חֲרִישִׁי
𐤇𐤓𐤉𐤔𐤉
chărîyshîy
H2759 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
A feminine noun denoting a calm, quiet, or silent condition—especially in reference to oppressive or sultry silence, often with meteorological undertones such as the oppressive heat or stillness that precedes a sirocco (hot east wind). By extension, it can refer to vehemence or silence that is felt intensely, not merely the absence of sound but a stifling, heavy stillness. The term carries nuances of ominous or foreboding silence, particularly connected with natural phenomena.
Semantic Range
oppressive silence, sultry stillness, stifling calm, atmospheric heaviness, vehement silence, the hush before a storm or hot wind
Root / Etymology
From the root חרש (ḥ-r-sh), meaning 'to be silent, to be still.' The form חֲרִישִׁי derives from this root, emphasizing the quality or state of being silent or still, especially in an environmental or atmospheric sense.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֲרִישִׁי occurs only in a limited number of poetic or descriptive passages (e.g., Job 4:16), where it does not simply mean 'silence' but a particular kind of intense, dense, or oppressive quiet—often associated with weather, especially the still, heavy air marking a transition to hot, stormy winds. The metaphorical extension to 'vehement' in some translations reflects the perceptible but invisible force or tension conveyed by the word, rather than direct vehemence. There is some interpretive tradition that connects this silence with the sirocco, the fierce, hot wind from the east, but biblical usage emphasizes the stifling quality of stillness. English translations often use 'quiet,' 'silence,' or 'sultry,' but these may not fully capture the original's atmospheric intensity or meteorological association. The term is distinct from other Hebrew words for 'quiet' or 'silence' (e.g. דֳּמִיָּה), which lack the specific oppressive or sultry connotation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָרַשׁ in the sense of silence; quiet, i.e. sultry (as feminine noun, the sirocco or hot east wind); vehement.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חרש (ḥ-r-sh) — to be silent, to be still, to engrave
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2758 | חָרִישׁ | ploughing season |
| H2776 | חֶרֶס | pottery shard |
| H2789 | חֶרֶשׂ | her pottery-shards |
| H2790 | חָרַשׁ | I will silence |
| H2791 | חֶרֶשׁ | potters |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2759-01 |
חֲרִישִׁ֔ית | charishit | HAafsa |
scorching | sultry-still | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2759-01 |
Jonah 4:8 | חֲרִישִׁ֔ית | charishit | HAafsa |
scorching | sultry-still |