חַרְסוּת
𐤇𐤓𐤎𐤅𐤕
charçûwth
H2777 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A proper noun referring to a location associated with potsherds or pottery works, specifically a gate in Jerusalem. The term may reflect a place connected with the manufacture or disposal of pottery shards. Lexically, it is tied to objects made of fired clay (potsherds) or the location where such objects are found or produced.
Semantic Range
proper noun designating a gate associated with pottery or potsherds in Jerusalem, designation of location; by extension, associated with pottery production or waste.
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root חֶרֶס (ḥeres), meaning 'pottery, earthenware, potsherd,' with a place-name suffix. The underlying sense refers to pottery or objects made from baked clay. The specific form חַרְסוּת likely denotes 'place of pottery' or 'potsherd place.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term appears in Nehemiah 3:11 and 12:39 as the name of a gate in the walls of Jerusalem, historically rendered as the 'Gate of Harshaith,' 'Pottery Gate,' or similar terms in English translations. Its association with pottery suggests that the area near the gate may have been used for dumping broken potsherds or was a location for pottery workshops, a practice common in ancient urban settings. The traditional English translation 'east gate' is based on later tradition or interpretive readings, not direct lexical evidence from the Hebrew. The word does not refer to an 'east' direction in the Hebrew original but to a geographical or industrial area related to pottery. No broader use for this term outside the proper name is attested in Biblical Hebrew. It stands in contrast with other specific gates in Jerusalem, each named for nearby activities or groups (e.g., Fish Gate, Sheep Gate, Dung Gate). The root חֶרֶס (potsherd) is attested elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible for both common pottery and pottery fragments, but this form is unique as a toponym. In post-biblical sources, related forms continue to mean 'potsherd' or 'pottery.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חֶרֶס (apparently in the sense of a red tile used for scraping); a potsherd, i.e. (by implication) a pottery; the name of a gate at Jerusalem; east.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חרס (ḥ-r-s) — to be baked, to harden into earthenware, pottery, potsherd
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2777-01 |
הַֽ/חַרְסִ֑ית | hacharesit | HTd/Ncfsa |
Gate | the Pottery-place | 1 |
H2777-02 |
ה/חרסות | hchrsvt | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the Potsherd | the Pottery-Gate | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2777-02 |
Jeremiah 19:2 | ה/חרסות | hchrsvt | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the Potsherd | the Pottery-Gate |
H2777-01 |
Jeremiah 19:2 | הַֽ/חַרְסִ֑ית | hacharesit | HTd/Ncfsa |
Gate | the Pottery-place |