חֹרֶשׁ
𐤇𐤓𐤔
Choresh
H2793 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A wooded area, forest, thicket—an expanse of land characterized by a significant density of trees and undergrowth. The term may denote natural woodland, sometimes specifically set apart or recognized as distinct from cultivated or settled land. In rarer instances, it can refer metaphorically to a dense growth or thicket serving as cover or refuge.
Semantic Range
woodland, forest, thicket, dense growth as cover, wooded area set apart, natural growth, strategic cover
Root / Etymology
Root ח-ר-ש (חרש), primarily meaning 'to cut, plough, engrave,' but in the noun חֹרֶשׁ refers to 'something cut,' and by extension to a place where trees are felled. The masculine noun form denotes an area of woodland, place of heavy vegetation, or forest. The derivation suggests a space associated with the activity of cutting or clearing trees for wood.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, חֹרֶשׁ occurs relatively rarely and is found in narrative and prophetic contexts. Notably distinct from יַעַר (yaʿar), the more common term for 'forest' or 'woodland,' חֹרֶשׁ often conveys the idea of a tract of land recognized for its strategic or geographical significance (e.g., 1 Samuel 23:15, 'the forest of Hereth'). Its rarity suggests it may at times be regionally or contextually marked, or perhaps denote a specific kind of forest (untouched, dense, or reserved for a particular use). English translations vary ('forest,' 'wood,' 'thicket'), but often do not reflect the full nuance of the Hebrew. In later periods and the Dead Sea region, a related term continues, indicating sustained recognition of such woodlands. Unlike יַעַר, חֹרֶשׁ appears sometimes with locational or defensive connotation, as a place for hiding or strategy in narratives involving pursuit or evasion.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָרַשׁ; a forest (perhaps as furnishing the material for fabric); bough, forest, shroud, wood.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חרש (ḥ-r-š) — to cut, engrave, plough
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2758 | חָרִישׁ | ploughing season |
| H2759 | חֲרִישִׁי | sultry-still |
| H2776 | חֶרֶס | pottery shard |
| H2789 | חֶרֶשׂ | her pottery-shards |
| H2790 | חָרַשׁ | I will silence |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2793-01 |
בַּ/חֹֽרְשָׁה | bachoreshah | HRd/Np |
in Horesh | in the woodland | 3 |
H2793-04 |
וּ/בֶ/חֳרָשִׁ֣ים | uvechorashim | HC/Rd/Ncmpa |
and in the forests | and in woodlands | 1 |
H2793-03 |
הַ/חֹ֨רֶשׁ֙ | hachoresh | HTd/Ncmsa |
the plowed field | the woodland | 1 |
H2793-05 |
וְ/חֹ֥רֶשׁ | vechoresh | HC/Ncmsa |
and forest | woodland | 1 |
H2793-02 |
חֹ֑רְשָׁה | choreshah | HNp |
at Horesh | woodland | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2793-01 |
1 Samuel 23:15 | בַּ/חֹֽרְשָׁה | bachoreshah | HRd/Np |
in Horesh | in the woodland |
H2793-02 |
1 Samuel 23:16 | חֹ֑רְשָׁה | choreshah | HNp |
at Horesh | woodland |
H2793-01 |
1 Samuel 23:18 | בַּ/חֹ֔רְשָׁה | bachoreshah | HRd/Np |
in Horesh | in the woodland |
H2793-01 |
1 Samuel 23:19 | בַּ/חֹ֔רְשָׁה | bachoreshah | HRd/Np |
in Horesh | in the woodland |
H2793-03 |
Isaiah 17:9 | הַ/חֹ֨רֶשׁ֙ | hachoresh | HTd/Ncmsa |
the plowed field | the woodland |
H2793-05 |
Ezekiel 31:3 | וְ/חֹ֥רֶשׁ | vechoresh | HC/Ncmsa |
and forest | woodland |
H2793-04 |
2 Chronicles 27:4 | וּ/בֶ/חֳרָשִׁ֣ים | uvechorashim | HC/Rd/Ncmpa |
and in the forests | and in woodlands |