Word Study for H2864 (חָתַר) | Strong's Concordance

châthar /khaw-thar'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto force a passage, as by burglary; figuratively, with oars

KJV usagedig (through), row.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of châthar — 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 châthar, represented by H2864, is a primitive root that means to force a passage. It appears 8 times across 7 unique verses in the Bible. Its primary application is the physical act of digging, but it also extends figuratively to describe the intense effort of rowing.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H2864 is used to illustrate a forceful breach of barriers. It is repeatedly used in the book of Ezekiel to describe the prophet's symbolic act of breaking through a wall, as commanded by God: "dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door" Ezekiel 8:8. The term is also associated with wrongdoing, as in the case of those who "dig through houses" in the dark Job 24:16. Figuratively, it describes the futile human effort to escape divine judgment Amos 9:2 and the desperate struggle of sailors rowing against a storm Jonah 1:13.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide context for the action of forcing a passage:

H7023 qîyr (a wall (as built in a trench)): This is the object that is frequently being dug through. The relationship is one of action and reception, where châthar is the force applied to the qîyr, as seen in Ezekiel's prophetic sign Ezekiel 12:5.
H3318 yâtsâʼ (a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out): This word often describes the result of digging. The purpose of forcing a passage H2864 is to "carry out" H3318 something or someone, linking the effort to its intended outcome Ezekiel 12:12.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2864 is significant, highlighting themes of human effort and divine sovereignty.

Futility of Human Escape: The word is used to show the impossibility of hiding from God. Whether digging into hell Amos 9:2 or rowing against a God-sent storm Jonah 1:13, human efforts to force a path contrary to the divine will are shown to be in vain.
Symbol of Transgression: The act of "digging through" is explicitly connected to the wicked who operate in darkness, avoiding the light. This makes the word a physical metaphor for sinful intrusion and secrecy Job 24:16.
Prophetic Communication: In Ezekiel, digging through a wall is not a transgression but a divine command. It serves as a living parable to Israel, demonstrating the coming exile and the breaching of Jerusalem's defenses Ezekiel 12:7.

Summary

In summary, H2864 is more than a simple verb for digging. It conveys a powerful sense of forceful effort against an obstacle, whether a physical wall, the sea, or a divine boundary. It illustrates the futility of fighting against God's judgment, the nature of sin as a breach of order, and the use of dramatic physical acts to convey a prophetic message.

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 8 occurrences, inflected in 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Qal Imperative 2nd Singular Masculine 2×
Qal Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 2×
Qal Consecutive Imperfect 1st Singular common gender 1×
Qal Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 1×
Qal Perfect 1st Singular common gender 1×
Qal Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
common gender: Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
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.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
Qal: The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Consecutive Imperfect: Imperfect with vav — carries narrative forward ("and he…").

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 7 verses across 4 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Ezekiel (4 verses); never once in the other 35.

Job

Ezekiel

Amos

Jonah

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, 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.