or (shortened) חָרֻל; apparently, a passive participle of an unused root probably meaning to be prickly; properly, pointed, i.e. a bramble or other thorny weed; nettle.
### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **chârûwl**, represented by `{{H2738}}`, is a term for a **bramble or other thorny weed**, often translated as **nettle**. It appears **3 times** across **3 unique verses** in the Bible. The word's definition suggests something prickly or pointed, and it is used to describe thorny plants found in desolate or neglected areas.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H2738}}` is used to illustrate conditions of desolation and neglect. In a prophecy against Moab and Ammon, their land is doomed to become a "breeding of **nettles**" and a place of "perpetual desolation" [[Zephaniah 2:9]]. The book of Proverbs uses the image of a field where **nettles** had covered its face as a clear sign of the owner's sloth and the resulting decay [[Proverbs 24:31]]. In Job, the word describes the wild environment where outcasts are gathered together under the **nettles** for shelter [[Job 30:7]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the context in which **chârûwl** appears:
* `{{H7063}}` **qimmâshôwn** (a prickly plant; thorn): This word is used alongside **nettles** in Proverbs to describe a field completely overgrown due to neglect, emphasizing the theme of wildness and decay [[Proverbs 24:31]].
* `{{H7880}}` **sîyach** (bush, plant, shrub): In Job, the desperate and lowly are described as braying among the **bushes** and gathering under **nettles**, showing that these plants grow together in wastelands that serve as a refuge for outcasts [[Job 30:7]].
### Theological Significance
The symbolic weight of `{{H2738}}` is tied to its depiction of uncultivated and wild spaces.
* **Symbol of Neglect and Decay:** The presence of **nettles** signifies the consequences of laziness and failure to maintain order, as seen in the overgrown field in Proverbs [[Proverbs 24:31]].
* **Marker of Divine Judgment:** In Zephaniah, **nettles** serve as a sign of God's judgment, transforming a once-inhabited land into a wasteland, much like Sodom and Gomorrah [[Zephaniah 2:9]].
* **Habitat of the Outcast:** The plant is part of the harsh, wild landscape that becomes the dwelling place for the impoverished and socially rejected, as described in Job [[Job 30:7]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H2738}}` is not merely a botanical term but a powerful symbol in scripture. It consistently represents a state of abandonment, whether caused by human neglect or divine judgment. Through its use, the Bible paints a vivid picture of desolation, where the absence of cultivation gives way to a wilderness inhabited only by wild plants and those cast out from society.
TRV