Lexical Summary
chanah: To encamp, to pitch tents, to dwell, to rest
Original Word:חָנָה
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:chanah
Pronunciation:khaw-NAH
Phonetic Spelling:(khaw-naw')
KJV: abide (in tents), camp, dwell, encamp, grow to an end, lie, pitch (tent), rest in tent
NASB:camped, camp, camping, encamp, encamped, remained camped, encamps
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. (properly) to incline
2. (by implication) to decline (of the slanting rays of evening)
3. (specifically) to pitch a tent
4. (generally) to encamp (for abode or siege)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
abide in tents, camp, dwell, encamp, grow to an end, lie, pitch tent, rest in tent
A primitive root (comparechanan); properly, to incline; by implication, to decline (of the slanting rays of evening); specifically, to pitch a tent; gen. To encamp (for abode or siege) -- abide (in tents), camp, dwell, encamp, grow to an end, lie, pitch (tent), rest in tent.
see HEBREWchanan
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto decline, bend down, encamp
NASB Translationbesieged* (2), camp (25), camped (96), camping (5), coming to an end (1), encamp (3), encamped (3), encamps (2), pitched (2), remained camped (3), Settling (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
143 (Aramaic
to aim at, incline towards, reach; Zinjirli construct
camp, Inscription Panammu
13. 16. 17; Arabic
bend, curve, bend down; Assyrian
mûnu, mênu and
tênû, couch, mânîtu, house, Zim
BP 44, 45 Dl in Zim
117) —
Perfect1 Samuel 26:5;Isaiah 29:1; consecutiveIsaiah 29:3;Zechariah 9:8;Numbers 2:34 2t.; consecutiveNumbers 1:52;ImperfectGenesis 26:17 9t.; 3 feminine singularPsalm 27:3;Numbers 1:50 13t. Numbers +Exodus 14:2:Exodus 13:26 79t. (of which 42 inNumbers 33);Judges 11:18; 2masculine pluralExodus 14:2; 1pluralEzra 8:15;Imperative2 Samuel 12:28;Numbers 31:19;Jeremiah 50:29;InfinitiveJudges 19:9;Numbers 1:51; suffixNumbers 10:31;Deuteronomy 1:33;ParticipleExodus 18:5;Psalm 34:8; feminine2 Samuel 23:13;1 Chronicles 11:15;Psalm 53:6; pluralExodus 14:9 11t.;Numbers 2:2;Nahum 3:17; —
decline, of day drawing to its closeJudges 19:9 ("" ; also V:8;Judges 19:11).
encamp (properlyverge toward, incline to, settle at, of goal of day's march): —
Genesis 26:17 (J; followed by ),Genesis 33:18 (E; followed by ).
Exodus 13:20 ()Exodus 14:2 (),Exodus 14:2 (), + approximately 80 t. (Hexateuch chiefly P); also (absolute)Numbers 9:18,20,22,23 compareEzra 8:15;Nehemiah 11:30so they encamped (i.e.settled, orwere settled) from Beersheba to the valley of Hinnom (""Nehemiah 11:25).
: (1) Israel (conquering Canaan, etc.)Joshua 4:19;Joshua 5:10 + often; (2) Philistines1 Samuel 4:1;1 Samuel 13:16;2 Samuel 23:23 +; usually followed by locationNumbers 10:31;1 Samuel 4:1;1 Samuel 13:16;Joshua 4:19;1 Samuel 13:5 + 63t. (2 Samuel 24:5 readL We Dr see ); so of locusts in hedges (in simile)Nahum 3:17; also followed by =by, nearExodus 14:2,9;Exodus 15:27;Numbers 1:52;Numbers 2:2,5,12,27;Numbers 3:29,35 (),Numbers 33:10;Judges 7:1;1 Samuel 4:1; ( in different sense)2 Samuel 11:11; followed by also =against, encamp with hostile purposeJoshua 10:5,31,34;Judges 6:4;Judges 20:19;1 Samuel 11:1;2 Samuel 12:28;1 Kings 16:15;2 Kings 25:1; 2Chronicles 32:1;Jeremiah 50:29;Jeremiah 52:4;Psalm 27:3; followed by in same senseJoshua 11:5; metaphor of God's hostility to apostate Jerusalem ()Isaiah 29:3; followed by also =at, byNumbers 2:34;Zechariah 9:8;Exodus 18:5;1 Samuel 26:5; followed by for protectionNumbers 1:50,53, compare metaphorPsalm 34:8, but also hostilityJob 19:12; also follwed by other prepositions and prepositional phrases, e.g.Numbers 21:13;Numbers 31:19;1 Samuel 17:1;1 Kings 20:27 etc.; followed by accusative of location2 Samuel 17:26; followed by suffix accusative with hostile sensePsalm 53:6; without preposition or noun following, in sense ofencamp, be orabide in encampmentNumbers 9:18,20,22,23;Ezra 8:15;2 Samuel 11:11 +; poetic of David in Jerusalem,Isaiah 29:1city in which David fixed his camp.
Topical Lexicon
Definition of the ConceptThe verb describes the act of pitching a tent, taking up temporary residence, or positioning an army for conflict or protection. Its range of meaning moves from domestic nomadic life to highly organized military deployments and, ultimately, to the gracious protective presence of God Himself.
Statistical Overview
Approximately one hundred forty-three occurrences span Genesis through Zechariah. The breadth of usage allows Scripture to develop several interconnected themes: covenant pilgrimage, ordered worship, holy warfare, and divine guardianship.
Encampment in the Patriarchal Narratives
From the earliest pages of Genesis, the fathers “encamped” as they journeyed through Canaan. “So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there” (Genesis 26:17). The word marks a life that is mobile yet tethered to God’s promise. Each campsite becomes a witness-stone: the altar at Shechem (Genesis 12:6–7), Bethel (Genesis 35:1), and the valley of Gerar are reminders that covenant people live as sojourners, awaiting the full inheritance.
Israel at Sinai and the Ordered Camp
The Exodus narrative multiplies the verb: “After they had set out from Rephidim, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai, and Israel encamped there in front of the mountain” (Exodus 19:2). Chapters 14–19 rehearse a series of specific camping places, underscoring Yahweh’s exact leadership.Numbers 1–4 then arrange the tribes around the tabernacle: “The Israelites are to camp by their divisions, each man in his own camp, under his own standard” (Numbers 1:52). The theology is unmistakable: God dwells at the center; His people form a holy perimeter. Spatial obedience is an act of worship.
Guidance in the Wilderness
When Hobab hesitates to accompany Israel, Moses pleads, “Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness” (Numbers 10:31). Even with the pillar of cloud and fire, human leadership serves God’s itinerary. The verb here carries pastoral overtones: discernment, oversight, and collaborative guidance.
Conquest and Settlement
The Book of Joshua continues the motif. Before Jericho’s fall “the army returned to the camp and spent the night there” (Joshua 6:11). The conquest strategy alternates between movement and encampment, emphasizing preparation, unity, and rest in divine promise. Enemy coalitions likewise “camped at Gibeon to wage war against it” (Joshua 10:5), showing that all nations, willingly or not, operate under the sovereign timetable of God.
Military Deployments in the Monarchy
In Samuel–Kings, the verb regularly portrays sieges. “The Philistines…camped at Ephes-dammim” (1 Samuel 17:1). Conversely, David trusts, “Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear” (Psalm 27:3). The historical books also highlight lapses: Uriah reminds David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country” (2 Samuel 11:11). The righteous soldier’s words expose the king’s sin, proving that disregard for the sanctity of the camp leads to moral failure.
Judgment and Deliverance
Encampment vocabulary frames dramatic interventions. “On that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand men in the camp of the Assyrians” (2 Kings 19:35). The pattern repeats in later prophecy: “I will camp around My house because of an army” (Zechariah 9:8). God defends His dwelling by surrounding what surrounds His people.
Protective Presence
The Psalter spiritualizes the term: “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them” (Psalm 34:7). The word that once defined tribal formations now assures every believer of invisible guardianship. The theology of the camp progresses from tents of goat hair to angelic ranks.
Eschatological Resonance
Prophets employ the verb to foreshadow both siege and salvation. As divine judgment approaches, nations “encamp” against Jerusalem (Isaiah 29:3), yet the Lord pledges to encamp for her defense (Zechariah 9:8). The tension anticipates the final gathering in Revelation, where the “camp of the saints” is threatened but secured by God’s fiery deliverance (Revelation 20:9, Greek cognate).
Spiritual and Pastoral Implications
1. Pilgrimage and Contentment
Temporary dwelling reminds believers that “here we do not have a permanent city” (Hebrews 13:14). Every congregation is an orderly camp on pilgrimage to the heavenly Zion.
2. Holiness and Order
Numbers insists on purity within the camp (Numbers 5:3). Church discipline and corporate worship mirror this call to maintain a holy environment for the Divine Presence.
3. Divine Protection
Psalm 34:7 encourages intercessory prayer that claims God’s surrounding power in times of danger, whether physical, moral, or spiritual.
4. Leadership and Guidance
Moses' plea to Hobab models collaborative leadership: pastors and elders prayerfully discern “where we should camp”—when to move, when to wait, how to arrange ministry so that the Lord remains central.
5. Warfare and Confidence
Psalm 27:3 equips believers to face opposition without fear, convinced that any hostile encampment is ultimately encircled by the Almighty.
Summary
Across Genesis to Zechariah, the verb charts the journey of God’s people, situates worship, organizes warfare, and, above all, portrays the LORD as One who both dwells among and encircles His own. The biblical camp is more than a collection of tents; it is a living testimony that God guides, guards, and governs His covenant community from the first patriarchal journey to the consummation of all things.
Forms and Transliterations
הַֽחוֹנִ֤ים הַחֹנִ֖ים הַחֹנִ֣ים החונים החנים וְהַחֹנִ֣ים וְהַחֹנִ֥ים וְהַחֹנִים֙ וְהַחוֹנִ֥ם וְחָנ֖וּ וְחָנִ֥יתִי וְחָנִ֨יתִי וְיַחֲנוּ֙ וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּן וַֽיַּחֲנ֗וּ וַֽיַּחֲנ֛וּ וַֽיַּחֲנ֞וּ וַֽיַּחֲנ֧וּ וַֽיַּחֲנוּ֙ וַחֲנֵ֥ה וַיִּ֖חַן וַיִּ֙חַן֙ וַיִּ֣חַן וַיִּ֤חַן וַיִּ֥חַן וַיִּ֨חַן וַיִּֽחַן־ וַיַּֽחֲנ֖וּ וַיַּחֲנ֖וּ וַיַּחֲנ֣וּ וַיַּחֲנ֤וּ וַיַּחֲנ֥וּ וַיַּחֲנ֨וּ וַיַּחֲנוּ־ וַנַּחֲנֶ֥ה וּבַחֲנֹת֙ ובחנת והחונם והחנים וחנה וחנו וחניתי ויחן ויחן־ ויחנו ויחנו־ ויחנון ונחנה חֲנ֛וּ חֲנ֤וֹת חֲנ֧וּ חֲנֹתֵ֙נוּ֙ חָנ֤וּ חָנ֥וּ חָנָ֣ה חָנָה־ חֹנִ֔ים חֹנִ֣ים חֹנִ֥ים חֹנֶ֤ה חֹנֶ֥ה חֹנָ֑ךְ חֹנָ֖ה חנה חנה־ חנו חנות חנים חנך חנתנו יַחֲנ֑וּ יַחֲנ֔וּ יַחֲנ֖וּ יַחֲנ֤וּ יַחֲנ֥וּ יַחֲנֽוּ׃ יַחֲנוּ֙ יחנו יחנו׃ לַֽחֲנֹֽתְכֶ֑ם לחנתכם תַּחֲנֶ֬ה תַחֲנ֖וּ תחנה תחנו chanah chaNot chanoTenu chaNu choNach choNah choNeh choNim ha·ḥō·nîm ha·ḥō·w·nîm ḥā·nāh ḥā·nāh- ḥă·nō·ṯê·nū ḥă·nō·wṯ ḥă·nū ḥā·nū hachoNim haḥōnîm haḥōwnîm ḥānāh ḥānāh- ḥănōṯênū ḥănōwṯ ḥănū ḥānū ḥō·nāh ḥō·nāḵ ḥō·neh ḥō·nîm ḥōnāh ḥōnāḵ ḥōneh ḥōnîm la·ḥă·nō·ṯə·ḵem lachanoteChem laḥănōṯəḵem ta·ḥă·neh ṯa·ḥă·nū tachaNeh tachaNu taḥăneh ṯaḥănū ū·ḇa·ḥă·nōṯ ūḇaḥănōṯ uvachaNot vachaNeh vaiyachaNu vaiyachaNun vaiYichan vannachaNeh vechaNiti vechaNu vehachoNim veyachaNu wa·ḥă·nêh waḥănêh wan·na·ḥă·neh wannaḥăneh way·ya·ḥă·nū way·ya·ḥă·nū- way·ya·ḥă·nūn way·yi·ḥan way·yi·ḥan- wayyaḥănū wayyaḥănū- wayyaḥănūn wayyiḥan wayyiḥan- wə·ha·ḥō·nîm wə·ha·ḥō·w·nim wə·ḥā·nî·ṯî wə·ḥā·nū wə·ya·ḥă·nū wəhaḥōnîm wəhaḥōwnim wəḥānîṯî wəḥānū wəyaḥănū ya·ḥă·nū yachaNu yaḥănū
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