### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **chânêph**, represented by `{{H2610}}`, is a primitive root meaning to soil, especially in a moral sense. It is translated as corrupt, defile, pollute, and profane. Appearing **11 times** across **9 unique verses**, this term signifies a deep spiritual and moral contamination that affects people, land, and sacred institutions.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In scripture, `{{H2610}}` is frequently used to describe the state of the land as a direct result of its inhabitants' sins. The earth is "defiled" because the people have transgressed laws and broken the covenant [[Isaiah 24:5]]. This pollution is specifically linked to the shedding of innocent "blood" `{{H1818}}`, which defiles the land ([[Numbers 35:33]], [[Psalms 106:38]]), and to spiritual infidelity, described as "whoredoms" `{{H2184}}` that pollute the land [[Jeremiah 3:2]]. The term is also applied to people and leaders, as when Jeremiah states that both "prophet" `{{H5030}}` and "priest" `{{H3548}}` are "profane" `{{H2610}}` [[Jeremiah 23:11]]. In Daniel, it is used to describe an enemy's strategy to "corrupt" `{{H2610}}` covenant-breakers with flatteries [[Daniel 11:32]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words illuminate the actions that lead to the state of being **chânêph**:
* `{{H1818}}` **dâm** (blood): This word for blood or bloodshed is a primary cause of defilement. The law explicitly states that the land is defiled `{{H2610}}` by blood `{{H1818}}` and can only be cleansed by the blood of the one who shed it [[Numbers 35:33]].
* `{{H2181}}` **zânâh** (to play the harlot): Often used figuratively for idolatry, this act is a direct cause of pollution. The Lord asks how a land can not be "greatly polluted" `{{H2610}}` when its people have "played the harlot" `{{H2181}}` with many lovers [[Jeremiah 3:1]].
* `{{H2184}}` **zᵉnûwth** (whoredom): As the noun form for spiritual infidelity, this is directly linked to defilement. The land is "polluted" `{{H2610}}` by Israel's "whoredoms" `{{H2184}}` and "wickedness" `{{H7451}}` [[Jeremiah 3:2]], and "defiled" `{{H2610}}` through the "lightness of her whoredom" `{{H2184}}` [[Jeremiah 3:9]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H2610}}` is significant, highlighting key principles of sin and its consequences.
* **The Pollution of Creation:** The word establishes that sin is not an abstract concept but has a tangible defiling effect on the physical land God has given His people. The land itself is tainted by covenant-breaking and bloodshed ([[Isaiah 24:5]], [[Numbers 35:33]]).
* **Corruption of the Sacred:** The use of `{{H2610}}` to describe priests and prophets as "profane" demonstrates that sin corrupts the very institutions meant to uphold righteousness and mediate God's presence [[Jeremiah 23:11]].
* **Covenant Unfaithfulness as Defilement:** The term is intrinsically linked to breaking the covenant, often through idolatry. This spiritual adultery is presented as an act that pollutes and profanes the relationship between God and His people, leading to a defiled state [[Jeremiah 3:1-2]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H2610}}` is a powerful term that illustrates the pervasive and corrupting nature of sin. It moves beyond simple wrongdoing to describe a state of deep moral and spiritual pollution. Whether applied to the land defiled by bloodshed, leaders who have become profane, or a nation polluted by idolatry, **chânêph** conveys a violation of the sacred that stains the core of one's relationship with God.
TRV