What does חָנָה (ḥōnēh) mean in the Bible?
חָנָה (ḥōnēh): To pitch tent and encamp; denotes settled dwelling under covenant, protective encampment, or divine presence.
Hebrew · H2583
חָנָה
Properly, to incline ; by implication, to decline (of the slanting rays of evening); specifically, to pitch a tent; generally to encamp (for abode or siege)
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
חָנָה H2583
Pronunciation ḥōnēh
What does חָנָה (ḥōnēh) mean in the Bible?
חָנָה (ḥōnēh): To pitch tent and encamp; denotes settled dwelling under covenant, protective encampment, or divine presence.
Full entry for חָנָה (H2583) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2583?
The BSB source-word alignment has 143 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and camped (60), camped (12), They camped (6), and they camped (4), are to camp (4).
Where does חָנָה (ḥōnēh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 26:17. Its strongest book concentrations include Numbers (74), 1 Samuel (13), Judges (12), Exodus (9).
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 camped 60× Exodus 13:20, Numbers 12:16, Numbers 21:10, Numbers 21:11
camped 12× Exodus 19:2, Numbers 9:22, Judges 7:1, Judges 15:9
They camped 6× Exodus 17:1, Numbers 2:34, Numbers 9:18, Numbers 9:23
and they camped 4× Exodus 15:27, Numbers 33:7, Numbers 33:9, 1 Samuel 17:1
are to camp 4× Numbers 1:52, Numbers 1:53, Numbers 2:2, Numbers 2:3
they encamped 3× Numbers 2:17, 2 Kings 25:1, Jeremiah 52:4
was encamped 3× Exodus 18:5, 2 Samuel 23:13, 1 Chronicles 11:15
were to camp 3× Numbers 3:23, Numbers 3:29, Numbers 3:38
will camp 3× Numbers 2:5, Numbers 2:12, Numbers 2:27
- 2× Exodus 19:2, Numbers 2:2
and encamp 2× Exodus 14:2, Job 19:12
and encamped 2× Genesis 26:17, Joshua 11:5
encamped 2× Judges 9:50, Judges 11:20
encamps 2× Psalms 27:3, Psalms 34:7
that lie 2× Numbers 10:5, Numbers 10:6
They laid siege 2× Joshua 10:31, Joshua 10:34
[the armies] camped 1× 1 Kings 20:29
and camp 1× Numbers 1:50
and he camped 1× Genesis 33:18
and laid siege 1× 1 Samuel 11:1
and they would camp 1× Numbers 9:20
and we camped 1× Ezra 8:15
are camped 1× 2 Samuel 11:11
are to remain 1× Numbers 31:19
as they camped 1× Exodus 14:9
But I will camp around 1× Zechariah 9:8
Encamp 1× Jeremiah 50:29
encamping 1× Judges 6:4
for you to camp 1× Deuteronomy 1:33
had camped 1× 1 Samuel 26:5
He laid siege 1× 2 Chronicles 32:1
I will camp 1× Isaiah 29:3
in the camp 1× 1 Kings 16:16
is almost over 1× Judges 19:9
is to be pitched 1× Numbers 1:51
lay siege 1× 2 Samuel 12:28
of those who besieged you 1× Psalms 53:5
out and camped 1× Numbers 21:12
So they settled 1× Nehemiah 11:30
that settle 1× Nahum 3:17
they remained encamped 1× Numbers 9:18
they were to camp 1× Numbers 3:35
were camped 1× Joshua 5:10
were encamped 1× 1 Kings 16:15
where we should camp 1× Numbers 10:31
would camp 1× Numbers 9:17
You are to encamp 1× Exodus 14:2
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 26:17 וַיִּ֥חַן to and encamped Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 33:18 וַיִּ֖חַן to and he camped Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 13:20 וַיַּחֲנ֣וּ to and camped Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Exodus 14:2 וְיַחֲנוּ֙ to and encamp Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural Exodus 14:2 תַחֲנ֖וּ to You are to encamp Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural Exodus 14:9 חֹנִ֣ים to as they camped Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural Exodus 15:27 וַיַּחֲנוּ־ to and they camped Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Exodus 17:1 וַֽיַּחֲנוּ֙ to They camped Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Exodus 18:5 חֹנֶ֥ה to was encamped Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Exodus 19:2 וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ to - Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 26:17
Aligned rows 143
Books represented 20
Genesis 2 Exodus 9 Numbers 74 Deuteronomy 1 Joshua 7 Judges 12 1 Samuel 13 2 Samuel 5 1 Kings 4 2 Kings 1 1 Chronicles 2 2 Chronicles 1 Ezra 1 Nehemiah 1 Job 1 Psalms 3 Isaiah 2 Jeremiah 2 Nahum 1 Zechariah 1
Source forms
וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ 47x way·ya·ḥă·nū Exodus 19:2, Numbers 12:16, Numbers 21:10, Numbers 21:12
וַֽיַּחֲנוּ֙ 9x way·ya·ḥă·nū Exodus 17:1, Numbers 22:1, Numbers 33:14, Numbers 33:37
וַיַּחֲנ֣וּ 7x way·ya·ḥă·nū Exodus 13:20, Numbers 33:6, Joshua 10:34, Judges 6:4
וַֽיַּחֲנ֛וּ 4x way·ya·ḥă·nū Numbers 33:44, Numbers 33:47, Judges 18:12, 1 Samuel 17:1
יַחֲנ֖וּ 4x ya·ḥă·nū Numbers 2:2, Numbers 3:23, Numbers 3:35, Numbers 9:17
וַיַּחֲנ֥וּ 3x way·ya·ḥă·nū Numbers 33:36, Joshua 5:10, Nehemiah 11:30
חֹנִ֔ים 3x ḥō·nîm 1 Samuel 29:1, 2 Samuel 11:11, 1 Kings 16:15
יַחֲנֽוּ׃ 3x ya·ḥă·nū Numbers 1:50, Numbers 2:2, Numbers 9:18
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 80x Exodus 13:20, Exodus 15:27, Exodus 17:1, Exodus 19:2
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 14x Numbers 1:50, Numbers 1:53, Numbers 2:2, Numbers 2:17
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 10x Genesis 26:17, Genesis 33:18, Exodus 19:2, Joshua 10:31
Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural 5x Numbers 2:3, Numbers 2:5, Numbers 2:12, Numbers 2:27
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural 5x Exodus 14:9, 1 Samuel 26:5, 1 Samuel 29:1, 2 Samuel 11:11
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural 4x Numbers 10:5, Numbers 10:6, 1 Kings 16:16, Nahum 3:17
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 3x Numbers 2:34, 1 Samuel 4:1, 1 Samuel 13:16
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular 2x Isaiah 29:3, Zechariah 9:8
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. To pitch tent and encamp; denotes settled dwelling under covenant, protective encampment, or divine presence.
Strong's H2583
Lexical occurrences 143 verses Word forms 1 form 33 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Psalms 34:1–7 Source Gloss
properly, to incline ; by implication, to decline (of the slanting rays of evening); specifically, to pitch a tent; generally to encamp (for abode or siege)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
To pitch tent and encamp; denotes settled dwelling under covenant, protective encampment, or divine presence.
properly, to incline; by implication, to decline (of the slanting rays of evening); specifically, to pitch a tent; generally to encamp (for abode or siege) BDB: decline Usage: abide (in tents), camp, dwell, encamp, grow to an end, lie, pitch (tent), rest in tent.
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 1 Aligned forms 33
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 33×
Imperfect Num 1:50 · Num 1:53 · Num 2:2 · Num 2:17 · Num 3:23 · Num 3:29 · Num 3:35 · Num 9:17 · Num 9:18 · Num 9:20 · Num 9:22 · Num 9:23 · Exod 14:2 · Ps 27:3 16×
Participle active 1Chr 11:15 · 1Kgs 16:15 · 1Sam 26:5 · 1Sam 29:1 · 2Sam 11:11 · 2Sam 23:13 · Exod 14:9 · Exod 18:5 · Ps 34:8 9×
Perfect 1Sam 4:1 · 1Sam 13:16 · Num 2:34 · 1Sam 26:5 · Isa 29:1 5×
Sequential imperfect Jer 50:29 · Num 31:19 2×
Infinitive construct Judg 19:9 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Encamping; pitching a tent; stationing a military guard around a person or place
Showing 1 selected witness from 143 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
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