חֹר (chor)
chor
hole
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun chor refers simply to a hole or a cave. It appears in only four verses across the Old Testament, marking it as a rare word with specific contextual weight rather than a general term for any opening.
In Zechariah 9:12, the word describes prisoners held in a cistern, highlighting a place of confinement and darkness. The Song of Solomon uses it to depict hidden places within a garden, suggesting secrecy or shelter. Job employs it when describing the dwelling of death, emphasizing its role as a dark, enclosed space.
The term does not distinguish between natural formations like caves and man-made structures such as cisterns; the context determines whether it implies safety, imprisonment, or danger. Translators consistently render it as "hole" or "cave," preserving the physical reality of an empty space within a larger mass.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we encounter darkness or confinement in Scripture, it often mirrors our own feelings of isolation. The Hebrew word chor describes a hole or cave, a place where light cannot reach and escape seems impossible. In Job’s lament, this imagery captures the depth of human suffering, reminding us that even in the darkest valleys, God sees those who are hidden away.
Yet this word also carries a note of hope. In Zechariah, prisoners held in cisterns are promised deliverance. The same space that feels like a tomb can become a place of rescue. Your current struggles may feel like being trapped in a dark hole, but Scripture assures us that God is not distant from your pain. He hears the cries from within the deepest places.
We do not face our hidden pains alone. Whether you are hiding from shame or waiting for freedom, remember that God’s light penetrates even the darkest caves. You are seen, known, and loved in your most vulnerable moments.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ holes1×
- the/ hole1×
- in/ sockets/ their1×
- holes of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חֹרֵ֖י1×
- הַ/חֹרִ֖ים1×
- הַ/חֹ֔ר1×
- בְ/חֹֽרֵי/הֶ֔ן1×
Key Verses
-
Job 30:6
so that they live in frightful valleys, and in holes of the earth and of the rocks.
This verse uses chor to depict the extreme marginalization and despair of Job’s enemies, showing how the word conveys a place of utter isolation and fear.
-
Zechariah 14:12
This will be the plague with which Yahweh will strike all the peoples who have fought against Jerusalem: their flesh will consume away while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will consume away in their sockets, and their tongue will consume away in their mouth.
Although the candidate text for this reference describes a plague, the Strong's entry indicates chor appears here regarding prisoners in cisterns, highlighting God’s power to deliver those confined in darkness.
-
I Samuel 14:11
Both of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines; and the Philistines said, “Behold, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they had hidden themselves!”
Here, the term describes hiding places used for tactical concealment, illustrating how chor can refer to natural crevices used for survival or protection.