חָסַל
𐤇𐤎𐤋
châçal
H2628 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
A verb meaning to consume, devour, or eat away—especially used of complete, often destructive, consumption of food or vegetation. The term highlights a sense of thorough depletion, whether by eating, burning, or being worn away. It is most commonly associated with the destructive action of locusts or similar agents that leave nothing behind.
Semantic Range
to consume totally, to eat off, to strip bare (by eating), to destroy by consuming, to finish, to be used up
Root / Etymology
Root חָסַל derives from ח-ס-ל, which likely carries the sense 'to diminish, to cut off, to consume.' The verb חָסַל appears to be a denominative or intensive from this root, underscoring totality in the act of eating or removal. Some connection is suggested to Akkadian and Ugaritic roots with similar meanings of finishing/eating up.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חָסַל is a relatively rare verb found primarily in poetic or prophetic passages (e.g., Joel 1:4; 2:25), where it describes the action of locusts stripping and devouring crops in the land of Israel. Its use is vivid and emphasizes not simple consumption but a devastating removal, typically through a swarm or consuming agent. Unlike אכל ('to eat' in the ordinary sense) or כלה ('to finish/complete'), חָסַל implies utter devastation of what is eaten, generally with destructive effect. In later periods, the term is not commonly used, and in modern Hebrew it has a more general sense of 'to finish' or 'use up.' English translations often use 'consume' or 'eat up,' but these sometimes fail to capture the forceful, totalizing nuance present in the original contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to eat off; consume.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חסל (ḥ-s-l) — to consume, to eat up, to destroy by eating, to finish off
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2625 | חָסִיל | devouring locust |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2628-01 |
יַחְסְלֶ֖/נּוּ | yacheselenu | HVqi3ms/Sp3ms |
shall consume it | he will devour him | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2628-01 |
Deuteronomy 28:38 | יַחְסְלֶ֖/נּוּ | yacheselenu | HVqi3ms/Sp3ms |
shall consume it | he will devour him |