χάραξ
chárax
G5482 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A pointed stake or pale; by extension, a defensive or offensive military installation such as a palisade, rampart, or a trench formed by stakes or earthworks. Core meaning is a wooden stake sharpened to a point; contextually, refers to fortifications erected for defense or siege purposes, and in literary usage, to the act or result of fortifying an area with such implements.
Semantic Range
stake, pointed pale, palisade, rampart, military barricade, siege works, defensive trench formed by stakes
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root χαρ-, meaning to sharpen or to engrave, hypothesized to be related by semantic development to writing or cutting tools (compare with γράφω, 'to write/scratch/engrave'), but primarily denoting a stake due to the act of sharpening to a point.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, χάραξ primarily denotes a pointed wooden stake used in construction or military fortifications. By the Hellenistic and Roman periods, it often refers specifically to palisades or barricades used in sieges (cf. Josephus, Bell. 5.12.2). Its usage in the New Testament (Luke 19:43) reflects this military-technological context: describing a siege barrier rather than simply a 'trench.' Standard English translations (e.g., 'trench') may obscure the imagery of a sharpened defensive barrier of stakes and earth. The term differs from τάφρος ('ditch' or 'trench') in that χάραξ always implies the involvement of physical barriers or objects (stakes, palings), not just an excavated space. Not used to denote writing instruments, despite possible etymological association with 'scratching' or 'engraving.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from (to sharpen to a point; akin to γράφω through the idea of scratching); a stake, i.e. (by implication) a palisade or rampart (military mound for circumvallation in a siege):--trench.
Root Family
χάραξ (charax) — sharpened stake, palisade, rampart, defensive earthwork
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5482-01 |
χάρακά | charaka | N ACC M SG |
a barricade | a sharpened stake | a sharpened stake | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5482-01 |
Luke 19:43 | χάρακά | charaka | N ACC M SG |
a barricade | a sharpened stake | a sharpened stake |