H2300a H2300a
To be sharpened or made sharp; of a sword prepared for slaughter, or horses keener than wolves.
A verb meaning 'to be or make sharp,' appearing in contexts of fearsome preparation for violence. In Ezekiel 21, the repeated refrain 'the sword is sharpened' (vv. 9-11) builds a terrifying crescendo as God's judgment sword is readied for slaughter—polished and sharpened, handed to the executioner. Habakkuk 1:8 shifts the image to the Chaldean cavalry, whose horses are 'keener than evening wolves,' conveying predatory swiftness. The French glosses 'terrible' capture the dread these passages evoke, while Spanish 'esta afilada' (is sharpened) and English 'is sharpened' stay close to the literal sense.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To be sharpened or made keen, describing a weapon prepared for deadly use or, by extension, predatory fierceness. Three of the four occurrences cluster in Ezekiel 21:9-11 (Hophal passive: 'the sword is sharpened, it is sharpened and polished'), building a refrain of impending divine judgment. The fourth, in Habakkuk 1:8 (Qal: 'keener than evening wolves'), applies the concept to the terrifying swiftness of Chaldean horses. Spanish 'esta afilada' and English 'is sharpened' preserve the passive metallurgical image from Ezekiel, while 'y mas feroces' (and more ferocious) captures the comparative predatory sense in Habakkuk. French 'terrible' reflects the emotional impact of both contexts. 4×
AR["مَسْنُونٌ", "وَ-أَحَدُّ"]·ben["এবং-তীক্ষ্ণতর", "তীক্ষ্ণ-করা-হয়েছে"]·DE["[הוחדה]", "[וחדו]"]·EN["and-keener", "is-sharpened", "it-is-sharpened"]·FR["et-terrible", "terrible"]·heb["הוחדה", "ו-חדו"]·HI["और-तीखे", "तेज़-की-गई"]·ID["dan-lebih-tajam", "diasah"]·IT["[הוחדה]", "[וחדו]"]·jav["dipun-landhepaken", "dipun-landhepaken,", "lan-langkung-galak"]·KO["그리고-사납고", "날카로워졌다"]·PT["afiada", "e-mais-ferozes"]·RU["заострённый", "и-быстрее", "меч", "чтобы-была-у-него"]·ES["está-afilada", "y-más-feroces"]·SW["na-wakali-kuliko", "umenoeshwa"]·TR["bilendi", "ve-keskin"]·urd["اور-تیز-تر", "تیز-کی-گئی-ہے"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)H7725 2. to bring back, restore (Hifil) (151×)H5674a 2. Qal: cross over (134×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חָדַד vb. be sharp, keen (Aramaic חֲדַד; NH חִדֵּד sharpen; Arabic حَدَّ be sharp and sharpen; Assyrian uddudu, sharpen, DlPr 174; cf. I. חָדָה)— Qal Pf. וְחַדּ֫וּ מִזְּאֵבֵי עֶרֶב consec. Hb 1:8 are keener than evening wolves (of impetuous Chaldean horses). Hiph. הֵחֵד (Che Or Brd) or יַחֵד (Näg cf. Dr§ 123 a, R), ins. Is 44:12 after 𝔊 𝔖: the smith sharpeneth an axe. Hoph. Pf. 3 fs. הוּחַדָּה Ez 21:14, 15, 16 be sharpened (in all, subj. חֶרֶב). Hithpa. הִתְאַחֲדִי Ez 21:21.