חָרַר (cha.rar)
cha.rar
to scorch
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb chārār describes a state of intense heat, whether from physical burning or the internal fever of illness. In its basic sense, it means to be scorched or charred, capturing the visible damage left by fire. The lexicons note its specific use in Job and Proverbs to describe the bones of sick people burning with fever, highlighting how the word conveys a deep, consuming dryness that affects the very structure of the body.
Beyond physical heat, chārār carries a metaphorical weight for emotional intensity. In the Niphal stem, it can mean to be dry or angry, linking the physical sensation of parched earth with the burning frustration of the human spirit. The Pilpel stem intensifies this further, meaning to kindle strife, suggesting that anger is a fire that actively ignites conflict between people.
This word appears in only four verses, but its imagery is potent. It connects the external reality of scorching heat with the internal experience of rage or sickness. Translators often render it as "burn" or "scorch," preserving the visceral sense of something being consumed by dry, intense energy.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we feel overwhelmed by fever or intense heat, it can feel like our very structure is being tested. This Hebrew word captures that deep, consuming dryness where even bones seem to burn. It reminds us that physical suffering is real and visible, but it also speaks to the internal fires of anger and strife that can scorch our relationships.
In moments of conflict, we might find ourselves kindling friction with others, much like adding wood to a fire. Recognizing this pattern allows us to pause before the heat becomes unmanageable. It invites us to seek cooling waters of peace rather than feeding the flames of contention.
Whether facing illness or interpersonal tension, this word highlights the need for restoration. We are not meant to burn alone or in isolation. There is comfort in knowing that even when we feel scorched by life's pressures, there is a path toward healing and coolness that restores our inner peace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to/ kindling1×
- they have diminished1×
- it puffs1×
- it has burned1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- נָחַ֣ר1×
- לְ/חַרְחַר\־1×
- חָרוּ֙1×
- חָ֝֗רָה1×
Key Verses
-
Job 30:30
My skin grows black and peels from me. My bones are burned with heat.
This verse uses the word to describe bones burning with heat, illustrating how intense physical suffering can feel like an internal fire consuming the body.
-
Proverbs 26:21
As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindling strife.
Here the concept is applied metaphorically to show how a contentious person acts like fuel that keeps the fire of strife burning between others.
-
Isaiah 24:6
Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell therein are found guilty. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left.
The term describes inhabitants being burned as a result of a curse, portraying divine judgment as a consuming heat that leaves few survivors.