### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **çôbek**, represented by `{{H5441}}`, is a specific term for a **thicket** or copse. It appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the Bible. Its singular use provides a vivid image of a dense, hidden place from which danger can emerge.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{H5441}}` is in [[Jeremiah 4:7]], where it is used to describe the lair of a predator. The prophet declares that a lion has come up from his **thicket** to act as a destroyer. In this context, the **thicket** is not merely a feature of the landscape but the starting point of a devastating force being unleashed upon the land, destined to make cities desolate and without inhabitant [[Jeremiah 4:7]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several words used in conjunction with `{{H5441}}` in its only scriptural context help define its significance:
* `{{H738}}` **ʼărîy** (a lion): This is the destructive force that emerges from the thicket. The lion is used as a powerful symbol of a predator on the move, representing the "destroyer" that will bring ruin [[Jeremiah 4:7]].
* `{{H5927}}` **ʻâlâh** (to ascend, come up): This word describes the action of the lion leaving its thicket. It signifies an emergence or rising up to begin a mission of judgment [[Jeremiah 4:7]].
* `{{H7843}}` **shâchath** (to ruin, destroy): This term defines the nature of the lion, which is called "the destroyer" [[Jeremiah 4:7]]. The word itself means to cause ruin or decay, linking the figure directly to the resulting devastation.
* `{{H8047}}` **shammâh** (ruin, desolation): This is the direct outcome of the lion coming from its thicket. The purpose of this emergence is to make the land a **desolation**, a place of ruin and astonishment [[Jeremiah 4:7]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H5441}}` is tied directly to its role as a symbol of judgment's origin in Jeremiah's prophecy.
* **Source of Impending Doom:** The **thicket** functions as the concealed starting point for divinely appointed destruction. It is the place from which the agent of judgment, the lion `{{H738}}`, is launched.
* **Symbol of a Hidden Threat:** As a dense and obscure place, the **thicket** represents the source of a threat that, once revealed, is already on its way. The emergence of the destroyer from this place marks the transition from a hidden danger to an active, unavoidable catastrophe [[Jeremiah 4:7]].
* **The Inevitability of Judgment:** The verse depicts a sequence: the lion "is come up" from the **thicket**, "is on his way," and "is gone forth" [[Jeremiah 4:7]]. The thicket is the point of no return, initiating a chain of events that will culminate in the land being laid waste `{{H5327}}`.
### Summary
In summary, though `{{H5441}}` is one of the rarest words in the biblical text, its single use is impactful. It provides a powerful and concrete image for the origin of judgment. The **thicket** is more than a physical location; it is a symbol for the lair of a destructive power, the "destroyer" `{{H7843}}`, which emerges to execute a sentence of desolation upon the land, as vividly prophesied in [[Jeremiah 4:7]].
TRV