English · KJV
H2686

חָצַץ

châtsats /khaw-tsats'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root (compare חָצָהlemma חָעָה ayin, corrected to class="strongs-hebrew-text">חָצָה) · also as denominative from חֵץ
Meaningproperly, to chop into, pierce or sever; hence, to curtail, to distribute (into ranks); to shoot an arrow
KJV usagearcher, cut off in the midst.
Idioms & phrasesidiom bands

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of châtsats — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

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.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 3 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • מְחַצְצִים
  • חֻצָּצוּ
  • חֹצֵץ

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H6963 קוֹל or קֹל; from an unused root meaning to call aloud; a voice or sound; [phrase] aloud, bleating, crackling, cry ([phrase] H697 אַרְבֶּה from רָבָה; a locust (from its rapid increase); grasshopper, locust. H3318 יָצָא a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct H4557 מִסְפָּר from סָפַר; a number, definite (arithmetical) or indefinite (large, innumerable; small, a few); also (abstractly) narrat

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 3 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Judges, Job, and Proverbs (1 verse each); never once in the other 36.

1
Judges
1
Job
1
Proverbs

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.