Lexical Summary chathchath: Terror, Dread, Fear Original Word: חַתְחַת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fear From chath; terror -- fear. see HEBREW chath NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom chathath Definition terror NASB Translation terrors (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [חַתְחַת] noun [masculine] terror, only plural חַתְחַתִּים בַּדֶּרֶךְ Ecclesiastes 12:5 terrors are in the way ("" ירא). Topical Lexicon Meaning and Nuance חַתְחַת carries the idea of sudden dread, an apprehension that unnerves and immobilizes. The term is more intense than ordinary concern; it evokes the paralyzing alarm that overtakes a person when confronted by looming peril. While the Hebrew Scriptures employ various words for fear, חַתְחַת is reserved for a dread felt along life’s path—threats that rise unexpectedly and fill the traveler with foreboding. Canonical Occurrence: Ecclesiastes 12:5 “And they are afraid of heights and dangers on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper loses its spring, and the caper berry shrivels—for then man goes to his eternal home, and mourners go about the streets” (Ecclesiastes 12:5). The preacher sketches the waning vigor of old age. “Dangers on the road” translates חַתְחַת, picturing an elderly person whose confidence turns to trepidation once simple journeys become hazardous. The single use of the word underscores how advanced age, rather than lessening anxieties, may magnify them. Cultural and Historical Background In the Ancient Near East, travel exposed people to robbers, wild beasts, and rugged terrain. A younger traveler relied on strength and alertness; elders, bereft of such resources, increasingly sensed threats. Ecclesiastes reflects this social reality: as bodily faculties fade (Ecclesiastes 12:1–4), lifelong paths become corridors of terror. The word captures a communal awareness that aging, apart from divine assurance, strips away confidence. Theological Significance Scripture consistently juxtaposes human fear with trust in the Lord (Psalm 27:1; Isaiah 41:10). חַתְחַת therefore highlights the human condition apart from full reliance on God. Though Ecclesiastes paints a realistic portrait of mortality’s shadows, the book concludes by exhorting, “Fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). The preacher exposes temporal dreads so that the reader may seek the One who dispels them. Intertextual Connections 1. Psalm 91:5–6 contrasts night terrors and daytime arrows with the security found under the Almighty’s wings, addressing the same domain of lurking peril. Pastoral and Devotional Insights Ecclesiastes 12:5 reminds believers that physical decline intensifies vulnerability but need not breed hopeless anxiety. Instead, it summons the community to honor, protect, and reassure the aged (Leviticus 19:32). The fleeting picture of “dangers on the road” becomes an invitation to meditate on eternal security in Christ, who promises, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). Contemporary Ministry Application • Encourage intergenerational fellowship so older saints find companionship on their literal and metaphorical journeys, lessening the impact of חַתְחַת. Forms and Transliterations וְחַתְחַתִּ֣ים וחתחתים vechatchatTim wə·ḥaṯ·ḥat·tîm wəḥaṯḥattîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ecclesiastes 12:5 HEB: מִגָּבֹ֤הַּ יִרָ֙אוּ֙ וְחַתְחַתִּ֣ים בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ וְיָנֵ֤אץ NAS: of a high place and of terrors on the road; KJV: of [that which is] high, and fears [shall be] in the way, INT: of a high are afraid terrors the road shall flourish 1 Occurrence |
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