### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **chôwach**, represented by `{{H2336}}`, comes from a root meaning to pierce. It appears **11 times** across **9 unique verses**. Its primary definition is a **thorn**, **bramble**, or **thistle**. By analogy to its piercing nature, it can also refer to a ring or hook for the nose.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical usage, `{{H2336}}` appears in several distinct contexts. It is used literally to describe thorny plants signifying worthlessness or desolation, such as when Job wishes for **thistles** to grow instead of wheat [[Job 31:40]]. In a parable delivered to the king of Judah, a **thistle** in Lebanon represents an inferior king who is easily trodden down by a wild beast ([[2 Kings 14:9]], [[2 Chronicles 25:18]]). The word also carries the sense of a painful or dangerous object, as in Proverbs, where a parable in a fool's mouth is compared to a **thorn** in a drunkard's hand [[Proverbs 26:9]]. Finally, it is used to denote a hook or piercing implement, as seen when Job is asked if he can bore a creature's jaw with a **thorn** [[Job 41:2]] and when King Manasseh is taken captive "among the **thorns**" [[2 Chronicles 33:11]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the meaning of `{{H2336}}` by association:
* `{{H5518}}` **çîyr**: This word can mean a **pot** or a **thorn**. It appears alongside `{{H2336}}` in prophecies of desolation, where **thorns** (çîyr) and **brambles** (chôwach) are said to overtake ruined fortresses [[Isaiah 34:13]], showing their interchangeable use for describing wild overgrowth.
* `{{H7057}}` **qimmôwsh**: Defined as a **nettle** or prickly plant, this word is often used in parallel with `{{H2336}}`. In prophecies against Israel and Edom, **nettles** and **thorns** or **brambles** are listed together as signs of judgment and abandonment ([[Hosea 9:6]], [[Isaiah 34:13]]).
### Theological Significance
The figurative weight of `{{H2336}}` is significant, often pointing to themes of judgment, worthlessness, and pain.
* **Symbol of Desolation:** Its most common figurative use is to illustrate divine judgment, where once-inhabited palaces and tabernacles become overgrown with **brambles** and **thorns** ([[Isaiah 34:13]], [[Hosea 9:6]]).
* **Emblem of Inferiority:** In the parable of the kings, the **thistle** is contrasted with the mighty cedar to represent foolish pride and eventual humiliation [[2 Chronicles 25:18]].
* **Instrument of Pain and Control:** The word's connection to piercing is used to describe both self-inflicted harm, as with the fool's parable [[Proverbs 26:9]], and the subjugation of a captive, whether a great beast [[Job 41:2]] or a king [[2 Chronicles 33:11]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H2336}}` is a versatile word rooted in the simple act of piercing. This gives rise to its identity as a **thorn**, **thistle**, or **bramble**. From this literal meaning, it becomes a powerful biblical symbol for curse and desolation, a metaphor for foolish pride, and an instrument of pain or capture. The journey of **chôwach** from a plant to a hook illustrates how a concrete object can convey abstract concepts of judgment and control.
TRV