חֵדֶק
𐤇𐤃𐤒
chêdeq
H2312 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A type of prickly plant, specifically a brier or thorn; used to denote vegetation with stiff, sharp spines or thorns that may cause discomfort or injury upon contact. In biblical usage, the term often refers to wild, invasive plants that grow up in neglected or desolate areas, emphasizing their rough and harmful qualities.
Semantic Range
prickly plant, brier, thorn, sharp-branched bush; metaphor for harm, danger, or undesirable growth
Root / Etymology
The word חֵדֶק (chêdeq) is formally derived from an unused root *חדק (presumably 'to sting' or 'to prick'), probably related to the idea of sharpness or piercing. The root itself is unattested elsewhere in biblical Hebrew, but similar roots in related Semitic languages suggest the notion of 'stinging' or 'pricking.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֵדֶק appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible (e.g. Micah 7:4), aligned with other botanical metaphors for difficulty or danger. It is grouped contextually with other terms for thorns or briers (such as סִיר, דַּרְדַּר, קוֹץ), but commentators differentiate חֵדֶק for its particularly sharp or stinging quality. In prophetic and poetic texts describing moral or social decay, plants like חֵדֶק symbolize harmful growths overtaking what should be cultivated ground. Later translation traditions sometimes use generic terms like 'thorn' or 'brier,' but these may not capture the specific nuance of a plant whose defining feature is its painful sharpness. There is little evidence for cultivated or economic uses; the word is always negative in connotation. Post-biblical and medieval sources reflect ongoing uncertainty about the precise species concerned.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to sting; a prickly plant; brier, thorn.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חדק (ḥ-d-q) — to sting, to prick, to be sharp
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2312-01 |
חָ֑דֶק | chadeq | HNcmsa |
of thorns | stinging brier | 1 |
H2312-02 |
כְּ/חֵ֔דֶק | kechedeq | HR/Ncmsa |
like a brier | like a prickly-brier | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2312-02 |
Micah 7:4 | כְּ/חֵ֔דֶק | kechedeq | HR/Ncmsa |
like a brier | like a prickly-brier |
H2312-01 |
Proverbs 15:19 | חָ֑דֶק | chadeq | HNcmsa |
of thorns | stinging brier |