חֶרֶא
𐤇𐤓𐤀
chereʼ
H2716 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Solid human or animal waste; excrement, dung. The word denotes fecal matter, primarily of humans, but occasionally used more generally for manure or refuse. In biblical contexts, often carries a tone of impurity or something loathsome.
Semantic Range
excrement, dung, feces, manure, human or animal waste, something considered abominable or impure
Root / Etymology
The noun חֶרֶא (chere') is from a root consonant cluster ח-ר-א (חרא), although the underlying verb to 'evacuate the bowels' is not attested in Biblical Hebrew texts. The root meaning relates to defecation or to excremental byproducts. The form is a direct nominalization of the root.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֶרֶא appears infrequently in the Hebrew Bible and always in contexts of disdain or impurity, often in contrast to what is holy or clean. For example, it appears in 2 Kings 18:27 and Isaiah 36:12 in disparaging speech, referring to 'eating their own dung.' The related form חֲרִי (cheri) also appears with the same sense. Neither form is used in liturgical or legal language, underscoring their perceived vulgarity or strong negative connotation. This term does not refer to more general refuse or garbage (for which other terms such as אַשְׁפָּה are used), but very specifically to fecal matter. Later Jewish tradition and rabbinic literature employ alternative euphemistic terms for excrement, limiting the biblical term to its original, heavily pejorative meaning. English translations often soften or euphemize the term due to its crudeness, but its original tone was intentionally blunt and derogatory.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused (and vulgar) root probably meaning to evacuate the bowels; excrement; dung. Also חֲרִי.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חרא (ḥ-r-ʾ) — to excrete, to defecate, to produce excrement
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2716-01 |
חראי/הם | chryhm | HNcmpc/Sp3mp |
their dung | their excrements | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2716-01 |
Isaiah 36:12 | חראי/הם | chryhm | HNcmpc/Sp3mp |
their dung | their excrements |