חָרַץ (cha.rats)
cha.rats
to decide
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 11 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
חָרַץ carries a sharp, physical edge before it enters the realm of abstract thought. Its core meaning involves cutting or sharpening, as one might hone a blade or mutilate an object to prepare it for use. This concrete imagery grounds its more common biblical usage: to decide or determine with finality. When a king or God חָרַץ, they do not hesitate; they cut through ambiguity to establish a fixed outcome.
The word appears eleven times in the Hebrew Bible, often highlighting decisive moments in history and prophecy. In Daniel 4:23, it describes Nebuchadnezzar’s dream interpretation, where the decree is "cut" from the heavenly mountain, emphasizing its unchangeable nature. Similarly, in Joshua 10:13, the sun stands still because God has חָרַץ a specific course for the battle, showing His sovereign authority to determine events.
Its root suggests that true decision-making is not merely mental but involves a decisive action that alters reality. Translators often render it as "decree," "determine," or "decide," capturing the weight of a judgment that cannot be undone. The word reminds readers that divine decisions are as firm and clear as a sharpened edge, leaving no room for doubt about what has been established.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word חָרַץ carries a sharpness that cuts through hesitation. It describes a decision made with finality, like a blade separating what was once whole. When God or a king חָרַץ, they do not waver. The outcome is fixed, clear, and unchangeable. This image reminds us that divine purposes are not suggestions but established realities.
In Daniel 9:26, we see this word used to describe how the Anointed One will be cut off. It shows that even suffering and loss fall within a determined plan. God’s decisions are not reactive; they are foundational. They shape history with precision, leaving no room for doubt about what has been established.
When life feels chaotic, this word offers a quiet anchor. It assures us that our days are also held in His hands. Like the fixed bounds in Job 14:5, there is a purpose behind every limit and every turning point. We can rest in the knowledge that what God has decided will come to pass.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 11 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ [what] has been decided3×
- [are] determined2×
- you will act decisively1×
- you have decided1×
- it will sharpen1×
- he sharpened1×
- [what has been] decreed1×
- [has been] decided1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תֶּחֱרָ֑ץ1×
- נֶחֱרָצָ֖ה1×
- נֶחֱרֶ֖צֶת1×
- יֶֽחֱרַץ\־1×
- חָרָֽצְתָּ\׃1×
- חָרַ֞ץ1×
- חָר֖וּץ1×
- חֲרוּצִ֨ים\׀1×
- וְ/נֶחֱרָצָ֜ה1×
- וְ/נֶחֱרָצָ֑ה1×
- וְ/נֶ֣חֱרָצָ֔ה1×
Key Verses
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Daniel 9:26
After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One will be cut off, and will have nothing. The people of the prince who come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will be with a flood, and war will be even to the end. Desolations are determined.
This verse uses the word to describe the decisive cutting off of the Anointed One, showing how divine judgment and salvation are both fixed outcomes.
-
Job 14:5
Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his bounds that he can’t pass.
Here the word emphasizes that human lifespan is strictly determined by God, highlighting His sovereign control over time and boundaries.
-
Isaiah 10:23
For the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will make a full end, and that determined, throughout all the earth.
The term appears alongside the concept of a full end, indicating that God’s judgment on the earth is a completed decree rather than a vague threat.