חֳרֵם
𐤇𐤓𐤌
Chorem
H2765 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Chorem (חֳרֵם) is a toponym, designating a specific place name rather than having a lexical meaning apart from its geographical reference. As a proper noun, it designates a locality likely situated within the tribal inheritance of Naphtali in northern ancient Israelite territory. The underlying root (חרם) carries the basic sense of 'to dedicate, devote, ban (often to destruction)' but the use in this form is strictly onomastic—a personal or place name formed from that root. The semantic range here does not extend beyond its function as a place name in the biblical text.
Semantic Range
place name (toponym); possibly, by association, 'devoted place' or 'place set apart,' but exclusively a geographic name in biblical context
Root / Etymology
From the root חָרַם (ḥāram), 'to devote, ban, prohibit.' The place name חֳרֵם (Chorem/Horem) is likely derived from this root, possibly signifying a location 'set apart' or originally associated with some form of votive dedication or ban, but the exact sense in the toponym is now obscure.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֳרֵם appears only as a place name in Joshua 19:38, listed among the towns allocated to the tribe of Naphtali during the Israelite tribal settlement period. The root חרם is linguistically associated with the ideas of consecration, ban, or setting something apart (sometimes for destruction), but there is no indication that the city itself was ritually banned or destroyed. The connection of the town's name with the concept of 'devotion' is etymological, not functional in the text. Unlike later periods, the term does not function as a marker of religious or ethnic identity. English translations sometimes transliterate the name as 'Horem,' though the precise location of the site remains unidentified in modern geography. It is unrelated to the noun חֵרֶם (herem), which also arises from the same root but refers more specifically to things devoted to destruction or under a ban.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָרַם; devoted; Chorem, a place in Palestine; Horem.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חרם (ḥ-r-m) — to devote, ban, prohibit, consecrate
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1179 | בַּעַל חֶרְמוֹן | Set-Apart Mountain |
| H2763 | חָרַם | ban-devoted one |
| H2764 | חֵרֶם | in the ban-devoted thing |
| H2766 | חָרִם | Snub-Nosed |
| H2767 | חׇרְמָה | in Devoted-to-Destruction |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2765-01 |
חֳרֵ֥ם | chorem | HNp |
Horem | Chorem | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2765-01 |
Joshua 19:38 | חֳרֵ֥ם | chorem | HNp |
Horem | Chorem |