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חֲרֹשֶׁת

𐤇𐤓𐤔𐤕

Charoshet

H2800 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חרשׁ to cut in, engrave, craft, plow, forested area

Definition

A place name signifying 'Charosheth,' likely meaning 'woodland,' 'forest land,' or possibly 'place of crafts.' In the biblical text, it specifically refers to a settlement (Charosheth of the Gentiles/Harosheth-haGoyim) associated with Sisera, suggesting a fortified site or administrative center in the northern region of the territory inhabited by various non-Israelite groups. The semantic range centers on the place itself but may include an implied connection to craftsmanship or wooded terrain depending on the interpretation of the root.

Semantic Range

Charosheth (as place name), wooded place, center of craftsmanship or artisan activity, fortified settlement, administrative center

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חרשׁ (ḥ-r-sh), which can mean 'to cut in, engrave, plow,' but is more commonly associated with craftsmanship and artisan work (as in 'craftsman,' 'artisan') or with forested/wooded land, as חרשׁ can also refer to 'wood,' 'forest.' The toponym likely denotes a characteristic of the location such as being wooded or a center for skilled labor, though the precise sense in the place name is debated. Etymology is not fully certain; both senses are possible.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חֲרֹשֶׁת appears primarily in Judges 4–5 as the location called 'Charosheth of the Gentiles' (חֲרֹשֶׁת הַגּוֹיִם), the base of Sisera's military operations. The addition 'of the Gentiles' ('of the nations') signifies that it was inhabited predominantly by non-Israelite peoples at the time, reflecting the complex ethnic and political landscape of the region during the period of the Judges. The precise location remains uncertain, with ancient tradition placing it somewhere in the Jezreel Valley or near the Kishon River. There is some debate as to whether the name denotes a heavily forested area, a center for metalwork or artisan activity, or both, given both possible senses of the root. English translations usually retain the name as 'Harosheth,' which preserves form but obscures the possible meaning. Later Greek (LXX) and Latin (Vulgate) versions also simply transliterate the name. No direct theological or religious connotations are attached to the term itself; it serves as a geographic-historic identifier.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the same as חֲרֹשֶׁת; Charosheth, a place in Palestine; Harosheth.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חרשׁ (ḥ-r-sh) — cut in, engrave, craft, plow, forested area

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2792 חֶרֶשׁ Craftsman
H2794 חֹרֵשׁ crafting artisan of
H2796 חָרָשׁ craftsman of
H2798 חֲרָשִׁים craftsmen
H2799 חֲרֹשֶׁת and in the workshop-of

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2800-01 בַּ/חֲרֹ֥שֶׁת bacharoshet HR/Np in-Harosheth in Woodland-Craftstead 1
H2800-03 מֵ/חֲרֹ֥שֶׁת mecharoshet HR/Np from Harosheth from Woodland-Crafttown 1
H2800-02 חֲרֹ֣שֶׁת charoshet HNp Harosheth Craft-Woodland 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2800-01 Judges 4:2 בַּ/חֲרֹ֥שֶׁת bacharoshet HR/Np in-Harosheth in Woodland-Craftstead
H2800-03 Judges 4:13 מֵ/חֲרֹ֥שֶׁת mecharoshet HR/Np from Harosheth from Woodland-Crafttown
H2800-02 Judges 4:16 חֲרֹ֣שֶׁת charoshet HNp Harosheth Craft-Woodland
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