חָצַב

châtsab /khaw-tsab'/ Ask about this word
Meaningor חָצֵב; a primitive root; to cut or carve (wood, stone or other material); by implication, to hew, split, square, quarry, engrave
KJV usagecut, dig, divide, grave, hew (out, -er), made, mason.
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Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word châtsab, represented by H2672, is a primitive root that means to cut, carve, or hew. It appears 25 times in 22 verses, often describing the physical labor of working with stone or wood. The term's application ranges from quarrying materials and digging wells to the skilled work of a mason or engraver.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H2672 is frequently used in the context of construction and preparation. It describes the massive workforce Solomon employed, with "fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains" 1 Kings 5:15 preparing stone for the temple. The Israelites were promised a land with infrastructure they did not create, including "wells digged, which thou diggedst not" Deuteronomy 6:11. The word is also used metaphorically. God commands his people to "look unto the rock whence ye are hewn" Isaiah 51:1, framing their identity as being shaped by Him. In a negative context, the people are condemned for having "hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" Jeremiah 2:13, symbolizing their futile turn from God.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the scope of shaping and building:

  • H1129 bânâh (to build): This word represents the next step after materials are prepared. While châtsab involves hewing the stone, bânâh is the act of assembling it, such as when David set masons H2672 to hew stones to build the house of God 1 Chronicles 22:2.
  • H1496 gâzîyth (dressed stone): This term refers to the finished product of hewing. It is the "something cut" or "wrought stone" that results from the action of châtsab. This is seen when masons were set "to hew H2672 wrought H1496 stones" 1 Chronicles 22:2.
  • H2710 châqaq (to engrave): While châtsab can refer to rough quarrying, châqaq implies a finer, more detailed act of carving or inscribing. The two actions are used together to describe carving a tomb in a rock Isaiah 22:16.
  • H5365 nâqar (to bore, dig): This word is used in parallel with châtsab to describe the process of extraction. Israel is told to look to the rock from which they were "hewn H2672" and the pit from which they were "digged H5365" Isaiah 51:1.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2672 lies in its metaphorical use to describe God's relationship with humanity and His judgment.

  • Divine Shaping: The imagery of God hewing Israel from a rock positions Him as the master craftsman and his people as the material He is shaping for His purposes Isaiah 51:1. This establishes a foundational identity for the nation.
  • Subservience of Tools: The word highlights the sovereignty of the user over the tool. Isaiah asks, "Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith?" Isaiah 10:15, emphasizing that human effort is merely an instrument in God's hands.
  • Judgment through Prophets: God's judgment is portrayed as a cutting or hewing action. In Hosea, God declares, "Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets" Hosea 6:5, illustrating that His words through them were meant to cut down pride and sin.
  • Power and Division: The word can describe an act of sheer power, as when "the voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire" Psalms 29:7, or when God's mighty acts include having "cut Rahab" Isaiah 51:9.

Summary

In summary, H2672 is a powerful verb that moves from the literal to the metaphorical with significant theological implications. It is not just about the physical act of cutting stone but also about the divine act of shaping a nation, executing judgment, and demonstrating ultimate power. The word illustrates how the work of a humble quarryman can serve as a picture of the relationship between God and His creation.

Grammatical Forms

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 25 occurrences, inflected in 15 grammatical forms.

  • Qal Participle Singular Masculine Absolute 5×
  • Qal Participle Plural Masculine Absolute 4×
  • Qal Infinitive Construct 2×
  • Qal Participle Passive Plural Masculine Absolute 2×
  • Qal Perfect 2nd Singular Masculine 2×
  • Hiphil Participle Singular Feminine Absolute 1×
  • Niphal Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 1×
  • Pual Perfect 2nd Plural Masculine 1×
  • Qal Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
  • Qal Imperfect 2nd Singular Masculine 1×
  • Qal Participle Plural Masculine Construct 1×
  • Qal Participle Singular Masculine Construct 1×

+ 3 rarer forms

Singular
One.
Plural
More than one.
Masculine
Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine
Feminine grammatical gender.
2nd
Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd
Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Imperfect
Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Perfect
A completed act whose results continue.
Passive
The subject is acted upon.
Infinitive
The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle
A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Qal
The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Niphal
Simple passive or reflexive of the Qal.
Pual
The passive of the intensive (Piel) stem.
Hiphil
The causative stem — the subject causes the action.
Consecutive Imperfect
Imperfect with vav — carries narrative forward ("and he…").
Absolute
The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).
Construct
Bound to a following noun — "the X of…".

Theographic Context

Biblical Distribution

Appears in 22 verses across 13 books. Most frequent in Isaiah (5 verses).

2
Deuteronomy
1
1 Kings
1
2 Kings
2
1 Chronicles
4
2 Chronicles
1
Ezra
1
Nehemiah
1
Job
1
Psalms
1
Proverbs
5
Isaiah
1
Jeremiah
1
Hosea

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