### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew root H2628 (חָסַל, *châçal*) is a primitive verb, indicating a fundamental action. Its core meaning encompasses the acts of "eating off" or "consuming." This implies a thorough, often destructive, form of consumption where something is completely devoured or removed through the act of eating. The nuance suggests not just ingestion, but a process that leaves little or nothing behind, signifying depletion or ruin. It points to an agent that consumes in such a way as to exhaust or destroy its target.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The verbal form of H2628 (חָסַל, *châçal*) appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, making its singular occurrence particularly impactful.
* [[Deuteronomy 28:38]]: "You shall carry much seed out to the field, but you shall gather in little, for the locust shall consume it." In this verse, *châçal* describes the devastating action of the locust (אֶת־הֶחָסִיל יֶחְסְלֶנּוּ - "the locust shall consume it"). This verse is part of the extensive list of curses for covenant disobedience. The consumption by the locust is presented as a direct consequence of unfaithfulness, leading to agricultural ruin and the futility of human labor. The word emphasizes the completeness of the destruction, ensuring that the expected harvest will be meager, if any. The context highlights divine judgment manifested through natural calamity.
### Related Words & Concepts
The most significant lexical relative to H2628 is its direct derivative, the noun `{{H2629}}` (חָסִיל, *châsîl*), which means "the consumer" or specifically "locust." This noun appears multiple times in the Old Testament, consistently referring to a type of locust known for its destructive feeding habits, thereby solidifying the primary association of the root with insect devastation.
* `{{H2629}}` examples: [[1 Kings 8:37]], [[Psalm 78:46]], [[Isaiah 33:4]], [[Joel 1:4]], [[Joel 2:25]], [[Nahum 3:15]], [[Nahum 3:16]]. These verses consistently depict *châsîl* as an agent of widespread consumption and ruin, particularly concerning crops and vegetation.
Other Hebrew words related to consumption or destruction include:
* `{{H398}}` (אָכַל, *ʼâkal*): A general verb for "to eat," but can also carry the sense of "devour" or "consume destructively."
* `{{H1104}}` (בָּלַע, *bâlaʼ*): "To swallow," "devour," often implying complete absorption or disappearance.
* `{{H7945}}` (שָׁחַת, *shâḥath*): "To corrupt," "destroy," "ruin," often in a broader sense of causing decay or devastation.
Concepts associated with *châçal* include divine judgment, plague, famine, agricultural devastation, and the futility of human effort in the face of such destructive forces.
### Theological Significance
The singular appearance of H2628 in [[Deuteronomy 28:38]] imbues it with profound theological weight. It is situated within the covenant curses, marking it as an instrument of divine discipline. The act of "consuming off" by the locusts is not merely a natural phenomenon but a direct consequence of Israel's potential disobedience to God's covenant.
This word underscores God's absolute sovereignty over creation, including the natural world and its destructive forces. The locusts, acting as agents of *châçal*, are depicted as instruments in God's hand, sent to enforce the covenant. It highlights the vulnerability of human enterprise, particularly agricultural sustenance, to divine intervention. When God permits or sends the locusts to *châçal* the harvest, human labor becomes utterly futile, leading directly to scarcity and suffering.
The theological implication extends to the concept of total loss and the thoroughness of divine judgment. The "eating off" implies a complete and devastating removal of resources, leaving no hope for recovery from the immediate harvest. It serves as a stark warning about the severe consequences of covenant unfaithfulness, where even the most fundamental means of survival can be withdrawn.
### Summary
The Hebrew root H2628 (חָסַל, *châçal*) signifies a complete and destructive act of "eating off" or "consuming." Despite its single verbal occurrence in [[Deuteronomy 28:38]], its context is highly significant: it describes the devastating consumption of crops by locusts as a direct consequence of covenant disobedience. This rare yet potent verb is closely linked to its derivative noun `{{H2629}}` (חָסִיל, "the consumer" or "locust"), reinforcing its association with ruinous insect plagues. Theologically, *châçal* powerfully illustrates God's sovereignty in judgment, demonstrating how natural forces can become instruments of divine discipline, leading to profound loss and the futility of human labor when His people are unfaithful. It conveys the thoroughness and severity of divine retribution through the removal of sustenance.
TRV