The Hebrew word chănuphâh, represented by H2613, denotes impiety or profaneness. It appears just 1 time in 1 unique verse in the entire Bible, making its single usage highly specific and significant. The term is a feminine noun that signifies a state of ungodliness or sacrilege that has a corrupting influence.
The sole appearance of H2613 is in Jeremiah 23:15, where the LORD of hosts pronounces judgment against the prophets of Jerusalem. He declares that because profaneness has "gone forth" from them into all the land, He will feed them with wormwood and make them drink the water of gall. This context firmly places the origin of the land's corruption with its spiritual leaders, identifying their impiety as the source of a widespread problem.
Several related words from its context illuminate the meaning of H2613:
- H5030 nâbîyʼ (a prophet or (generally) inspired man): This term identifies the source of the profaneness. The scripture is clear that the impiety originates "from the prophets of Jerusalem" Jeremiah 23:15.
- H3318 yâtsâʼ (to go (causatively, bring) out): This word describes the action of the profaneness spreading from its source. The impiety is not contained but has "gone forth" to contaminate the entire land Jeremiah 23:15.
- H3389 Yᵉrûwshâlaim (Jerusalem, the capital city of Palestine): This specifies the geographic and spiritual heart from which the corruption originates, making the transgression particularly grievous Jeremiah 23:15.
- H3939 laʻănâh (wormwood (regarded as poisonous, and therefore accursed)): This represents the bitter consequence of the profaneness. The prophets who spread impiety are made to consume that which is poisonous and accursed as a direct judgment Jeremiah 23:15.
The theological weight of H2613 is concentrated in its singular, powerful use.
- Corruption of Leadership: The word is used to issue a divine indictment against spiritual leaders. It shows that profaneness originating from the prophets of Jerusalem H3389 is the cause of the land's spiritual decay Jeremiah 23:15.
- The Principle of Sowing and Reaping: The judgment for spreading profaneness is directly proportional to the sin. The prophets are fed H398 with wormwood H3939 and made to drink H8248 the water of gall H7219, a bitter harvest for their impious influence Jeremiah 23:15.
- Widespread Impact of Sin: The use of chănuphâh illustrates how impiety, especially from a central source of authority, can pervasively spread "into all the land" H776, affecting an entire nation Jeremiah 23:15.
In summary, H2613 chănuphâh, while rare, provides a potent definition of profaneness as a corrupting force. Its lone appearance in Jeremiah 23:15 serves as a focused and severe warning about the immense responsibility of spiritual leaders and the devastating, widespread consequences that arise when they become the source of impiety rather than its remedy.
TRV