חׇרְבָּה (chor.bah)
chor.bah
desolation
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 25 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun chorbah describes a place that has been reduced to ruins or left in a state of desolation. Derived from a root meaning dryness or drought, it evokes the image of land stripped of life and habitation. In the Hebrew Bible, this word typically refers to cities or settlements that have been destroyed, leaving behind only empty, waste spaces where people once lived.
Prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel use chorbah frequently to describe the consequences of covenant failure, portraying Jerusalem’s enemies laying waste to its neighborhoods (Jeremiah 49:13). Yet the word also carries a note of future restoration. Isaiah speaks of those who will rebuild these ruins, turning places of destruction into communities again (Isaiah 61:4). This shift from ruin to rebuilding highlights a central theme in the prophetic literature: judgment is not the final word.
Translators often render chorbah as "desolation," "waste," or "ruins," depending on the context. While the imagery is stark, the presence of this word in texts about restoration suggests that even the most devastated places can be reclaimed. The Hebrew Bible does not leave its readers with only images of decay, but also with the promise that God can restore what was lost.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read about desolation in Scripture, it is easy to feel a sense of dread. The word describes places stripped of life, where ruins replace homes and silence replaces song. It reminds us that our choices have real consequences and that brokenness is a part of the human story. Yet this imagery does not define the final chapter.
Even in the deepest valleys of ruin, Scripture points toward restoration. God is portrayed as the one who comforts waste places and raises up foundations that were long since fallen. This offers a steady hope: no situation is beyond repair. The same power that allows communities to rebuild from ashes also sustains us when our own lives feel fragmented.
This promise invites us to look beyond current hardships. Whether facing personal loss or societal decay, we can trust that God’s purpose includes renewal. We are not left with only images of decay, but with the assurance that He can restore what was lost and bring life where there was once emptiness.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 25 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <into>/ a desolation3×
- a waste place2×
- [the] ruins of2×
- <into>/ a ruin2×
- waste places/ your1×
- waste places/ its1×
- to/ [the] ruins of1×
- ruins/ its1×
- ruins1×
- into/ a ruin1×
- away from/ ruins/ their1×
- and/ ruins/ its1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לְ/חָרְבָּ֥ה2×
- לְ/חָרְבָּ֖ה2×
- לְ/חָרְב֥וֹת2×
- חָרְבָּֽה\׃2×
- חָרְב֣וֹת2×
- מֵ/חָרְבוֹתֵי/הֶֽם\׃1×
- לְ/חָרְבָּ֨ה1×
- לְ/חָרְבָּ֧ה1×
- חָרְבָּה֙1×
- חָרְבָּ֔ה1×
- חָרְבֹתָ֔י/ו1×
- חָרְבֹתַ֙יִ/ךְ֙1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 61:4
They will rebuild the old ruins. They will raise up the former devastated places. They will repair the ruined cities that have been devastated for many generations.
This verse highlights the active role of believers in rebuilding former devastated places, showing that restoration is a communal responsibility.
-
Jeremiah 44:2
“Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have seen all the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, and on all the cities of Judah. Behold, today they are a desolation, and no man dwells in them,
Here the word describes the stark reality of Jerusalem's destruction, emphasizing the complete absence of inhabitants as a consequence of past actions.
-
Isaiah 51:3
For Yahweh has comforted Zion. He has comforted all her waste places, and has made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Yahweh. Joy and gladness will be found in them, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
This passage contrasts the current state of waste with the future promise that God will make the wilderness like Eden, offering comfort to Zion.
-
Leviticus 26:33
I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you. Your land will be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.
The word appears here as part of a covenant warning, linking the scattering of people to the land becoming a desolation.