חֵת
𐤇𐤕
Chet
H2845 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun: Heth, the eponymous ancestor of the Hittites (בְּנֵי־חֵת, 'descendants/sons of Heth'), a notable people in the land of Canaan at the time of the Israelite patriarchs. The name is associated with a people group rather than an individual identity, so most biblical references are ethnic or genealogical rather than personal. In rare abstract usage, the root conveys the concept of dread or terror, but as a proper noun, חֵת refers specifically to this ancestor and his descendants.
Semantic Range
proper noun: Heth (eponymous ancestor of a Canaanite people, i.e., the sons or descendants of Heth); ethnonym: 'children/descendants of Heth' (i.e., Hittite people in Canaan); rarely, an implied association with terror/dread (in root sense, but not as a proper noun)
Root / Etymology
From the root חתת (ḥ-t-t), 'to be shattered, dismayed, filled with dread or terror.' The form חֵת is most likely a personal name (possibly a totemic or eponymous figure) given to the ancestor of a people group. The noun as a proper name is not a direct derivative of the verbal root in a morphological sense, but the association with 'terror' may indicate the perceived character or reputation of the people.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, חֵת always occurs as a proper noun, either designating the individual ancestor listed in genealogies (Genesis 10:15; 1 Chronicles 1:13) or as the progenitor of the 'sons of Heth,' an indigenous Canaanite people (most notably in Genesis 23 in the context of Sarah's burial). They are identified as inhabitants of the land during the patriarchal narratives, later equated with the Hittites, though the term likely denotes a local Canaanite group distinct from the imperial Hittites (Ḫatti) of Anatolia. English versions like the KJV render the term as 'Heth' and refer to his descendants as 'children of Heth' or 'Hittites.' Later religious and ethnic associations (including 'Hittite') should not be retrojected into the patriarchal setting without careful distinction, as these reflect later textual and interpretive developments rather than the cultural and historical realities of early biblical narratives.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָתַת; terror; Cheth, an aboriginal Canaanite; Heth.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חתת (ḥ-t-t) — to be shattered, dismayed, filled with dread or terror
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2844 | חַת | he was shattered |
| H2847 | חִתָּה | shattering-terror of |
| H2849 | חַתְחַת | shattering terrors |
| H2850 | חִתִּי | and the Hittite |
| H2851 | חִתִּית | in their shattering-terror |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2845-01 |
חֵֽת | chet | HNp |
Heth | Heth | 14 |
Occurrences in Scripture
14 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2845-01 |
Genesis 10:15 | חֵֽת | chet | HNp |
Heth | Heth |
H2845-01 |
Genesis 23:3 | חֵ֖ת | chet | HNp |
Heth | Heth |
H2845-01 |
Genesis 23:5 | חֵ֛ת | chet | HNp |
Heth | Heth |
H2845-01 |
Genesis 23:7 | חֵֽת | chet | HNp |
Heth | Heth |
H2845-01 |
Genesis 23:10 | חֵ֑ת | chet | HNp |
Heth | Heth |
H2845-01 |
Genesis 23:10 | חֵ֔ת | chet-2 | HNp |
Heth | Heth |
H2845-01 |
Genesis 23:16 | חֵ֑ת | chet | HNp |
Heth | Heth |
H2845-01 |
Genesis 23:18 | חֵ֑ת | chet | HNp |
Heth (the Hittites) | Heth |
H2845-01 |
Genesis 23:20 | חֵֽת | chet | HNp |
of Heth | Heth |
H2845-01 |
Genesis 25:10 | חֵ֑ת | chet | HNp |
of Heth | Heth |