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חֶסֶר

𐤇𐤎𐤓

cheçer

H2639 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חסר to lack, be insufficient, decrease

Definition

A state or condition of lacking, especially in reference to material resources or necessities; deficiency, want, or poverty. Used primarily to express the absence or insufficiency of essential items, resulting in a state of need or deprivation.

Semantic Range

lack, deficiency, want, poverty, destitution, need, insufficiency

Root / Etymology

Root: חסר (ḥ-ס-ר), meaning 'to lack, be without, decrease.' The noun חֶסֶר is a derivation from this root indicating 'lack' or 'deficiency.' The form is a standard masculine noun pattern indicating a state or quality.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, חֶסֶר most commonly denotes a situation of material or social deficiency, such as hunger, poverty, or general want (e.g., Deuteronomy 15:8, Proverbs 6:11). Its usage spans from early Israelite texts through wisdom literature, maintaining a central sense of lacking basic necessities, often with an emphasis on vulnerability or dependence on others for provision. While English translations render the term variously as 'poverty,' 'want,' or 'lack,' the Hebrew concept does not always map perfectly onto later categories of economic poverty; rather, it indicates any shortfall relative to expected sufficiency. This term differs from other Hebrew words for need (such as מַחְסוֹר), which may emphasize the experience of want more than the objective condition of lack. In later periods, חֶסֶר continued to be used in both concrete (material) and, occasionally, metaphorical senses.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חָסֵר; lack; hence, destitution; poverty, want.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חסר (ḥ-s-r) — to lack, be insufficient, decrease

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2627 חַסִּיר deficient one
H2637 חָסֵר we lacked
H2638 חָסֵר in lack of
H2640 חֹסֶר in lack of
H2641 חַסְרָה Chasrah

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2639-02 חֶ֥סֶר cheser HNcmsa poverty lack 1
H2639-01 בְּ/חֶ֥סֶר becheser HR/Ncmsa for lack in lack 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2639-02 Proverbs 28:22 חֶ֥סֶר cheser HNcmsa poverty lack
H2639-01 Job 30:3 בְּ/חֶ֥סֶר becheser HR/Ncmsa for lack in lack
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