חָרַב
cha.rav
to slay
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew verb "cha.rav" (חָרַב) is a strong action that communicates the idea of killing or slaying. This word's meaning is rooted in the context of warfare and conflict. The four instances it appears in the Bible show its utility in describing violent confrontations, indicating a direct and forceful act of destruction. The occurrences of "cha.rav" in the Bible suggest that it is used to convey the outcome of fierce battles, where lives are lost due to the intensity of the fighting. This usage sets the tone for its relationship with the semantic domain of warfare and conflict. The straightforward translation to "to slay" underscores the raw impact of this word, which is centered on the removal of life. Given its focus on the removal of life, the significance of "cha.rav" lies in its role as a term that marks the destructive consequences of armed conflict.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences across the text
“Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod. Kill and utterly destroy after them,” says Yahweh, “and do according to all that I have commanded you.
Jeremiah 50:27Kill all her bulls. Let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them! For their day has come, the time of their visitation.
2 Kings 3:23They said, “This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each other. Now therefore, Moab, to the plunder!”
2 Kings 3:23They said, “This is blood. The kings are surely destroyed, and they have struck each other. Now therefore, Moab, to the plunder!”