Lexical Summary hereg: Slaughter, killing, massacre Original Word: הֶרֶג Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be slain, slaughter From harag; slaughter -- be slain, slaughter. see HEBREW harag NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom harag Definition a slaughter NASB Translation killing (1), slaughter (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs הֶ֫רֶג noun masculineIsaiah 30:25 slaughter — ׳ה absolute Proverbs 24:11 2t. + Ezekiel 26:15 (ᵐ5 Co חֶרֶב); construct Isaiah 27:7 — of Jews' slaughter of their enemies Esther 9:5 ("" אַבְדָֿ֑ן); מָטִים לַהֶרֶג Proverbs 24:11 ("" לְקֻחִים לַמָּ֑וֶת); כְּהֶרֶג חֲרוּגָיו הֹרָ֑ג Isaiah 27:7; ביום הֶרֶג רַב Isaiah 30:25 (compare ׳אֶתשֶֿׁבֶר עַמּוֺ ביום חֲבשׁ י Isaiah 30:26). Ezekiel 26:15 read with ᵐ5 Co above Topical Lexicon Overview הֶרֶג designates a violent taking of life, most often in a military or judicial context. Although relatively rare in the Old Testament, its five appearances cluster around decisive moments when God’s purposes of judgment, deliverance, and moral exhortation come into sharp focus. Occurrences and Immediate Contexts • Esther 9:5 – The term describes the defensive onslaught by which the Jews “struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them” after Haman’s plot was overturned. Historical and Cultural Background In Ancient Near Eastern warfare, mass killing was described in royal annals to prove a king’s supremacy. Scripture adopts the vocabulary yet recasts it theologically: victory or defeat is ultimately determined by the LORD. In Esther, the slaughter reverses a genocidal decree and preserves the messianic line. In Isaiah and Ezekiel, it signals the collapse of pagan power centers that opposed God’s kingdom purposes. Theological Themes 1. Divine Justice and Mercy – הֶרֶג can mark either the fate of the wicked (Isaiah 30:25; Ezekiel 26:15) or the limited disciplinary measures God permits upon His own people (Isaiah 27:7). Judgment is never capricious; it is proportionate and morally coherent. Prophetic and Eschatological Significance Isaiah’s “day of great slaughter” anticipates the climactic Day of the LORD when oppressive structures (“towers”) collapse and creation itself is renewed (“streams and watercourses”). The motif foreshadows the final judgment revealed in Revelation, where decisive divine action precedes the establishment of universal peace. Practical and Ministry Applications • Sanctity of Life – The severity of הֶרֶג underscores the value God places on human life and the seriousness of taking it unjustly. Summary Though used only five times, הֶרֶג traces a line from historical deliverance, through ethical exhortation, to eschatological fulfillment. It reminds readers that God both judges and saves, and it summons His people to protect life, proclaim truth, and rest in the certainty that the Judge of all the earth will do right. Forms and Transliterations הֶ֙רֶג֙ הֶ֣רֶג הרג וְהֶ֖רֶג והרג כְּהֶ֥רֶג כהרג לַ֝הֶ֗רֶג להרג he·reḡ Hereg hereḡ kə·he·reḡ keHereg kəhereḡ la·he·reḡ laHereg lahereḡ veHereg wə·he·reḡ wəhereḡLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Esther 9:5 HEB: מַכַּת־ חֶ֥רֶב וְהֶ֖רֶג וְאַבְדָ֑ן וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֥וּ NAS: with the sword, killing and destroying; KJV: of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, INT: the stroke the sword killing and destroying did Proverbs 24:11 Isaiah 27:7 Isaiah 30:25 Ezekiel 26:15 5 Occurrences |
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