Lexical Summary chori: fierce, hot, outburst Original Word: חֱרִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fierce, great, heat From charah; a burning (i.e. Intense) anger -- fierce, X great, heat. see HEBREW charah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom charah Definition burning NASB Translation fierce (4), hot (1), outburst (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs חֳרִי noun masculine burning, always חֳרִי (הָ)אַף of Moses Exodus 11:8 (J); Jonathan 1 Samuel 20:34; army of Ephraim 2Chronicles 25:10; Rezin Isaiah 7:4; of God Deuteronomy 29:23; Lamentations 2:3. חַרְהֲיָה see חרחיה. below Topical Lexicon Concept Overview חֱרִי conveys the idea of heat that flares into anger, most often describing indignation that blazes up quickly and forcefully. In Scripture it may mark (1) the righteous indignation of the Lord, (2) legitimate human anger aligned with His purposes, or (3) the destructive wrath of rebellious people. While its occurrences are few, the term vividly pictures anger as fire—either purifying or consuming, depending on its source and object. Occurrences in Scripture 1. Exodus 11:8 “Then Moses left Pharaoh’s presence in fierce anger.” Moses’ anger echoes the Lord’s own resolve to judge Egypt. His emotion is not selfish rage but zeal for God’s justice and compassion for the oppressed. “All the nations will ask, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land? Why this great burning anger?’” Here חֱרִי signals covenant wrath. Israel’s apostasy will make the land itself a testimony to the peril of breaking God’s covenant. Jonathan rises from the royal table “in fierce anger” after Saul humiliates David. His ire springs from loyalty to God’s anointed and to covenant friendship, illustrating righteous anger in defense of the innocent. Dismissed mercenaries from Israel return to Samaria “in great anger,” later raiding Judah’s towns. Human wrath divorced from divine guidance becomes destructive, contrasting sharply with Moses’ and Jonathan’s indignation. 5. Isaiah 7:4 The prophet is told to reassure King Ahaz: “Do not fear or be fainthearted because of these two smoldering stubs of firebrands.” The term depicts the seething hostility of Rezin and Pekah, already burning out under God’s sovereignty. The image both belittles their threat and hints at their impending judgment. “In fierce anger He has cut off every horn of Israel.” After centuries of warning, the Lord releases His burning wrath, dismantling Judah’s power. The verse couples חֱרִי with the temple imagery of horn and flame, underscoring that the God who once sent fire to accept sacrifices now sends fire to judge sin. Theological Significance 1. Divine Holiness and Covenant Fidelity חֱרִי underscores that God’s covenant love includes a holy intolerance of idolatry and oppression. The same God who revealed Himself in consuming fire at Sinai will not ignore covenant breaches (Deuteronomy 29:24; Lamentations 2:3). 2. Righteous versus Unrighteous Anger Moses and Jonathan illustrate anger that aligns with God’s justice, while the mercenary troops in 2 Chronicles 25 show anger unchecked by truth. Ephesians 4:26—“Be angry, yet do not sin”—finds Old Testament precedent in these texts. 3. Prophetic Assurance Isaiah 7 contrasts human rage with God’s sovereign timeline. What appears as imminent danger is, from God’s view, fading embers. חֱרִי here comforts the faithful, reminding them that every flame burns only as long as He allows. Historical Setting • Exodus 11:8—late stage of the plagues, just before the Passover. Across these periods, חֱרִי punctuates decisive moments when divine or human anger alters the course of events. Practical and Pastoral Implications 1. Fear the Lord’s Wrath Believers should regard covenant warnings as sober reality, not hyperbole. The devastation previewed in Deuteronomy and fulfilled in Lamentations proves God keeps every word—both promise and threat. 2. Cultivate Righteous Anger Moses’ and Jonathan’s examples legitimize indignation directed at persistent injustice and blasphemy. Yet such anger must remain subject to God’s Word and Spirit lest it devolve into the destructive fury seen in 2 Chronicles 25. 3. Find Refuge in Christ The New Covenant reveals the ultimate answer to divine חֱרִי. At the cross “the chastisement that brought us peace was upon Him” (Isaiah 53:5), satisfying burning wrath and offering reconciliation. Trusting in Christ delivers from the “coming wrath” (Romans 5:9). Summary חֱרִי is small in lexical footprint yet large in theological weight. Whether describing Moses’ zeal, Jonathan’s loyalty, foreign kings’ hostility, or God’s covenant judgments, it portrays anger as a blazing fire. That fire purifies when aligned with holiness and destroys when kindled by sin. Scripture’s final word is not the extinction of that fire but its satisfaction in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, turning wrath into redeemed worship. Forms and Transliterations בָּֽחֳרִי־ בָּחֳרִי־ בחרי־ חֳרִ֛י חרי bā·ḥo·rî- bāḥorî- bochori choRi ḥo·rî ḥorîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 11:8 HEB: מֵֽעִם־ פַּרְעֹ֖ה בָּחֳרִי־ אָֽף׃ ס NAS: out from Pharaoh in hot anger. KJV: from Pharaoh in a great anger. INT: from Pharaoh hot anger Deuteronomy 29:24 1 Samuel 20:34 2 Chronicles 25:10 Isaiah 7:4 Lamentations 2:3 6 Occurrences |
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