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חָגוֹר

𐤇𐤂𐤅𐤓

châgôwr

H2289 adjective

SILEX Entry

Root חגר to gird, bind, tie around

Definition

A sash or belt worn around the waist, typically made of cloth or leather, serving as a piece of clothing to bind garments or hold tools and weapons. In biblical usage, it refers specifically to a loincloth, girdle, or binding belt, often worn by men as part of daily dress or for securing outer garments for work or travel.

Semantic Range

sash, belt, girdle, loincloth; the act of being girded; article for binding garments; belt worn for work, travel, or with prophetic dress

Root / Etymology

From the root חגר (ḥ-g-r), meaning 'to gird, tie, bind around.' The noun חָגוֹר is a masculine singular form denoting the object resulting from the action 'to gird'—that is, the belt, sash, or girdle itself.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חָגוֹר appears infrequently in the Hebrew Bible and is used specifically to refer to the article of clothing fastened around the waist. Its usage highlights practical dress in ancient Israelite society, such as in 2 Kings 1:8, where a prophet is described as wearing a hairy garment and a leather girdle (חָגוֹר עוֹר). The term can convey readiness for activity or work, since girding oneself was preparatory for exertion. Unlike other terms (אַזוֹר, which is more general for 'belt' or 'girdle'), חָגוֹר can carry a connotation of being properly dressed for a certain task. In some English traditions, the translation 'girdle' or 'belt' is used, but this may not reflect differences between decorative and utilitarian uses present in Hebrew. Over time, the basic sense remains largely unchanged, as reference to an actual item of clothing for binding the waist. Later terminology and translations (e.g., 'girdle' in the KJV) might evoke connotations not present in the original text, such as feminine or decorative accessory, which are inaccurate for the biblical context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חָגַר; belted; girded with.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חגר (ḥ-g-r) — to gird, bind, tie around

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2290 חֲגוֹר his girding-belt
H2296 חָגַר she girded on
H4228 מַחֲגֹרֶת belt of

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2289-02 וַ֝/חֲג֗וֹר vachagor HC/Ncmsa and girdles girding-belt 1
H2289-01 חֲגוֹרֵ֨י chagorey HAampc girded belted ones 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2289-01 Ezekiel 23:15 חֲגוֹרֵ֨י chagorey HAampc girded belted ones
H2289-02 Proverbs 31:24 וַ֝/חֲג֗וֹר vachagor HC/Ncmsa and girdles girding-belt
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