חָרוּל (cha.rul)
cha.rul
nettle
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun charul refers to a prickly plant, most commonly identified as a nettle or a similar thorny weed. In the ancient Near East, these plants were not merely background vegetation but active hazards that could cause painful stings and tears in clothing. The sources suggest it may specifically denote chickpea plants, which grow with sharp, irritating spines that made harvesting difficult without protection.
This word appears only three times in the Hebrew Bible, yet its imagery is vividly negative. In Proverbs 24:31-32, the lazy person’s field is described as overgrown with charul and thorns, symbolizing neglect and the resulting hardship. Similarly, Job uses the term to describe his suffering, comparing his condition to being covered in these painful weeds (Job 30:7). Zephaniah also employs the image to depict a land rendered desolate and unusable.
Translators typically render charul as "nettles" or "thorns," emphasizing its role as a symbol of curse, ruin, and the consequences of abandoning order. Unlike cultivated crops that provide sustenance, charul represents chaos and pain. The word serves as a concrete metaphor for how neglect transforms fertile ground into a source of injury rather than blessing.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word charul describes a prickly plant that turns fertile ground into a source of pain. When neglected, even the best land becomes overgrown with these sharp weeds. This image reminds us that carelessness leads to hardship, while attention and effort bring order and peace.
In Proverbs 24:31, a field covered in nettles shows what happens when we ignore our responsibilities. The broken wall and thorny surface are not just physical signs of decay but spiritual warnings too. God calls us to tend to our hearts and homes with diligence so they remain places of blessing rather than burden.
Though this plant represents ruin, it also points to the hope of restoration. When we turn back to God, He renews what was lost and makes the barren place fruitful again. Let us seek His guidance in every area of life, trusting that He brings order out of chaos and peace from pain.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- nettle[s]2×
- nettles1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חָר֣וּל1×
- חָר֛וּל1×
- חֲרֻלִּ֑ים1×
Key Verses
-
Proverbs 24:31
Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
This verse uses nettles to show how laziness leads to neglect and ruin.
-
Job 30:7
They bray among the bushes. They are gathered together under the nettles.
Job compares his suffering to being hidden among nettles, showing deep shame and pain.
-
Zephaniah 2:9
Therefore, as I live, says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, surely Moab will be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them.
Moab is described as a land of nettles, symbolizing total desolation after judgment.