חֲצֵרִים
𐤇𐤑𐤓𐤉𐤌
Chătsêrîym
H2699 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Plural form of חָצֵר (ḥāṣēr), meaning enclosures or settlements, especially rural encampments of tents or simple dwellings. In most contexts, refers to clusters of homesteads, enclosed yards, or villages as spatial or administrative units, distinct from fortified cities. The term is also used as a proper place name for a locality called Chatserim/Hazerim.
Semantic Range
enclosures, settlements, villages, rural homesteads, unwalled clusters of dwellings, agricultural hamlets, a specific place name (Chatserim/Hazerim)
Root / Etymology
From the root חצר (ḥ-ṣ-r), which carries the sense of enclosing or surrounding. The form חֲצֵרִים is the masculine plural, indicating multiple enclosures, unwalled settlements, or hamlets. Used both as a common noun (enclosures, settlements) and as a toponym (Chatserim).
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֲצֵרִים occurs in biblical texts to describe rural groupings of dwellings, villages, or agricultural settlements not protected by city walls, commonly in distinction to cities and fortified towns (such as in Joshua and 1 Chronicles). These were typical for certain semi-nomadic or pastoral populations as well as settled agriculturalists. The term is sometimes used as a place name (e.g., Hazerim in Deuteronomy 2:23), likely referencing one or several such clusters of dwellings. English translations often render חֲצֵרִים as 'villages,' 'settlements,' or 'enclosures,' but these can underrepresent the non-urban, sometimes temporary nature of the sites indicated by the term. The word contrasts with עִיר (ʿîr, 'city'), stressing small-scale, loosely enclosed habitations. In later Hebrew, related forms continue to reference rural or semi-urban locations. In the Greek Septuagint, חֲצֵרִים is often translated by terms meaning 'courts,' 'yards,' or 'villages.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
plural masculine of חָצֵר; yards; Chatserim, a place in Palestine; Hazerim.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חצר (ḥ-ṣ-r) — to enclose, to surround, to fence in
| 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
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2699-01 |
בַּ/חֲצֵרִ֖ים | bachatserim | HR/Ncmpa |
in-Hazerim | in enclosed settlements | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2699-01 |
Deuteronomy 2:23 | בַּ/חֲצֵרִ֖ים | bachatserim | HR/Ncmpa |
in-Hazerim | in enclosed settlements |