חָצֵר
𐤇𐤑𐤓
châtsêr
H2691 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An enclosed area, space, or settlement, typically one defined by some form of boundary such as a wall, fence, or hedge. The term commonly refers to a courtyard attached to a dwelling or sanctuary, but can also signify a small settlement, village, or cluster of dwellings (hamlet), as well as various outer or inner courts in public or sacred settings. Its use spans both domestic (private courtyard, agricultural enclosure) and institutional or cultic settings (courts of the tabernacle or temple).
Semantic Range
enclosure, courtyard, court (of a house or sanctuary), hamlet, small settlement, village, outer court, inner court
Root / Etymology
From the root חצר (ḥ-ṣ-r), meaning 'to enclose, surround, make a court or settlement.' The noun חָצֵר derives directly from this root, signifying that which is enclosed or the area within an enclosure. The root indicates the action (to encircle or fence in), and the noun names the resulting enclosed space or settlement.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חָצֵר occurs frequently in the Hebrew Bible to designate a range of enclosed areas, most prominently domestic courtyards where daily life and family gatherings occurred, but also the courts of the tabernacle and temple, where Israelites assembled for worship. In geographic contexts, חָצֵר denotes small rural settlements or hamlets, distinct from walled fortified cities (עיר, 'ʿir'). This distinction is especially salient in lists distinguishing between towns, cities, and rural enclosures (e.g., in Joshua or Chronicles). Over time, the term retained its sense of a bounded space, but in later books may refer more generically to villages or smaller settlements. English 'court,' 'village,' or 'settlement' each capture facets of the semantic range, but no single English word covers all uses. Note that KJV and other translations sometimes render 'court' or 'village,' but the underlying idea is always that of an enclosed space, whether domestic, cultic, or communal. In legal and ritual texts, the precise location designated by חָצֵר (e.g., inner vs. outer court) is context-dependent. Not to be confused with עֵיר ('city') or מוֹשָׁב ('dwelling place'), which may lack implication of enclosure.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(masculine and feminine); from חָצַר in its original sense; a yard (as inclosed by a fence); also a hamlet (as similarly surrounded with walls); court, tower, village.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חצר (ḥ-ṣ-r) — enclose, surround, fence in, gather into a court or settlement
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1178 | בַּעַל חָצוֹר | Hazor Enclosed-Settlement |
| H2674 | חָצוֹר | in Hazor |
| H2681 | חָצִיר | enclosed courtyard |
| H2682 | חָצִיר | field herbage |
| H2689 | חֲצֹצְרָה | in the silver trumpets |
Word Forms
37 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2691-21 |
הֶֽ/חָצֵר֙ | hechatser | HTd/Ncbsa |
of the court | the enclosure | 65 |
H2691-34 |
וְ/חַצְרֵי/הֶֽן | vechatsereyhen | HC/Ncbpc/Sp3fp |
and their villages | and their enclosed courts | 26 |
H2691-01 |
בַּ/חֲצַ֥ר | bachatsar | HR/Ncbsc |
in the court | in the enclosure | 16 |
H2691-23 |
לֶ/חָצֵ֜ר | lechatser | HRd/Ncbsa |
to the court | enclosed court | 10 |
H2691-09 |
חָצֵ֣ר | chatser | HNcbsa |
court | enclosed court | 6 |
H2691-07 |
בְּ/חַצְר֥וֹת | bechatserot | HR/Ncbpc |
in the courts | in enclosed courts of | 5 |
H2691-08 |
חֲצַ֣ר | chatsar | HNcbsc |
courtyard | enclosed court of | 5 |
H2691-30 |
וַ/חֲצֵרֶֽי/הָ | vachatsereyha | HC/Ncbpc/Sp3fs |
and its villages | and her enclosures | 4 |
H2691-04 |
בֶּ/חָצֵ֣ר | bechatser | HRd/Ncbsa |
in the court | in an enclosure | 4 |
H2691-33 |
וְ/חַצְרֵי/הֶֽם | vechatsereyhem | HC/Ncbpc/Sp3mp |
and their villages | their enclosed courts | 4 |
Occurrences in Scripture
190 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2691-06 |
Genesis 25:16 | בְּ/חַצְרֵי/הֶ֖ם | bechatsereyhem | HR/Ncbpc/Sp3mp |
in their villages | in their enclosed courts |
H2691-20 |
Exodus 8:9 | הַ/חֲצֵרֹ֖ת | hachatserot | HTd/Ncbpa |
the courtyards | the enclosures |
H2691-08 |
Exodus 27:9 | חֲצַ֣ר | chatsar | HNcbsc |
court | enclosed court of |
H2691-23 |
Exodus 27:9 | לֶ/חָצֵ֜ר | lechatser | HRd/Ncbsa |
for the court | enclosed court |
H2691-21 |
Exodus 27:12 | הֶֽ/חָצֵר֙ | hechatser | HTd/Ncbsa |
of the court | the enclosure |
H2691-21 |
Exodus 27:13 | הֶֽ/חָצֵ֗ר | hechatser | HTd/Ncbsa |
of the court | the enclosure |
H2691-21 |
Exodus 27:16 | הֶֽ/חָצֵ֜ר | hechatser | HTd/Ncbsa |
the-court | the enclosure |
H2691-21 |
Exodus 27:17 | הֶֽ/חָצֵ֤ר | hechatser | HTd/Ncbsa |
the court | the enclosure |
H2691-21 |
Exodus 27:18 | הֶֽ/חָצֵר֩ | hechatser | HTd/Ncbsa |
of the court | the enclosure |
H2691-21 |
Exodus 27:19 | הֶ/חָצֵ֖ר | hechatser | HTd/Ncbsa |
the court | the enclosure |