חוּץ

𐤇𐤅𐤑

chûwts

H2351 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חוץ to sever, to separate, to divide

Definition

Space or area that lies outside a defined, enclosed, or inhabited boundary; most commonly, the area outside a house, city, or walled enclosure. The term is used both for the literal outdoors versus indoors, and for locations spatially or socially distinct from a central space (such as outside the community or outside the city limits). In certain contexts, can refer to the open country, street, or any sphere beyond a given domain.

Semantic Range

outside, exterior space, outdoors, out of doors, beyond a boundary, outside the city, outside the house, outside the camp, street, open country, public place

Root / Etymology

The word חוּץ derives from an (otherwise unattested) root חוץ, thought to mean 'to sever, divide,' reflecting the idea of separation from an interior space. The form חוּץ itself functions as a substantive denoting the separated or exterior place. Shortened form חֻץ appears, especially in the plural. Actual verbal usage of the root is not attested in the Hebrew Bible.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, חוּץ functions primarily as a preposition or substantive indicating the area exterior to a boundary, such as the street outside a house (Genesis 19:4), the area outside a city (Joshua 2:19), or the open country beyond an enclosure (Leviticus 14:3). The term serves in opposition to terms for interior space (e.g., בַּיִת for house/interior, or מִבַּיִתּ for 'from inside'), emphasizing transition from inside to outside. In ritual contexts, 'outside the camp' (מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה) can carry legal or purity implications—signaling exclusion from the communal or sacred sphere. The semantic distinction from שָׂדֶה (field) or רְחוֹב (square, broad place) is notable: חוּץ highlights outside-ness without specifying terrain or communal space. English translations—'outside,' 'street,' 'abroad'—sometimes obscure the spatial or ritual nuance. The term’s use is consistent across periods, retaining its core spatial sense with only limited broadening in later (post-monarchic) texts to refer to public places more generally. Not to be confused with later rabbinic or Mishnaic distinctions (e.g., between 'inside' and 'outdoors'), which are built on this biblical foundation but may develop further legal meanings.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (shortened) חֻץ; (both forms feminine in the plural) from an unused root meaning to sever; properly, separate by awall, i.e. outside, outdoors; abroad, field, forth, highway, more, out(-side, -ward), street, without.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חוץ (ḥ-w-ṣ) — to sever, to separate, to divide

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2434 חַיִץ separating wall

Word Forms

28 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2351-17 מִ/ח֥וּץ michuts HR/Ncmsa outside from the outside 56
H2351-14 הַ/ח֗וּצָ/ה hachutsah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd outside the exterior place 16
H2351-09 חוּצ֥וֹת chutsot HNcmpa streets outside places 15
H2351-01 בַּ/חֽוּץ bachuts HRd/Ncmsa outside in the outside 14
H2351-13 הַ/ח֑וּץ hachuts HTd/Ncmsa outside the separated exterior 7
H2351-08 ח֑וּצָ/ה chutsah HNcmsa/Sd outside the separated-outside 7
H2351-22 וּ/בְ/חֻצ֖וֹת uvechutsot HC/R/Ncmpc and-in-streets-of and in separated-out places 7
H2351-02 בַּֽ/חוּצ֑וֹת bachutsot HRd/Ncmpa in the streets in the outside-places 6
H2351-07 ח֑וּץ chuts HNcmsa outside outside space 6
H2351-20 וּ/מִ/ח֖וּץ umichuts HC/R/Ncmsa and outside and from the outside 5

Occurrences in Scripture

164 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2351-20 Genesis 6:14 וּ/מִ/ח֖וּץ umichuts HC/R/Ncmsa and outside and from the outside
H2351-01 Genesis 9:22 בַּ/חֽוּץ bachuts HRd/Ncmsa outside in the outside
H2351-14 Genesis 15:5 הַ/ח֗וּצָ/ה hachutsah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd outside the exterior place
H2351-17 Genesis 19:16 מִ/ח֥וּץ michuts HR/Ncmsa outside from the outside
H2351-14 Genesis 19:17 הַ/ח֗וּצָ/ה hachutsah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd outside the exterior place
H2351-17 Genesis 24:11 מִ/ח֥וּץ michuts HR/Ncmsa outside from the outside
H2351-14 Genesis 24:29 הַ/ח֖וּצָ/ה hachutsah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd outside the exterior place
H2351-01 Genesis 24:31 בַּ/ח֔וּץ bachuts HRd/Ncmsa outside in the outside
H2351-14 Genesis 39:12 הַ/חֽוּצָ/ה hachutsah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd outside the exterior place
H2351-14 Genesis 39:13 הַ/חֽוּצָ/ה hachutsah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd outside the exterior place