חֹסָה
𐤇𐤎𐤄
Chosah
H2621 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal and geographic name appearing in the Hebrew Bible. As a personal name, it denotes an Israelite individual. As a place name, it refers to a locality mentioned in association with territory allotted to the tribe of Asher. The root connotes seeking protection or refuge, which gives the name an underlying sense of 'protected' or 'one who takes refuge.' Additionally used as the designation for a town, possibly named for its location as a place of security or sanctuary.
Semantic Range
personal name (Chosah, Levite), place name (Hosah, town in Asher), by extension 'protected,' 'refuge' (etymological background)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root חסה (ḥ-s-h), meaning 'to seek refuge' or 'take shelter.' The form חֹסָה functions as a proper noun, likely conveying the idea of 'protected one' or 'place of refuge.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The personal name חֹסָה (Chosah) appears in 1 Chronicles 16:38, referring to a Levitical gatekeeper active during the time of David. As a place name, it occurs in Joshua 19:29, describing a town near the border of Asher with Sidon, likely reflecting local topography or settlement history. The semantic nuance of protection or shelter is inherent in the root but is not always transparent in the use of the proper noun. In some English translations, the place name is rendered 'Hosah,' and the personal name sometimes 'Chosah' or 'Hosah.' The term is unrelated to later English designations such as 'Jew,' and does not imply religious identity beyond standard Israelite/Yahwistic affiliations of its period. The meaning of the place name is consistent with other biblical sites named for geographic or security-related features.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָסָה; hopeful; Chosah, an Israelite; also a place in Palestine; Hosah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חסה (ḥ-s-h) — seek refuge, take shelter, trust for protection
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2620 | חָסָה | she sought refuge |
| H2622 | חָסוּת | and the refuge-trust |
| H4268 | מַחֲסֶה | place of refuge |
| H4271 | מַחְסֵיָה | Yah-Is-Refuge |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2621-03 |
וּ/לְ/חֹסָ֥ה | ulechosah | HC/R/Np |
and to Hosah | and to Protected-One | 2 |
H2621-01 |
חֹסָ֔ה | chosah | HNp |
to Hosah | Protected One | 1 |
H2621-04 |
וְ/חֹסָ֖ה | vechosah | HC/Np |
and Hosah | and Refuge-Seeker | 1 |
H2621-02 |
לְ/חֹסָ֖ה | lechosah | HR/Np |
of Hosah | to Refuge-one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2621-01 |
Joshua 19:29 | חֹסָ֔ה | chosah | HNp |
to Hosah | Protected One |
H2621-04 |
1 Chronicles 16:38 | וְ/חֹסָ֖ה | vechosah | HC/Np |
and Hosah | and Refuge-Seeker |
H2621-03 |
1 Chronicles 26:10 | וּ/לְ/חֹסָ֥ה | ulechosah | HC/R/Np |
and-to-Hosah | and to Protected-One |
H2621-02 |
1 Chronicles 26:11 | לְ/חֹסָ֖ה | lechosah | HR/Np |
of Hosah | to Refuge-one |
H2621-03 |
1 Chronicles 26:16 | וּ/לְ/חֹסָה֙ | ulechosah | HC/R/Np |
and to Hosah | and to Protected-One |