Lexical Summary
charats: decreed, determined, act promptly
Original Word:חָרַץ
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:charats
Pronunciation:khaw-rats'
Phonetic Spelling:(khaw-rats')
KJV: bestir self, decide, decree, determine, maim, move
NASB:decreed, determined, act promptly, decided, decisive, maimed, uttered
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. (properly) to point sharply, i.e. (literally) to wound
2. (figuratively) to be alert, to decide
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
bestir self, decide, decree, determine, maim, move
A primitive root; properly, to point sharply, i.e. (literally) to wound; figuratively, to be alert, to decide -- bestir self, decide, decree, determine, maim, move.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto cut, sharpen, decide
NASB Translationact promptly (1), bark* (1), decided (1), decisive (1), decreed (3), determined (3), maimed (1), uttered (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. (Late Hebrew
id., cut in, decide, Aramaic in derivatives; Assyrian
—arâƒu, dig, decide,
—ariƒu,
trench, Zehnpf
BAS i. 502; Phoenician
decision, Hoffm
AGG xxxvi, May 1889, 11) —
Perfect3masculine singularJoshua 10:21;1 Kings 20:40;ImperfectExodus 11:7; 2masculine singular2 Samuel 5:24;Passive participleIsaiah 10:22;Leviticus 22:22; pluralJob 14:5 (see also below); —
cut, mutilateLeviticus 22:22 ( ).
sharpen, figurative the tongue,Exodus 11:7 (J), i.e. utter no sound against Israel,Joshua 10:21.
decide1 Kings 20:40 (absolute); so participle passJob 14:5his days are determined, fixed ("" ),Isaiah 10:22 ;act with decision2 Samuel 5:24.
ParticipleIsaiah 10:23 3t.;Daniel 9:26 (both these forms infinitive construct according to BaNB 90);decisiveIsaiah 10:23;Isaiah 28:22;Daniel 9:27 a consumption andstrict decision (i.e. that which is strictly determined),Daniel 11:36;Daniel 9:26strict determining of desolation.
Topical Lexicon
Overview of Usageחָרַץ threads through Scripture whenever an irrevocable decision, decree, or sharp action comes into view. Whether divine or human, military or cultic, the word always carries the note of something settled, incisive, and unalterable.
God’s Sovereign Decrees
FromJob 14:5—“Man’s days are determined; You have decreed the number of his months and set limits he cannot exceed”—to the climactic eschatology ofDaniel 9:26-27 andDaniel 11:36, חָרַץ discloses the unassailable certainty of divine purpose. Israel’s history, the rise and fall of kings, and even the appearance of the Anointed One move under a timetable already “decreed.” The term therefore undergirds the biblical doctrine of providence: God’s plans are not merely foreseen; they are fixed and executed.
Judgment and Eschatology
Isaiah 10:22-23 andIsaiah 28:22 speak of a “destruction decreed” that sweeps the land but simultaneously “overflows with righteousness.” חָרַץ thus anchors both wrath and mercy in the same sovereign act: judgment refines a remnant while vindicating God’s holiness. Daniel extends the theme into the last days; desolations, wars, and the downfall of a blasphemous king all unfold on schedule. Eschatological preaching that employs these texts can therefore insist that end-time events are neither random nor negotiable; they are predetermined by Him who “declares the end from the beginning.”
Prompt Obedience and Warfare
In2 Samuel 5:24 David is told that once he hears the “sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees,” he must “act quickly.” חָרַץ here urges decisive, immediate obedience once the divine signal is clear. Military campaigns in Scripture succeed not by human calculation alone but by swift alignment with God’s settled strategy. Christian leadership today can draw from this the call to act without hesitation when Scripture clarifies God’s direction.
Protection of the Covenant People
Exodus 11:7 promises that “among all the Israelites not even a dog will snarl at man or beast.”Joshua 10:21 records that after victory “no one dared to threaten the Israelites.” In both cases חָרַץ underscores the impossibility of any hostile “sharpening” against God’s elect when He has decreed their safety. Pastoral application points believers to the security enjoyed when their lives are hidden with Christ, whose victory is likewise irrevocable.
Standards of Worship
Leviticus 22:22 forbids presenting an animal that is “blind, injured, or maimed.” The same verb that announces cosmic decrees also condemns blemished worship. The sanctuary tolerates nothing marred by human mutilation. The principle extends to spiritual sacrifices today; worship must be rendered with integrity, avoiding anything “cut” or compromised by sin.
Human Limitations
Job 14:5 folds personal mortality into the grand sweep of divine determination. The span of life is neither random nor self-determined; it is “cut” to a precise length. The acknowledgment of this limit encourages humility and motivates stewardship of the days allotted.
Implications for Ministry Today
1. Preaching: Texts containing חָרַץ invite proclamation of God’s absolute sovereignty, the certainty of His promises, and the sure outcome of redemptive history.
2. Discipleship: Believers gain assurance that their times are in God’s hand, freeing them from fatalism while fostering trust.
3. Apologetics: The consistent usage of חָרַץ across narrative, law, poetry, prophecy, and apocalyptic literature demonstrates the coherence of Scripture’s message regarding divine decree.
4. Ethics: Because God’s decisions are final, human decisions should reflect prompt obedience (2 Samuel 5:24), uncompromised worship (Leviticus 22:22), and confident hope even amid coming judgment (Isaiah 28:22).
Though only twelve occurrences, חָרַץ functions as a vital thread, stitching together God’s meticulous governance, man’s duty of decisive obedience, and the unshakable certainty of the promised future.
Forms and Transliterations
וְנֶ֣חֱרָצָ֔ה וְנֶחֱרָצָ֑ה וְנֶחֱרָצָ֜ה ונחרצה חֲרוּצִ֨ים ׀ חָר֖וּץ חָר֣וּץ חָרַ֞ץ חָרָֽצְתָּ׃ חרוץ חרוצים חרץ חרצת׃ יֶֽחֱרַץ־ יחרץ־ נֶחֱרֶ֖צֶת נֶחֱרָצָ֖ה נחרצה נחרצת תֶּחֱרָ֑ץ תחרץ chaRatz chaRatzeta chaRutz charuTzim ḥā·rā·ṣə·tā ḥā·raṣ ḥă·rū·ṣîm ḥā·rūṣ ḥāraṣ ḥārāṣətā ḥārūṣ ḥărūṣîm ne·ḥĕ·rā·ṣāh ne·ḥĕ·re·ṣeṯ necheraTzah necheRetzet neḥĕrāṣāh neḥĕreṣeṯ te·ḥĕ·rāṣ techeRatz teḥĕrāṣ venecheraTzah wə·ne·ḥĕ·rā·ṣāh wəneḥĕrāṣāh ye·ḥĕ·raṣ- yecheratz yeḥĕraṣ-
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