Ban Devoted Destruction

† I. [חָרַם] vb.Hiph. ban, devote, exterminate (MI17 החרמתה of devoting, dedicating a city to Chemosh, in cl. with כי explaining massacre of all inhabitants; the altar-hearth of י׳ there was dragged before Chemosh; حَرُمَ be prohibited, forbidden, unlawful, become sacred; ii. make, pronounce sacred, inviolable; Ethiopic ሐረመ prohibit from common use, consecrate to God, esteem unlawful; Palm. חרם = consacré VogNo. 35; Nab. id., Eutp. 28; Sab. מחרם sanctuary, temple, OsZMG 1865, 176, 252, חרמתן DHMZMG 1875, 594; Aramaic אַחֲרִים, and especially ܐܰܚܪܶܡ anathematize, excommunicate; v. also WeSkizzen iii, 165, DrSm 100 ff., RSSem. i. 140(150))— Hiph. Pf. הֶהֱרִים Jos 8:26 + 5 times; הֶחֱרִם Jos 10:28; 2 ms. וְהַחֲרַמְתָּ֫ה 1 S 15:18; 1 s. הֶחֱרַמְתִּי 1 S 15:20; וְהַחֲרַמְתִּ֫י Nu 21:2; 2 fs. וְהַחֲרַמְתְּ(י) consec. Mi 4:13 (so 𝔊 𝔙 𝔖 𝔗 RV most; MT 1 s.), v. Ges§ 44, R. 4; pl. הֶחֱרִימוּ 1 S 15:9 2 Ch 32:14 etc.; (1 S 15:3 read והחרמתו 𝔊 We Dr); Impf. יַחֲרִם Lv 27:28; וַיַּחֲרֵם Nu 21:3 Jos 10:37; sf. וַיַּחֲרִימָהּ Jos 10:1; 1 pl. וַנַּחֲרֵם Dt 2:34; 3:6 etc.; Imv. הַחֲרֵם Dt 13:16; pl. הַחֲרִימוּ Je 51:3; sf. הַחֲרִימוּהָ Je 50:26; Inf. abs. הַחֲרֵם Dt 3:6 + 4 times; cstr. הַחֲרִים 2 Ch 20:23 Dn 11:44; sf. הַחֲרִימָם Jos 11:20 + 4 times;—ban, devote (especially religiously, sq. objects hostile to the theocracy [v. especially Ex 22:19 Hoph.]; this involved gen. their destruction; when a city was ‘devoted’ the inhab. were put to death, the spoil being destroyed or not according to the gravity of the occasion [contrast Jos 6:17, 21 1 S 15:3 with Dt 2:34f.; 3:6, 7], cf. MI17 לעשתר כמש החרמתה to Ashtar-Chemosh I devoted it, i.e. the city Nebo);— 1. most often of devoting to destruction cities of Canaanites and other neighbours of Isr., exterminating inhabitants, and destroying or appropriating their possessions: a. Isr. and her leaders subj. Nu 21:2, 3 (destruction according to vow), Jos 6:21 (cf. חֵרֶם ליהוה v 17; all J); in v 18 read תַּחְמְדוּ (for MT תַּחֲרִימוּ, v. Di VB); 8:26 𝔊, not 𝔊L, om. v.), 10:1 (JE), Dt 2:34; 3:6(×2); 7:2(×2) (commanded through Moses, cf. for underlying thought v 4, 5, 6), 20:17(×2) (commanded by י׳), Jos 2:10 10:28, 35, 37, 39, 40 (divine command), 11:11, 12, 20, 21 (divine command v 12, 20; all D), 1 S 15:3, 8, 9(×2), 15, 18, 20 (divine command v 3, 18, 20, cf. v 11, 22, 23); quite secondary is simple exterminate 1 K 9:21, 1 Ch 4:41. b. secondary meaning destroy, exterminate, also with other nations subj.:—2 K 19:11 = Is 37:11 = 2 Ch 32:14, 2 Ch 20:23, Je 50:21, 26 (both by divine command), 51:3 Dn 11:44. c. God as subj., fig. all nations and their armies Is 34:2; the nations of Western Asia Je 25:9; the tongue of the Egyptian sea (by drying it up) Is 11:15 (but read perhaps החריב with 𝔊 𝔖 𝔙 𝔗). d. so also of devoting even Israelites: a city of Isr. for worshipping other gods Dt 13:16; residents of Jabesh-Gilead for not joining in campaign against Benj. Ju 21:11. 2. devote to י׳: for sacred uses החרים ליהוה the spoil of the nations Mi 4:13; private possessions, whether a man, animal, or field Lv 27:28 (P). Hoph. Impf. יָחֳרַם Lv 27:29 Ezr 10:8; יָחֳרָ֑ם Ex 22:19;— 1. be put under the ban, devoted (to death), for worshipping other gods than י׳ Ex 22:19 (JE; earliest use of word in OT); for some other theocratic offence Lv 27:29 (P; v. Di). 2. devoted, i.e. forfeited, to the temple treasures Ezr 10:8.—On חרם v. especially Di (Kn) Lv 27:28; EwAntiq.75.78, Dr 1 S 15:33.

† I. חֵ֫רֶם n.m. Lv 27:28 1. devoted thing. 2. devotion, ban;—ח׳ abs. Jos 6:17 + 24 times (most read חֶרֶם Zc 14:11, Baer חֵרֶם); חֶ֑רֶם Jos 7:1; sf. חֶרְמִי 1 K 20:42 Is 34:5;—thing devoted to י׳: 1. thing hostile to theocracy, and therefore (in the strictest application) to be either destroyed, or, in the case of certain objects (e.g. silver and gold, vessels of brass and iron Jos 6:19, 24), set apart to sacred uses; especially a. of a Canaan. city, as Jericho, incl. all inhab. (except Rahab’s family) and spoil Jos 6:17, 18(×2); 7:1, 11, 15; Achan by taking מִן־הַחֵרֶם made (camp of) Isr. ח׳ 7:12 cf. 6:18, and became himself ח׳, and was stoned and, with his family and possessions, incl. the spoil, was burnt 7:1, 11, 12, 13(×2) (all JE except 7:1 P; cf. v 15, 24, 25); מָעַל מַעַל בַּח׳ committed unfaithfulness in the matter of the devoted thing is term for the sin Jos 7:1 22:20 (both P), cf. מָעַל בַּח׳ 1 Ch 2:7; Saul and Isr. spared Agag king of Amalek and רֵאשִׁית הַח׳ i.e. of the spoil (sheep and oxen), wh. should have been utterly destroyed 1 S 15:21 (cf. v 3, 8; Saul rejected by י׳ for this v 11, 26); so an idolatr. city in Isr. should become ח׳, with all its contents, and be utterly destroyed Dt 13:17 (cf. v 13, 15, 16). b. of individuals, one having relic of Canaanit. god in his house should become ח׳, the relic being ח׳ Dt 7:26(×2); every human being who became ח׳ should be killed Lv 27:29(×2) (P; v. Di). 2. appar. (so Di) anything devoted to sanctuary under specially stringent conditions Lv 27:28 (v. Di; and cf. Ezr 10:8); a field consecrated to י׳ becomes under certain conditions כִּשְׂדֵה הַח׳ Lv 27:21; every ח׳ is קֹדֶשׁ קָֽדָשִׁים ליהוה v 28, and no ח׳ that a man may devote, whether man, beast or field, may be sold or redeemed v 28; every such ח׳ (as in case of metals and metal objects Jos 6:17, 19) went to Aaron and his sons Nu 18:14 (P), to Zadokite priests Ez 44:29. 3. devotion, ban, involving destruction; אִישׁ חֶרְמִי 1 K 20:42 man under my (י׳’s) ban (of Benhadad); עַם חֶרְמִי Is 34:5 (of Edom); נתן לַח׳ Is 43:28 fig. of י׳’s giving over Jud. to Chald.; ח׳ not to be in future Zc 14:11; פֶּן־אָבוֹא וְהִכֵּיתִי אֶת־הָאָרֶץ ח׳ Mal 3:24 smite the land with a ban, i.e. utterly destroy it.

† חָרִם n.pr.m. (consecrated; cf. Sab. n.pr.m. חרם, יחרמאל Hal411. 504 DHMl.c.)— 1. priest of the third course, David’s time, according to 1 Ch 24:8. 2. priest of time of Nehemiah Ne 10:6. 3. heads of families of returning exiles: a. Ezr 2:39 = Ne 7:42, Ezr 10:21 Ne 12:15. b. Ezr 2:32 = Ne 7:35, Ezr 10:31 Ne 3:11. 4. a prince Ne 10:28.