חָצִיר (cha.tsir)
cha.tsir
grass; leek
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 20 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun cha.tsir primarily denotes green grass or herbage that serves as food for livestock. In its most literal sense, it refers to the fresh vegetation found in fields and pastures. This meaning appears frequently in the Psalms, where the imagery of lush pastureland reflects God’s provision and care for His creation.
However, the word carries a significant figurative weight regarding transience. Lexical sources note its specific use to describe leeks or herbs that wither quickly after being harvested. This characteristic led to its symbolic application for things that are fleeting or short-lived. Isaiah uses this imagery to illustrate the temporary nature of human glory and life, contrasting it with the enduring word of God.
The term appears in contexts that highlight the fragility of earthly existence. For instance, in Job and Isaiah, the reference to grass that dries up or is cut down serves as a vivid metaphor for mortality. This usage underscores a central biblical theme: while human strength and beauty may flourish briefly, they are as perishable as the green herbs of the field.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word cha.tsir points to the simple, green vegetation that feeds livestock and covers the fields. In the Psalms, this imagery often highlights God’s faithful provision. He causes the grass to grow on the mountains, ensuring that the earth yields food for all living creatures. This reminder of nature’s cycle can bring a quiet sense of peace, knowing that the same Creator who sustains the pasture also cares for your daily needs.
Yet this same word carries a sobering truth about human life. Scripture compares our days to grass that flourishes briefly and then withers. While earthly strength and beauty are fleeting, this contrast serves to direct our eyes toward what remains permanent. The word of God stands forever, offering a stable foundation when the world around us feels temporary.
Understanding this duality helps balance our perspective. We can appreciate the beauty of creation without placing our ultimate hope in it. Instead, we rest in the enduring promise that outlasts every season of change.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 20 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- grass9×
- like <the>/ grass2×
- herbage2×
- grass of2×
- [is] grass2×
- the/ leek[s]1×
- like/ [the] grass of1×
- [who] grass1×
- [are] like <the>/ grass1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חָצִ֖יר3×
- חָצִיר֙2×
- חֲצִ֣יר2×
- כַּ/חֲצִ֣יר1×
- כֶּ/חָצִ֥יר1×
- כֶּ/חָצִ֣יר1×
- כֶ֭/חָצִיר1×
- חָצִֽיר\׃1×
- חָצִ֨יר\׀1×
- חָצִ֥יר1×
- חָצִ֣יר1×
- חָצִ֗יר1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 103:15
As for man, his days are like grass. As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
This verse directly equates human lifespan with grass, establishing the core metaphor for mortal fragility.
-
Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God stands forever.”
Here the word contrasts the temporary nature of grass with the eternal stability of God’s word.
-
Psalms 104:14
He causes the grass to grow for the livestock, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may produce food out of the earth:
This occurrence shifts focus from transience to God’s active role in providing sustenance for creation.
-
Isaiah 40:7
The grass withers, the flower fades, because Yahweh’s breath blows on it. Surely the people are like grass.
The text explains that the withering of grass is caused by Yahweh’s breath, emphasizing divine sovereignty over life and death.