חָרָה
𐤇𐤓𐤄
chârâh
H2734 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To burn, become hot, or to glow, especially with inner agitation; most often used figuratively for the arousal or intensification of emotion, particularly anger or wrath. In biblical Hebrew, חָרָה commonly describes the kindling, intensifying, or burning of human emotions such as anger, indignation, or grief, and is frequently used in the idiom חָרָה אַף ('anger burned'). It can refer, in extended senses, to being deeply agitated, incensed, or emotionally disturbed.
Semantic Range
to burn (literally of heat), to become hot (physically or emotionally), to glow (with emotion), to be/become angry, to be incensed, to be intensely agitated, to kindle or flare up (of emotion), to be wroth
Root / Etymology
From the root חרה, which is related to the notion of burning or becoming hot. This root is likely related to חָרַר (to be hot), emphasizing physiological responses such as glowing, burning, or heating up, particularly in emotional contexts. The verb חָרָה thus developed the predominant sense of burning with anger in biblical Hebrew.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חָרָה is primarily used in the Hebrew Bible to describe emotional states that are metaphorically depicted as burning or heating up, predominantly anger or wrath. The construction חָרָה אַף ('nose burned') is a key biblical idiom for 'anger burned,' connecting the physical sense of heat or flushing with emotional agitation. The word is applied to describe both human and divine anger, often emphasizing its suddenness or intensity. The verb carries a range of nuance from momentary irritation to sustained or passionate wrath. There is little evidence that חָרָה on its own means 'to grieve' apart from the idiomatic usage context, and 'zeal' or 'jealousy' are generally derived by analogy with burning as an emotional state. While later translations and interpretations have rendered the term as 'wroth' or 'incensed,' the primary metaphor throughout biblical Hebrew is that of heat or burning emotion. Distinct from related verbs such as קָצַף (to rage), חָרָה often emphasizes the emotional process rather than the external manifestation. In the exilic and post-exilic periods, the root is less common; the primary sense remains stable throughout the biblical corpus.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root (compare חָרַר); to glow or grow warm; figuratively (usually) to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousy; be angry, burn, be displeased, [idiom] earnestly, fret self, grieve, be (wax) hot, be incensed, kindle, [idiom] very, be wroth. See תַּחָרָה.
Bantu Hebrew
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חרה (ḥ-r-h) — to burn, to become hot, to glow
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2736 | חַרְהֲיָה | Yah Is Kindled |
| H2740 | חָרוֹן | in burning-heat of |
| H2750 | חֳרִי | burning anger of |
| H2787 | חָרַר | he burned hot |
| H8473 | תַּחֲרָא | linen war-corselet |
Word Forms
13 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2734-09 |
וַ/יִּ֤חַר | vayichar | HC/Vqw3ms |
and burned | and he burned hot | 47 |
H2734-02 |
חָ֣רָה | charah | HVqp3ms |
to be angry | he burned hot | 16 |
H2734-13 |
יִ֤חַר | yichar | HVqj3ms |
be angry | let him burn hot | 7 |
H2734-10 |
וְ/חָרָ֣ה | vecharah | HC/Vqp3ms |
and burns | and he burned hot | 5 |
H2734-07 |
תִּתְחַ֥ר | titechar | HVtj2ms |
fret | may you burn yourself up | 4 |
H2734-12 |
יֶחֱרֶ֤ה | yechereh | HVqi3ms |
be kindled | he will burn hot | 3 |
H2734-04 |
הַ/נֶּחֱרִ֣ים | hanecherim | HTd/VNrmpa |
the-incensed-ones | the ones who are kindled | 2 |
H2734-05 |
הֶחֱרָ֧ה | hecherah | HVhp3ms |
zealously | he caused to burn | 1 |
H2734-08 |
וַ/יַּ֣חַר | vayachar | HC/Vhw3ms |
and He kindled | and he caused to burn | 1 |
H2734-11 |
וְ/יִֽחַר | veyichar | HC/Vqj3ms |
that my anger may burn | and may he burn hot | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
90 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2734-09 |
Genesis 4:5 | וַ/יִּ֤חַר | vayichar | HC/Vqw3ms |
became angry | and he burned hot |
H2734-02 |
Genesis 4:6 | חָ֣רָה | charah | HVqp3ms |
are you angry | he burned hot |
H2734-13 |
Genesis 18:30 | יִ֤חַר | yichar | HVqj3ms |
be angry | let him burn hot |
H2734-13 |
Genesis 18:32 | יִ֤חַר | yichar | HVqj3ms |
be angry | let him burn hot |
H2734-09 |
Genesis 30:2 | וַ/יִּֽחַר | vayichar | HC/Vqw3ms |
was kindled | and he burned hot |
H2734-13 |
Genesis 31:35 | יִ֨חַר֙ | yichar | HVqj3ms |
be angry | let him burn hot |
H2734-09 |
Genesis 31:36 | וַ/יִּ֥חַר | vayichar | HC/Vqw3ms |
was angry | and he burned hot |
H2734-09 |
Genesis 34:7 | וַ/יִּ֥חַר | vayichar | HC/Vqw3ms |
and burned | and he burned hot |
H2734-09 |
Genesis 39:19 | וַ/יִּ֖חַר | vayichar | HC/Vqw3ms |
and was kindled | and he burned hot |
H2734-13 |
Genesis 44:18 | יִ֥חַר | yichar | HVqj3ms |
burn | let him burn hot |