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חֹרֵשׁ

𐤇𐤓𐤔

chôrêsh

H2794 verb

SILEX Entry

Root חרשׁ to cut, carve, engrave, fabricate, craft

Definition

A craftsman, artisan, or skilled worker—one who practices a specialized craft or trade, usually involving wood, metal, or stone working. The participial form highlights the action and professional identity of engaging in skilled labor. Depending on context, may specify a carpenter, smith, or other trade specialist.

Semantic Range

craftsman, artisan, skilled worker, builder, fabricator, mechanic, artificer (in archaic usage), smith (context-dependent), carpenter (context-dependent)

Root / Etymology

From the root חָרַשׁ (ח־ר־שׁ), meaning 'to cut in, engrave, carve, plow, devise, or fabricate.' The participle form חֹרֵשׁ designates one actively performing acts of craftsmanship or skilled manual labor, extending the root idea of shaping or working materials into the identity of an artisan or worker.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical contexts, חֹרֵשׁ primarily refers to individuals with skilled manual expertise, particularly those who build, repair, or shape objects from materials such as wood, stone, or metal. In the monarchic period, craftspeople played significant roles in royal and temple projects (e.g., constructing the tabernacle or the temple). The term underscores professional proficiency, distinguishing such workers from unskilled laborers. English translations as 'artificer,' 'craftsman,' or 'artisan' capture facets of the word, but can obscure its breadth: the term encompasses a variety of skilled professions and does not specify a particular craft unless the context provides further detail (e.g., 'woodworker,' 'metalworker'). In some contexts, the participle can carry a locution broad enough to include both Israelite and foreign craft specialists. Later, in Second Temple and post-exilic texts, related terms may become more specialized or distinguished by materials (e.g., 'carpenter,' 'mason'), but the biblical חֹרֵשׁ remains relatively inclusive. The term is not used for religious or cultic functions, but solely for technical expertise.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

active participle of חָרַשׁ; a fabricator or mechanic; artificer.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חרשׁ (ch-r-sh) — cutting, carving, engraving, fabricating, crafting

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2792 חֶרֶשׁ Craftsman
H2796 חָרָשׁ craftsman of
H2798 חֲרָשִׁים craftsmen
H2799 חֲרֹשֶׁת and in the workshop-of
H2800 חֲרֹשֶׁת in Woodland-Craftstead

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2794-01 חֹרֵ֥שׁ choresh HVqrmsc implements crafting artisan of 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2794-01 Genesis 4:22 חֹרֵ֥שׁ choresh HVqrmsc implements crafting artisan of
H2794-01 1 Kings 7:14 חֹרֵ֣שׁ choresh HVqrmsa worker crafting artisan of
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