H2026 H2026
To kill or slay violently; as participle, a slayer or the slain; in passive stems, to be killed.
The primary Hebrew verb for violent, deliberate killing — broader than ratsach (which tends toward murder) and more visceral than mut (which can mean simply 'to die'). Harag dominates battlefield narratives: the Israelites slew the Canaanites, Phinehas slew the idolaters, Jehu slew the house of Ahab. But it also appears in intensely personal contexts — Cain's fear that anyone finding him will kill him (Gen 4:14), Esau's vow to kill Jacob (Gen 27:42), and the appalling massacre at Shechem (Gen 34:26). French translations consistently use 'tuer' and its compounds, Spanish prefers 'matar/mataron,' and German reaches for 'erschlagen' (to strike dead) and 'toeten.' The Moabite Stone's use of the cognate confirms its antiquity across Northwest Semitic.
1. kill, slay (active) — The core Qal active meaning: to kill, slay — the deliberate taking of life through violence, whether in war, judicial execution, personal vengeance, or divine judgment. This dominates with 146 occurrences spanning every major narrative corpus. From Cain's fear of retribution (Gen 4:14) to Esau's murderous vow (Gen 27:42) to the sword of the Babylonians, harag is the standard verb for lethal violence. Spanish 'mató/mataron' and French 'tua/tuèrent' render it straightforwardly, while German 'erschlugen' ('struck dead') sometimes adds the manner of killing. 146×
AR["فَـ-قَتَلَ","قَتَلوا","قَتَلَ","قَتَلَا","قَتَلُوا","قَتَلُوهُ","قَتَلُوهُمْ","مِمَّن","وَ-قَتَلَ"]·ben["এবং-সে-হত্যা-করল","এবং-হত্যা-করল","এবং-হত্যা-করলেন","তারা-হত্যা-করল","তারা-হত্যা-করেছিল","তারা-হত্যা-করেছে","বধ-করেছিল","মারল","মেরেছে","হত্যা-করল","হত্যা-করলেন","হত্যা-করেছিল","হত্যা-করেছেন"]·DE["erschlugen-sie","sie-toetete","toeten","toetete","und-toetete"]·EN["and-killed","killed","they-killed"]·FR["et-tua","ils-tua","ils-tuèrent","tua","tuer"]·heb["הרג","הרגו","ו-הרג"]·HI["और-मारा","और-मारे","मार-डाला","मार-डाला-उन्होंने","मारा","मारा-उन्होंने","मारा-जिन्हें","मारे","मारे-उन्होंने","मारे-हैं"]·ID["dan-dia-membunuh","dan-membunuh","dibunuh","membunuh","membunuhlah-mereka","mereka-bunuh","mereka-membunuh"]·IT["e-uccise","essi-uccise","essi-uccisero","uccidere","uccise"]·jav["dipun-pejàhi","dipunsedani","lan-Yéhuwah-mejahi","lan-mejahi","mejahi","mejàhi","piyambakipun-sami-mejahi","sami-mejahi","sampun-dipunpejahi"]·KO["그리고-죽였다","그리고-죽이셨다","좽였다","죽였다"]·PT["e-matou","mataram"]·RU["и-убил","убивали","убили"]·ES["mataron","y-mató"]·SW["na-akawaua","na-aliua","wakakufa","wakamuua","wakawaua","walimuua","waliowaua","waliua","wamemuua","wameua","wamewaua","wamuua"]·TR["-","ve-öldürdü","öldürdüler"]·urd["اور-مارا","اور-مارے","اُنہوں-نے-مارا","قتل-کیا","مار-ڈالا","مار-ڈالا-ہے","مارا","مارے","مارے-تھے"]
Gen 27:42, Gen 34:26, Gen 49:6, Exod 2:15, Exod 13:15, Exod 32:12, Num 31:8, Num 31:8, Josh 8:24, Josh 10:11, Josh 13:22, Judg 7:25 (+38 more)
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
2. slain one (passive participle) — The Qal passive participle used as a substantive: 'the slain one(s), the victim(s).' In Isaiah 10:4, the slain fall in heaps; in Proverbs 7:26, the seductress's victims are called 'her slain' (harugeyha). Esther 9:11 reports the count of those slain in Susa. Spanish 'los muertos' ('the dead') and French 'tuer' (sometimes used nominally) render this resultative sense. The participle crystallizes the act's aftermath into a noun — not the killing but its human cost. 8×
AR["الْقَتْلَى","الْمَقْتُولِينَ","فِي-ٱلْقَتْلَى","قَتْلَاهَا","قَتْلَاهُ","مَقْتُولِي"]·ben["-নিহতদের","তার-নিহতদের","তার-হত","নিহত","নিহতদের","নিহতদের-মধ্যে"]·DE["toeten","toetete"]·EN["has-he-been-slain","her-victims","into-the-slain","slain","slain-of","the-slain"]·FR["tuer","tuer-elle"]·heb["ב-הרוגים","ה-הרג","הרוגי","הרוגיה","הרוגיו","הרוגים"]·HI["और-जीएं","मारे-गए-उसके","मारे-गए-लोगों-की","मारे-हुए","मारे-हुओं","मारे-हुओं-अपने","मारे-हुओं-उसके","मारे-हुओं-का"]·ID["ke-dalam-yang-terbunuh","orang-orang-terbunuhnya","orang-orang-yang-terbunuhnya","orang-terbunuh","terbunuh-oleh-","yang-dibunuh","yang-dibunuhnya"]·IT["uccidere","uccidere-sua"]·jav["ing-tiyang-pejah","ingkang-dipun-pejàhi","ingkang-dipun-sembelih-nipun","ingkang-dipunpejahi","pejah;","tiyang-ingkang-dipun-pejahi-nipun","tiyang-kang-dipatèni"]·KO["그-죽임당한-자들의","그녀-의-죽임-당한-자-들-이다","그의-죽임-당한-자들을","그의-죽임-당한-자들의","에-그-죽임-당한-자들에게","죽임당한-자들로","죽임당한-자들의","죽임을-당한-자들이"]·PT["mortos","mortos-de","nos-mortos","os-mortos","seus-mortos"]·RU["на-убитых","убитые-ею.","убитыми","убитых","убитых-его","убитых-своих"]·ES["en-los-muertos","los-muertos","muertos","muertos-de","muertos-de-ella","sus-asesinados","sus-muertos"]·SW["juu-ya-waliouawa","kwa-waliouawa-wake","na-waliouawa","waliouawa","waliouawa-na-","waliouawa-naye","waliouawa-wake","ya-waliouawa"]·TR["oldurulenleerin","oldurulenlerini","oldurulenlerinin","oldurulmulerin","öldürülenleri-onun","öldürülenlerin-","öldürülmüşlere","öldürülmüşleri"]·urd["اُس-کے-مقتولوں-کو","اپنے-مقتولوں","مارے-گئوں-کا","مارے-ہوئوں-پر","مارے-ہوئے","مقتول-اُس-کے","مقتولوں-میں","مقتولوں-کا"]
3. killer, slayer (agent noun) — The Qal active participle as an agent noun: 'killer, slayer, murderer.' In Genesis 4:15 God sets a mark on Cain lest any 'killer' (kol horeg) strike him; in Numbers 31:19, warriors who have been 'killers' must purify themselves. Jeremiah 4:31 uses it of murderers lying in wait. Spanish 'asesino' ('assassin') and 'matador' ('killer') capture the agentive force. This is distinct from the act of killing (sense 1) — it names the person by their lethal role. 8×
AR["القاتِلِ","الْقَاتِلِ","تَقْتُلُ","قاتِلَ","قَاتِلِ","قَاتِلِكَ","لِـ-الـ-قَاتِلِينَ"]·ben["তোমার-হত্যাকারীর","বধকারীর","যে-হত্যা-করে","হত্যা-করছিল","হত্যাকারী","হত্যাকারীদের-কাছে","হত্যাকারীর"]·DE["der-Kain-erschlägt","killing","murderer-von","toeten","toetend","toetete"]·EN["before-killers","killing","murderer-of","slayer","the-slayer","your-slayer"]·FR["killing","murderer-de","tuant","tuer"]·heb["הורג","הורגים","הורגך","הרג","ל-הורגים"]·HI["जिसने-मारा","मारने-वाले","मारने-वाले-तेरे-के","मारनेवाला","मारनेवाले","हत्यारे","हत्यारों-के-लिए","होरेग"]·ID["kepada-para-pembunuh","membunuh","pembunuh","pembunuhmu?","yang-membunuh"]·IT["killing","murderer-di","uccidendo","uccidere"]·jav["dhateng-ingkang-sami-mejahi","ingkang-mejahi","ingkang-mejahi.","ingkang-mejèhi-panjenengan?","juru-pejah","kang-mejahi","mateni"]·KO["에-죽이는-자들-앞에서","좽이는-자","죄이는-자의","죽이는-자들로","죽이는-자에게","죽이는-자와","죽이는-자의-너를","죽인-자야"]·PT["diante-dos-matadores","matador","matador-de","matando","o-que-matar","que-mata","teu-matador"]·RU["пред-убийцами","убивающие","убивающий","убивающими-тебя","убивший","убийце"]·ES["ante-los-asesinos!","asesino-de","el-matador","el-que-mata","el-que-mate-a","el-que-te-mate?","matador","matando"]·SW["aliyeua","anayekuua","anayemuua","mbele-ya-wauaji","muuaji","muuaji-wa","wakiwaua"]·TR["katile","katillere-","öldüren","öldüren-in","öldüren-o","öldürenin-seni","öldürenler"]·urd["جو-مارتا-ہے","قاتل","قاتل-اپنے","قاتلوں-سے","مارتے","مارنے-والا","مارنے-والے-کے"]
4. be killed, be slain (passive) — Passive finite forms (Nifal and Qal passive): 'to be killed, to be slain.' In Psalm 44:22 Israel protests 'for your sake we are killed all day long' — a passage Paul quotes in Romans 8:36. Isaiah 27:7 asks whether Israel has been slain as its slayers were slain. Lamentations 2:20 and Ezekiel 26:6, 15 round out these five occurrences. Spanish 'fue muerto' ('was killed') and 'será matado' ('shall be slain') render the passive voice clearly. The subject receives the lethal violence rather than inflicting it. 5×
AR["بِقَتْلِ","تُقْتَلُ","قُتِلَ","نُقْتَلُ","يُقْتَلُ"]·ben["নিহত-হবে","হত-হচ্ছি-আমরা","হত্যা-করা-হয়েছে","হত্যা-হবে","হত্যার-সময়ে"]·DE["er-toetet","toeten","tötete"]·EN["shall-be-slain","we-are-killed","when-is-slain"]·FR["le-tuer","tuer"]·heb["ב-היהרג","הורג","ייהרג","נהרגנו","תיהרגנה"]·HI["मारा-गया","मारा-जाए","मारे-जाते-हैं-हम"]·ID["akan-dibunuh;","dibunuh","ia-dibunuh","ketika-dibunuh-"]·IT["uccidere","uccise"]·jav["badhe-dipun-pejèhi","badhé-kapejahan","dipun-sembelih","kita-dipun-pejahi","nalika-dipun-pejèhi"]·KO["죽이리오","죽임-당하도다","죽임-당하셨느냐","죽임을-당할-것이다","죽임이-"]·PT["ao-matar-se","foi-morto","será-morto","serão-mortas","somos-mortos"]·RU["будет-убит","будут-убиты","при-убийстве","убивают-нас","убит"]·ES["cuando-sea-hecha","fue-muerto","será-matado","serán-matadas","somos-matados"]·SW["aliuawa","auawe","tunauawa","wanapouawa","watauawa"]·TR["olduruldu","öldürüldük","öldürülecekler","öldürülmesiyle-","öldürülür"]·urd["بَ-قتل-ہونے","قتل-کی-جائیں-گی","قتل-کیا-گیا","قتل-ہوںگے","ہم-قتل-کئے-جاتے-ہیں"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)G0622 1. perish, be destroyed (intransitive) (41×)H0006 2. to destroy, annihilate (Piel) (38×)H8074 1. be desolate, lie waste (36×)G2190 1. enemy / hostile one (32×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† הָרַג vb. kill, slay (NH id., ואהרג MI (1 s. Impf. consec.); Arabic هَرَجَ fall into war, conflict, disorder, slaughter; Sab. הרג fight Os4, 1, 17, kill Sab Denkm24, 25)— Qal Pf. 3 ms. ה׳ Ju 9:24 + 4 times, הָרָ֑ג 2 S 14:7 + 2 times, וְהָרַג consec. Is 27:1; sf. וַהֲרָגָ֑נִי consec. 1 S 16:2 + 2 times; הֲרָגוֹ Gn 4:25; etc.; Impf. יַהֲרֹג ψ 10:8 + 4 times; יַהֲרָג־ Jb 5:2; וַיַּהֲרֹג Ex 13:15 +…