What does הָרַס (tehares) mean in the Bible?
הָרַס (tehares): Destruction through violent dismantling, often structural ruin; God's judgment tool against buildings, altars, and idolatrous systems.
Hebrew · H2040
הָרַס
To pull down or in pieces, break , destroy
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הָרַס H2040
Pronunciation tehares
What does הָרַס (tehares) mean in the Bible?
הָרַס (tehares): Destruction through violent dismantling, often structural ruin; God's judgment tool against buildings, altars, and idolatrous systems.
Full entry for הָרַס (H2040) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2040?
The BSB source-word alignment has 43 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and destroyed (2), are torn down (2), torn down (2), will demolish (2), . . . (1).
Where does הָרַס (tehares) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 15:7. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (8), Jeremiah (7), Exodus (5), Proverbs (4).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It and destroyed 2× Isaiah 14:17, Ezekiel 36:35
are torn down 2× Jeremiah 50:15, Ezekiel 30:4
torn down 2× 1 Kings 19:10, 1 Kings 19:14
will demolish 2× Jeremiah 45:4, Malachi 1:4
. . . 1× Exodus 23:24
and demolish 1× Ezekiel 26:4
and demolish it 1× 2 Samuel 11:25
and demolished it 1× 1 Chronicles 20:1
and overthrow 1× Jeremiah 1:10
and tear down 1× Micah 5:11
and they will level 1× Ezekiel 16:39
and you will be ousted 1× Isaiah 22:19
are broken down 1× Joel 1:17
are destroyed 1× Psalms 11:3
break through 1× Exodus 19:24
demolishes it 1× Proverbs 29:4
He has demolished 1× Lamentations 2:2
He has overthrown you 1× Lamentations 2:17
He tears down 1× Job 12:14
He will tear them down 1× Psalms 28:5
I will tear down 1× Ezekiel 13:14
it is torn down 1× Proverbs 11:11
or demolished 1× Jeremiah 31:40
shatter 1× Psalms 58:6
tear [them] down 1× Jeremiah 24:6
tear down 1× Judges 6:25
tear you down 1× Jeremiah 42:10
tears it down 1× Proverbs 14:1
that had been torn down 1× 1 Kings 18:30
They destroyed 1× 2 Kings 3:25
They will demolish 1× Ezekiel 26:12
to break through 1× Exodus 19:21
to demolish 1× Jeremiah 31:28
was broken down 1× Proverbs 24:31
what was destroyed 1× Ezekiel 36:36
will be thrown down 1× Ezekiel 38:20
you are to demolish them 1× Exodus 23:24
You overthrew 1× Exodus 15:7
your destroyers 1× Isaiah 49:17
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 15:7 תַּהֲרֹ֣ס to You overthrew Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Exodus 19:21 יֶהֶרְס֤וּ to to break through Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Exodus 19:24 יֶֽהֶרְס֛וּ to break through Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Exodus 23:24 הָרֵס֙ to you are to demolish them Verb - Piel - Infinitive absolute Exodus 23:24 תְּהָ֣רְסֵ֔ם to . . . Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural Judges 6:25 וְהָרַסְתָּ֗ to tear down Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular 2 Samuel 11:25 וְהָרְסָ֖הּ to and demolish it Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular 1 Kings 18:30 הֶהָרֽוּס׃ to that had been torn down Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular 1 Kings 19:10 הָרָ֔סוּ to torn down Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 1 Kings 19:14 הָרָ֔סוּ to torn down Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 15:7
Aligned rows 43
Books represented 16
Exodus 5 Judges 1 2 Samuel 1 1 Kings 3 2 Kings 1 1 Chronicles 1 Job 1 Psalms 3 Proverbs 4 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 7 Lamentations 2 Ezekiel 8 Joel 1 Micah 1 Malachi 1
Source forms
אֶהֱרֹ֔ס 2x ’e·hĕ·rōs Jeremiah 24:6, Jeremiah 42:10
הָרָ֔סוּ 2x hā·rā·sū 1 Kings 19:10, 1 Kings 19:14
וְהָֽרְסוּ֙ 2x wə·hā·rə·sū Ezekiel 26:4, Ezekiel 26:12
נֶהֶרְס֖וּ 2x ne·her·sū Jeremiah 50:15, Joel 1:17
אֶהֱר֑וֹס 1x ’e·hĕ·rō·ws Malachi 1:4
הֶהָרֽוּס׃ 1x he·hā·rūs 1 Kings 18:30
הַנֶּ֣הֱרָס֔וֹת 1x han·ne·hĕ·rā·sō·wṯ Ezekiel 36:36
הָרֵס֙ 1x hā·rês Exodus 23:24
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 3x Ezekiel 16:39, Ezekiel 26:4, Ezekiel 26:12
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular 3x Jeremiah 24:6, Jeremiah 42:10, Malachi 1:4
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 3x Exodus 19:21, Exodus 19:24, 2 Kings 3:25
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 3x Isaiah 14:17, Lamentations 2:2, Lamentations 2:17
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 2x Ezekiel 30:4, Ezekiel 38:20
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular 2x Ezekiel 13:14, Micah 5:11
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct 2x Jeremiah 1:10, Jeremiah 31:28
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural 2x Jeremiah 50:15, Joel 1:17
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Destruction through violent dismantling, often structural ruin; God's judgment tool against buildings, altars, and idolatrous systems.
Strong's H2040
Lexical occurrences 43 verses Word forms 3 forms 21 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Proverbs 11:11 Source Gloss
to pull down or in pieces, break , destroy
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Destruction through violent dismantling, often structural ruin; God's judgment tool against buildings, altars, and idolatrous systems.
to pull down or in pieces, break, destroy BDB: throw down Usage: beat down, break (down, through), destroy, overthrow, pluck down, pull down, ruin, throw down, × utterly.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 3 Aligned forms 21
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 15×
Imperfect Jer 24:6 · Jer 42:10 · Mal 1:4 · 2Kgs 3:25 · Exod 19:21 · Exod 15:7 · Job 12:14 7×
Perfect Isa 14:17 · Lam 2:2 · Lam 2:17 · 1Kgs 19:10 · 1Kgs 19:14 5×
Jussive Exod 19:24 1×
Participle active Jer 45:4 1×
Sequential imperfect Ps 58:7 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 5×
Perfect Jer 50:15 · Joel 1:17 · Prov 24:31 3×
Imperfect Jer 31:40 · Prov 11:11 2×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 1×
Infinitive absolute Exod 23:24 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
to tear down or demolish
Showing 1 selected witness from 43 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
הָרַס is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
Wicked speech has the power to destabilize and destroy communities. Proverbs 11:11
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain