Lexical Summary charam: To ban, devote, destroy utterly, exterminate Original Word: חָרַם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance make accursed, consecrate, utterly destroy, devote, forfeit, have a flat nose, utterly slayA primitive root; to seclude; specifically (by a ban) to devote to religious uses (especially destruction); physical and reflexive, to be blunt as to the nose -- make accursed, consecrate, (utterly) destroy, devote, forfeit, have a flat nose, utterly (slay, make away). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [חָרַם] verb Hiph`il ban, devote, exterminate (MI17 החרמתה of devoting, dedicating a city to Chemosh, in clause with כי explaining massacre of all inhabitants; the altar-hearth of ׳י there was dragged before Chemosh;  be prohibited, forbidden, unlawful, become sacred; II. make, pronounce sacred, inviolable; Ethiopic  prohibit from common use, consecrate to God, esteem unlawful; Palmyrene חרם = consacrÈ VogNo 35; Nabataean id., Eutp. 28; Sabean מחרם sanctuary, temple, OsZMG 1865, 176. 252, חרמתן DHMZMG 1875, 594; Aramaic אַחֲרִים, and especially  anathematize, excommunicate; see also WeSkizzen iii, 165, DrSm 100 ff., RSSemitic i. 140 (150)) — Hiph`il Perfect הֶהֱרִים Joshua 8:26 5t.; הֶחֱרִם Joshua 10:28; 2masculine singular וְהַחֲרַמְתָּ֫ה 1 Samuel 15:18; 1singular הֶחֱרַמְתִּי 1 Samuel 15:20; וְהַחֲרַמְתִּ֫י Numbers 21:2; 2feminine singular וְהַחֲרַמְתְּ(יׅ consecutive Micah 4:13 (so ᵐ5 ᵑ9 ᵑ6 ᵑ7 RV most; ᵑ01singular), see Ges§ 44, R. 4; plural הֶחֱרִימוּ 1 Samuel 15:9; 2Chronicles 32:14 etc.; (1 Samuel 15:3 read והחרמתו ᵐ5 We Dr); Imperfect יַחֲרִם Leviticus 27:28; וַיַּחֲרֵם Numbers 21:3; Joshua 10:37; suffix וַיַּחֲרִימָהּ Joshua 10:1; 1plural וַנַּחֲרֵם Deuteronomy 2:34; Deuteronomy 3:6 etc.; Imperative הַחֲרֵם Deuteronomy 13:16; plural הַחֲרִימוּ Jeremiah 51:3; suffix הַחֲרִימוּהָ Jeremiah 50:26; Infinitive absolute הַחֲרֵם Deuteronomy 3:6 4t.; construct הַחֲרִים2Chronicles 20:23; Daniel 11:44; suffix הַחֲרִימָם Joshua 11:20 4t.; — ban, devote (especially religiously, followed by objects hostile to the theocracy [see especially Exodus 22:19 Hoph`al]; this involved Generally their destruction; when a city was 'devoted' the inhabitants were put to death, the spoil being destroyed or not according to the gravity of the occasion [contrast Joshua 6:17,21; 1 Samuel 15:3 with Deuteronomy 2:34f. Deuteronomy 3:6,7], compare MI17 לעשתר כמש החרמתה to Ashtar-Chemosh I devoted it, i.e. the city Nebo); — 1 most often of devoting to destruction cities of Canaanites and other neighbours of Israel, exterminating inhabitants, and destroying or appropriating their possessions: a. Israel and her leaders subject Numbers 21:2,3(destruction according to vow), Joshua 6:21 (compare חֵרֶם ליהוה Joshua 6:17; all J); in Joshua 6:18 read תַּחְמְדוּ (for ᵑ0 תַּחֲרִימוּ, see Di VB); Joshua 8:26 (ᵐ5, not ᵐ5L, omit verse), Joshua 10:1 (JE), Deuteronomy 2:34; Deuteronomy 3:6 (twice in verse); Deuteronomy 7:2 (twice in verse) (commanded through Moses, compare for underlying thought Deuteronomy 7:4; Deuteronomy 7:5; Deuteronomy 7:6), Deuteronomy 20:17 (twice in verse) (commanded by ׳י), Joshua 2:10; Joshua 10:28,35,37,39,40 (divine command), Joshua 11:11,12,20,21 (divine command Joshua 11:12; Joshua 11:20; all D), 1 Samuel 15:3,8,9 (twice in verse); 1 Samuel 15:15,18,20 (divine command 1 Samuel 15:3; 1 Samuel 15:18; 1 Samuel 15:20, compare 1 Samuel 15:11; 1 Samuel 15:22; 1 Samuel 15:23); quite secondary is simple exterminate 1 Kings 9:21; 1 Chronicles 4:41. b. secondary meaning destroy, exterminate, also with other nations subject: — 2 Kings 19:11 = Isaiah 37:11 2Chronicles 32:14; 20:23; Jeremiah 50:21,26 (both by divine command), Jeremiah 51:3; Daniel 11:44. c. God as subject, figurative all nations and their armies Isaiah 34:2; the nations of Western Asia Jeremiah 25:9; the tongue of the Egyptian sea (by drying it up) Isaiah 11:15 (but read perhaps החריב with ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ9 ᵑ7). d. so also of devoting even Israelites: a city of Israel for worshipping other gods Deuteronomy 13:16; residents of Jabesh-Gilead for not joining in campaign against Benjamin Judges 21:11. 2 devote to ׳י: for sacred uses החרים ליהוה the spoil of the nations Micah 4:13; private possessions, whether a man, animal, or field Leviticus 27:28 (P). Hoph`al Imperfect יָחֳרַם Leviticus 27:29; Ezra 10:8; יָחֳרָ֑ם Exodus 22:19; — 1 be put under the ban, devoted (to death), for worshipping other gods than ׳י Exodus 22:19 (J E; earliest use of word in OT); for some other theocratic offence Leviticus 27:29 (P; see Di). 2 devoted, i.e. forfeited, to the temple treasures Ezra 10:8. — On חרם see especially Di (Kn) Leviticus 27:28; EwAntiq. 75. 78, Dr 1 Samuel 15:33. II. [חָרַם] verb slit (nose, lip, ear, etc.), mutilate, especially face (Arabic Qal Passive participle אִישׁ עִוֵּר אוֺ מִּסֵּחַ אוֺ חָרֻם אוֺ שָׂרוּעַ a man blind or lame or mutilated in the face (in nose, lip, ear, etc.), or too long in a limb Leviticus 21:18 (H), see Di (Kn). Topical Lexicon Overview of Usage חָרַם appears about fifty-two times and consistently conveys the idea of placing persons, animals, goods, or territory under a divine ban—either to be destroyed or irrevocably dedicated to the LORD. The context determines whether the emphasis falls on annihilation, removal from common use, or consecration. The verb is most frequent in Israel’s conquest narratives and in prophetic announcements of judgment, but it also surfaces in instructions safeguarding covenant holiness. Devotion to Destruction in Conquest Narratives From the outset of Israel’s entry into Canaan, חָרַם framed the theology of holy war. Moses commanded, “When the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, you must devote them to complete destruction” (Deuteronomy 7:2). Joshua implemented the command at Jericho: “They devoted to destruction with the sword every living thing in the city—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, and donkeys” (Joshua 6:21). The totality underscored that the victory belonged to the LORD; no spoils could be assimilated because everything in the city was already His. Purging Evil and Protecting Covenant Purity חָרַם served a moral as well as military purpose. Canaanite idolatry threatened Israel’s fidelity, so the ban operated as preventative discipline. When Achan coveted valuables that were “devoted to destruction,” Israel temporarily lost divine favor (Joshua 7). The narrative teaches that harboring what God has banned contaminates the entire community. Likewise, Moses warned that an apostate Israelite town must be placed under the ban so “nothing devoted to destruction among you shall cling to your hands” (Deuteronomy 13:17). The principle extends beyond warfare to any circumstance where unchecked sin endangers covenant integrity. Contrast between Profane Destruction and Sacred Dedication The same verb can describe both utter destruction (Joshua 10:40) and irrevocable dedication to the sanctuary (Leviticus 27:28). In either case, the item passes beyond human control into God’s exclusive domain. Thus when Saul spared Amalekite livestock “devoted to destruction,” he violated divine ownership (1 Samuel 15:3, 9). Samuel’s rebuke, “To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22), reveals that חָרַם was never a license for personal aggression or gain but an act of worshipful obedience. Prophetic Echoes and Eschatological Overtones The prophets employ חָרַם to describe coming judgments on the nations. Isaiah declares, “The LORD’s anger is upon all the nations… He has devoted them to destruction” (Isaiah 34:2). Jeremiah applies the term to Babylon (Jeremiah 25:9), and Ezekiel to Gog’s hordes (Ezekiel 39:12). These passages project the conquest pattern forward, portraying final judgment as a cosmic herem in which evil is permanently removed and God’s kingdom secured. Applied Ministry Principles 1. Holiness: God’s claim over what is devoted warns believers against compromise (2 Corinthians 6:17). Christological Fulfillment and New Covenant Reflections At the cross, Jesus became the One “made sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21), bearing the divine ban so that believers might be spared. His self-sacrifice turns the logic of חָרַם inside out: judgment falls on the substitute, and what was doomed is now redeemed. In Revelation the final eradication of evil parallels the ancient ban, yet the redeemed city is spared and eternally dedicated to God’s glory. Key References Leviticus 27:28; Deuteronomy 7:2; Deuteronomy 13:12-18; Joshua 6:17-21; Joshua 7:1-26; Joshua 10:40; Judges 21:11; 1 Samuel 15:1-35; 2 Kings 19:11; 1 Chronicles 5:21; Isaiah 11:15; Isaiah 34:2; Jeremiah 25:9; Ezekiel 39:12; Daniel 11:44; Micah 4:13; Zechariah 14:11. Forms and Transliterations הֶחֱרִ֑ים הֶחֱרִ֔ים הֶחֱרִ֣ים הֶחֱרִ֣ימוּ הֶחֱרִ֣ם הֶחֱרִ֥ים הֶחֱרִֽימוּ׃ הֶחֱרִימָ֖ם הֶחֱרִימָ֥ם הֶחֱרַֽמְנוּ׃ הֶחֱרַֽמְתִּי׃ הֶחֱרַמְתֶּ֖ם הַֽחֲרִימָ֔ם הַֽחֲרֵ֔ם הַחֲרִ֖ימוּ הַחֲרִימָ֑ם הַחֲרֵ֣ם הַחֲרֵ֤ם הַחֲרֵ֨ם הַחֲרֵם֙ החרים החרימו החרימו׃ החרימם החרם החרמנו׃ החרמתי׃ החרמתם וְהֶחֱרִ֣ים וְהַ֣חֲרַמְתִּ֔ים וְהַֽחֲרַמְתִּ֖י וְהַֽחֲרַמְתֶּם֙ וְהַחֲרִימ֑וּהָ וְהַחֲרֵ֤ם וְהַחֲרַמְתִּ֤י וְהַחֲרַמְתָּ֞ה וַֽיַּחֲרִ֙ימוּ֙ וַֽנַּחֲרֵם֙ וַיַּחֲרִ֣ימוּ וַיַּחֲרִימָהּ֒ וַיַּחֲרִימֻם֙ וַיַּחֲרֵ֣ם וַיַּחֲרֵ֥ם וַנַּחֲרֵ֣ם וּֽלְהַחֲרִ֖ים והחרים והחרימוה והחרם והחרמתה והחרמתי והחרמתים והחרמתם ויחרימה ויחרימו ויחרימם ויחרם ולהחרים ונחרם חָרֻ֖ם חרם יַחֲרִם֩ יָֽחֳרָ֑ם יָחֳרַ֖ם יָחֳרַ֛ם יחרם לְהַֽחֲרִימָ֑ם לְהַחֲרִ֣ים לְהַחֲרִימָ֑ם להחרים להחרימם תַּחֲרִ֖ימוּ תַּחֲרִֽימוּ׃ תַּחֲרִים֙ תַּחֲרִימֵ֗ם תחרים תחרימו תחרימו׃ תחרימם chaRum ha·ḥă·rêm ha·ḥă·rî·mām ha·ḥă·rî·mū ḥā·rum hachaRem hachariMam hachaRimu haḥărêm haḥărîmām haḥărîmū ḥārum he·ḥĕ·ram·nū he·ḥĕ·ram·tem he·ḥĕ·ram·tî he·ḥĕ·rî·mām he·ḥĕ·rî·mū he·ḥĕ·rim he·ḥĕ·rîm hecheRamnu hecheramTem hecheRamti hecheRim hecheriMam hecheRimu heḥĕramnū heḥĕramtem heḥĕramtî heḥĕrim heḥĕrîm heḥĕrîmām heḥĕrîmū lə·ha·ḥă·rî·mām lə·ha·ḥă·rîm lehachaRim lehachariMam ləhaḥărîm ləhaḥărîmām ta·ḥă·rî·mêm ta·ḥă·rî·mū ta·ḥă·rîm tachaRim tachariMem tachaRimu taḥărîm taḥărîmêm taḥărîmū ū·lə·ha·ḥă·rîm ulehachaRim ūləhaḥărîm vaiyachaRem vaiyachariMah vaiyachaRimu vaiyachariMum vannachaRem vehacharamTah vehacharamTem vehacharamTi veHacharamTim vehachaRem vehachariMuha vehecheRim wan·na·ḥă·rêm wannaḥărêm way·ya·ḥă·rêm way·ya·ḥă·rî·māh way·ya·ḥă·rî·mū way·ya·ḥă·rî·mum wayyaḥărêm wayyaḥărîmāh wayyaḥărîmū wayyaḥărîmum wə·ha·ḥă·ram·tāh wə·ha·ḥă·ram·tem wə·ha·ḥă·ram·tî wə·ha·ḥă·ram·tîm wə·ha·ḥă·rêm wə·ha·ḥă·rî·mū·hā wə·he·ḥĕ·rîm wəhaḥăramtāh wəhaḥăramtem wəhaḥăramtî wəhaḥăramtîm wəhaḥărêm wəhaḥărîmūhā wəheḥĕrîm ya·ḥă·rim yā·ḥo·ram yā·ḥo·rām yachaRim yaḥărim yāḥoram yāḥorām yochoRamLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 22:20 HEB: זֹבֵ֥חַ לָאֱלֹהִ֖ים יָֽחֳרָ֑ם בִּלְתִּ֥י לַיהוָ֖ה NAS: alone, shall be utterly destroyed. KJV: unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed. INT: sacrifices god shall be utterly other to the LORD Leviticus 21:18 Leviticus 27:28 Leviticus 27:29 Numbers 21:2 Numbers 21:3 Deuteronomy 2:34 Deuteronomy 3:6 Deuteronomy 3:6 Deuteronomy 7:2 Deuteronomy 7:2 Deuteronomy 13:15 Deuteronomy 20:17 Deuteronomy 20:17 Joshua 2:10 Joshua 6:18 Joshua 6:21 Joshua 8:26 Joshua 10:1 Joshua 10:28 Joshua 10:35 Joshua 10:37 Joshua 10:39 Joshua 10:40 Joshua 11:11 52 Occurrences |
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perforate, pierce, slit the partition between the nostrils, or the lip, or the lobe of the ear) —