2716. chere

Lexicon

chere: Burning, anger, heat

Original Word: חֶרֶא
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: chere'
Pronunciation: kheh'-reh
Phonetic Spelling: (kheh'-reh)
Definition: Burning, anger, heat
Meaning: excrement

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

excrement, dung

From an unused (and vulgar) root probably meaning to evacuate the bowels: excrement; -dung. Also chariy {khar-ee'}.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
dung
NASB Translation
dung (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[חֶרֶא, or חֲרִי] noun [masculine] dung (Late Hebrew חרא (י_), id.; Aramaic id.; Mandean חרא (on this and cognate languages in General see Nö^{M 56}); Arabic id., whence verb of act, and noun of place; Amharic (Di^{Lex. Aeth. 88})) — plural suffix חַרְאֵיהֶם Isaiah 36:12 Kt (Qr צוֺאָתָם); "" 2 Kings 18:27 has חֲרִיהֶם (see singular חרי 2 Kings 6:25; Qr as above); חֲרִי יוֺנִים dove's dung 2 Kings 6:25 Kt (Qr דִּבִיוֺנִים); see, further, Gei^{Urschrift, 409}.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from an unused root meaning to scrape or scratch.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There are no direct corresponding Greek entries in Strong's Concordance for the Hebrew word חֶרֶא. However, the concept of uncleanness or defilement related to excrement can be found in various Greek terms used in the New Testament, such as ἀκαθαρσία (akatharsia • impurity) and κόπρος (kopros • dung), which convey similar themes of impurity and degradation.

Usage: The term חֶרֶא is used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to human excrement or dung. It is a term that appears in contexts emphasizing uncleanness or desolation.

Context: The Hebrew word חֶרֶא (chere') is a noun that denotes excrement or dung. It is derived from an unused root that suggests the action of scraping or scratching, possibly alluding to the act of cleaning or removing waste. In the biblical context, חֶרֶא is used to convey a sense of impurity or defilement, often in metaphorical or illustrative language to describe the consequences of sin or judgment.

The term appears in passages that highlight the desolation and disgrace associated with divine judgment. For instance, in 2 Kings 18:27 and Isaiah 36:12, the word is used in a taunting speech by the Assyrian Rabshakeh, who warns the people of Jerusalem that they will be reduced to eating their own excrement during a siege. This usage underscores the severity of the impending calamity and the depths of humiliation that the people would face.

The use of חֶרֶא in the Hebrew Bible serves as a stark reminder of the physical and spiritual degradation that accompanies disobedience to God. It is a vivid illustration of the consequences of turning away from divine commandments and the resulting state of uncleanness.

Forms and Transliterations

צֹואָתָ֗ם צואתם ṣō·w·’ā·ṯām ṣōw’āṯām tzoaTam

Englishman's Concordance

Isaiah 36:12
HEB: [חַרְאֵיהֶם כ] (צֹואָתָ֗ם ק) וְלִשְׁתּ֛וֹת
NAS: [doomed] to eat their own dung and drink
KJV: that they may eat their own dung, and drink
INT: the wall eat dung and drink waste

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 2716
1 Occurrence

ṣō·w·’ā·ṯām — 1 Occ.