What does חָטַב (ḥāṭab) mean in the Bible?
חָטַב (ḥāṭab): Physical labor of shaping raw material; used metaphorically for disciplining or refining character through hardship
Hebrew · H2404
חָטַב
To chop or carve wood
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חָטַב H2404
Pronunciation ḥāṭab
What does חָטַב (ḥāṭab) mean in the Bible?
חָטַב (ḥāṭab): Physical labor of shaping raw material; used metaphorically for disciplining or refining character through hardship
Full entry for חָטַב (H2404) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2404?
The BSB source-word alignment has 9 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include woodcutters (2), as woodcutters (1), carved (1), like woodsmen cutting down trees (1), or cut it (1).
Where does חָטַב (ḥāṭab) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Deuteronomy 19:5. Its strongest book concentrations include Joshua (3), Deuteronomy (2), 2 Chronicles (1), Ezekiel (1).
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 woodcutters 2× Joshua 9:21, Joshua 9:27
as woodcutters 1× Joshua 9:23
carved 1× Psalms 144:12
like woodsmen cutting down trees 1× Jeremiah 46:22
or cut it 1× Ezekiel 39:10
the woodcutters 1× 2 Chronicles 2:10
to cut 1× Deuteronomy 19:5
who cut 1× Deuteronomy 29:11
Show sample aligned rows
Deuteronomy 19:5 לַחְטֹ֣ב to to cut Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Deuteronomy 29:11 מֵחֹטֵ֣ב to who cut Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct Joshua 9:21 חֹטְבֵ֨י to woodcutters Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct Joshua 9:23 וְחֹטְבֵ֥י to as woodcutters Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct Joshua 9:27 חֹטְבֵ֥י to woodcutters Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct 2 Chronicles 2:10 לַֽחֹטְבִ֣ים׀ to the woodcutters Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural Psalms 144:12 מְ֝חֻטָּב֗וֹת to carved Verb - Pual - Participle - feminine plural Jeremiah 46:22 כְּחֹטְבֵ֖י to like woodsmen cutting down trees Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct Ezekiel 39:10 יַחְטְבוּ֙ to or cut it Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Deuteronomy 19:5
Aligned rows 9
Books represented 6
Deuteronomy 2 Joshua 3 2 Chronicles 1 Psalms 1 Jeremiah 1 Ezekiel 1
Source forms
וְחֹטְבֵ֥י 1x wə·ḥō·ṭə·ḇê Joshua 9:23
חֹטְבֵ֨י 1x ḥō·ṭə·ḇê Joshua 9:21
חֹטְבֵ֥י 1x ḥō·ṭə·ḇê Joshua 9:27
יַחְטְבוּ֙ 1x yaḥ·ṭə·ḇū Ezekiel 39:10
כְּחֹטְבֵ֖י 1x kə·ḥō·ṭə·ḇê Jeremiah 46:22
לַחְטֹ֣ב 1x laḥ·ṭōḇ Deuteronomy 19:5
לַֽחֹטְבִ֣ים׀ 1x la·ḥō·ṭə·ḇîm 2 Chronicles 2:10
מֵחֹטֵ֣ב 1x mê·ḥō·ṭêḇ Deuteronomy 29:11
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct 2x Joshua 9:21, Joshua 9:27
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct 1x Joshua 9:23
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct 1x Jeremiah 46:22
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct 1x Deuteronomy 19:5
Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural 1x 2 Chronicles 2:10
Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct 1x Deuteronomy 29:11
Verb - Pual - Participle - feminine plural 1x Psalms 144:12
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x Ezekiel 39:10
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Physical labor of shaping raw material; used metaphorically for disciplining or refining character through hardship
Source Gloss
to chop or carve wood
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Physical labor of shaping raw material; used metaphorically for disciplining or refining character through hardship
to chop or carve wood BDB: cut Usage: cut down, hew(-er), polish.
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 2 Aligned forms 4
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 3×
Participle active Josh 9:21 · Josh 9:27 2×
Imperfect Ezek 39:10 1×
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 1×
Participle passive Ps 144:12 1×
Word Origins
חָטַב is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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