חֹ֫רֶשׁ (cho.resh)
cho.resh
Horesh
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The noun choresh refers to a cluster of trees or a small wooded area, often situated on elevated ground. Unlike vast, untamed wildernesses, this term describes a specific type of landscape that provided cover and resources. In the Hebrew Bible, it appears in six verses, with notable occurrences in 1 Samuel, Isaiah, and 2 Chronicles.
Its usage highlights the practical role of these wooded heights in ancient life. For instance, in 1 Samuel 22:5, the prophet Gad advises David to leave the fortified stronghold and seek refuge in the "forest" or wooded area of Hereth, illustrating how such terrain offered strategic concealment. Similarly, Isaiah 9:18 describes fire consuming thorns and thistles, but also burning up the choresh, showing its vulnerability to destruction despite its density.
Translators typically render choresh as "wood," "forest," or "grove." The word carries a sense of enclosure and utility rather than romantic isolation. It represents a tangible part of the land’s geography where people could find shelter, materials, or tactical advantage, grounding the biblical narrative in the physical realities of the ancient Near East.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word choresh describes a specific kind of landscape: a cluster of trees or a small wooded area, often on higher ground. It is not the vast, untamed wilderness, but a place with structure and purpose. In ancient times, these woods provided practical cover, resources, and tactical advantage. They were tangible parts of the land where people could find shelter or materials.
For your faith life, this word reminds us that God meets us in real, physical places. When David hid in the woods of Ziph (1 Samuel 23:15), he was not in a romantic isolation but in a strategic refuge. God’s presence was there with him, strengthening his hand through Jonathan. The choresh shows that God cares about our safety and circumstances, using the land itself to protect and guide His people.
Even when Isaiah speaks of fire consuming the choresh (Isaiah 17:9), it highlights the vulnerability of human strongholds. Yet, this does not mean we are abandoned. It invites us to trust in God’s protection rather than our own cover. The wooded area is a place of encounter, where covenant and care intersect with the realities of daily life.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- at <the>/ Horesh3×
- the/ forest1×
- and/ in the/ wooded areas1×
- Horesh1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בַּ/חֹ֔רְשָׁה2×
- חֹ֑רְשָׁה1×
- וּ/בֶ/חֳרָשִׁ֣ים1×
- הַ/חֹ֙רֶשׁ֙1×
- בַּ/חֹֽרְשָׁה\׃\ \ס1×
Key Verses
-
I Samuel 23:15
David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the woods.
This verse places David in the choresh during a time of flight, showing how this terrain served as a strategic refuge from Saul’s pursuit.
-
I Samuel 23:16
Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David into the woods, and strengthened his hand in God.
Jonathan enters the woods to strengthen David’s hand in God, illustrating that this enclosed space was a setting for deep spiritual encouragement and covenant loyalty.
-
Isaiah 17:9
In that day, their strong cities will be like the forsaken places in the woods and on the mountain top, which were forsaken from before the children of Israel; and it will be a desolation.
Here the choresh is described as forsaken and desolate, using the wooded area to symbolize the loss of human security and the reality of divine judgment on strong cities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word choresh mean?
How is choresh different from other words for forest?
Where does this word appear in the Bible?
Every Occurrence (6 verses across 3 books)
I Samuel 4 verses
David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the woods.
I Samuel 23:16Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David into the woods, and strengthened his hand in God.
I Samuel 23:18They both made a covenant before Yahweh. Then David stayed in the woods and Jonathan went to his house.
I Samuel 23:19Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, “Doesn’t David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the…