a primitive root; apparently; to injure; make self strange.
Transliteration:hâkar
Pronunciation:haw-kar'
Detailed Word Study
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### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew root `{{H1970}}` *hâkar* is presented as a primitive root with the proposed meanings "to injure" and "to make self strange" or "to be alienated." The inclusion of "apparently" in its base definition is a significant scholarly caveat, indicating that its direct attestation as an independent verbal form in the Masoretic Text is highly debated or extremely rare. If indeed a distinct root, *hâkar* would semantically denote a state or action of profound alteration, leading to damage, disfigurement, or a fundamental shift into a state of unfamiliarity or estrangement. It implies a departure from a known or proper state, resulting in something foreign or harmful.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
It is crucial to note that `{{H1970}}` *hâkar* is not directly attested as an independent verbal form in the standard Masoretic Text. Its inclusion in lexicons often stems from its proposed etymological link to other, more common roots, or from very rare, disputed textual readings where some scholars have suggested its presence. Therefore, there are no specific biblical contexts where `{{H1970}}` itself can be analyzed in active usage. Its meaning is primarily inferred from its conceptual relationship to other terms and the semantic field it theoretically occupies. Any discussion of its "occurrence" must be understood as referring to its theoretical existence as a root or its proposed connection to more frequently attested words.
### Related Words & Concepts
The primary related root to `{{H1970}}` *hâkar* is `{{H5235}}` *nâkar*. While phonetically similar, `{{H5235}}` *nâkar* is a well-attested verb with a broad semantic range, including "to know, recognize," but also "to disown, deny, act strange, be estranged, treat as foreign." The noun forms derived from `{{H5235}}` *nâkar* are also highly significant: `{{H5237}}` *nêḵār*, meaning "foreignness, a foreigner, alien," and `{{H5236}}` *nokhri*, meaning "foreigner, alien."
Scholars often consider `{{H1970}}` *hâkar* to be a phonetic or semantic variant of `{{H5235}}` *nâkar*, or a proposed root from which the concepts of foreignness and estrangement might stem. The conceptual field shared by these related terms includes:
* **Alienation and Estrangement:** A state of being separate, unfamiliar, or hostile.
* **Lack of Recognition/Disowning:** The inability or refusal to acknowledge someone or something as familiar or belonging.
* **Distinctiveness and Separation:** The quality of being set apart, often with implications for purity or identity.
This cluster of words speaks to the biblical understanding of identity, belonging, and the boundaries between the sacred and the profane, the familiar and the alien.
### Theological Significance
Though `{{H1970}}` *hâkar* itself is not directly attested, its proposed meaning and conceptual ties to related words carry significant theological weight. It highlights the biblical concern with *foreignness* and *estrangement*, particularly in a spiritual or covenantal sense.
This conceptual space is crucial for understanding:
* **Israel's Distinct Identity:** The call for Israel to be a people set apart, distinct from the nations around them, maintaining their unique covenant relationship with Yahweh ([[Exodus 19:5-6]], [[Deuteronomy 7:6]]). Anything "strange" or "foreign" could threaten this distinctiveness.
* **Spiritual Purity and Defilement:** The danger of spiritual "alienation" through idolatry, foreign practices, or mixed marriages, which could "injure" or corrupt the community's spiritual integrity ([[Deuteronomy 31:16]], [[Nehemiah 13:30]]).
* **The Nature of Sin:** Sin often involves an act of "estrangement" from God, a turning away from His ways to pursue what is "foreign" to His will ([[Jeremiah 2:32]]).
* **The Believer's Status as Sojourner:** The New Testament concept of believers being "strangers and sojourners" in the world, distinct from its values and ways ([[1 Peter 2:11]]), resonates with the Old Testament emphasis on separation from what is foreign to God.
* **Reconciliation:** Ultimately, the gospel speaks of Christ reconciling those who were once "strangers and aliens" to God, bringing them into His household ([[Ephesians 2:19]]). The very concept of alienation, potentially encapsulated in *hâkar*, provides the dark canvas against which the light of reconciliation shines.
### Summary
`{{H1970}}` *hâkar* is a primitive Hebrew root whose direct attestation in the Masoretic Text is highly debated, making it more of a theoretical or extremely rare linguistic entry. Its proposed meanings, "to injure" and "to make self strange" or "to be alienated," place it within a semantic field concerned with alteration, damage, and estrangement. While not directly employed in biblical narratives, its conceptual significance is profound, primarily through its close relationship with the well-attested root `{{H5235}}` *nâkar* and its derivatives, which speak to the pervasive biblical themes of foreignness, alienation, and the crucial importance of maintaining distinct identity and purity within God's covenant. It serves as a linguistic marker for the boundaries between the sacred and the profane, the familiar and the alien, within biblical thought, underscoring the vital call to holiness and separation unto God.
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