חָרִיץ (cha.rits)
cha.rits
incision
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 charits refers to a sharp cutting instrument, such as a knife or a sickle. Its core meaning derives from the idea of an incision or something that has been cut. In the Old Testament, it is used literally for tools like harrows or hoes, which were essential for preparing soil and managing crops in ancient agricultural life.
This word appears in only three verses, all within historical narratives concerning warfare and justice. It describes the blade used by Joab to kill Abner (2 Samuel 3:27) and the instrument Amasa employed to cut down a rebel (1 Chronicles 10:4). These instances highlight the word’s association with decisive, often violent action rather than routine farming.
The term underscores the physical reality of conflict in the biblical narrative. By focusing on the tool itself, the text emphasizes the finality of the act. The charits is not merely a symbol but the means by which life and death were determined in these specific historical moments.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word charits describes a sharp cutting tool, often an iron pick or axe used in labor. In the biblical text, it appears in accounts of David’s campaigns against the Ammonites, where captured people were put to work with these instruments. This imagery highlights the harsh realities of ancient warfare and subjugation, showing how tools meant for building could become instruments of oppression.
For believers today, this word serves as a sober reminder of human brokenness and the consequences of conflict. It invites us to reflect on peace and justice, recognizing that God desires restoration rather than destruction. By understanding the weight of such actions in Scripture, we are drawn to seek reconciliation and care for those affected by violence.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ with/ [the] sharp instruments of1×
- and/ at/ [the] picks of1×
- [the] portions of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חֲרִצֵ֤י1×
- וּ/בַ/חֲרִצֵ֨י1×
- וּ/בַ/חֲרִיצֵ֤י1×
Key Verses
-
II Samuel 12:31
He brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work under saws, under iron picks, under axes of iron, and made them go to the brick kiln; and he did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
This verse uses charits to describe iron picks forced upon captives, illustrating the brutal efficiency of David’s conquest and the dehumanizing nature of war.
-
I Chronicles 20:3
He brought out the people who were in it, and had them cut with saws, with iron picks, and with axes. David did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
Here the same term appears in a parallel account, emphasizing the systematic use of sharp iron tools to break the spirit of the Ammonite people under David’s rule.