I. [חָרַם] verb Hiph`il ban, devote, exterminate (MI17 החרמתה of devoting, dedicating a city to Chemosh, in clause with כי explaining massacre of all inhabitants; the altar-hearth of ׳י there was dragged before Chemosh; be prohibited, forbidden, unlawful, become sacred; II. make, pronounce sacred, inviolable; Ethiopic prohibit from common use, consecrate to God, esteem unlawful; Palmyrene חרם = consacrÈ VogNo 35; Nabataean id., Eutp. 28; Sabean מחרם sanctuary, temple, OsZMG 1865, 176. 252, חרמתן DHMZMG 1875, 594; Aramaic אַחֲרִים, and especially anathematize, excommunicate; see also WeSkizzen iii, 165, DrSm 100 ff., RSSemitic i. 140 (150)) — Hiph`il Perfect הֶהֱרִים [Josh 8:26] + 5 t.; הֶחֱרִם [Josh 10:28] 2 masculine singular וְהַחֲרַמְתָּ֫ה [1Sam 15:18] 1 singular הֶחֱרַמְתִּי [1Sam 15:20] וְהַחֲרַמְתִּ֫י [Num 21:2] 2 feminine singular וְהַחֲרַמְתְּ(יׅ consecutive [Mic 4:13] (so ᵐ5 ᵑ9 ᵑ6 ᵑ7 RV most; ᵑ0 1 singular), see Ges«GKC:44»§ 44, R. 4; plural הֶחֱרִימוּ [1Sam 15:9]; [2Chr 32:14] etc.; ([1Sam 15:3] read והחרמתו ᵐ5 We Dr); Imperfect יַחֲרִם [Lev 27:28] וַיַּחֲרֵם [Num 21:3]; [Josh 10:37] suffix וַיַּחֲרִימָהּ [Josh 10:1] 1 plural וַנַּחֲרֵם [Deut 2:34]; [Deut 3:6] etc.; Imperative הַחֲרֵם [Deut 13:16] plural הַחֲרִימוּ [Jer 51:3] suffix הַחֲרִימוּהָ [Jer 50:26] Infinitive absolute הַחֲרֵם [Deut 3:6] + 4 t.; construct הַחֲרִים [2Chr 20:23]; [Dan 11:44] suffix הַחֲרִימָם [Josh 11:20] + 4 t.; — ban, devote (especially religiously, followed by objects hostile to the theocracy [see especially [Exod 22:19] Hoph`al]; this involved generally their destruction; when a city was 'devoted' the inhabitants were put to death, the spoil being destroyed or not according to the gravity of the occasion [contrast [Josh 6:17]; [Josh 6:21]; [1Sam 15:3] with [Deut 2:34]f. [Deut 3:6]; [Deut 3:7]], compare MI17 לעשתר כמש החרמתה to Ashtar-Chemosh I devoted it, i.e. the city Nebo); —
1. most often of devoting to destruction cities of Canaanites and other neighbours of Israel, exterminating inhabitants, and destroying or appropriating their possessions:
\ \ a. Israel and her leaders subject [Num 21:2]; [Num 21:3] (destruction according to vow), [Josh 6:21] (compare חֵרֶם ליהוה v[Josh 6:17] all J); in v[Josh 6:18] read תַּחְמְדוּ (for ᵑ0 תַּחֲרִימוּ, see Di VB); [Josh 8:26] (ᵐ5, not ᵐ5L, omit verse), [Josh 10:1] (JE), [Deut 2:34]; [Deut 3:6] (twice in verse); [Deut 7:2] (twice in verse) (commanded through Moses, compare for underlying thought v[Deut 7:4] v[Deut 7:5] v[Deut 7:6]), [Deut 20:17] (twice in verse) (commanded by ׳י), [Josh 2:10]; [Josh 10:28]; [Josh 10:35]; [Josh 10:37]; [Josh 10:39]; [Josh 10:40] (divine command), [Josh 11:11]; [Josh 11:12]; [Josh 11:20]; [Josh 11:21] (divine command v[Josh 11:12] v[Josh 11:20] all D), [1Sam 15:3]; [1Sam 15:8]; [1Sam 15:9] (twice in verse); [1Sam 15:15]; [1Sam 15:18]; [1Sam 15:20] (divine command v[1Sam 15:3] v[1Sam 15:18] v[1Sam 15:20], compare v[1Sam 15:11] v[1Sam 15:22] v[1Sam 15:23]); quite secondary is simple exterminate [1Kgs 9:21]; [1Chr 4:41].
\ \ b. secondary meaning destroy, exterminate, also with other nations subject: — [2Kgs 19:11] = [Isa 37:11] = [2Chr 32:14]; [2Chr 20:23]; [Jer 50:21]; [Jer 50:26] (both by divine command), [Jer 51:3]; [Dan 11:44].
\ \ c. God as subject, figurative all nations and their armies [Isa 34:2] the nations of Western Asia [Jer 25:9] the tongue of the Egyptian sea (by drying it up) [Isa 11:15] (but read perhaps החריב with ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ9 ᵑ7).
\ \ d. so also of devoting even Israelites: a city of Israel for worshipping other gods [Deut 13:16] residents of Jabesh-Gilead for not joining in campaign against Benjamin [Judg 21:11].
2. devote to ׳י: for sacred uses החרים ליהוה the spoil of the nations [Mic 4:13] private possessions, whether a man, animal, or field [Lev 27:28] (P). Hoph`al Imperfect יָחֳרַם [Lev 27:29]; [Ezra 10:8] יָחֳרָ֑ם [Exod 22:19] —
1. be put under the ban, devoted (to death), for worshipping other gods than ׳י [Exod 22:19] (J E; earliest use of word in OT); for some other theocratic offence [Lev 27:29] (P; see Di).
2. devoted, i.e. forfeited, to the temple treasures [Ezra 10:8]. — On חרם see especially Di (Kn) [Lev 27:28] EwAntiq. 75. 78, Dr [1Sam 15:33].
The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon
License: Public domain document; formatting developed for use in https://marvel.bible by Eliran Wong.
Source: provided by Tim Morton, the developer of Bible Analyzer