What does חֹרֶב (ḥōreb) mean in the Bible?
חֹרֶב (ḥōreb): Desolation marked by absolute dryness; often describes land stripped bare or divine judgment rendered visible through environmental devastation.
Hebrew · H2721
חֹרֶב
Drought or desolation
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חֹרֶבH2721
Pronunciationḥōreb
What does חֹרֶב (ḥōreb) mean in the Bible?
חֹרֶב (ḥōreb): Desolation marked by absolute dryness; often describes land stripped bare or divine judgment rendered visible through environmental devastation.
Full entry for חֹרֶב (H2721) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2721?
The BSB source-word alignment has 16 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include A drought (2), dry (2), from the heat (2), [and] exposed to heat (1), a ruin (1).
Where does חֹרֶב (ḥōreb) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 31:40. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (5), Jeremiah (3), Judges (3), 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 ItA drought2×Jeremiah 50:38, Haggai 1:11
dry2×Judges 6:39, Judges 6:40
from the heat2×Isaiah 4:6, Isaiah 25:4
[and] exposed to heat1×Jeremiah 36:30
a ruin1×Jeremiah 49:13
but desolation1×Zephaniah 2:14
cools the heat1×Isaiah 25:5
is dry1×Judges 6:37
like heat1×Isaiah 25:5
the heat1×Genesis 31:40
the ruined1×Isaiah 61:4
wasteland1×Ezekiel 29:10
with fever1×Job 30:30
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 31:40חֹ֖רֶבtothe heatNoun - masculine singularJudges 6:37חֹ֔רֶבtois dryNoun - masculine singularJudges 6:39חֹ֤רֶבtodryNoun - masculine singularJudges 6:40חֹ֤רֶבtodryNoun - masculine singularJob 30:30חֹֽרֶב׃towith feverNoun - masculine singularIsaiah 4:6מֵחֹ֑רֶבtofrom the heatPreposition-m | Noun - masculine singularIsaiah 25:4מֵחֹ֔רֶבtofrom the heatPreposition-m | Noun - masculine singularIsaiah 25:5כְּחֹ֣רֶבtolike heatPreposition-k | Noun - masculine singularIsaiah 25:5חֹ֚רֶבtocools the heatNoun - masculine singularIsaiah 61:4חֹ֔רֶבtothe ruinedNoun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 31:40
Aligned rows16
Books represented8
Genesis1Judges3Job1Isaiah5Jeremiah3Ezekiel1Zephaniah1Haggai1
Source forms
חֹ֔רֶב2xḥō·reḇJudges 6:37, Isaiah 61:4
חֹ֤רֶב2xḥō·reḇJudges 6:39, Judges 6:40
חֹ֣רֶב2xḥō·reḇEzekiel 29:10, Zephaniah 2:14
חֹ֖רֶב1xḥō·reḇGenesis 31:40
חֹ֚רֶב1xḥō·reḇIsaiah 25:5
חֹ֥רֶב1xḥō·reḇJeremiah 50:38
חֹ֜רֶב1xḥō·reḇHaggai 1:11
חֹֽרֶב׃1xḥō·reḇJob 30:30
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular11xGenesis 31:40, Judges 6:37, Judges 6:39, Judges 6:40
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular2xIsaiah 4:6, Isaiah 25:4
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular1xIsaiah 25:5
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular1xJeremiah 49:13
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular1xJeremiah 36:30
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Desolation marked by absolute dryness; often describes land stripped bare or divine judgment rendered visible through environmental devastation.
Source Gloss
drought or desolation
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Desolation marked by absolute dryness; often describes land stripped bare or divine judgment rendered visible through environmental devastation.
drought or desolation BDB: dryness Usage: desolation, drought, dry, heat, × utterly, waste.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.