חֶרֶת (che.ret)
che.ret
Hereth
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The noun che.ret refers to a forest, specifically one whose exact location remains unidentified today. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, marking a specific geographical setting in the narrative of 1 Samuel.
In that single occurrence at 1 Samuel 22:5, the prophet Gad directs David to leave his current hiding place and go into the forest of che.ret. This detail places David’s flight from Saul into a wild, wooded area, contrasting with the urban or fortified spaces where political danger was most acute.
Because the site is lost to history, the word serves primarily as a narrative marker rather than a geographical clue for modern readers. It highlights the precarious nature of David’s exile, moving him from known territories into an unknown wilderness under divine guidance.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word che.ret appears only once in Scripture, marking the forest where David sought refuge after fleeing King Saul. This single mention places you in a moment of uncertainty, where guidance comes not from a map but from a prophet’s voice. David moves from the safety of a stronghold into an unknown wood, trusting that God’s direction is sufficient even when the path ahead is unclear.
For your own life, this word reminds us that divine guidance often leads us away from familiar comforts toward places we cannot yet see. The forest represents the wild spaces of transition, where fear might rise but faith must hold. You are not abandoned in these unknown territories; rather, you are being led by a voice that knows the way through the trees.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Hereth1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חָֽרֶת\׃\ \ס1×
Key Verses
-
I Samuel 22:5
The prophet Gad said to David, “Don’t stay in the stronghold. Depart, and go into the land of Judah.” Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth.
This verse captures the exact moment David obeys Gad’s command to leave the stronghold and enter the forest, highlighting the transition from fortified safety to vulnerable trust.