What does חָרַד (ḥārad) mean in the Bible?
חָרַד (ḥārad): Fear manifested physically—trembling body reflects inner terror; anxiety-driven urgency in movement.
Hebrew · H2729
חָרַד
To shudder with terror; hence, to fear ; also to hasten (with anxiety)
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.
חָרַד H2729
Pronunciation ḥārad
What does חָרַד (ḥārad) mean in the Bible?
חָרַד (ḥārad): Fear manifested physically—trembling body reflects inner terror; anxiety-driven urgency in movement.
Full entry for חָרַד (H2729) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2729?
The BSB source-word alignment has 39 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include tremble (3), to fear (2), to make him afraid (2), trembled (2), and trembled (1).
Where does חָרַד (ḥārad) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 27:33. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (6), 1 Samuel (5), Isaiah (5), Jeremiah (3).
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 tremble 3× Isaiah 41:5, Ezekiel 26:18, Amos 3:6
to fear 2× Leviticus 26:6, Isaiah 17:2
to make him afraid 2× Jeremiah 30:10, Jeremiah 46:27
trembled 2× Exodus 19:16, 1 Samuel 14:15
and trembled 1× 1 Samuel 28:5
and trembling 1× Genesis 42:28
began to tremble violently 1× Genesis 27:33
fear 1× Job 11:19
he trembled 1× 1 Samuel 21:1
I will throw him into a panic 1× 2 Samuel 17:2
in terror 1× 1 Kings 1:49
one to frighten him 1× Micah 4:4
one to frighten them 1× Ezekiel 39:26
one to scare them away 1× Deuteronomy 28:26
one will frighten them 1× Ezekiel 34:28
pounds 1× Job 37:1
quaked 1× Exodus 19:18
routing 1× Judges 8:12
Shudder 1× Isaiah 32:11
they trembled 1× 1 Samuel 16:4
They will come trembling 1× Hosea 11:11
They will tremble 1× Isaiah 19:16
to frighten 1× Ezekiel 30:9
to frighten them away 1× Nahum 2:11
to make them tremble 1× Zephaniah 3:13
to scare them away 1× Jeremiah 7:33
to terrify 1× Zechariah 1:21
trembles 1× Isaiah 10:29
trembling 1× Ezekiel 26:16
trouble 1× 2 Kings 4:13
was startled 1× Ruth 3:8
were quaking in fear 1× 1 Samuel 13:7
will come trembling 1× Hosea 11:10
will tremble 1× Ezekiel 32:10
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 27:33 וַיֶּחֱרַ֨ד to began to tremble violently Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 42:28 וַיֶּֽחֶרְד֞וּ to and trembling Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Exodus 19:16 וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד to trembled Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 19:18 וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד to quaked Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Leviticus 26:6 מַחֲרִ֑יד to to fear Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular Deuteronomy 28:26 מַחֲרִֽיד׃ to one to scare them away Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular Judges 8:12 הֶחֱרִֽיד׃ to routing Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular Ruth 3:8 וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד to was startled Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1 Samuel 13:7 חָרְד֥וּ to were quaking in fear Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 1 Samuel 14:15 חָרְד֖וּ to trembled Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 27:33
Aligned rows 39
Books represented 20
Genesis 2 Exodus 2 Leviticus 1 Deuteronomy 1 Judges 1 Ruth 1 1 Samuel 5 2 Samuel 1 1 Kings 1 2 Kings 1 Job 2 Isaiah 5 Jeremiah 3 Ezekiel 6 Hosea 2 Amos 1 Micah 1 Nahum 1 Zephaniah 1 Zechariah 1
Source forms
מַחֲרִֽיד׃ 7x ma·ḥă·rîḏ Deuteronomy 28:26, Isaiah 17:2, Jeremiah 7:33, Jeremiah 30:10
וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד 4x way·ye·ḥĕ·raḏ Exodus 19:16, Exodus 19:18, Ruth 3:8, 1 Samuel 28:5
מַחֲרִ֑יד 3x ma·ḥă·rîḏ Leviticus 26:6, Job 11:19, Micah 4:4
וַיֶּחֱרַ֨ד 2x way·ye·ḥĕ·raḏ Genesis 27:33, 1 Samuel 21:1
יֶחֱרָ֑דוּ 2x ye·ḥĕ·rā·ḏū Isaiah 41:5, Amos 3:6
מַחֲרִֽיד׃ס 2x ma·ḥă·rîḏ Jeremiah 46:27, Zephaniah 3:13
הֶחֱרִֽיד׃ 1x he·ḥĕ·rîḏ Judges 8:12
וְהַֽחֲרַדְתִּ֣י 1x wə·ha·ḥă·raḏ·tî 2 Samuel 17:2
Parsing patterns
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular 12x Leviticus 26:6, Deuteronomy 28:26, Job 11:19, Isaiah 17:2
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 6x Genesis 27:33, Exodus 19:16, Exodus 19:18, Ruth 3:8
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 4x Isaiah 41:5, Ezekiel 26:18, Hosea 11:11, Amos 3:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 3x Genesis 42:28, 1 Samuel 16:4, 1 Kings 1:49
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 2x Ezekiel 26:16, Ezekiel 32:10
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct 2x Ezekiel 30:9, Zechariah 1:21
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 2x 1 Samuel 13:7, 1 Samuel 14:15
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular 1x 2 Samuel 17:2
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Fear manifested physically—trembling body reflects inner terror; anxiety-driven urgency in movement.
Strong's H2729
Lexical occurrences 39 verses Word forms 2 forms 23 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Hosea 11:8-11 Source Gloss
to shudder with terror; hence, to fear ; also to hasten (with anxiety)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Fear manifested physically—trembling body reflects inner terror; anxiety-driven urgency in movement.
to shudder with terror; hence, to fear; also to hasten (with anxiety) BDB: tremble Usage: be (make) afraid, be careful, discomfit, fray (away), quake, tremble.
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 23
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 13×
Participle active Deut 28:26 · Ezek 34:28 · Ezek 39:26 · Isa 17:2 · Jer 7:33 · Jer 30:10 · Jer 46:27 · Job 11:19 · Lev 26:6 · Mic 4:4 · Nah 2:12 · Zeph 3:13 12×
Perfect Judg 8:12 1×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 10×
Imperfect Amos 3:6 · Ezek 26:18 · Hos 11:11 · Isa 41:5 · Job 37:1 5×
Perfect 1Sam 13:7 · 1Sam 14:15 · 2Kgs 4:13 · Isa 10:29 4×
Sequential imperfect Isa 32:11 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
to tremble
To quake or be terrified.
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 39 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
חָרַד is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
The verb captures the emotional impact of divine intervention. Hosea 11:8-11
Reverent response of returning exiles. Isaiah 19:16-17
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