חֹרֶב
𐤇𐤓𐤁
chôreb
H2721 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state or condition of dryness, aridity, or desolation—especially as it pertains to land or environment. The term most often refers to drought, the effect of prolonged lack of precipitation, but can also refer to parched or wasted land, typically as a result of divine judgment, natural disaster, or environmental conditions.
Semantic Range
drought, severe dryness, condition of being parched, desolation of land, environmental ruin
Root / Etymology
From the root חרב, meaning 'to be dry,' 'to be parched,' or 'to be desolate.' The noun חֹרֶב derives from this root, signifying both the process and state of being dried up or made desolate, especially as it applies to the land.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֹרֶב appears primarily in poetic and prophetic literature, where it is used to describe conditions of severe drought or the resultant desolation of land. The word can be distinguished from related terms such as שַׁמָּה (devastation, desolation) and צוּנָמִית (rare, catastrophic ruin), in that חֹרֶב emphasizes dryness and lack of moisture rather than general ruin. In Deuteronomy 28:24 and Jeremiah 50:38, for example, חֹרֶב is associated with the punitive or disastrous cessation of rainfall, marking a curse upon the land. In some passages, חֹרֶב may overlap with the sense of environmental or agricultural calamity, serving as a sign of divine displeasure or natural disaster. English translations such as 'drought,' 'desolation,' or 'waste' capture major aspects of the term, but may miss its frequent climatological implication of prolonged, severe dryness. Not to be confused with חֶרֶב (H2719, 'sword'), though both derive from the same root and share overlapping imagery of destruction, the words have distinct lexical ranges—one emphasizing environmental devastation, the other violent destruction.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a collaterally form of חֶרֶב; drought or desolation; desolation, drought, dry, heat, [idiom] utterly, waste.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חרב (ḥ-r-b) — to be dry, to be parched, to be desolate
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2717 | חָרַב | I will make desolate |
| H2718 | חֲרַב | was laid waste |
| H2719 | חֶרֶב | bladed weapons |
| H2720 | חָרֵב | destroying blade |
| H2722 | חֹרֵב | in Dry-Place |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2721-01 |
חֹ֖רֶב | chorev | HNcmsa |
dry | parched desolation | 11 |
H2721-05 |
מֵ/חֹ֑רֶב | mechorev | HR/Ncmsa |
from heat | from Parched-Desolation | 2 |
H2721-02 |
כְּ/חֹ֣רֶב | kechorev | HR/Ncmsa |
like heat | like drought-desolation | 1 |
H2721-03 |
לַ/חֹ֥רֶב | lachorev | HRd/Ncmsa |
to the heat | to drought | 1 |
H2721-04 |
לְ/חֹ֥רֶב | lechorev | HR/Ncmsa |
to-a-ruin | to drought-desolation | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
16 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2721-01 |
Genesis 31:40 | חֹ֖רֶב | chorev | HNcmsa |
the heat | parched desolation |
H2721-01 |
Judges 6:37 | חֹ֔רֶב | chorev | HNcmsa |
dry | parched desolation |
H2721-01 |
Judges 6:39 | חֹ֤רֶב | chorev | HNcmsa |
dry | parched desolation |
H2721-01 |
Judges 6:40 | חֹ֤רֶב | chorev | HNcmsa |
dry | parched desolation |
H2721-05 |
Isaiah 4:6 | מֵ/חֹ֑רֶב | mechorev | HR/Ncmsa |
from the heat | from Parched-Desolation |
H2721-05 |
Isaiah 25:4 | מֵ/חֹ֔רֶב | mechorev | HR/Ncmsa |
from heat | from Parched-Desolation |
H2721-02 |
Isaiah 25:5 | כְּ/חֹ֣רֶב | kechorev | HR/Ncmsa |
like heat | like drought-desolation |
H2721-01 |
Isaiah 25:5 | חֹ֚רֶב | chorev | HNcmsa |
heat | parched desolation |
H2721-01 |
Isaiah 61:4 | חֹ֔רֶב | chorev | HNcmsa |
ruined | parched desolation |
H2721-03 |
Jeremiah 36:30 | לַ/חֹ֥רֶב | lachorev | HRd/Ncmsa |
to the heat | to drought |