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חֹרֵב

𐤇𐤓𐤁

Chorev

H2722 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חרב to be dry, to be desolate

Definition

Proper name referring primarily to a mountain or mountainous region associated with pivotal events in Israelite tradition, especially the theophany of YHWH to Moses and the giving of legal instruction to the Israelites. The semantic range includes both a specific mountain location and, by extension, the surrounding area referred to collectively as Horeb.

Semantic Range

mountain (site of revelation), mountainous region, dry or desolate place (as a place name); Horeb as an important theophanic and legislative location

Root / Etymology

Derived from the Hebrew root חָרַב (ḥ-r-b), meaning 'to be dry, to be desolate.' The form חֹרֵב (Chôrêb) is a proper noun formation, likely meaning 'desolation' or 'dry place,' but in context functions as a place name. The precise etymological relationship between the root meaning and the place name is typical of toponyms in the region, reflecting arid environmental characteristics.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Within the Hebrew Bible, חֹרֵב (Horeb) designates the location of several key episodes, particularly those connected to the earliest Israelite traditions in the wilderness (e.g., Exodus 3; Exodus 17; Deuteronomy 1, 5, 9, 18). While sometimes equated with Mount Sinai, at other times Horeb appears to be a broader region or an alternative designation. The name carries connotations of dryness or desolation, likely reflecting the physical geography of the southern Sinai Peninsula. In later interpretive and translation traditions, 'Horeb' can appear as a synonym or alternative for 'Sinai,' though the two are sometimes distinguished within the Hebrew Bible itself. English translations have preserved the Hebrew toponym rather than substituting with an English rendering, in recognition of its special significance. In Second Temple and post-biblical literature, Horeb is regularly identified with the Sinai revelation, but distinctions are sometimes maintained within textual traditions. Use of 'Horeb' is bound to the narratives and religious memory of the Israelites, particularly in the Torah and Deuteronomistic histories, and does not denote an ethnic, geographic, or political identity.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חָרַב; desolate; Choreb, a (generic) name for the Sinaitic mountains; Horeb.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חרב (ḥ-r-b) — dryness, desolation, aridity

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2717 חָרַב I will make desolate
H2718 חֲרַב was laid waste
H2719 חֶרֶב bladed weapons
H2720 חָרֵב destroying blade
H2721 חֹרֶב parched desolation

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2722-01 בְּ/חֹרֵב֒ bechorev HR/Np at Horeb in Dry-Place 10
H2722-02 חוֹרֵֽב chorev HNp Horeb Desolation-Mountain 2
H2722-04 מֵֽ/חֹרֵ֔ב mechorev HR/Np from Horeb from Horeb the Dry-Place 2
H2722-03 חֹרֵֽבָ/ה chorevah HNp/Sd to Horeb. Desolation-Mountain 1
H2722-05 וּ/בְ/חֹרֵ֥ב uvechorev HC/R/Np And at Horeb and in Desolation-Mount 1
H2722-06 בְ/חֹרֵב֙ vechorev HR/Np at Horeb in Dry-Place Horeb 1

Occurrences in Scripture

17 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2722-03 Exodus 3:1 חֹרֵֽבָ/ה chorevah HNp/Sd to Horeb. Desolation-Mountain
H2722-01 Exodus 17:6 בְּ/חֹרֵב֒ bechorev HR/Np at Horeb in Dry-Place
H2722-02 Exodus 33:6 חוֹרֵֽב chorev HNp Horeb Desolation-Mountain
H2722-04 Deuteronomy 1:2 מֵֽ/חֹרֵ֔ב mechorev HR/Np from Horeb from Horeb the Dry-Place
H2722-01 Deuteronomy 1:6 בְּ/חֹרֵ֣ב bechorev HR/Np at Horeb in Dry-Place
H2722-04 Deuteronomy 1:19 מֵ/חֹרֵ֗ב mechorev HR/Np from Horeb from Horeb the Dry-Place
H2722-01 Deuteronomy 4:10 בְּ/חֹרֵב֒ bechorev HR/Np at Horeb in Dry-Place
H2722-01 Deuteronomy 4:15 בְּ/חֹרֵ֖ב bechorev HR/Np at Horeb in Dry-Place
H2722-01 Deuteronomy 5:2 בְּ/חֹרֵֽב bechorev HR/Np at Horeb in Dry-Place
H2722-05 Deuteronomy 9:8 וּ/בְ/חֹרֵ֥ב uvechorev HC/R/Np And at Horeb and in Desolation-Mount
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