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חַרְצֻבָּה

𐤇𐤓𐤑𐤁𐤄

chartsubbâh

H2784 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חרצב to bind, to enclose, to fetter (uncertain; root not attested elsewhere)

Definition

A physical band, shackle, or fetter used to restrain persons, especially in contexts of imprisonment or forced labor; by extension, a figure for painful or confining experiences such as suffering or distress. The primary lexical meaning is that of a device enclosing or binding, but the term is also employed metaphorically for anguish or restriction affecting an individual or a community.

Semantic Range

fetter, shackle, band (literal device for restraint); bond (arrest, confinement, obligation); figurative restraint, limitation, distress, suffering

Root / Etymology

The precise root of חַרְצֻבָּה (chartsubbâh) is uncertain. The most commonly suggested connection is with the root חרצב, which does not occur elsewhere in Biblical Hebrew and is therefore of debated derivation. Some propose an association with חָרַץ (ḥāraṣ, to cut, decide), but this is speculative and not linguistically secure. The word form and contextual usage support a generic meaning of 'something binding,' but the morphological details remain unclear. Etymology uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חַרְצֻבָּה appears only in poetic or wisdom literature (notably, Job 39:10 and Psalm 2:3), marking it as a rare and possibly archaic term. In Job, it is used for the harness or bands binding an ox, highlighting its literal meaning. In Psalm 2:3, the term is applied metaphorically to the 'bands' or restraints of political or divine order imposed by YHWH and his anointed, which kings and rulers seek to break. Standard English translations often render the metaphorical uses (as in Psalm 2:3) as 'bands,' 'fetters,' or 'chains,' but the image in Hebrew is broader, encompassing both literal restraints and abstract concepts of limitation or subjugation. Unlike the more common אֲסוּרִים (asurim, bonds) or מוֹסֵר (moser, chain), חַרְצֻבָּה has a specifically binding or enclosing nuance and is more poetically charged. The word does not have a direct post-biblical or later Hebrew equivalent, indicating its usage was not carried into subsequent periods or liturgical traditions. In English tradition (KJV, etc.), 'bands' or 'fetters' becomes conventional, but may understate the emotional or experiential nuance of confinement or anguish present in the Hebrew.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain derivation; a fetter; figuratively, a pain; band.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חרצב (ḥ-r-ṣ-b) — to bind, to enclose, to fetter

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2784-01 חַרְצֻבּ֣וֹת charetsubot HNcfpc chains binding-fetters of 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2784-01 Isaiah 58:6 חַרְצֻבּ֣וֹת charetsubot HNcfpc chains binding-fetters of
H2784-01 Psalms 73:4 חַרְצֻבּ֥וֹת charetsubot HNcfpa pains binding-fetters of
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