חָרֵב
𐤇𐤓𐤁
chârêb
H2720 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Parched, dried up, or waste—describing land, places, or objects that are dried, barren, or desolate due to lack of water or abandonment. Commonly used to denote lands or places left uninhabited and rendered unproductive or ruined by violent events, such as invasion, judgment, or drought.
Semantic Range
parched, dried up, desolate, waste, barren, ruined, uninhabited, lifeless
Root / Etymology
From the root חָרַב (ḥārav), which means 'to dry up, be parched, be desolate'. חָרֵב is the adjective form, describing something characterized by barrenness or desolation. The root conveys the idea of dryness, lack of fertility, or devastation resulting in uninhabitable conditions.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חָרֵב appears in biblical texts to characterize places or objects rendered lifeless, typically after destruction or abandonment. In early Israelite texts, the word often marks territory rendered useless after warfare or divine judgment (e.g., prophetic oracles). Its contrast is with fertile, watered, or inhabited land (such as יַעַר 'forest' or אֲרָצוֹת נוֹשָׁבוֹת 'inhabited lands'). Over time, the term maintained its strong association with judgment but was also used in expanded poetic or hyperbolic sense for utter devastation. English translations often render חָרֵב as 'desolate', 'waste', or 'dry', but may flatten nuance, especially where the term encompasses both physical dryness and sociopolitical ruin. In post-exilic writings, it can signal loss of national identity, connection to land, or aftermath of exile.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָרַב; parched or ruined; desolate, dry, waste.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חרב (ḥ-r-b) — dry up, destroy, lay waste
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2717 | חָרַב | I will make desolate |
| H2718 | חֲרַב | was laid waste |
| H2719 | חֶרֶב | bladed weapons |
| H2721 | חֹרֶב | parched desolation |
| H2722 | חֹרֵב | in Dry-Place |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2720-01 |
חָרֵ֣ב | charev | HAamsa |
lies waste | destroying blade | 3 |
H2720-04 |
הֶ/חֳרֵב֛וֹת | hechorevot | HTd/Aafpa |
the-desolate | the desolate ones | 2 |
H2720-02 |
חֲ֭רֵבָה | charevah | HAafsa |
dry | parched-desolate | 1 |
H2720-05 |
וַ/חֲרֵבָ֑ה | vacharevah | HC/Aafsa |
or dry | parched | 1 |
H2720-03 |
הֶ/חָרֵ֛ב | hecharev | HTd/Aamsa |
waste | the desolation | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2720-05 |
Leviticus 7:10 | וַ/חֲרֵבָ֑ה | vacharevah | HC/Aafsa |
or dry | parched |
H2720-01 |
Jeremiah 33:10 | חָרֵ֣ב | charev | HAamsa |
desolate | destroying blade |
H2720-03 |
Jeremiah 33:12 | הֶ/חָרֵ֛ב | hecharev | HTd/Aamsa |
waste | the desolation |
H2720-04 |
Ezekiel 36:35 | הֶ/חֳרֵב֛וֹת | hechorevot | HTd/Aafpa |
the waste | the desolate ones |
H2720-04 |
Ezekiel 36:38 | הֶ/חֳרֵב֔וֹת | hechorevot | HTd/Aafpa |
the-desolate | the desolate ones |
H2720-01 |
Haggai 1:4 | חָרֵֽב | charev | HAamsa |
lies waste | destroying blade |
H2720-01 |
Haggai 1:9 | חָרֵ֔ב | charev | HAamsa |
lies waste | destroying blade |
H2720-02 |
Proverbs 17:1 | חֲ֭רֵבָה | charevah | HAafsa |
dry | parched-desolate |