Lexical Summary chor: hole, holes, lairs Original Word: חוֹר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance cave, hole Or (shortened) chor {khore}; the same as chuwr; a cavity, socket, den -- cave, hole. see HEBREW chuwr NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition a hole NASB Translation hole (2), holes (2), lairs (1), opening (1), sockets (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs III. חֹר, חוֺר noun [masculine] hole; — absolute חֹר 2 Kings 12:10; Ezekiel 8:7 (strike out Co B etc.), חוֺר Songs 5:4, חֹרִים 1 Samuel 14:11; construct חֹרֵי Job 30:6; suffix חֹרָיו Nahum 2:13, חֹרֵיהֶן Zechariah 14:12; — hole in lid of chest 2 Kings 12:10 (made by boring, נקב), in door Songs 5:4; in wall Ezekiel 8:7 (see above); = eye-socket ׳עיניו תִּמַּקְנָה בְּח Zechariah 14:12 (plague of enemies of Jerusalem); holes as hiding-places for men 1 Samuel 14:11, so also 1 Samuel 13:6 Ew We Dr (for ᵑ0 חוחים), dwelling of outcast people חרי עָפָר Job 30:6; of dens of lions Nahum 2:13. — I.חֹר, see II. חור. Topical Lexicon Overview The noun חוֹר appears eight times across the Old Testament, always denoting some kind of opening—natural or fashioned—through which people, animals, objects, or even judgment may pass. Its settings range from wilderness refuges and military hideouts to the temple treasury, from the intimacy of a bridal chamber to prophetic visions of millennial peace and eschatological wrath. Together these occurrences illustrate the varied ways God employs “holes” or “openings” to reveal human vulnerability, divine provision, tender love, and ultimate accountability. Shelter and concealment in conflict 1 Samuel 14:11 records Philistine mockery: “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they were hiding!”. Israelite soldiers, pressed by superior forces, had sought refuge in earth-caves or rock fissures. The text highlights human weakness; yet within moments the LORD grants Jonathan a stunning victory, showing that deliverance does not depend on secure hiding places but on covenant faith (1 Samuel 14:23). The episode encourages believers facing spiritual warfare to trust God rather than earthly shelters (compare Psalm 27:5). Temple stewardship and faithful giving In 2 Kings 12:9 Jehoiada the priest “bored a hole in the lid of a chest” so that offerings for temple repair could be deposited securely. An ordinary opening becomes an instrument of revival, channeling funds to restore the place where God’s name dwelt. The verse underlines transparent financial stewardship in ministry and the believer’s privilege to support God’s house (see 2 Corinthians 9:7). Existential desolation Job 30:6 laments those “living in the clefts of the wadis, in caves of the earth and the rocks”, describing society’s outcasts dwelling in holes. Job’s reversal from prosperity to scorn foreshadows Christ, who “had no place to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20). The passage calls the church to compassion for the marginalized. Love’s threshold Song of Solomon 5:4 pictures the bridegroom: “My beloved put his hand through the latch opening, and my heart pounded for him”. The humble aperture of an ancient door becomes a conduit of affectionate anticipation. Spiritually, Christ still knocks (Revelation 3:20); His approach through any opening finds welcome in hearts attentive to His voice. The peaceable kingdom Isaiah 11:8 promises messianic harmony: “The nursing child will play by the cobra’s den, and the weaned child will put his hand into the viper’s nest”. The once-deadly serpent hole becomes harmless, signifying creation restored under the righteous Branch. The verse feeds Christian hope for the millennial reign when the curse is lifted (Romans 8:21). Hidden idolatry exposed Ezekiel 8:7 shows the prophet led to “a hole in the wall,” then commanded to enlarge it and witness secret abominations within the temple complex. The small opening unmasks the darkness of syncretistic priests. It warns today’s believers that no sin, however concealed, escapes the Lord’s gaze (Hebrews 4:13). Predator’s lair and violent empire Nahum 2:12 depicts Assyria as a ravenous lion: “He filled his lairs with prey and his dens with the kill”. The hole here is a den saturated with oppression. God’s forthcoming judgment (Nahum 3:19) assures victims that unchecked violence will not endure. Sockets of judgment Zechariah 14:12 foretells a plague against nations attacking Jerusalem: “their eyes will rot in their sockets.” The once-safe recess of the eye becomes the locus of divine retribution. The graphic image soberly affirms that those who oppose God’s kingdom face irrevocable consequences. Ministry applications • Refuge: Earthly holes cannot secure true safety; only the Lord is “my stronghold” (Psalm 31:2). Forms and Transliterations בְחֹֽרֵיהֶ֔ן בחריהן הַחֹ֔ר הַחֹרִ֖ים החר החרים חֹ֖ר חֹרֵ֖י חֹרָ֔יו חֹר־ חֻ֣ר חר חר־ חרי חריו ḇə·ḥō·rê·hen ḇəḥōrêhen chor choRav choRei chur ha·ḥō·rîm ha·ḥōr haChor hachoRim haḥōr haḥōrîm ḥō·rāw ḥō·rê ḥōr ḥōr- ḥōrāw ḥōrê ḥur vechoreiHenLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Samuel 14:11 HEB: יֹֽצְאִ֔ים מִן־ הַחֹרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִתְחַבְּאוּ־ NAS: are coming out of the holes where KJV: come forth out of the holes where they had hid INT: are coming out of the holes they have hidden 2 Kings 12:9 Job 30:6 Songs 5:4 Isaiah 11:8 Ezekiel 8:7 Nahum 2:12 Zechariah 14:12 8 Occurrences |
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