Word Study for H2032 (הֵרוֹן)

hêrôwn /hay-rone'/ Ask about this word

Rootor הֵרָיוֹן · from הָרָה

Meaningpregnancy

KJV usageconception.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of hêrôwn — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word hêrôwn, represented by H2032, means pregnancy or conception. Although it appears only 3 times across 3 unique verses, its usage is theologically significant. The term is derived from the word הָרָה, establishing its direct connection to the state of being pregnant.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, the use of H2032 highlights its role in both divine judgment and blessing. It first appears as part of the curse upon the woman H802, where God states, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception" Genesis 3:16. In sharp contrast, it is presented as a divine gift in the book of Ruth, where "the LORD gave her conception" after she married Boaz, resulting in a son Ruth 4:13. Finally, in a prophecy of judgment, Hosea declares that Ephraim's glory will vanish, starting from the very beginning of life: "from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception" Hosea 9:11.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide deeper context for the meaning of H2032:

H3205 yâlad (to bear young): This term describes the outcome of a successful conception, the act of bringing forth children. It is used immediately following the mention of conception in the curse on the woman Genesis 3:16.
H6093 ʻitstsâbôwn (worrisomeness, i.e. labor or pain): This word is explicitly paired with H2032 in Genesis, where the multiplication of sorrow is directly linked to the woman's conception Genesis 3:16.
H990 beṭen (the belly, especially the womb): As the physical location of conception, this word is used in conjunction with H2032 in Hosea's prophecy to emphasize the removal of posterity from its earliest stage Hosea 9:11.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2032 is significant despite its infrequent use.

Divine Sovereignty: The term underscores God's ultimate authority over the beginning of life. He is the one who "gave her conception" as a blessing Ruth 4:13 and also the one who removes it as a judgment Hosea 9:11.
Consequence and Blessing: The word is presented with a dual meaning. In Genesis, conception is tied to the sorrow resulting from the fall Genesis 3:16. Yet, in Ruth, it is clearly portrayed as a gracious gift from the LORD.
Foundation of Life: In Hosea's prophecy, conception is identified as the first in a sequence of life's stages, establishing it as a foundational point for a people's existence and future, the loss of which signifies a complete end to their glory Hosea 9:11.

Summary

In summary, hêrôwn H2032 is far more than a biological term. It frames conception as an event directly governed by divine will. Through its limited appearances, the word illustrates the profound realities of God's sovereignty, the consequences of sin, and the power of divine blessing, showing that the very start of human life is a matter of heavenly intervention.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 3 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

הֵרָיוֹן
הֵרֹנֵ

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 3 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Genesis, Ruth, and Hosea (1 verse each); never once in the other 36.

Genesis

Ruth

Hosea

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.