a primitive root (compare חָצָהlemma חָעָה ayin, corrected to חָצָה); also as denominative from חֵץ; properly, to chop into, pierce or sever; hence, to curtail, to distribute (into ranks); to shoot an arrow; archer, [idiom] bands, cut off in the midst.
### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **châtsats**, represented by `{{H2686}}`, is a primitive root with a core meaning of chopping, piercing, or severing. It appears 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible. Its applications are varied, leading to translations such as **archer**, **bands**, or the idiomatic phrase 'cut off in the midst', all stemming from the idea of division or distribution.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical usage, `{{H2686}}` takes on different meanings depending on the context. In the Song of Deborah, it refers to **archers**, whose noise is a threat from which people are delivered [[Judges 5:11]]. In Proverbs, it describes the organization of locusts, which, despite having no king, advance together in **bands** [[Proverbs 30:27]]. Finally, in Job, the word is used idiomatically to describe a life being ended, where the number of a person's months is **cut off in the midst** [[Job 21:21]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words are found in the immediate context of these occurrences, clarifying the meaning of `{{H2686}}`:
* `{{H6963}}` **qôwl** (a voice or sound): This word is used for the "noise" of the **archers** in [[Judges 5:11]], setting the scene of conflict from which the people are delivered.
* `{{H697}}` **ʼarbeh** (a locust): This term for locusts is directly associated with `{{H2686}}` in [[Proverbs 30:27]], where they march in organized "bands".
* `{{H3318}}` **yâtsâʼ** (to go out): This describes the action of the locusts, which "go they forth" in bands, highlighting their unified movement [[Proverbs 30:27]].
* `{{H4557}}` **miçpâr** (a number): This word appears with `{{H2686}}` in the context of a person's life, where the "number" of his months is "cut off in the midst" [[Job 21:21]].
### Theological Significance
The thematic weight of `{{H2686}}` is seen in its consistent application of division and finality.
* **Division and Order:** The root sense of severing or distributing is illustrated in the organized **bands** of locusts, which move with purpose despite lacking a king [[Proverbs 30:27]]. This points to an inherent order in creation.
* **Conflict and Deliverance:** In Judges, the word signifies a source of conflict through the **archers**. Their presence represents a danger from which the people of the LORD are delivered, highlighting God's righteous acts [[Judges 5:11]].
* **The Curtailment of Life:** The word is used metaphorically in Job to signify the end of a person's allotted time. When the number of months is **cut off in the midst**, it speaks to the finite nature of human life and raises questions of pleasure and purpose [[Job 21:21]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H2686}}` **châtsats**, while appearing only three times, demonstrates significant versatility. Its fundamental meaning of severing or dividing is applied in three distinct contexts: the military threat of **archers**, the organized movement of locusts in **bands**, and the finality of a life being **cut off in the midst**. Each usage, from the battlefield to the natural world to human mortality, draws on this core idea of being pierced, divided, or curtailed, making it a concise but potent word in the Hebrew lexicon.
TRV