הֲרֵגָה
𐤄𐤓𐤂𐤄
hărêgâh
H2028 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Feminine noun meaning 'killing,' 'slaying,' or 'slaughter,' typically denoting the act or result of lethal violence, whether in the context of battle, execution, or mass death. In some passages, the term expresses the devastation or aftermath of collective violence rather than the act itself.
Semantic Range
slaughter, killing, slaying, act of killing, carnage, mass death, violent death
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root הרג, which means 'to kill, slay, put to death.' The formation הֲרֵגָה is the feminine derivative and refers to the noun form of the act of killing or its result. The masculine form, הֶרֶג (hereg), carries a similar meaning but may occur in different syntactical locations.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The word הֲרֵגָה appears in contexts emphasizing mass killing or the aftermath thereof (e.g., prophetic denunciations, descriptions of battle casualties, or expressions of devastation). Its occurrence is rarer than the masculine form הֶרֶג, and it commonly appears in poetic or prophetic literature. Unlike related roots such as קטל ('to slay, kill') which may focus more generically on causing death, הרג and its derivatives (including הֲרֵגָה) often carry the implication of violent or purposeful killing, especially in warfare or judgment contexts. Standard English translations often render the term as 'slaughter,' but the semantic nuance—including implications of both act and result—may not always be fully conveyed. Over time, the usage of such terms remained tied to descriptions of violence or divine/judicial judgment but did not develop a technical ritual meaning in contrast to sacrificial vocabulary such as זבח ('sacrifice by slaughter').
Translation Consistency
Most frequent rendering in the P2 occurrences and fits the SILEX range (act/result of lethal violence, mass death, carnage). "Slaughter" is a natural, versatile English noun that conveys violent killing in battle, execution, or devastation and will provide consistent wording across all forms.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of הֶרֶג; slaughter; slaughter.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
הרג (hârag) — to kill, to slay, to strike down
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2028-01 |
הַ/הֲרֵגָ֑ה | haharegah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of Slaughter | the slaughter | the slaughter | 4 |
H2028-02 |
הֲרֵגָֽה | haregah | HNcfsa |
of slaughter | slaying | slaying | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2028-01 |
Jeremiah 7:32 | הַ/הֲרֵגָ֑ה | haharegah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of Slaughter | the slaughter | the slaughter |
H2028-02 |
Jeremiah 12:3 | הֲרֵגָֽה | haregah | HNcfsa |
of slaughter | slaying | slaying |
H2028-01 |
Jeremiah 19:6 | הַ/הֲרֵגָֽה | haharegah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of Slaughter | the slaughter | the slaughter |
H2028-01 |
Zechariah 11:4 | הַ/הֲרֵגָֽה | haharegah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the slaughter | the slaughter | the slaughter |
H2028-01 |
Zechariah 11:7 | הַֽ/הֲרֵגָ֔ה | haharegah | HTd/Ncfsa |
doomed to slaughter | the slaughter | the slaughter |