Lexical Summary chorbah: Desolation, ruin, waste Original Word: חָרְבָּה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance decayed place, desolate place destruction, laid waste place Feminine of choreb; properly, drought, i.e. (by implication) a desolation -- decayed place, desolate (place, -tion), destruction, (laid) waste (place). see HEBREW choreb NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom chareb Definition waste, desolation, ruin NASB Translation deserts (1), desolation (4), desolations (1), ruin (6), ruined homes (1), ruins (11), waste (7), waste places (10), wastes (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs חָרְבָּה noun feminine waste, desolation, ruin; — absolute ׳ח Leviticus 26:31 15t. + Ezekiel 38:8 (strike out ᵑ6 Co) + Ezekiel 38:12 חרבה ᵐ5 Co for חרבות; plural חֳרָבוֺת Psalm 9:7 11t. (Ezekiel 38:12, compare above); construct חָרְבוֺת Isaiah 5:17 7t.; suffix חָרְבֹתַיִךְ Isaiah 49:19; חָרְבֹתָיו Ezra 9:9; חָרְבֹתֶיהָ Isaiah 51:3; חָרְבוֺתֶיהָ Isaiah 44:26; חָרְבוֺתֵיהֶם Psalm 109:10 2Chronicles 34:6 (compare חֶרֶב and below); (chiefly mid. and late Hebrew Isa28t.; Jeremiah 10 t., Ezekiel 14 t. — including Ezekiel 38:8, q. strike out Co); — 1 waste, ruin, of cities of Israel Leviticus 26:31,33 (H); Judah Isaiah 44:26; Isaiah 49:19 ("" שֹׁמְמֹת), Isaiah 58:12 (בנה), Jeremiah 25:18; Jeremiah 27:17; Jeremiah 44:2,6; Ezekiel 5:14; ruins of Jerusalem Isaiah 52:9; Daniel 9:2; also Ezekiel 35:4; compare Malachi 1:4 (with בנה), Ezekiel 36:10 (with בנה) Ezekiel 36:33 (id.); Egypt Ezekiel 29:9,10 (in both "" שְׁמָמָה; חרבות חֹרֶב in Ezekiel 29:10); ruin of temple Ezra 9:9; = ruined dwellings Psalm 109:10; compare 2Chronicles 34:6, where read perhaps בְּחָרְבֹתֵיהֶם for בּחר בתיהם (see חֶרֶב below III. חרב); Jeremiah 22:5; in General ruins (si vera 1., see Di; object of בנה) Job 3:14; ׳כוס ח Psalm 102:7 an owl of a ruin. 2 of land: waste place amid ruins Isaiah 5:17, compare Isaiah 51:3 ("" מִדְבָּר, עֲרָבָה); land a desolation Jeremiah 7:34; Jeremiah 44:22; Ezekiel 25:13 (Edom) Jeremiah 25:11; Isaiah 64:10 and Ezekiel 33:24,27 (of Judah), compare Ezekiel 13:4, ׳כְשֻׁעָלִים בח simile of the prophets; הַשֹּׁמֵמוֺת ׳הח Ezekiel 36:4 (of Israel); of desolation of enemies of Israel Psalm 9:7 (לָנֶ֫צַח ׳ח); עולם ׳ח = old ruins Isaiah 61:4 (with בנה); elsewhere perpetual ruin, desolation Jeremiah 25:9; Jeremiah 49:13 (cities of Bosra); מעולם ׳ה Ezekiel 26:20 (simile of Tyre). Topical Lexicon Overview of UsageThe noun חָרְבָּה occurs about forty-two times and consistently pictures a place laid waste—ruined cities, shattered sanctuaries, abandoned vineyards, or an emptied land. Whether the ruin is physical, social, or spiritual, the word communicates the devastating result of covenant violation, military judgment, neglect, or exile, while at the same time preparing the reader for the hope of rebuilding that follows repentance and divine mercy. Semantic Range and Literary Nuances 1. Physical desolation: crumbling walls, burnt gates, and uninhabited fields. The Hebrew poets sometimes employ the term in parallel with “ruins,” “ashes,” or “wilderness,” amplifying the totality of the destruction (for example, Psalm 102:6–7). Occurrences in the Pentateuch The first cluster appears in Leviticus 26:31–43, the covenant warnings. Five times the land or the cities are said to become חָרְבָּה because of continued rebellion: The desolation is not merely punitive; it allows the land to enjoy its neglected Sabbaths (Leviticus 26:34-35), underscoring the Creator’s claim over the soil itself. Historical Books Joshua 8:28 records Ai becoming “a permanent mound of ruins” after divine judgment. Centuries later Nehemiah laments, “The city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies in ruins” (Nehemiah 2:3). The same word thus bookends Israel’s entrance into and return from exile, highlighting covenant responsibility across generations. Wisdom Literature In Job 30:14 (textual variant), Job likens his collapsing fortunes to a breach pouring into desolation. The image contributes to the book’s vocabulary of chaos, reinforcing that apart from God’s protection even the most prosperous life can become חָרְבָּה overnight. Prophetic Literature 1. Isaiah employs the term nine times. He warns Jerusalem, “Your holy cities have become a wilderness… Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation” (Isaiah 64:10). Yet, he also promises, “For the LORD will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places” (Isaiah 51:3). Judgment and restoration stand side by side. 2. Jeremiah pictures abandoned sheepfolds and toppled palaces (Jeremiah 25:12; 44:2), while Ezekiel extends the vision to foreign nations: Ammon, Edom, and Egypt will become חָרְבָּה for their arrogance (Ezekiel 25–30). 3. Hosea connects moral and agricultural ruin: “Thorns and thistles will overgrow their altars” (Hosea 10:8). Amos, Micah, Zephaniah, and Zechariah use the term similarly, often in the formula “I will make … a perpetual desolation.” Covenantal and Theological Significance • Retributive Justice: חָרְבָּה affirms that unrepentant sin eventually wrecks cultures, economies, and worship (Leviticus 26; Jeremiah 44). Eschatological Horizon Zechariah 7:14 explains why the land “became desolate behind them,” yet the closing chapters of the book envision a global pilgrimage to a renewed Jerusalem. The pattern—desolation preceding glory—foreshadows New Testament teaching that present creation is “subjected to futility” in hope of a new heavens and earth (Romans 8:20-21). Relevance for Ministry 1. Preaching: חָרְבָּה confronts complacency. Congregations are reminded that moral compromise can hollow out even vibrant ministries. Christological and Ecclesial Notes Jesus wept over Jerusalem’s coming חָרְבָּה (Luke 19:41-44), embodying both the prophetic warning and the promised Comforter of Isaiah 51:3. By His resurrection He inaugurates the ultimate reversal of desolation, turning the place of the skull into the doorway of new creation. The church, described as “living stones,” participates in this rebuilding project, proclaiming a gospel that turns ruins into dwelling places of God in the Spirit. Key References Leviticus 26:31, 33-35, 43 Job 30:14 (variant) Isaiah 51:3; 64:10 Jeremiah 25:12; 44:2 Ezekiel 25:3-5; 30:7 Zechariah 7:14; 8:19 Together these passages trace the arc from rebellion to ruin to renewal, anchoring the believer’s hope in the God who alone can speak life into desolation. Forms and Transliterations בֶּֽחֳרָבוֹת֙ בָּחֳרָב֑וֹת בָּחֳרָבוֹת֙ בחרבות הֶחֳרָב֨וֹת הֶחֳרָבֽוֹת׃ החרבות החרבות׃ וְהֶחֳרָב֖וֹת וְחָרְב֥וֹת וְחָרְבָּ֔ה וְחָרְבוֹתֶ֖יהָ וְלֶחֳרָב֤וֹת וּלְחָרְב֖וֹת והחרבות וחרבה וחרבות וחרבותיה ולחרבות חֳרָב֔וֹת חֳרָב֗וֹת חֳרָב֣וֹת חֳרָבֽוֹת׃ חָרְב֖וֹת חָרְב֣וֹת חָרְבָּ֔ה חָרְבָּ֣ה חָרְבָּֽה׃ חָרְבָּה֙ חָרְבֹתֶ֔יהָ חָרְבֹתַ֙יִךְ֙ חָרְבֹתָ֔יו חרבה חרבה׃ חרבות חרבות׃ חרבתיה חרבתיו חרבתיך כָּחֳרָב֤וֹת כחרבות לְחָרְב֥וֹת לְחָרְבָּ֖ה לְחָרְבָּ֣ה לְחָרְבָּ֥ה לְחָרְבָּ֧ה לְחָרְבָּ֨ה לְחָרְבָּֽה׃ לְחָרְבוֹת֙ לחרבה לחרבה׃ לחרבות מֵחָרְבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ מחרבותיהם׃ bā·ḥo·rā·ḇō·wṯ bāḥorāḇōwṯ be·ḥo·rā·ḇō·wṯ bechoraVot beḥorāḇōwṯ bochoraVot charBah chareBah chareVot charevoTav charevoTayich charevoTeiha choraVot ḥā·rə·bāh ḥā·rə·ḇō·ṯa·yiḵ ḥā·rə·ḇō·ṯāw ḥā·rə·ḇō·ṯe·hā ḥā·rə·ḇō·wṯ ḥārəbāh ḥārəḇōṯāw ḥārəḇōṯayiḵ ḥārəḇōṯehā ḥārəḇōwṯ he·ḥo·rā·ḇō·wṯ hechoraVot heḥorāḇōwṯ ḥo·rā·ḇō·wṯ ḥorāḇōwṯ kā·ḥo·rā·ḇō·wṯ kāḥorāḇōwṯ kochoraVot lə·ḥā·rə·bāh lə·ḥā·rə·ḇō·wṯ lechareBah lechareVot ləḥārəbāh ləḥārəḇōwṯ mê·ḥā·rə·ḇō·w·ṯê·hem mecharevoteiHem mêḥārəḇōwṯêhem ū·lə·ḥā·rə·ḇō·wṯ ulechareVot ūləḥārəḇōwṯ vechareBah vechareVot vecharevoTeiha vehechoraVot velechoraVot wə·ḥā·rə·bāh wə·ḥā·rə·ḇō·w·ṯe·hā wə·ḥā·rə·ḇō·wṯ wə·he·ḥo·rā·ḇō·wṯ wə·le·ḥo·rā·ḇō·wṯ wəḥārəbāh wəḥārəḇōwṯ wəḥārəḇōwṯehā wəheḥorāḇōwṯ wəleḥorāḇōwṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 26:31 HEB: אֶת־ עָֽרֵיכֶם֙ חָרְבָּ֔ה וַהֲשִׁמּוֹתִ֖י אֶת־ NAS: I will lay waste your cities KJV: your cities waste, and bring INT: will lay your cities waste and will make your sanctuaries Leviticus 26:33 Ezra 9:9 Job 3:14 Psalm 9:6 Psalm 102:6 Psalm 109:10 Isaiah 5:17 Isaiah 44:26 Isaiah 48:21 Isaiah 49:19 Isaiah 51:3 Isaiah 52:9 Isaiah 58:12 Isaiah 61:4 Isaiah 64:11 Jeremiah 7:34 Jeremiah 22:5 Jeremiah 25:9 Jeremiah 25:11 Jeremiah 25:18 Jeremiah 27:17 Jeremiah 44:2 Jeremiah 44:6 Jeremiah 44:22 42 Occurrences |
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