Bible Lexicons

חָרַשׁ [fut. יַחֲרשׁ and יֶחֱרַשׁ]

(1)  to cutinto, to inscribe letters on a tablet, Gr. χαράσσω, χαράττω, Jeremiah 17:1. (Kindred roots are חָרַז, חָרַץ, חָרַט [חָרַת], which see. Syr. ܚܪܶܫ is, to cut some one’s throat.)

(2) to fabricate, out of metal (1 Kings 7:14), wood, stone (see חָרָשׁ ), with an acc. of the material, 1 Ki. loc. cit. Metaph. to devise evil things, Proverbs 6:14, 12:20 14:22 (where alone by zeugma there is also חָרַשׁ טוֹב); followed by עַל against some one, Proverbs 3:29. So in Lat. fabricari fraudem, Plant. Asin. i. 1, 89; doli fabricator, Virg. Æn. ii. 264; κακὰ τεύχειν, δόλον τεύχειν, Hom, Hesiod., τεχνάζω to devise, τέκτων a deviser, τεκταίνεσθαι μῆτιν, Il. x. 19.

(3) fut. יַחֲרשׁ to plow (Arab. حَرَثَ Eth. ሐረሰ፡ id., حَارِثُ a plowman, a husbandman, مِحْرَاثُ a plow); spoken of oxen plowing, Job 1:14 and of the plowman; with בְּ before the cattle, Deuteronomy 22:10; Judges 14:18 with an acc. of the field, 1 Kings 19:19; Psalms 129:3, עַל גַּבִּי חָֽרְשׁוּ חֹרְשִׁים “the plowers plowed upon my back,” i.e. they furrowed my back with stripes, as the ground is furrowed with the plow. Metaph. to plow, or to plow in iniquity (Unheil einackern), as elsewhere to sow evil, to prepare it for time to come, opp. to, to reap calamity, Job 4:8; Hosea 10:13.

(4) fut. יֶחֱרַשׁ to be deaf (compare חֵרֵשׁ deaf), Micah 7:16, also to be dumb (which often is the result of deafness, and is thus connected with it), to keep silence. (Syr. ܚܪܶܫ, Med. E., Arab. خَرَسَ id., أَخْرَسُ dumb. The origin of this meaning lies in cutting off, hacking, and חֵרֵשׁ properly is blunted, ftumpf, ftumpffinnig, like κωφός dumb and deaf, from κόπτειν, and Germ. ftumm of the same origin as ftumpf. Others regard חֵרֵשׁ as applied to one from whom speech and hearing are cut off.) [“But the examples show that חָרַשׁ implies only voluntary silence, and so differs from אִלֵּם which refers to that which is involuntary.”] Often used of God when not answering the prayers of men, i.e. not attending to them (opp. to עָנָה). Psalms 35:22, רָאִיתָה יְיָ אַל־תֶּחֱרַשׁ “thou hast seen (all) O Jehovah, keep not silence.” Psalms 39:13, 83:2 109:1. Followed by מִן in a pregnant sense, Psalms 28:1, אַל תֶּחֱרַשׁ מִמֶּנִּי “be not silent from me,” do not silently turn away from me.

(5) A trace of the Chaldee signification to be entangled, is found in the noun חֹרֶשׁ.

Niphal, pass. of No. 3, to be plowed, Jeremiah 26:8; Micah 3:12.

Hiphil

(1) i.q. Kal No. 3, to devise evil, 1 Samuel 23:9.

(2) i.q. Kal No. 4, to be deaf (properly, to act as if deaf), 1 Samuel 10:27, to be dumb (properly, to act as if dumb); to keep silence, Genesis 34:5; Psalms 32:3, 50:21. Followed by לְ to bear silently, to pass by, Numbers 30:5, Numbers 30:8, 12 Numbers 30:12, 15 Numbers 30:15 followed by an acc. id., Job 11:3 followed by מִן to be silent from some one, i.e. to hear some one silently; followed by אֶל id., Isaiah 41:1 to be silent about any thing (etwas verfchweigen), Job 41:4. Like Kal, it often signifies to be quiet. Exodus 14:14, “the Lord will fight for you, וְאַתֶּם תַּחֲרִישׁוּן and you shall keep quiet,” or be still. Followed by מִן quietly to depart from some one, to desist from some thing, Jeremiah 38:27; 1 Samuel 7:8 followed by a gerund, quietly and inactively to omit doing something, 2 Samuel 19:11. Used of God; to be quiet as to sin, to pardon (opp. to punishing), Zephaniah 3:17.

[“Causat. to put to silence, to make one hold his peace, Job 11:3.”]

Hithpael, to keep oneself quiet, Judges 16:2.

The derivative nouns follow, except [חָרִישׁ] חֲרִישִׁי, מַחֲרֵשָׁה, מַחֲרֶשֶׁת.