fundamentally means 'to strangle, choke, constrict'. The core verbal root signifies the notion of tightening, constricting, or closing up, particularly in the sense of applying external pressure to the neck. It is not related to חָנַךְ (ḥ-n-k, 'to inaugurate'), despite superficial similarity in spelling.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חָנַק is attested several times in the Hebrew Bible, largely in contexts involving physical strangulation—either as a deliberate act of violence (e.g., murder by strangling), capital punishment, or in reflexive contexts of suicide (as in hanging oneself). The word is distinct from other verbs of killing, such as הָרַג (harag, 'to kill/slay') or מוּת (mut, 'to die'), in that חָנַק always implies the mode: choking by pressure or constriction. In post-biblical Hebrew, derivatives can refer to various forms of choking or suffocation, including death by asphyxiation. English translations that render this root as 'hang' reflect the method (death by suspension that causes strangulation), but the Hebrew emphasizes the act of constriction, not merely the physical act of suspension by rope. There is no evidence of metaphorical use in the Hebrew Bible, though later periods may employ the root in figurative language for oppression or extreme distress. The root is rarely encountered and primarily belongs to the more violent or tragic narrative registers.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root (compare חָנַךְ); to be narrow; by implication, to throttle, or (reflex.) to choke oneself to death (by a rope); hang self, strangle.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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חנק (ḥ-n-q) — to strangle, to choke, to constrict
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4267 | מַחֲנַק | strangling |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2614-02 |
וַ/יֵּחָנַ֑ק | vayechanaq | HC/VNw3ms |
and strangled himself | and he was strangled | 1 |
H2614-01 |
וּ/מְחַנֵּ֖ק | umechaneq | HC/Vprmsa |
and-strangling | and strangling one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2614-02 |
2 Samuel 17:23 | וַ/יֵּחָנַ֑ק | vayechanaq | HC/VNw3ms |
and strangled himself | and he was strangled |
H2614-01 |
Nahum 2:13 | וּ/מְחַנֵּ֖ק | umechaneq | HC/Vprmsa |
and-strangling | and strangling one |