2759. charishi

Lexical Summary

charishi: Silent, quiet

Original Word: חֲרִישִׁי
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: chariyshiy
Pronunciation: khaw-ree-shee
Phonetic Spelling: (khar-ee-shee')
KJV: vehement
NASB: scorching
Word Origin: [from H2790 (חָרַשׁ - To be silent) in the sense of silence]

1. quiet, i.e. sultry (as feminine noun, the sirocco or hot east wind)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

vehement

From charash in the sense of silence; quiet, i.e. Sultry (as feminine noun, the sirocco or hot east wind) -- vehement.

see HEBREW charash

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
perhaps from the same as cheresh
Definition
perhaps sultry
NASB Translation
scorching (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[חֲרִישִׁי] adjective meaning wholly dubious; only רוּחַ קָדִים חֲרִישְׁית Jonah 4:8; a silent east wind is not suitable in context; still = sultry is mere conjecture; Hi autumnal (√ I. חרשׁ); St proposes חרישׂית = חריסית, from חֶרֶס sun (or √ whence חֶרֶס comes) hot east wind; We makes no attempt to explain.

Topical Lexicon

Meaning and Nuance

The term conveys the idea of a fiercely hot, parching, and oppressive wind. In its single biblical appearance it describes a dry east wind whose heat silently sears, exhausting all who are exposed to it. The nuance of “scorching” or “sultry” fits the Near-Eastern sirocco that can raise temperatures dramatically within minutes and sap a traveler’s strength.

Occurrence in Scripture

Jonah 4:8 records the only use: “God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint…” (Berean Standard Bible). Here the word amplifies the intensity of God’s appointed climate event.

Historical and Cultural Context

Ancient Mesopotamia regularly endured desert winds originating in the Arabian wilderness. Such winds could reach hurricane force, fill the air with dust, and cause dramatic drops in humidity. Farmers feared them for the destruction they brought to ripening grain (compare Genesis 41:6, Genesis 41:23). Sailors dreaded them for the havoc they wrought on merchant fleets (Psalm 48:7). Against that backdrop, the Jonah narrative presents an element every listener in Israel could envision: a deadly blast that leaves no shade and no moisture.

Literary Function in Jonah

1. Divine Appointment: As with the fish (Jonah 1:17), plant (Jonah 4:6), and worm (Jonah 4:7), the wind is deliberately “appointed” by God, underscoring His sovereign control of nature and circumstances.
2. Prophetic Exposure: Stripped of the plant’s protection, Jonah finally feels externally what is true internally—his compassion is as short-lived as the gourd’s shelter.
3. Climactic Contrast: The silent fury of the wind mirrors the prophet’s loud anger, forcing him to confront his misaligned priorities.

Theological Implications

• Sovereignty and Providence: The same God who sends deliverance (the plant) can instantly remove it (the wind) to accomplish higher purposes.
• Divine Discipline: Physical discomfort becomes an instrument of spiritual instruction. Jonah’s faintness exposes the faintness of his mercy toward Nineveh.
• Human Frailty: The narrative highlights how quickly human strength evaporates under God-directed circumstances, pointing to the need for grace rather than entitlement.

Intertextual Connections: East Wind as Divine Instrument

While the specific word appears only in Jonah, similar east-wind imagery threads through Scripture:

– Judgment on Egypt’s crops (Exodus 10:13)

– The parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21)

– Joseph’s dream of scorched heads of grain (Genesis 41:23-27)

– Scattering of a rebellious nation (Jeremiah 18:17)

– Ruin upon Ephraim (Hosea 13:15)

In every case the east wind serves as a messenger of divine intervention—either deliverance for God’s people or discipline for sin. Jonah’s wind continues that pattern by chastening the prophet himself.

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Spiritual Formation: Seasons of “scorching” hardship may be God’s designed classrooms to expose root issues of anger, prejudice, or self-pity.
2. Pastoral Counseling: Sufferers can be reminded that God remains intentional in trials; He never relinquishes control even when comfort is withdrawn.
3. Mission Motivation: The wind’s role in Jonah’s life prompts churches to examine whether lack of compassion is hindering evangelistic zeal.
4. Worship and Lament: Believers may legitimately voice weakness (“he grew faint”) while still yielding to the God whose purposes prevail.

Christological Perspective

The prophet’s fainting under the heat contrasts sharply with Jesus Christ, who in the wilderness withstood desert winds and scorching sun while remaining obedient (Matthew 4:1-11). Where Jonah succumbed to self-interest, Jesus persevered for the salvation of all nations—including the very Ninevites Jonah resisted.

Summary

Though attested only once, חֲרִישִׁי portrays a scorching force that God wields to reveal hearts, redirect mission, and affirm His sovereignty. The silent heat that felled Jonah continues to speak, warning believers against complacent mercy and urging them to align their compassion with the boundless compassion of God.

Forms and Transliterations

חֲרִישִׁ֔ית חרישית chariShit ḥă·rî·šîṯ ḥărîšîṯ

Englishman's Concordance

Jonah 4:8
HEB: ר֤וּחַ קָדִים֙ חֲרִישִׁ֔ית וַתַּ֥ךְ הַשֶּׁ֛מֶשׁ
NAS: appointed a scorching east
KJV: prepared a vehement east
INT: wind east A scorching beat and the sun

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 2759
1 Occurrence

ḥă·rî·šîṯ — 1 Occ.