חָצַב (cha.tsav)
cha.tsav
to hew
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 18 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The verb chatsav describes the physical act of cutting, hewing, or digging out stone and wood. In the Hebrew Bible it appears eighteen times, with a notable concentration in Isaiah and Chronicles. The sources indicate its primary use involves masonry or carpentry, such as preparing building materials or carving inscriptions into rock surfaces.
While the literal sense is clear, the word carries significant metaphorical weight. It is used to describe God’s creative power, particularly in passages where He hews a people out of rock or establishes foundations. This imagery connects human labor with divine action, suggesting that just as a craftsman shapes stone, God shapes history and community.
Translators often render chatsav as "hew," "cut," or "dig." The distinction lies in the force applied: it is not gentle shaping but decisive cleaving. This makes it a powerful term for describing origins that seem impossible, emphasizing that what was formed was cut from something solid and unyielding.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word chatsav describes the decisive act of hewing or cutting into hard stone. It is not gentle shaping but forceful cleaving, used for digging cisterns, carving tombs, or preparing building materials. This imagery reminds us that God’s work often involves breaking through resistance to create something lasting.
In Isaiah 51:1, the prophet invites his readers to look to the rock they were cut from. This is a call to remember their origins in God’s faithful history. Just as stone is shaped by a craftsman, our lives are formed by His purposeful hand, even when the process feels demanding.
When we face difficult seasons, this word encourages us to trust the One who hews our path. He does not leave us to shape ourselves but guides us through the hard places to build a foundation that endures. We can rest in the knowledge that His work in us is solid and true.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 18 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- stone cutters3×
- dug out2×
- you will dig1×
- you have dug out1×
- you dug1×
- who/ cut in pieces1×
- to/ dig1×
- to/ cut1×
- to the/ masons1×
- they will be engraved/ !1×
- the/ [one who] cuts1×
- she has hewn1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תַּחְצֹ֥ב1×
- לַ/חֹצְבִ֖ים1×
- לַ/חְצוֹב֙1×
- לַ/חְצֹ֤ב1×
- יֵחָצְבֽוּ/ן\׃1×
- חֻצַּבְתֶּ֔ם1×
- חֹצֵ֗ב1×
- חֹצְבִ֤י1×
- חֹצְבִ֣ים1×
- חֹצְבִ֕ים1×
- חֹֽצְבִ֗ים1×
- חָצַ֧בְתָּ1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 51:1
“Listen to me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek Yahweh. Look to the rock you were cut from, and to the quarry you were dug from.
This verse uses the word metaphorically to describe Israel's origins, urging believers to remember the rock from which they were hewn.
-
Jeremiah 2:13
“For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the spring of living waters, and cut out cisterns for themselves: broken cisterns that can’t hold water.
Here the term contrasts God as the living spring with human attempts to carve broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
-
I Chronicles 22:2
David gave orders to gather together the foreigners who were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to cut dressed stones to build God’s house.
This occurrence highlights the physical preparation of stones for the temple, showing how human labor supports divine worship.