H2764a H2764a
Devoted thing, ban — something irrevocably given over to God, whether for destruction or sacred use
The noun חֵרֶם names one of the most sobering concepts in the Hebrew Bible: the irrevocable dedication of something to God, removing it permanently from human use. At Jericho, everything was חֵרֶם — placed under the ban — and Achan's theft from it brought catastrophe on all Israel (Josh 6:17-7:15). Yet the same word covers peaceful sacred donations: 'every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours,' God tells the priests (Num 18:14; Ezek 44:29). Spanish captures both poles with anatema (ban/curse) and consagración (consecration), revealing a word whose gravity lies in the finality of the giving over, not necessarily in destruction.
Senses
1. ban, devoted to destruction — The ban of destruction — a person, city, or object irrevocably devoted to God by being utterly destroyed, with no possibility of human retention or redemption. This is the dominant sense, governing the conquest narratives: Jericho (Josh 6:17-18), Achan's violation (Josh 7:1-15), and the Amalekite ban Saul fails to execute (1 Sam 15). Deuteronomy 7:26 forbids even bringing a חֵרֶם into one's house lest one become חֵרֶם oneself. Spanish anatema and French voué ('devoted-thing') convey the totality of this sacred consignment to annihilation. 19×
AR["الحَرامَ", "الحَرامِ", "الحَرَامِ", "بِ-الحَرامِ", "بِحَرْمٍ", "حَراماً", "حَرامٌ", "في-الحَرامِ", "في-الـ-حَرام", "لِ-حَرامٍ", "لِ-لعنَةٍ", "لِلحُرْمِ", "مُحَرَّمًا", "مُحَرَّمٌ", "وَلَعْنَةٌ"]·ben["-নিষিদ্ধ-বস্তুর", "অভিশপ্ত-বস্তু", "অর্পিত-বস্তুতে", "এবং-অভিশাপ", "ধ্বংসের-জন্য", "ধ্বংসের-জন্য-উৎসর্গিত", "ধ্বংসের-জন্য-উৎসর্গিত-(সেই)", "ধ্বংসের-জন্য-উৎসর্গিত-করবে", "নিষিদ্ধ", "নিষিদ্ধ-জিনিস", "নিষিদ্ধ-জিনিসে", "সম্পূর্ণ-ধ্বংস"]·DE["[בחרם]", "[וחרם]", "[חרם]", "[לחרם]", "der-devoted-Dinge", "der-geweiht-Sache", "ein-geweiht-Sache", "geweiht-zu-destruction", "in-der-geweiht-Sache", "mit-der-geweiht-Sache"]·EN["a-devoted-thing", "and-ban", "devoted-to-destruction", "in-the-devoted-thing", "the-devoted-thing", "the-devoted-things", "to-the-ban", "with-ban", "with-the-devoted-thing"]·FR["[בחרם]", "[לחרם]", "avec-le-voué-thing", "consacré-à-destruction", "dans-le-voué-thing", "et-interdit", "interdit", "le-dévoué-choses", "le-voué-thing", "un-voué-thing", "voué-à-destruction"]·heb["ב-ה-חרם", "ב-חרם", "ה-חרם", "ו-חרם", "חרם", "ל-חרם"]·HI["और-शाप", "को-शाप", "चढ़ावे-में", "नशत-होने-के", "शाप-से", "शापित", "शापित-के-लिए", "शापित-वस्तु", "श्रापित", "श्रापित-को", "श्रापित-में"]·ID["dan-kutukan", "dengan-kutuk", "dengan-yang-dikhususkan", "diumpamakan", "mengenai-barang-yang-dikhususkan", "terhadap-yang-dikhususkan", "untuk-dikhususkan", "untuk-kutuk", "yang-dikhususkan", "yang-ditumpas"]·IT["[בחרם]", "[וחרם]", "[חרם]", "[לחרם]", "con-il-consacrato-cosa", "consacrato-a-destruction", "il-consacrato-cosa", "il-consacrato-cose", "in-il-consacrato-cosa", "un-consacrato-cosa"]·jav["barang-larangan", "haram", "ing-barang-ingkang-disuciaken", "ing-tumpes", "ipat-ipat", "kaliyan-haram", "kangge-haram", "kanggé-karusakan", "lan-ipat-ipat", "tumrap-haram"]·KO["그-바친-것과-함께", "그-바친-것에서", "그-바친-것을", "그-저주", "그-진멸물의", "그리고-저주가", "바친-것이", "바침-받은-것이", "에-멸망", "에-바친-그", "저주", "저주가", "저주로"]·PT["anátema", "cherem", "com-destruição-total", "e-maldição", "em-cherem", "maldição", "no-anátema", "o-anátema", "para-extermínio"]·RU["-заклятие", "в-заклятии", "заклятие", "заклятием", "заклятия", "и-заклятие", "из-заклятого", "на-заклятие", "против-заклятия", "с-заклятием"]·ES["(con)-destrucción-total", "al-anatema", "anatema", "cosa-consagrada-a-destrucción", "el-anatema", "en-anatema", "en-el-anatema", "en-lo-consagrado-a-destrucción", "lo-consagrado-a-destrucción", "lo-destruido", "para-destrucción", "y-anatema"]·SW["katika-vitu-vilivyoharamishwa", "kilichoangamizwa", "kuhusu-marufuku", "kwa-maangamizo", "laana", "marufuku", "na-laana", "na-marufuku"]·TR["-yok-edileceklerin", "bağlı-şeye", "hereme-", "için-lanet", "için-lanetli", "lanet", "lanetli", "lanetlide", "lanetliyi", "ve-lanet"]·urd["اور-حرمت", "حرام", "حرام-شدہ-کے", "حرام-میں", "حرام-کو", "حرم-سے", "لعنت-کو", "میں-حرام"]
2. devoted thing, sacred offering — A devoted thing consecrated to God as an irrevocable sacred offering — not destroyed but set apart permanently for priestly or temple use. Leviticus 27:21, 28 stipulates that a חֵרֶם field or possession becomes holy to the LORD and passes to the priests; Numbers 18:14 assigns every חֵרֶם in Israel to Aaron's line. Ezekiel 44:29 reaffirms this priestly prerogative. Spanish consagración and French consacré ('consecrated') mark the constructive rather than destructive side of irrevocable dedication. 8×
AR["الْحَرِيمِ", "الْحِرْمِ", "بِالْحَرَمِ", "حَرَمٍ", "مُحَرَّمٍ"]·ben["উৎসর্গিত", "উৎসর্গীকৃত", "উৎসর্গীকৃতের;", "সম্পূর্ণ-ধ্বংসের", "হেরেমে"]·DE["[חרם]", "der-geweiht-Sache", "geweiht-Sache", "geweiht-eins", "in-der-geweiht-Sache"]·EN["devoted-one", "devoted-thing", "in-the-devoted-thing", "the-devoted-thing"]·FR["consacré-chose", "consacré-un", "dans-le-voué-thing", "interdit", "le-consacré-chose"]·heb["ב-חרם", "ה-חרם", "חרם"]·HI["शापित-वस्तु-में", "समर्पण", "समर्पित", "समर्पित-का", "समर्पित-वस्तु"]·ID["dalam-hal-yang-dikhususkan", "kudus", "yang-dikhususkan", "yang-dikutuki", "yang-ditumpas"]·IT["[חרם]", "consacrato-cosa", "consacrato-uno", "il-consacrato-cosa", "in-il-cosa-consacrata"]·jav["barang-ingkang-dipun-suwunaken", "ingkang-dipun-pasrahaken", "ingkang-dipun-pasrahaken;", "ingkang-dipun-sirnakaken", "ingkang-dipun-sucekakén", "wonten-ing-hèrèm"]·KO["그-봄된-것", "그-봉헌-것에서", "봄납된-것", "봉헌-것-의", "봉헌은", "봉헌을", "봉헌의"]·PT["cherem", "coisa-consagrada", "consagrado", "no-consagrado", "o-anátema", "o-cherem"]·RU["-заклятого", "в-заклятом", "заклятое"]·ES["anatema", "con-lo-dedicado", "consagración", "lo-consagrado"]·SW["iliyowekwa-wakfu", "katika-ha-haramu", "kilichotolewa", "kilichowekwa-wakfu", "kitu-kilicholaaniwa", "kitu-kilichowekwa-wakfu-kila"]·TR["-de-adak", "adak", "adanmış", "adanmış-şey", "lanetliden"]·urd["-حرام-کی-چیز", "حرام", "حرام-مال", "حرام-میں", "حرام-کی-گئی-چیز"]
3. my ban, divine curse decree — God's own personal decree of ban or curse, spoken in the first person possessive — 'my ban' or 'my curse.' In 1 Kings 20:42 Ahab is rebuked for releasing 'the man of my ban' (חֶרְמִי), and Isaiah 34:5 declares that God's sword descends on the people of 'my curse' (חֶרְמִי). The possessive suffix marks this as a divine prerogative, with Spanish mi-anatema and French mon-ban confirming the first-person ownership of the destructive decree. 2×
AR["حَرَمي", "حَرْمِي"]·ben["আমার-ধ্বংসের", "আমার-বিনাশের-জন্য"]·DE["[חרמי]", "mein-ban"]·EN["my-ban", "of-My-curse"]·FR["[חרמי]", "mon-ban"]·heb["חרמי"]·HI["मेरे-शाप-के"]·ID["kutuk-Ku", "kutukan-Ku"]·IT["[חרמי]", "mio-ban"]·jav["paukuman-Kula", "umat"]·KO["나의-멸하는-것의", "나의-저주를"]·PT["anátema-meu", "minha-destruição"]·RU["заклятия-Моего"]·ES["de-mi-destrucción", "mi-anatema"]·SW["laana-yangu", "wa-laana-yangu"]·TR["lanetimin", "lanetli-olan"]·urd["حرام-کیے-ہوئے-میرے", "میرے-حرام-کردہ-کی"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† 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),…