חָרוֹן (cha.ron)
cha.ron
burning anger
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 32 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun charon describes a burning, intense anger that is exclusively attributed to God in Scripture. Derived from a root meaning to be hot or burn, it conveys a fierce emotional heat rather than a cold calculation. This distinction sets it apart from other Hebrew words for wrath, emphasizing the visceral intensity of divine displeasure against sin.
Translators often render charon as "fierce anger" or "wrath," capturing its destructive power. The phrase charon aph, literally "heat of nose," appears frequently in passages like Numbers 25:4 and 1 Samuel 28:18 to depict God's active judgment. This imagery suggests a reaction so powerful it is felt physically, as seen when the prophet Jeremiah warns of this burning anger falling upon Judah (Jeremiah 4:8).
Although the term signals severe consequences, its usage also highlights the seriousness with which God views covenant faithfulness. The sources note that this anger is not arbitrary but a response to specific rebellions, such as the idolatry in Chronicles or the social injustice condemned by Zephaniah. It serves as a sobering reminder of the holiness that cannot coexist with persistent evil.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word charon describes a burning heat, specifically the intense anger of God against sin. It is not a cold or calculated judgment but a visceral reaction to covenant betrayal. When Scripture speaks of this fierce wrath, it highlights the seriousness with which God views faithfulness and justice. This intensity reminds us that evil is not something God overlooks lightly.
Yet this burning anger is always directed at specific rebellions, such as idolatry or social injustice. It is never arbitrary but serves as a sobering reminder of His holiness. The hope lies in the fact that this anger can turn when people repent and return to Him, as seen in the prayers of kings like Hezekiah.
Understanding charon helps us appreciate the gravity of our actions while resting in the truth that God’s judgment is always just. It invites us to examine our own hearts and seek reconciliation with Him before the day of reckoning arrives.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 32 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] burning of21×
- from/ [the] burning of6×
- and/ burning of2×
- anger/ your1×
- anger1×
- and/ in/ fury/ his1×
- [the] anger of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חֲר֥וֹן12×
- חֲר֣וֹן5×
- מֵ/חֲר֣וֹן2×
- מֵ/חֲר֖וֹן2×
- חֲרוֹן֙2×
- מֵ/חֲר֥וֹן1×
- מֵ/חֲר֤וֹן1×
- חָרוֹן֙1×
- חֲרוֹן\־1×
- חֲרֹ֣נְ/ךָ֔1×
- חֲר֬וֹן1×
- חֲר֤וֹן1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 32:12
Why should the Egyptians talk, saying, ‘He brought them out for evil, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the surface of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath, and turn away from this evil against your people.
Moses appeals to God's reputation among the Egyptians to turn away this fierce wrath, showing how intercession can soften divine judgment.
-
Numbers 25:4
Yahweh said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up to Yahweh before the sun, that the fierce anger of Yahweh may turn away from Israel.”
The execution of leaders is prescribed specifically to make the fierce anger of Yahweh turn away from Israel, linking justice with mercy.
-
Jeremiah 4:8
For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of Yahweh hasn’t turned back from us.
Jeremiah calls for sackcloth and lament because this burning anger has not yet turned back, emphasizing the urgency of repentance.
-
II Chronicles 29:10
Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with Yahweh, the God of Israel, that his fierce anger may turn away from us.
King Hezekiah expresses his heart's desire to make a covenant so that God's fierce anger may turn away from Judah.