2786. charaq

Lexical Summary

charaq: To gnash, grind

Original Word: חָרַק
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: charaq
Pronunciation: khaw-rak'
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-rak')
KJV: gnash
NASB: gnash, gnashed, gnashes
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to grate the teeth

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

gnash

A primitive root; to grate the teeth -- gnash.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to gnash or grind
NASB Translation
gnash (2), gnashed (2), gnashes (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

חָרַק verb gnash or grind the teeth, only in poetry (Late Hebrew id.; Arabic file, rub together, grate or grind (teeth); Aramaic id.) —

Qal Perfect3masculine singular ׳ח Job 16:9; Imperfect יַחֲרֹק Psalm 112:10; וַיַּחַרְקוּֿ Lamentations 2:16; Infinitive absolute חָרֹק Psalm 35:16; Participle חֹרֵק Psalm 37:12; — grind the teeth in rage against: שׁניו על ׳ח Psalm 37:12; Psalm 35:16 absolute without על Psalm 112:10; Lamentations 2:16 (only here with שֵׁן singular); with בְּ instrumental (Ges^{§ 119}, 3 b, R. Da^{Synt, § 73 R. 6}) בשׁניו עלֿ ׳ח Job 16:9.

Topical Lexicon

Concept Overview

חָרַק depicts the violent grinding or gnashing of the teeth, an outward sign of inward rage, contempt, or frustrated desire. In every occurrence the verb paints hostility—usually of the wicked toward the righteous or toward God’s covenant community.

Occurrences in Scripture

• Job 16:9 – Job laments that his adversary “gnashes His teeth at me,” intensifying the portrait of merciless aggression.
• Psalm 35:16 – David recalls mockers who “gnashed their teeth” at him, coupling violent intent with public scorn.
• Psalm 37:12 – The psalmist generalizes: “The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them,” highlighting the perennial conflict between the two groups.
• Psalm 112:10 – The wicked, seeing the blessing of the righteous, “will gnash his teeth and waste away,” a vivid picture of envy that ends in self-destruction.
• Lamentations 2:16 – Judah’s enemies “hiss and gnash their teeth,” celebrating Zion’s fall and revealing the depth of their hatred.

Old Testament Portrait of Hostility

Across these texts the verb unifies diverse settings—personal suffering (Job), royal persecution (Psalm 35), societal conflict (Psalm 37), eschatological reversal (Psalm 112), and national calamity (Lamentations 2). In each, the gnashing teeth belong to those set against God’s purposes, underscoring the moral polarity that runs through Scripture: those who fear the LORD versus those who oppose Him.

Foreshadowing New Testament Usage

The Synoptic Gospels repeatedly use “weeping and gnashing of teeth” to depict final judgment (for example, Matthew 13:42). The Old Testament occurrences of חָרַק establish the gesture as the hallmark of hardened opposition, preparing the reader to perceive in Christ’s teaching both continuity and escalation: the same rebellious posture persists, and in the end it is met with divine justice.

Theological Themes

1. Righteous Suffering: Believers should not be surprised when hostility manifests violently or mockingly; Scripture normalizes such opposition.
2. Divine Vindication: Psalm 112:10 reveals the futility of rage against the righteous—the wicked “waste away.” God’s justice overturns their schemes.
3. Covenant Identity: In Lamentations 2 the gnashing of teeth targets the covenant people as a whole. Even in collective judgment, God remains attentive to the enmity His people endure and will ultimately answer it.

Practical Ministry Implications

• Pastoral Care: When counseling those oppressed by ridicule or violence, these texts provide language that legitimizes their pain and anchors hope in God’s vindication.
• Prayer and Lament: Job and the psalmists model prayer that names the hostility directly, encouraging transparent lament rather than silent resignation.
• Discipleship: Psalm 37 moves from describing the wicked’s teeth-gnashing to exhorting the righteous to trust, delight, and wait on the LORD, offering a discipleship pathway amid persecution.

Homiletical and Devotional Considerations

• Contrast between gnashing teeth (unbelieving rage) and rejoicing lips (Psalm 34:1) offers a sharp sermon or devotional juxtaposition.
• The verb’s visceral imagery can enliven teaching on spiritual warfare, illustrating the unseen rage arrayed against believers yet restrained by God’s sovereignty.
• Connecting חָרַק with Stephen’s martyrdom scene (Acts 7:54) bridges Testaments and calls hearers to courageous witness.

Historical Context

In the ancient Near East, baring and grinding the teeth conveyed more than irritation; it was an overt threat of violence. Such a gesture in court or covenantal settings marked a breakdown of peace. The biblical writers appropriate this cultural signal to unveil the spiritual reality behind human enmity: opposition to God’s righteousness inevitably surfaces in aggressive displays—an insight as relevant in modern ministry as it was in Job’s day.

Summary

חָרַק encapsulates the fury of the wicked and the testing of the righteous while testifying to God’s unbroken commitment to vindicate His people. Far from a mere cultural oddity, the gnashing of teeth threads through redemptive history, from Job’s ash heap to the eschaton, reminding believers that rage against the righteous is temporary, but the Lord’s salvation endures forever.

Forms and Transliterations

וְחֹרֵ֖ק וַיַּֽחַרְקוּ־ וחרק ויחרקו־ חָרַ֣ק חָרֹ֖ק חרק יַחֲרֹ֣ק יחרק chaRak chaRok ḥā·raq ḥā·rōq ḥāraq ḥārōq vaiyacharku vechoRek way·ya·ḥar·qū- wayyaḥarqū- wə·ḥō·rêq wəḥōrêq ya·ḥă·rōq yachaRok yaḥărōq

Englishman's Concordance

Job 16:9
HEB: טָרַ֨ף ׀ וַֽיִּשְׂטְמֵ֗נִי חָרַ֣ק עָלַ֣י בְּשִׁנָּ֑יו
NAS: me and hunted me down, He has gnashed at me with His teeth;
KJV: who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth;
INT: has torn and hunted has gnashed with his teeth

Psalm 35:16
HEB: לַעֲגֵ֣י מָע֑וֹג חָרֹ֖ק עָלַ֣י שִׁנֵּֽימוֹ׃
NAS: at a feast, They gnashed at me with their teeth.
KJV: in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
INT: jesters A feast gnashed with their teeth

Psalm 37:12
HEB: רָ֭שָׁע לַצַּדִּ֑יק וְחֹרֵ֖ק עָלָ֣יו שִׁנָּֽיו׃
NAS: against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth.
KJV: against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
INT: the wicked the righteous and gnashes with his teeth

Psalm 112:10
HEB: וְכָעָ֗ס שִׁנָּ֣יו יַחֲרֹ֣ק וְנָמָ֑ס תַּאֲוַ֖ת
NAS: it and be vexed, He will gnash his teeth
KJV: [it], and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth,
INT: and be vexed his teeth will gnash and melt the desire

Lamentations 2:16
HEB: א֣וֹיְבַ֔יִךְ שָֽׁרְקוּ֙ וַיַּֽחַרְקוּ־ שֵׁ֔ן אָמְר֖וּ
NAS: you; They hiss and gnash [their] teeth.
KJV: against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth:
INT: enemies hiss and gnash teeth say

5 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2786
5 Occurrences

ḥā·raq — 1 Occ.
ḥā·rōq — 1 Occ.
way·ya·ḥar·qū- — 1 Occ.
wə·ḥō·rêq — 1 Occ.
ya·ḥă·rōq — 1 Occ.