Lexical Summary chor: Hole, cave, den Original Word: חֹר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance noble Or (fully) chowr {khore}; from charar; properly, white or pure (from the cleansing or shining power of fire (compare choriy); hence (figuratively) noble (in rank) -- noble. see HEBREW charar see HEBREW choriy NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition a noble NASB Translation nobility* (1), nobles (12). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. [חֹר] noun masculine1Kings 21:8 noble, late, especially Nehemiah, see DrIntr 519 n. (see LagBN 32) **compare NöZMG lvii (1903), 416 — only plural חֹרִים 1 Kings 21:8 6t., חוֺרִים Ecclesiastes 10:17; Nehemiah 6:17 3t.; suffix חֹרֶיהָ Isaiah 34:12; — nobles in Naboth's city 1 Kings 21:8,11 nobles of Judah, חֹרֵי יְהוּדָה; Jeremiah 27:20; Jeremiah 39:6; Nehemiah 6:17; Nehemiah 13:17, והסגנים ׳הח (in Jerusalem) Nehemiah 2:16; Nehemiah 4:8; Nehemiah 4:13; Nehemiah 5:7; Nehemiah 7:5; Ecclesiastes 10:17, of Edom Isaiah 34:12. — I.חֹר, see II. חור. III. חרר (√ of following; see Assyrian —arâru, bore, pierce, —urru, hole, ravine DlPr 150, 182; Arabic Topical Lexicon Definition and General Concept חֹר (chōr) designates a “noble” or “freeborn one,” a person of recognized status and influence within the covenant community or among the nations. While Scripture also uses titles such as nāśî (“prince”) or śar (“official”), chōr emphasizes inherited standing and social dignity rather than a specific office. Distribution in Scripture The term appears thirteen times, primarily in narratives of the divided monarchy (1 Kings) and the post-exilic period (Nehemiah), with additional occurrences in Wisdom, Prophetic, and Historical books. Its use clusters around three thematic settings: (1) court intrigue under Ahab, (2) civic reconstruction under Nehemiah, and (3) prophetic judgment on Judah and Edom. Nobles under the Monarchy: Complicity and Moral Failure 1 Kings 21 records Jezebel’s manipulation of Samaria’s leadership: “Then Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name… and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city” (1 Kings 21:8). Their silent compliance in Naboth’s murder reveals how social standing, unmoored from covenant loyalty, can become an instrument of injustice. This episode foreshadows prophetic condemnation (e.g., Micah 3:1–3) and reminds readers that rank never excuses unrighteousness. Post-Exilic Nobility: Partnership and Accountability Nehemiah repeatedly engages the chōr cohort: • Consultation—“The officials did not know where I had gone… for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials” (Nehemiah 2:16). These scenes portray nobles as both essential allies and potential obstacles. Their engagement is decisive for communal reform, yet their privilege demands continual prophetic oversight. Wisdom Literature: The Blessing of Upright Nobility Ecclesiastes contrasts poorly governed nations with lands whose leadership behaves responsibly: “Blessed are you, O land, whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes feast at the proper time—for strength and not for drunkenness” (Ecclesiastes 10:17). Here chōr symbolizes cultivated virtue that benefits the wider population when paired with disciplined stewardship. Prophetic Oracles: Judgment on Corrupt Nobles Isaiah’s pronouncement against Edom declares, “Her nobles will have nothing left to call a kingdom” (Isaiah 34:12). Jeremiah records Babylon’s harsh verdict on Judah’s elite: “He also killed all the nobles of Judah” (Jeremiah 39:6; cf. 27:20). Privilege apart from covenant fidelity invites severe accountability—an axiom underscored by the exile. Theological Insights 1. Covenant Equality: Although social strata existed, all Israelites were bound to the same law. The nobles’ downfall in 1 Kings 21 and Jeremiah 39 illustrates the impartiality of divine justice. Ministry Applications • Hold leaders to Scriptural standards; neither rank nor pedigree exempts anyone from obedience. Summary חֹר reminds readers that social honor is a God-given stewardship. From the tragedy of Naboth to the triumphs and tensions of Nehemiah’s Jerusalem, the nobles’ legacy warns and instructs: privilege divorced from piety invites ruin, while nobility yoked to covenant faithfulness advances the people of God and anticipates the righteous reign of the Messiah. Forms and Transliterations הַֽחֹרִים֙ הַחֹרִ֣ים הַחֹרִ֤ים הַחֹרִ֧ים החרים וְהַחֹרִ֗ים וְלַחֹרִ֣ים והחרים ולחרים חֹרֵ֣י חֹרֵ֤י חֹרֵ֥י חֹרֶ֥יהָ חוֹרִ֑ים חורים חרי חריה choRei choReiha choRim ha·ḥō·rîm hachoRim haḥōrîm ḥō·rê ḥō·re·hā ḥō·w·rîm ḥōrê ḥōrehā ḥōwrîm vehachoRim velachoRim wə·ha·ḥō·rîm wə·la·ḥō·rîm wəhaḥōrîm wəlaḥōrîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Kings 21:8 HEB: הַזְקֵנִ֤ים וְאֶל־ הַֽחֹרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּעִיר֔וֹ NAS: to the elders and to the nobles who KJV: unto the elders and to the nobles that [were] in his city, INT: the elders and to the nobles who his city 1 Kings 21:11 Nehemiah 2:16 Nehemiah 4:14 Nehemiah 4:19 Nehemiah 5:7 Nehemiah 6:17 Nehemiah 7:5 Nehemiah 13:17 Ecclesiastes 10:17 Isaiah 34:12 Jeremiah 27:20 Jeremiah 39:6 13 Occurrences |
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hole or mouth of millstone; Late Hebrew חִרְחֵר bore pierce).