What does חָנֵף (ḥānēph) mean in the Bible?
חָנֵף (ḥānēph): Moral corruption that defiles or profanes what should remain holy; often involves covenant violation
Hebrew · H2610
חָנֵף
To soil , especially in a moral sense
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חָנֵף H2610
Pronunciation ḥānēph
What does חָנֵף (ḥānēph) mean in the Bible?
חָנֵף (ḥānēph): Moral corruption that defiles or profanes what should remain holy; often involves covenant violation
Full entry for חָנֵף (H2610) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2610?
The BSB source-word alignment has 11 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include . . . (1), [Israel] had defiled (1), are ungodly (1), be completely defiled (1), he will corrupt (1).
Where does חָנֵף (ḥānēph) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Numbers 35:33. Its strongest book concentrations include Jeremiah (5), Numbers (2), Daniel (1), Isaiah (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 . . . 1× Jeremiah 3:1
[Israel] had defiled 1× Jeremiah 3:9
are ungodly 1× Jeremiah 23:11
be completely defiled 1× Jeremiah 3:1
he will corrupt 1× Daniel 11:32
is defiled 1× Isaiah 24:5
Let her be defiled 1× Micah 4:11
pollute 1× Numbers 35:33
pollutes 1× Numbers 35:33
was polluted 1× Psalms 106:38
You have defiled 1× Jeremiah 3:2
Show sample aligned rows
Numbers 35:33 תַחֲנִ֣יפוּ to pollute Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural Numbers 35:33 יַחֲנִ֖יף to pollutes Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Psalms 106:38 וַתֶּחֱנַ֥ף to was polluted Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular Isaiah 24:5 חָנְפָ֖ה to is defiled Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular Jeremiah 3:1 חָנ֥וֹף to be completely defiled Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute Jeremiah 3:1 תֶּחֱנַ֖ף to . . . Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Jeremiah 3:2 וַתַּחֲנִ֣יפִי to You have defiled Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - second person feminine singular Jeremiah 3:9 וַתֶּחֱנַ֖ף to [Israel] had defiled Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular Jeremiah 23:11 חָנֵ֑פוּ to are ungodly Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Daniel 11:32 יַחֲנִ֖יף to he will corrupt Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Numbers 35:33
Aligned rows 11
Books represented 6
Numbers 2 Psalms 1 Isaiah 1 Jeremiah 5 Daniel 1 Micah 1
Source forms
יַחֲנִ֖יף 2x ya·ḥă·nîp̄ Numbers 35:33, Daniel 11:32
וַתַּחֲנִ֣יפִי 1x wat·ta·ḥă·nî·p̄î Jeremiah 3:2
וַתֶּחֱנַ֥ף 1x wat·te·ḥĕ·nap̄ Psalms 106:38
וַתֶּחֱנַ֖ף 1x wat·te·ḥĕ·nap̄ Jeremiah 3:9
חָנ֥וֹף 1x ḥā·nō·wp̄ Jeremiah 3:1
חָנְפָ֖ה 1x ḥā·nə·p̄āh Isaiah 24:5
חָנֵ֑פוּ 1x ḥā·nê·p̄ū Jeremiah 23:11
תַחֲנִ֣יפוּ 1x ṯa·ḥă·nî·p̄ū Numbers 35:33
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular 2x Psalms 106:38, Jeremiah 3:9
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x Numbers 35:33, Daniel 11:32
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular 2x Jeremiah 3:1, Micah 4:11
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - second person feminine singular 1x Jeremiah 3:2
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural 1x Numbers 35:33
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute 1x Jeremiah 3:1
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 1x Jeremiah 23:11
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular 1x Isaiah 24:5
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Moral corruption that defiles or profanes what should remain holy; often involves covenant violation
Strong's H2610
Lexical occurrences 11 verses Word forms 2 forms 8 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Isaiah 24:1-6 Source Gloss
to soil , especially in a moral sense
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Moral corruption that defiles or profanes what should remain holy; often involves covenant violation
to soil, especially in a moral sense BDB: be polluted Usage: corrupt, defile, × greatly, pollute, profane.
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 8
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 3×
Imperfect Dan 11:32 · Num 35:33 3×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 5×
Imperfect Jer 3:1 · Mic 4:11 2×
Perfect Isa 24:5 · Jer 23:11 2×
Infinitive absolute Jer 3:1 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Polluted or morally corrupted.
Showing 1 selected witness from 11 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
חָנֵף is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
Moral corruption is portrayed as contaminating the earth itself. Isaiah 24:1-6
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