H2864 H2864
To dig, bore through — breaking through walls or earth; also to row a boat, digging oars through water
The verb חָתַר primarily means to dig or bore through a solid barrier. Ezekiel is commanded to dig through the wall of Jerusalem as a prophetic sign-act (Ezek 8:8; 12:5, 7, 12), and Job describes burglars who 'dig into houses' under cover of darkness (Job 24:16). The word even reaches into the mythic: Amos 9:2 pictures fugitives trying to 'dig into Sheol' as a hiding place from God. A single, vivid occurrence in Jonah 1:13 shifts the image entirely — the desperate sailors 'rowed hard' (literally 'dug into' the sea) trying to reach shore, giving the verb a nautical sense that exploits the same physical motion of digging applied to water.
Senses
1. dig / bore through — To dig, bore through, or break through a wall, barrier, or the ground. This is the primary sense across seven occurrences. Ezekiel performs a sign-act of digging through Jerusalem's wall (Ezek 8:8, 12:5, 7, 12), Job describes thieves who 'dig into houses in the dark' (Job 24:16), and Amos 9:2 envisions the impossible act of digging into Sheol to escape divine judgment. Spanish 'cava/excava/perfora' (dig/excavate/bore) and Arabic cognates for boring and tunneling confirm the consistent physical-penetration meaning. 7×
AR["انْقُبْ-", "اِحْفِرْ", "نَقَبُوا", "نَقَبْتُ-", "وَ-حَفَرْتُ", "يَنْقُبُ", "يَنْقُبُونَ"]·ben["আমি-ভাঙ্গলাম-", "আর-খুঁড়লাম", "খোঁড়ো-", "তারা-খনন-করে", "তারা-ভাঙ্গবে", "ভাঙ্গো-", "সে-খনন-করেছে"]·DE["[ואחתר]", "[חתר]", "[חתרתי]", "[יחתרו]"]·EN["I-dug-", "and-I-dug", "dig-", "he-digs-through", "they-dig", "they-shall-dig"]·FR["creuser", "et-creuser", "חתר"]·heb["ו-אחתור", "חתור", "חתור-", "חתר", "חתרתי-", "יחתרו", "יחתרוּ"]·HI["और-मैंने-खोदा", "खोद-", "खोदा-", "खोदें", "वह-खोदता-है", "वे-खोदेंगे"]·ID["aku-menembus", "dan-aku-menggali", "galilah", "ia-membongkar", "mereka-akan-menembus", "tembuskan"]·IT["[ואחתר]", "[חתר]", "[חתרתי]", "[יחתרו]", "egli-digs-attraverso"]·jav["kawula-kedhuk-", "kedhuk-", "kedhuken-", "lan-kawula-kedhuk", "njebol", "sami-ndhuduk", "tiyang-tiyang-punika-kedhuk"]·KO["그들이-파리라", "그리고-파였다", "파나니", "파라-", "파면", "파였다-"]·PT["Cava", "cava", "cava-", "cavarem", "cavarão", "cavei-", "e-cavei"]·RU["и-прокопал", "подкапывается", "прокопай-", "прокопал-", "прокопают"]·ES["Excava", "cava", "cavan", "perfora", "perforarán", "perforé", "y-cavé"]·SW["Anavunja", "na-nikatoboa", "nilitoboa", "toboa", "watachimba", "watautoboa"]·TR["del", "delecekler", "deler", "gündüz", "kazarlarsa", "ve-deldim"]·urd["اور-مَیں-نے-کھودا", "کھود-", "کھودا-مَیں-نے-", "کھودتا ہے", "کھودیں-گے"]
2. row (a boat) — To row a boat — a vivid metaphorical extension where the oars 'dig into' the water. Attested only in Jonah 1:13: וַיַּחְתְּרוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים ('and the men rowed hard') as the sailors desperately tried to bring the ship to shore during the storm. Spanish 'Y remaron' ('and they rowed') and English 'and rowed' show all traditions recognizing this as a distinct nautical action rather than literal digging. The semantic link — the repetitive, forceful downward motion of pulling oars — beautifully connects the two senses. 1×
AR["فَ-جَذَّفَ"]·ben["এবং-দাঁড়-টেনল"]·DE["[ויחתרו]"]·EN["and-rowed"]·FR["et-creuser"]·heb["ו-יחתרו"]·HI["और-खेंचे"]·ID["Tetapi-mendayunglah"]·IT["[ויחתרו]"]·jav["lan-ngayuh"]·KO["그러나-노를-저었으니라"]·PT["E-remaram"]·RU["И-гребли"]·ES["Y-remaron"]·SW["na-wakapiga-makasia"]·TR["Ve-kürek-çektiler"]·urd["اور-کھیتے-رہے"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חָתַר vb. dig, row (NH id., bore (through), so Aramaic חֲתַר 𝔗 (rare))— Qal Pf. ח׳ Jb 24:16, חָתַרְתִּי Ez 12:7; Impf. וָאֶחְתֹּר Ez 8:8 יַחְתְּרוּ Ez 12:12 Am 9:2, וַיַּחְתְּרוּ Jon 1:13; Imv. חֲתָר־ Ez 8:8; 12:5;— 1. dig into houses, c. acc. בָּתִּים Jb 24:16 (of burglary); sq. בְּ into or through a wall Ez 8:8(×2) (Co del. on intern. grounds), 12:5, 7, 12; metaph. sq. בשׁאול Am 9:2 dig into Sheʾôl, i.e. as a refuge. 2. row (as digging into the water) Jon 1:13.