Word Study for H2356 (חוֹר) | Strong's Concordance

chôwr /khore/ Ask about this word

Rootor (shortened) חֹר · the same as חוּר

Meaninga cavity, socket, den

KJV usagecave, hole.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of chôwr — 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 chôwr, represented by H2356, refers to a cavity, socket, den; cave, hole. It appears 7 times across 7 unique verses in the Bible. This term is used to describe a range of physical openings, from natural formations in the earth to man-made apertures.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, H2356 describes various types of cavities. It is used for natural shelters, such as the caves of the earth where people dwell Job 30:6 and the holes where Hebrews hid themselves from the Philistines 1 Samuel 14:11. The term also applies to animal lairs, like the lion's holes filled with prey Nahum 2:12. In man-made contexts, it can be a hole bored in the lid of a chest 2 Kings 12:9, a hole in a wall seen in a vision Ezekiel 8:7, or the hole of a door Song of Solomon 5:4. In a striking anatomical reference, it denotes the eye sockets during a description of a divine plague Zechariah 14:12.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the context of dwelling and terrain:

H4585 mᵉʻôwnâh (den, habitation, dwelling place, refuge): This word for an abode or lair is used in parallel with H2356 in Nahum 2:12, where a lion fills his holes and his dens with prey, emphasizing a place of secured dwelling.
H6178 ʻârûwts (cliffs): Defined as a horrible place or chasm, this word appears alongside H2356 to describe the harsh environment where afflicted people are forced to dwell, in the clifts of the valleys and in caves of the earth Job 30:6.

Theological Significance

The meaning of H2356 often carries significant contextual weight, illustrating broader themes:

Refuge and Hiding: The word frequently denotes a place of shelter or concealment. Hebrews are described as coming out of the holes where they had hidden themselves 1 Samuel 14:11, and in Job's lament, the destitute dwell in caves of the earth Job 30:6.
Divine Judgment and Access to Sin: In a prophetic context, H2356 can signify a point of vulnerability or corruption. The "eyes consuming away in their holes" is a graphic image of God's plague against Jerusalem's enemies Zechariah 14:12. Similarly, the hole in the wall in Ezekiel's vision serves as a secret entrance to witness the idolatry within the court Ezekiel 8:7.
Points of Passage: The term can simply mark an opening for interaction, such as the hole in a chest lid for depositing money for the temple 2 Kings 12:9 or the hole of the door through which a beloved reaches Song of Solomon 5:4.

Summary

In summary, H2356 is a versatile term whose meaning is defined by its context. It is more than a generic word for "hole," serving to illustrate concepts of shelter and desperation 1 Samuel 14:11, the lairs of powerful creatures Nahum 2:12, and the consequences of divine judgment Zechariah 14:12. From a natural cave to a man-made opening or even an eye socket, chôwr points to a specific cavity that can be a place of hiding, a point of passage, or a site of decay.

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 7 occurrences, inflected in 3 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.

חֹרֵי
חֹר
חֹרִים

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 7 verses across 7 of the 39 books. 7 books tie for most frequent (1 verse each); never once in the other 32.

1 Samuel

2 Kings

Job

Song of Solomon

Ezekiel

Nahum

Zechariah

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.