חָרִיט

𐤇𐤓𐤉𐤈

chârîyṭ

H2754 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ח-ר-ת to engrave, inscribe, cut, carve

Definition

A bag or pouch, often made of woven or sewn fabric, designed to carry or keep smaller objects such as personal items. In biblical usage, refers particularly to a women's accessory for carrying items or ornaments, potentially decorative in nature. May also denote an ornamental purse or small case.

Semantic Range

bag, pouch, purse, ornamental case, women's accessory

Root / Etymology

From the root חרת, which conveys the idea of engraving, inscribing, or carving (to cut or incise). The noun חָרִיט is derived from this root, probably by way of its association with the creation or shaping of objects through cutting or hollowing, such as a bag or pouch that is fashioned or hollowed out for use. The connection to 'bag' could be through the sense of something that is hollowed or shaped for containment. The exact morphological development is debated.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חָרִיט appears only a few times in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Isaiah 3:22) in lists of women’s adornments and accoutrements, generally as an item of luxury or finery. The context suggests a relatively elegant or elaborate bag, likely associated with personal wealth or status among Israelite society during the monarchic period. Unlike the more common term כִּיס (kis, 'purse, pouch'), חָרִיט seems to refer to a special or ornate container, possibly reserved for cosmetics or precious items. Later translation traditions (e.g., LXX, Vulgate) sometimes render it with words for 'pouch' or 'purse,' though there is some variability. The KJV rendering “crisping pin” is based on an old misunderstanding and is not supported by modern scholarship. There is no evidence that the item was ever a 'pin.' The term does not appear in clear exilic or post-exilic contexts, and does not carry the connotation of religious or ethnic identity.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or חָרִט; from the same as חֶרֶט; properly, cut out (or hollow), i.e. (by implication) a pocket; bag, crisping pin.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חרת (ḥ-r-t) — to engrave, inscribe, cut, carve

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2801 חָרַת engraved
H2802 חֶרֶת Hereth Woodland

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2754-02 וְ/הָ/חֲרִיטִֽים vehacharitim HC/Td/Ncmpa and the purses and the carved pouches 1
H2754-01 חֲרִטִ֗ים charitim HNcmpa bags ornamental pouches 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2754-01 2 Kings 5:23 חֲרִטִ֗ים charitim HNcmpa bags ornamental pouches
H2754-02 Isaiah 3:22 וְ/הָ/חֲרִיטִֽים vehacharitim HC/Td/Ncmpa and the purses and the carved pouches