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חָסֵר

𐤇𐤎𐤓

châçêr

H2637 verb

SILEX Entry

Root חסר to lack, be deficient, decrease, be without

Definition

To be lacking, to be without, to have less than what is needed; the state or process of not having enough, experiencing deficiency, or being deprived. Depending on context, it may refer either to literal absence (such as food or resources), diminished circumstances, or the experiencing of want, need, or deprivation. It can also describe the action of causing someone or something to lack, to decrease, or to reduce the amount or quality of something.

Semantic Range

to lack (provisions, resources), to be less than needed, to decrease, to fall short, to be deprived, to lessen (in number or amount), to cause to lack or diminish, to experience want or need, to fail (in obtaining or reaching something), to make lower or reduce

Root / Etymology

Root is חסר (ח־ס־ר), which in its verbal form generally conveys the idea of lacking or being deficient. The noun form, חֶסֶר (cheser), means 'lack' or 'want.' The verbal form חָסֵר (chasêr) can be either intransitive ('to lack, be lacking') or transitive ('to cause to lack, deprive, reduce, cause decrease').

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, חָסֵר is a common verb used literally and metaphorically. In narratives and legal texts, it is used for material lack (of bread: Deut 2:7; of nothing: Neh 9:21), emphasizing provision versus need. In wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs, Ecclesiastes), it regularly describes lacking in wisdom, understanding, or virtue (Prov 9:4, Eccl 4:8), focusing on existential or moral deficiency. Its core range overlaps with other terms of privation (such as אָסַר, 'to bind/imprison,' and אָמַן, 'not to confirm/support' in some semantic contexts), but חסר is oriented on the idea of material or abstract lack, not inability or captivity. English translations sometimes flatten the distinction by rendering it as 'want' or 'lack,' potentially obscuring nuances—e.g., the movement from material want to spiritual or relational deficiency. There is no evidence for a developed specifically theological sense in biblical usage, though later post-biblical Hebrew and translation traditions (e.g., use of 'lacking' in a spiritual sense) may pick up on metaphorical senses already present in Wisdom literature. Over time, חָסֵר retained its core sense but expanded in post-biblical literature to abstract or moral absence.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to lack; by implication, to fail, want, lessen; be abated, bereave, decrease, (cause to) fail, (have) lack, make lower, want.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חסר (ḥ-s-r) — to lack, be deficient, decrease, be without

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2627 חַסִּיר deficient one
H2638 חָסֵר in lack of
H2639 חֶסֶר in lack
H2640 חֹסֶר in lack of
H2641 חַסְרָה Chasrah

Word Forms

14 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2637-14 יֶחְסַ֖ר yechesar HVqi3ms lack he will lack 5
H2637-06 תֶחְסַ֥ר techesar HVqi2ms lacks you will lack 3
H2637-11 יַחְסְר֖וּ yacheseru HVqi3mp they lack they will lack 2
H2637-09 וַ/יַּחְסְר֣וּ vayacheseru HC/Vqw3mp and decreased and they lacked 1
H2637-05 הֶחְסִ֑יר hechesir HVhp3ms lacked he caused to lack 1
H2637-12 יַחְסְר֞וּ/ן yacheserun HVqi3mp/Sn will lack they will lack 1
H2637-01 חָסַ֣רְנוּ chasarenu HVqp1cp we have lacked we lacked 1
H2637-10 וְ/חָס֔וֹר vechasor HC/Vqa and decreasing and lacking 1
H2637-08 וַ/תְּחַסְּרֵ֣/הוּ vatechaserehu HC/Vpw2ms/Sp3ms you have made him lack you deprived him 1
H2637-04 אֶחְסָֽר echesar HVqi1cs I shall lack I will lack 1

Occurrences in Scripture

21 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2637-09 Genesis 8:3 וַ/יַּחְסְר֣וּ vayacheseru HC/Vqw3mp and decreased and they lacked
H2637-10 Genesis 8:5 וְ/חָס֔וֹר vechasor HC/Vqa and decreasing and lacking
H2637-12 Genesis 18:28 יַחְסְר֞וּ/ן yacheserun HVqi3mp/Sn will lack they will lack
H2637-05 Exodus 16:18 הֶחְסִ֑יר hechesir HVhp3ms lacked he caused to lack
H2637-02 Deuteronomy 2:7 חָסַ֖רְתָּ chasareta HVqp2ms you have lacked you lacked
H2637-06 Deuteronomy 8:9 תֶחְסַ֥ר techesar HVqi2ms you will lack you will lack
H2637-14 Deuteronomy 15:8 יֶחְסַ֖ר yechesar HVqi3ms he lacks he will lack
H2637-06 1 Kings 17:14 תֶחְסָ֑ר techesar HVqi3fs will-lack you will lack
H2637-13 Isaiah 32:6 יַחְסִֽיר yachesir HVhi3ms he deprives he will cause lack
H2637-14 Isaiah 51:14 יֶחְסַ֖ר yechesar HVqi3ms lack he will lack
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