What does חָסֵר · לֵב mean in the Bible?
חָסֵר · לֵב: Expresses deficiency or absence of something essential; often denotes spiritual or material want needing divine provision.
Hebrew · H2638, H3820
חָסֵר
Lacking ; hence, without · the heart ; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings , the will and even the intellect ; likewise for the centre of anything
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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
חָסֵרH2638lacking ; hence, without
לֵבH3820the heart ; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings , the will and even the intellect ; likewise for the centre of anything
Pronunciationlev
The seat of will, intellect, and emotion—the inner moral and spiritual center governing all human motivation and choice.
Open lexicon entry →What does חָסֵר (chasar-lev) mean in the Bible?
חָסֵר · לֵב: Expresses deficiency or absence of something essential; often denotes spiritual or material want needing divine provision.
Full entry for חָסֵר (H2638, H3820) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for H2638, H3820?
H2638, H3820 is connected to 615 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew phrase. Expresses deficiency or absence of something essential; often denotes spiritual or material want needing divine provision.
Source Gloss
lacking ; hence, without
Extended definition
Expresses deficiency or absence of something essential; often denotes spiritual or material want needing divine provision.
destitute, fail, lack, have need, void, want.
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 groups1Aligned forms14
Qalbasic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense2×
Perfect1Kgs 17:16 · Eccl 10:32×
Sampled Scripture Occurrences
Representative Scripture witnesses for this entry: passage, original form, and sense in context.
Old Testament Witnesses
lacking understanding or discernment
one lacking heart, understanding, or wisdom
Word Origins
חָסֵר is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
The phrase describes moral deficiency rather than intellectual limitation.Proverbs 10:21
The phrase describes moral and intellectual foolishness.Proverbs 11:12