חָצֵר (cha.tser)
cha.tser
court; village
H:NQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 118 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun chāṣēr describes a walled enclosure or courtyard, but it also extends to mean a settled village or town. In the Old Testament, this word appears 118 times, with significant usage in Exodus, Joshua, and Jeremiah. It captures both the physical space of a fenced area and the community that inhabits it.
Its meaning shifts depending on context. When referring to structures, it often denotes the inner court of a tent or temple, such as the sacred precincts described in Exodus. In narrative passages like those in Joshua, it frequently translates to villages or settlements, highlighting places where people live and gather. This dual sense connects the idea of a protected boundary with the social life within it.
The word underscores the importance of defined spaces in ancient Israelite culture. Whether describing the holy courts of worship or the clustered homes of a village, chāṣēr marks a place of order and community. Translators render it variously as court, enclosure, or town, reflecting its flexible yet grounded nature in biblical geography.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word chāṣēr bridges the gap between physical boundaries and human community. In ancient Israel, a court was not merely an empty yard but a defined space where life happened. It provided safety from the open wilderness while allowing light and air to reach those within. This duality reminds us that God often works through structured environments—whether the sacred precincts of the temple or the familiar streets of a village—to gather His people.
When we read about the tabernacle’s court in Exodus, we see a place set apart for worship. The hangings and pillars created a visible distinction between the holy and the common. Yet this same word also describes the villages of Ishmael’s descendants or the open settlements in Leviticus. It suggests that holiness is not confined to one location but extends into the everyday places where families live, work, and rest.
For your faith life, this word invites you to see your own surroundings as potential spaces for connection with God. Just as the Israelites gathered within the court to encounter the Divine, you can find sacred ground in your home, your neighborhood, or your community. God is present in both the quiet moments of private prayer and the bustling activity of shared life.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 118 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ courtyard33×
- and/ villages/ their29×
- in/ [the] courtyard of9×
- the/ court4×
- in/ [the] court of4×
- and/ villages/ its4×
- the/ villages3×
- in/ [the] courts of3×
- in the/ court3×
- [the] courtyards of3×
- villages2×
- to/ [the] court of2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/חַצְרֵי/הֶֽן\׃15×
- וְ/חַצְרֵי/הֶֽן\׃\ \פ6×
- בַּ/חֲצַ֣ר6×
- חֲצַ֣ר4×
- וְ/חַצְרֵי/הֶֽן\׃\ \ס4×
- הֶֽ/חָצֵר֙4×
- הֶ/חָצֵֽר\׃4×
- הֶ/חָצֵ֖ר4×
- חַצְר֥וֹת3×
- הֶֽ/חָצֵ֔ר3×
- הֶ/חָצֵ֗ר3×
- הֶ/חָצֵ֑ר3×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 27:9
“You shall make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen one hundred cubits long for one side.
This verse establishes the court as a specific, measured enclosure for the tabernacle, defining the physical space where worship would occur.
-
Genesis 25:16
These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments: twelve princes, according to their nations.
Here the word shifts from architecture to sociology, identifying the settled villages of Ishmael’s sons and showing how the term applies to human communities.
-
Leviticus 25:31
But the houses of the villages which have no wall around them shall be accounted for with the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the Jubilee.
This passage distinguishes between walled cities and unwalled villages, highlighting the word’s use in legal contexts regarding property and redemption.