חֹ֫סֶר (cho.ser)
cho.ser
lack
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun cho.ser denotes a state of want or lack, describing the absence of something needed. It appears in only three verses in the Hebrew Bible, making it a rare term for deprivation. The sources define it simply as "want" or "lack," pointing to a concrete deficiency rather than an abstract concept.
This scarcity is highlighted in its occurrences. In Deuteronomy 15:4 and Amos 8:7, the word underscores the seriousness of poverty when it results from injustice or disobedience. The text uses cho.ser to mark a tangible gap in provision, emphasizing that such lack is not merely an economic statistic but a significant social and spiritual condition.
Its limited usage suggests that cho.ser carries weight when it does appear. It often frames the need for community responsibility or divine intervention. By focusing on the reality of want, these passages invite reflection on how societies address the needs of those who have nothing.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word cho.ser describes a tangible state of want or deprivation. It is not an abstract idea but a concrete reality where basic needs are unmet. When this term appears in Scripture, it highlights the seriousness of poverty and the urgent need for community responsibility.
In Amos 4:6, God reminds His people that even when He sends lack of bread to call them back, they still refuse to return. This shows how cho.ser serves as a wake-up call rather than just a punishment. It invites us to see our own needs and the needs of others with clear eyes.
Understanding this word helps us recognize that material lack is a significant spiritual condition. It reminds us to rely on God’s provision and to care for those who are suffering. May we find comfort in knowing that God sees every gap in our lives and offers His sustaining grace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- in/ lack of1×
- and/ lack of1×
- and/ in/ lack of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּ/בְ/חֹ֣סֶר1×
- וְ/חֹ֣סֶר1×
- בְּ/חֹֽסֶר\־1×
Key Verses
-
Amos 4:6
“I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in every town; yet you haven’t returned to me,” says Yahweh.
This verse shows cho.ser used as a disciplinary measure where lack of bread fails to bring the people back to God.
-
Deuteronomy 28:48
therefore you will serve your enemies whom Yahweh sends against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in lack of all things. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.
Here the word appears in a list of curses, emphasizing total deprivation as a consequence of disobedience.
-
Deuteronomy 28:57
toward her young one who comes out from between her feet, and toward her children whom she bears; for she will eat them secretly for lack of all things in the siege and in the distress with which your enemy will distress you in your gates.
The term underscores the extreme horror of siege conditions where lack leads to unspeakable acts of desperation.