reltext / Hebrew lexicon

H2763A

חָרַם

cha.ramH:V

to devote/destroy

1) to ban, devote, destroy utterly, completely destroy, dedicate for destruction, exterminate 1a) (Hiphil) 1a1) to prohibit (for common use), ban 1a2) to consecrate, devote, dedicate for destruction 1a3) to exterminate, completely destroy 1b) (Hophal) 1b1) to be put under the ban, be devoted to destruction 1b2) to be devoted, be forfeited 1b3) to be completely destroyed

Full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon entry

I. [חָרַם] verb Hiph`il ban, devote, exterminate (MI17 החרמתה of devoting, dedicating a city to Chemosh, in clause with כי explaining massacre of all inhabitants; the altar-hearth of ׳י there was dragged before Chemosh; be prohibited, forbidden, unlawful, become sacred; II. make, pronounce sacred, inviolable; Ethiopic prohibit from common use, consecrate to God, esteem unlawful; Palmyrene חרם = consacrÈ VogNo 35; Nabataean id., Eutp. 28; Sabean מחרם sanctuary, temple, OsZMG 1865, 176. 252, חרמתן DHMZMG 1875, 594; Aramaic אַחֲרִים, and especially anathematize, excommunicate; see also WeSkizzen iii, 165, DrSm 100 ff., RSSemitic i. 140 (150)) — Hiph`il Perfect הֶהֱרִים Josh 8:26 + 5 t.; הֶחֱרִם Josh 10:28 2 masculine singular וְהַחֲרַמְתָּ֫ה 1Sam 15:18 1 singular הֶחֱרַמְתִּי 1Sam 15:20 וְהַחֲרַמְתִּ֫י Num 21:2 2 feminine singular וְהַחֲרַמְתְּ(יׅ consecutive Mic 4:13 (so ᵐ5 ᵑ9 ᵑ6 ᵑ7 RV most; ᵑ0 1 singular), see Ges«GKC:44»§ 44, R. 4; plural הֶחֱרִימוּ 1Sam 15:9; 2Chr 32:14 etc.; (1Sam 15:3 read והחרמתו ᵐ5 We Dr); Imperfect יַחֲרִם Lev 27:28 וַיַּחֲרֵם Num 21:3; Josh 10:37 suffix וַיַּחֲרִימָהּ Josh 10:1 1 plural וַנַּחֲרֵם Deut 2:34; Deut 3:6 etc.; Imperative הַחֲרֵם Deut 13:16 plural הַחֲרִימוּ Jer 51:3 suffix הַחֲרִימוּהָ Jer 50:26 Infinitive absolute הַחֲרֵם Deut 3:6 + 4 t.; construct הַחֲרִים 2Chr 20:23; Dan 11:44 suffix הַחֲרִימָם Josh 11:20 + 4 t.; — ban, devote (especially religiously, followed by objects hostile to the theocracy [see especially Exod 22:19 Hoph`al]; this involved generally their destruction; when a city was 'devoted' the inhabitants were put to death, the spoil being destroyed or not according to the gravity of the occasion [contrast Josh 6:17; Josh 6:21; 1Sam 15:3 with Deut 2:34f. Deut 3:6; Deut 3:7], compare MI17 לעשתר כמש החרמתה to Ashtar-Chemosh I devoted it, i.e. the city Nebo); —

1. most often of devoting to destruction cities of Canaanites and other neighbours of Israel, exterminating inhabitants, and destroying or appropriating their possessions:
  a. Israel and her leaders subject Num 21:2; Num 21:3 (destruction according to vow), Josh 6:21 (compare חֵרֶם ליהוה vJosh 6:17 all J); in vJosh 6:18 read תַּחְמְדוּ (for ᵑ0 תַּחֲרִימוּ, see Di VB); Josh 8:26 (ᵐ5, not ᵐ5L, omit verse), Josh 10:1 (JE), Deut 2:34; Deut 3:6 (twice in verse); Deut 7:2 (twice in verse) (commanded through Moses, compare for underlying thought vDeut 7:4 vDeut 7:5 vDeut 7:6), Deut 20:17 (twice in verse) (commanded by ׳י), Josh 2:10; Josh 10:28; Josh 10:35; Josh 10:37; Josh 10:39; Josh 10:40 (divine command), Josh 11:11; Josh 11:12; Josh 11:20; Josh 11:21 (divine command vJosh 11:12 vJosh 11:20 all D), 1Sam 15:3; 1Sam 15:8; 1Sam 15:9 (twice in verse); 1Sam 15:15; 1Sam 15:18; 1Sam 15:20 (divine command v1Sam 15:3 v1Sam 15:18 v1Sam 15:20, compare v1Sam 15:11 v1Sam 15:22 v1Sam 15:23); quite secondary is simple exterminate 1Kgs 9:21; 1Chr 4:41.
  b. secondary meaning destroy, exterminate, also with other nations subject: — 2Kgs 19:11 = Isa 37:11 = 2Chr 32:14; 2Chr 20:23; Jer 50:21; Jer 50:26 (both by divine command), Jer 51:3; Dan 11:44.
  c. God as subject, figurative all nations and their armies Isa 34:2 the nations of Western Asia Jer 25:9 the tongue of the Egyptian sea (by drying it up) Isa 11:15 (but read perhaps החריב with ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ9 ᵑ7).
  d. so also of devoting even Israelites: a city of Israel for worshipping other gods Deut 13:16 residents of Jabesh-Gilead for not joining in campaign against Benjamin Judg 21:11.
2. devote to ׳י: for sacred uses החרים ליהוה the spoil of the nations Mic 4:13 private possessions, whether a man, animal, or field Lev 27:28 (P). Hoph`al Imperfect יָחֳרַם Lev 27:29; Ezra 10:8 יָחֳרָ֑ם Exod 22:19 —
1. be put under the ban, devoted (to death), for worshipping other gods than ׳י Exod 22:19 (J E; earliest use of word in OT); for some other theocratic offence Lev 27:29 (P; see Di).
2. devoted, i.e. forfeited, to the temple treasures Ezra 10:8. — On חרם see especially Di (Kn) Lev 27:28 EwAntiq. 75. 78, Dr 1Sam 15:33.

II. [חָרַם] verb slit (nose, lip, ear, etc.), mutilate, especially face (Arabic perforate, pierce, slit the partition between the nostrils, or the lip, or the lobe of the ear) —

Qal Passive participle אִישׁ עִוֵּר אוֺ פִּסֵּחַ אוֺ חָרֻם אוֺ שָׂרוּעַ a man blind or lame or mutilated in the face (in nose, lip, ear, etc.), or too long in a limb Lev 21:18 (H), see Di (Kn).

42 occurrences

Leviticus (2), Numbers (2), Deuteronomy (4), Joshua (14), Judges (1), I Samuel (4), I Kings (1), II Kings (1), I Chronicles (1), II Chronicles (2), Ezra (1), Isaiah (3), Jeremiah (4), Daniel (1), Micah (1)