2614. chanaq
Lexical Summary
chanaq: To strangle, to choke

Original Word: חָנַק
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: chanaq
Pronunciation: khaw-nak'
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-nak')
KJV: hang self, strangle
NASB: killed, strangled
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to be narrow
2. (by implication), to throttle
3. (reflexively) to choke oneself to death (by a rope)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
hang self, strangle

A primitive root (compare chanak); to be narrow; by implication, to throttle, or (reflex.) To choke oneself to death (by a rope) -- hang self, strangle.

see HEBREW chanak

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to strangle
NASB Translation
killed (1), strangled (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[חָנַק] verb strangle (Late Hebrew id., Aramaic חֲנַק, ; Arabic ); —

Niph`al Imperfect וַיֵּחָנַ֑ק 2 Samuel 17:23 strangled himself (+וַיָּ֫מָת).

Pi`el participle מְחַנֵּק Nahum 2:13 strangle, of lion strangling prey, figurative of Ninevitish king (object not expressed).

Topical Lexicon
Root Idea and Imagery

חָנַק presents the vivid picture of life being cut off by the closing of the throat. Because breath in Scripture is so often linked with God’s own gift of life (for example, Genesis 2:7; Job 33:4), the act of strangling serves as a sobering reversal of creation—life withdrawn instead of imparted.

Occurrences in Scripture

2 Samuel 17:23 records Ahithophel’s suicide: “When Ahithophel saw that his counsel had not been followed, he saddled his donkey, set out for his house in his home city, set his house in order, and hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.” The verb highlights a deliberate severing of one’s own life when human wisdom is frustrated by the overruling purpose of God.
Nahum 2:12 depicts the violence of Assyria under the lion metaphor: “The lion tore enough for his cubs and strangled for his lionesses; he filled his lairs with prey and his dens with torn flesh.” The same action is now predatory, demonstrating how the oppressor extinguishes life to feed selfish ambition.

Historical Background

Self–hanging or strangulation was known in the ancient Near East, often chosen to avoid shame, capture, or judicial execution. Predatory strangling is also attested in Mesopotamian lion-hunting reliefs, where lions are shown crushing prey to preserve the meat for their own pride. Both contexts underscore the verb’s association with calculation rather than impulse: the counsel of Ahithophel was weighed; the lion’s kill was purposeful.

Theological Themes

1. Reversing Divine Breath. When humans usurp God’s prerogative over life, the outcome is disaster—whether personal self-destruction (Ahithophel) or national aggression (Assyria).
2. Futility of Wisdom Apart from the Lord. Ahithophel’s celebrated insight could not prevail against God’s sovereign plan for David’s throne (cf. Proverbs 21:30).
3. Oppression Meets Retribution. Nahum’s oracle assures Judah that the strangler will himself be judged (Nahum 2:13), foreshadowing the principle that those who take life unjustly will face the Giver of life.

Christological Connections

Matthew 27:5 uses the cognate Greek term for Judas’s suicide, inviting comparison with Ahithophel as another betrayer whose end was self-inflicted strangulation. Both betrayals ultimately advanced God’s redemptive plan: David’s kingdom survived, and the Messiah’s atoning death secured salvation.

Pastoral and Ministry Applications

• Counsel and Accountability. Trusted advisers must remember that influence without submission to God can become destructive. Ahithophel warns leaders against using giftedness to promote agendas contrary to divine revelation.
• Comfort for the Oppressed. Nahum encourages believers facing violent powers: God sees every strangled prey and will avenge.
• Suicide Prevention. The tragic choice of strangulation underscores the despair that arises when hope is severed from the promises of God. Churches are called to proactive care, reminding the distressed that their breath is precious to the Lord (Psalm 34:18).

Related Biblical Concepts

– “Breath of life” (Genesis 2:7) highlights God as the source whose gift should not be forfeited lightly.

– “Bloodguilt” (Genesis 9:5–6) shows divine reckoning for the shedding of life.

– Greek ἀπάγχω in Matthew 27:5 echoes the Hebrew verb, bridging Old and New Testament testimony to the gravity of self-inflicted death.

Summary

חָנַק is more than a note on method; it is a theological signal that life has been illicitly choked off. Whether by the despairing counselor or the voracious empire, the act stands in stark contrast to the Lord who breathes life and sustains it. The verb therefore calls readers to honor the sanctity of life, trust the wisdom of God over human schemes, and await righteous judgment on all who violently suppress the breath of others.

Forms and Transliterations
וַיֵּחָנַ֑ק וּמְחַנֵּ֖ק ויחנק ומחנק ū·mə·ḥan·nêq umechanNek ūməḥannêq vaiyechaNak way·yê·ḥā·naq wayyêḥānaq
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Englishman's Concordance
2 Samuel 17:23
HEB: אֶל־ בֵּית֖וֹ וַיֵּחָנַ֑ק וַיָּ֕מָת וַיִּקָּבֵ֖ר
NAS: in order, and strangled himself; thus he died
KJV: in order, and hanged himself, and died,
INT: about his house and strangled died was buried

Nahum 2:12
HEB: בְּדֵ֣י גֹֽרוֹתָ֔יו וּמְחַנֵּ֖ק לְלִבְאֹתָ֑יו וַיְמַלֵּא־
NAS: for his cubs, Killed [enough] for his lionesses,
KJV: for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses,
INT: enough his cubs Killed his lionesses and filled

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2614
2 Occurrences


ū·mə·ḥan·nêq — 1 Occ.
way·yê·ḥā·naq — 1 Occ.

2613
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