חֶרֶס
𐤇𐤓𐤎
Cheres
H2775 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Primarily refers to the 'sun' as a celestial body, most commonly in poetic or elevated language; in a rare sense, associated with a physical ailment 'itch' or 'eruption' referenced in particular contexts. The term can also refer to the direction of the sun, i.e., 'east,' when used with a directive ending (חַרְסָה).
Semantic Range
sun (poetic), sunrise/east (directional), itch/eruption (rare, medical)
Root / Etymology
Root uncertain—possibly connected to an unused root meaning 'to scrape' (חרס) or to חַרְסוּת (ḥarsut, meaning 'itch, eruption'), though this is not definitively established. Alternatively, it may be a borrowing or an archaic term for 'sun' distinct from the standard שֶׁמֶשׁ (shemesh).
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֶרֶס appears almost exclusively in poetic contexts for 'sun' (e.g., Judges 14:18, Psalm 19:5), contrasting with the more common שֶׁמֶשׁ. The nominal form חַרְסָה, with a directive suffix, may designate 'toward the sun/eastward,' particularly in geographic or directional expressions (as in Joshua 19:12). Its use for a skin ailment, such as 'itch,' is extremely rare (e.g., Deut 28:27) and debated, possibly reflecting a distinct word conflated in the lexicon. Later translation traditions sometimes render 'חֶרֶס' as 'sun' or, in the rare medical context, as a specific type of skin disease (e.g., 'itch'). English translations sometimes obscure the poetic or directional nuance by standardizing as 'sun' or 'east.' Distinct from חָרֶשׁ (potter/clay), with which it is sometimes confused in translation history.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or (with a directive enclitic) חַרְסָה; from an unused root meaning to scrape; also perhaps from the mediating idea of חַרְסוּת; the itch; the sun; itch, sun.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חרס (ḥ-r-s) — scrape, scratch; (by extension) sun, radiant heat
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2775-04 |
וּ/בֶ/חָ֑רֶס | uvechares | HC/Rd/Ncmsa |
and with scurvy | and in the sun | 1 |
H2775-02 |
הֶ/חָֽרֶס | hechares | HTd/Np |
Heres | Sun | 1 |
H2775-03 |
לַ֭/חֶרֶס | lacheres | HRd/Ncmsa |
to the sun | to the sun | 1 |
H2775-01 |
הַ/חַ֔רְסָ/ה | hacharesah | HTd/Ncmsa/Sd |
the sun | toward the sun | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2775-04 |
Deuteronomy 28:27 | וּ/בֶ/חָ֑רֶס | uvechares | HC/Rd/Ncmsa |
and with scurvy | and in the sun |
H2775-02 |
Judges 8:13 | הֶ/חָֽרֶס | hechares | HTd/Np |
Heres | Sun |
H2775-01 |
Judges 14:18 | הַ/חַ֔רְסָ/ה | hacharesah | HTd/Ncmsa/Sd |
the sun | toward the sun |
H2775-03 |
Job 9:7 | לַ֭/חֶרֶס | lacheres | HRd/Ncmsa |
to the sun | to the sun |