Lexical Summary chaneph: To be profane, defiled, polluted, godless Original Word: חָנֵף Strong's Exhaustive Concordance corrupt, defile, greatly, pollute, profane A primitive root; to soil, especially in a moral sense -- corrupt, defile, X greatly, pollute, profane. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be polluted or profane NASB Translation completely polluted (1), pollute (1), polluted (6), pollutes (1), turn to godlessness (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [חָנֵף] verb polluted, profane (Arabic  incline, decline, hence  inclining to a right state, but in Hebrew of inclining away from right, irreligion, profaneness, compare  have a  i.e. distortion of foot; Syriac in derivatives be profane, etc.; Late Hebrew Hiph`il, Aramaic Aph`el act falsely toward, flatter, חֲנוּפָה hypocrisy; Assyrian hanpu, ruthlessness; hanâpu, exercise ruthlessness toward, Tel Amarna Zim ZA vi, 1891, 256) — Qal Perfect3feminine singular חָֽנְפָה Isaiah 24:5; 3plural חָנֵפ֑וּ Jeremiah 23:11; Imperfect3feminine singular תֶּחְֶנַף Jeremiah 3:1; תֱּהֶָנ֑ף Micah 4:11; וֵתֶּחֱנַף Jeremiah 3:9; Psalm 106:38; Infinitive absolute חָנוֺף Jeremiah 3:1; — 1 be polluted: of land Isaiah 24:5; Jeremiah 3:1 (twice in verse); Psalm 106:38; of Zion Micah 4:11. 2 of prophet and priest = be חָנֵף (compare below) i.e. profane, godless Jeremiah 23:11. — apparentlytrans וַתֶּחֱנַף את הארץ, Gf strike out את, Gie cites Ges § 121,1, but read rather Hiph`il וַתַּחֲנֵף with Manuscripts ᵐ5 Ew and others (see also Gf. Gie). Hiph`il Imperfect יַחֲנִיף Numbers 35:33; Daniel 11:33; 2feminine singular וַתַּחֲנִ֫יפִי Jeremiah 3:2; 2masculine plural תַּחֲנִ֫יפוּ; — 1 pollute: the land Numbers 35:33 (twice in verse) (by blood; P), Jeremiah 3:2 (by idolatry, etc.) + Jeremiah 3:9 (see above) 2 make profane, godless Daniel 11:32 with accusative of person Topical Lexicon Overview חָנֵף (Strong’s 2610) portrays the idea of moral and ritual pollution that offends the holiness of God and therefore threatens covenant relationship, communal life and the very land in which God’s people dwell. Its eleven uses trace a line from the Torah through the Writings and Prophets to the apocalyptic visions of Daniel, consistently depicting the downward spiral that occurs when blood-guilt, idolatry or hypocrisy take root. Primary Spheres of Defilement 1. Land and Bloodshed – Numbers 35:33; Psalm 106:38; Isaiah 24:5 Land, Blood and Atonement The word first appears in the legislation governing homicide: “Do not defile the land where you live, for bloodshed defiles the land” (Numbers 35:33). Here חָנֵף links spilled blood to territorial desecration that can be cleansed only by the execution of the murderer. Later texts reinforce the theme. Psalm 106:38 laments that child sacrifice “polluted the land,” while Isaiah 24:5 universalizes the charge: “The earth is defiled by its people; they have transgressed the laws.” The principle is clear: the Creator binds the moral order so tightly to creation that sin leaves a tangible stain requiring divine redress. Idolatry and Immorality Jeremiah uses חָנֵף four times (3:1, 3:2, 3:9; 23:11) to expose Judah’s spiritual adultery. Just as a wife’s serial unfaithfulness would “utterly defile” the land (Jeremiah 3:1), so Israel’s alliances with idols contaminate both people and soil. In Jeremiah 3:9 the prophet equates idolatry with sexual immorality: “Because of the magnitude of her adultery, she defiled the land.” The imagery presses home that false worship inevitably generates ethical collapse. Religious Leaders under Judgment Jeremiah 23:11 turns the spotlight on clergy: “Both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in My house I have found their wickedness.” When spiritual guides become חָנֵף, the sanctuary itself is polluted. The passage warns that institutional prestige offers no shield against divine scrutiny; holiness must mark every sphere of ministry. Apostasy in the Last Days Daniel 11:32 projects the verb into a future crisis: “With flattery he will corrupt those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.” Here political manipulation entices nominal believers into covenant pollution, contrasting them with a remnant that stays faithful. The verse underscores the perennial danger of compromise under cultural or governmental pressure—an issue as current for the modern church as for the Maccabean era or the eschaton. Hostile Nations and the Hope of Zion Micah 4:11 records the taunt of foreign powers: “Let her be defiled, and let our eyes look upon Zion.” Enemies of God’s people desire their moral collapse, yet the larger oracle promises Jerusalem’s vindication. God not only condemns defilement but also pledges to reverse it, safeguarding His redemptive purposes through judgment and restoration. Theological Trajectory and Fulfillment Across its occurrences, חָנֵף highlights four interconnected doctrines: Pastoral and Missional Implications • Preaching: Expose the gravity of sin beyond individual guilt, stressing its societal and cosmic repercussions. Thus חָנֵף serves as a sober reminder of sin’s defiling power and a clarion call to pursue the purity secured and guaranteed by the Redeemer. Forms and Transliterations וַתֶּחֱנַ֖ף וַתֶּחֱנַ֥ף וַתַּחֲנִ֣יפִי ותחניפי ותחנף חָנ֥וֹף חָנְפָ֖ה חָנֵ֑פוּ חנוף חנפה חנפו יַחֲנִ֖יף יחניף תֶּחֱנַ֖ף תֶּחֱנָ֔ף תַחֲנִ֣יפוּ תחניפו תחנף chaneFah chaNefu chaNof ḥā·nə·p̄āh ḥā·nê·p̄ū ḥā·nō·wp̄ ḥānəp̄āh ḥānêp̄ū ḥānōwp̄ ṯa·ḥă·nî·p̄ū tachaNifu ṯaḥănîp̄ū te·ḥĕ·nap̄ te·ḥĕ·nāp̄ techeNaf teḥĕnap̄ teḥĕnāp̄ vattachaNifi vattecheNaf wat·ta·ḥă·nî·p̄î wat·te·ḥĕ·nap̄ wattaḥănîp̄î watteḥĕnap̄ ya·ḥă·nîp̄ yachaNif yaḥănîp̄Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Numbers 35:33 HEB: וְלֹא־ תַחֲנִ֣יפוּ אֶת־ הָאָ֗רֶץ NAS: So you shall not pollute the land KJV: So ye shall not pollute the land INT: and no pollute the land which Numbers 35:33 Psalm 106:38 Isaiah 24:5 Jeremiah 3:1 Jeremiah 3:1 Jeremiah 3:2 Jeremiah 3:9 Jeremiah 23:11 Daniel 11:32 Micah 4:11 11 Occurrences |
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