Lexical Summary haras: To tear down, destroy, overthrow, break down Original Word: הָרַס Strong's Exhaustive Concordance beat down, break down, through, destroy, overthrow, pluck down, pull down, ruin, A primitive root; to pull down or in pieces, break, &? Destroy -- beat down, break (down, through), destroy, overthrow, pluck down, pull down, ruin, throw down, X utterly. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to throw down, break or tear down NASB Translation break down (2), break through (2), broken down (1), destroyed (2), destroyers (1), overthrew (2), overthrow (5), overthrown (1), overthrows (1), pull you down (1), pull down (1), ruined (2), shatter (1), tear them down (1), tear you down (1), tear down (5), tears it down (1), tears down (1), thrown down (3), torn down (7), utterly overthrow (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs הָרַס verb throw down, break or tear down (MI הרם; ? Arabic  , bruise, bray, pound, crush (grain)) — Qal Perfect ׳הָ Lamentations 2:2,17; הָרָ֑ס Isaiah 14:17; וְהָרַסְתָּ֫ Judges 6:25 וְהָרַסְתִּ֫י Ezekiel 13:14; Micah 5:10; וְהָֽרְסוּ Ezekiel 16:39; Ezekiel 26:4,12 הָרָ֑סוּ 1 Kings 19:10,14; Imperfect יַהֲרוֺס Job 12:14; suffix יֶהֶרְסֶ֑ךָ Isaiah 22:19; וַיֶּהֶרְסֶ֑הָ 1 Chronicles 20:1; יֶהֶרְסֶנָּה Proverbs 29:4 יֶהֶרְסֵם Psalm 28:5; 3feminine singular suffix 3 masculine singular תֶּהֶרְסֶנּוּ Proverbs 14:1; 2masculine singular תַּהֲרֹס Exodus 15:7; אֶהֱרֹס Jeremiah 24:6; Jeremiah 42:10 אֶהֱרוֺס Malachi 1:4; 3masculine plural יֶהֶרְסוּ Exodus 19:21,24; יַהֲרֹ֑סוּ 2 Kings 3:25; Imperative הֲרָסֿ Psalm 58:7; suffix הָרְסָהּ 2 Samuel 11:25; Infinitive הֲרֹס Jeremiah 31:28 הֲרוֺס Jeremiah 1:10; Participle active הֹרֵס Jeremiah 45:4; passive הָרוּס 1 Kings 18:30; — 1 throw down, tear down, with accusative: altar(s) Judges 6:25; 1 Kings 18:30; 1 Kings 19:10,14; height (גַּב, where idol-altar stood ? compare גֶּב below גבב) Ezekiel 16:39; city (cities) Isaiah 14:17; 2 Samuel 11:25; 2 Kings 3:25; 1 Chronicles 20:1 (compare MI27) Malachi 1:4 (object not expressed); wall(s) Ezekiel 13:14; Ezekiel 26:12; house Proverbs 14:1 (figurative of foolish woman's action); strongholds (מִבְצָרִים) Lamentations 2:2; Micah 5:10; tower(s) Ezekiel 26:4; figurative overthrow (i.e. ruin) land Proverbs 29:4 (opposed to יַעֲמִיד); object men Exodus 15:7 (poem in E) Isaiah 22:19 (cast down Shebna from office); figurative, opposed to building up, of Yahweh's dealings with men Psalm 28:5, compare (without object) Jeremiah 24:6; Jeremiah 42:10; object indefinite אשׁר בָּנִיתִי אֲנִי הֹרֵס Jeremiah 45:4; absolute Jeremiah 1:10; Jeremiah 31:28; Lamentations 2:17; Job 12:14. 2 break down, break away שִׁנֵּימוֺ בְּפִימוֺ ׳ה Psalm 58:7 break away their teeth in their mouth! figurative, addressed to God. 3 break through, intransitive, followed by ׳אֶליֿ Exodus 19:21; followed by ׳לַעֲלֹת אֶליֿ, Exodus 19:24 (both J). Niph`al Perfect3feminine singular נֶהֱרָ֑סָה Proverbs 24:31; 3plural נֶהֶרְסוּ Jeremiah 50:15; Joel 1:17; וְנֶהֶרְסוּ consecutive Ezekiel 30:4; Ezekiel 38:20; Imperfect יֵהָרֵס Jeremiah 31:40; 3feminine singular תֵּהָרֵס Proverbs 11:11; יֵהָרֵס֑וּן Psalm 11:3; Participle הַנֶּהֱרָסוֺת Ezekiel 36:35,36; — be thrown or torn down; wall(s) of vineyard Proverbs 24:31, of city Jeremiah 50:15; cities Ezekiel 36:35 compare Ezekiel 36:36; figurative ruined Proverbs 11:11 (opposed to תָּרוּם); foundations, יְסוֺדֹת Ezekiel 30:4; שָׁתוֺת Psalm 11:3; mountains Ezekiel 38:20; storehouses מַמְּגֻרוֺת Joel 1:17 [see ׳מ]; valley east of Jerusalem לֹאיִֿנָּתֵשׁ וְלֹאיֵֿהָרֵס Jeremiah 31:40 it shall not be plucked up nor thrown down, apparently proverb. expression, implying destruction, removal. Pi`el Imperfect2masculine singular suffix תְּהָֽרְסֵם Exodus 23:24; Infinitive absolute הָרֵס Exodus 23:24; Participle plural suffix מְהָֽרְסַיִךְ Isaiah 49:17; — overthrow, tear down הָרֵס תְּהָֽרְסֵם Exodus 23:24 thou shalt utterly tear them down (J E; object = idols compare Di); participle destroyers, of Zion Isaiah 49:17 ("" מַחֲרִיבַיִךְ). Topical Lexicon Root Conceptהָרַס portrays an aggressive act of tearing down, demolishing, or overthrowing something that already exists. Whether the object is a house, altar, city wall, or even the very foundations of the earth, the verb consistently signals decisive, often violent removal. Because the Old Testament never presents chaos as virtuous, every instance either exposes human rebellion against God’s order or displays God’s holy zeal to cleanse, judge, and ultimately rebuild. Cultic Purging of Idolatry • Deuteronomy 7:5; 12:3 mandate Israel to “tear down” pagan altars, smash pillars, and burn Asherah poles. Haras here underscores covenant loyalty: God’s people cannot coexist with rival worship structures. Divine Judgment on Nations and Cities • When Abraham’s descendants disobey, haras becomes the Lord’s instrument against them: “The LORD sent a pestilence on Israel… the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 24:15–16). Covenantal Discipline and Restoration Haras is never the last word. In Isaiah 58:12 the prophet looks forward to “the ancient ruins” being rebuilt. Amos 9:11–15 promises restoration of “the booth of David that has fallen.” Judgment demolishes what is corrupt so that God may rebuild what is pure. The verb therefore serves redemptive purposes. Liturgical and Wisdom Imagery • Psalm 11:3: “When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The psalmist’s lament turns haras into a metaphor for moral collapse. Prophetic and Eschatological Horizons Isaiah 24:19–20 depicts the earth itself “broken apart… split open” in cosmic judgment, pointing forward to New Testament language about heavens passing away. Micah 5:11 foresees the Messiah eliminating military reliance by “tearing down” strongholds. Thus haras anticipates the day when every idolatrous and humanly engineered refuge is removed so that the kingdom of God alone stands. Christological Reflections Jesus echoes haras theology when He prophesies the Temple’s destruction (Matthew 24:2) and speaks of the tearing down of His own body-temple (John 2:19). The physical tearing down of the Jerusalem Temple in A.D. 70 validates both Old Covenant warnings and New Covenant fulfillment: judgment clears the ground for the once-for-all sacrifice and the living temple of the Church. Pastoral and Ministry Implications 1. Spiritual Reformation: Like Gideon and Josiah, believers must identify and demolish modern idols—anything rivalling Christ’s supremacy. Representative Occurrences Leviticus 14:45; Deuteronomy 7:5; Judges 6:30; 2 Samuel 24:16; 1 Kings 15:22; 2 Kings 11:18; 2 Kings 18:4; 2 Chronicles 34:7; Psalm 11:3; Psalm 52:5; Proverbs 14:1; Isaiah 5:5; Isaiah 17:1; Isaiah 24:19; Jeremiah 1:10; Ezekiel 26:4; Micah 5:11; Amos 9:11. Across its roughly forty-three occurrences, הָרַס unfailingly testifies that whatever stands opposed to God—whether idol, institution, or ideology—will eventually be torn down so that His righteous kingdom may endure forever. Forms and Transliterations אֶהֱר֑וֹס אֶהֱרֹ֔ס אהרוס אהרס הֲרָס־ הֶהָרֽוּס׃ הַנֶּ֣הֱרָס֔וֹת הָרֵס֙ הָרַ֖ס הָרַ֧ס הָרָ֑ס הָרָ֔סוּ הֹרֵ֔ס ההרוס׃ הנהרסות הרס הרס־ הרסו וְהַנֶּהֱרָס֖וֹת וְהָ֨רַסְתִּ֜י וְהָֽרְסוּ֙ וְהָרְס֤וּ וְהָרְסָ֖הּ וְהָרַסְתִּ֖י וְהָרַסְתָּ֗ וְלַהֲר֑וֹס וְלַהֲרֹ֖ס וְנֶהֶרְס֖וּ וְנֶהֶרְס֣וּ וַיֶּֽהֶרְסֶֽהָ׃ והנהרסות והרסה והרסו והרסת והרסתי ויהרסה׃ ולהרוס ולהרס ונהרסו יֵֽהָרֵס֑וּן יֵהָרֵ֛ס יֶ֝הֶרְסֵ֗ם יֶֽהֶרְס֛וּ יֶֽהֶרְסֶֽנָּה׃ יֶהֶרְס֤וּ יֶהֶרְסֶֽךָ׃ יַ֭הֲרוֹס יַהֲרֹ֡סוּ יהרוס יהרס יהרסו יהרסון יהרסך׃ יהרסם יהרסנה׃ מְהָֽרְסַ֥יִךְ מהרסיך נֶהֱרָֽסָה׃ נֶהֶרְס֖וּ נהרסה׃ נהרסו תְּהָ֣רְסֵ֔ם תֵּהָרֵֽס׃ תֶהֶרְסֶֽנּוּ׃ תַּהֲרֹ֣ס תהרס תהרס׃ תהרסם תהרסנו׃ ’e·hĕ·rō·ws ’e·hĕ·rōs ’ehĕrōs ’ehĕrōws eheRos hā·rā·sū hā·ras hā·rās hă·rās- hā·rês han·ne·hĕ·rā·sō·wṯ hanNeheraSot hannehĕrāsōwṯ haRas hāras hārās hărās- haRasu hārāsū haRes hārês haros he·hā·rūs hehaRus hehārūs hō·rês hoRes hōrês mə·hā·rə·sa·yiḵ mehareSayich məhārəsayiḵ ne·hĕ·rā·sāh ne·her·sū neheRasah nehĕrāsāh neherSu nehersū ta·hă·rōs tahaRos tahărōs tə·hā·rə·sêm tê·hā·rês ṯe·her·sen·nū tehaRes têhārês teHareSem təhārəsêm teherSennu ṯehersennū vaiYeherSeha vehanneheraSot veharasTa veHarasTi vehareSah vehareSu velahaRos veneherSu way·ye·her·se·hā wayyehersehā wə·hā·ras·tā wə·hā·ras·tî wə·hā·rə·sāh wə·hā·rə·sū wə·han·ne·hĕ·rā·sō·wṯ wə·la·hă·rō·ws wə·la·hă·rōs wə·ne·her·sū wəhannehĕrāsōwṯ wəhārastā wəhārastî wəhārəsāh wəhārəsū wəlahărōs wəlahărōws wənehersū ya·hă·rō·sū ya·hă·rō·ws Yaharos yahaRosu yahărōsū yahărōws yê·hā·rê·sūn yê·hā·rês ye·her·se·ḵā ye·her·sêm ye·her·sen·nāh ye·her·sū yehaRes yêhārês yehareSun yêhārêsūn yeherSecha yeherseḵā yeherSem yehersêm YeherSennah yehersennāh yeherSu yehersūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 15:7 HEB: וּבְרֹ֥ב גְּאוֹנְךָ֖ תַּהֲרֹ֣ס קָמֶ֑יךָ תְּשַׁלַּח֙ NAS: of Your excellence You overthrow those who rise KJV: of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against INT: the greatness of your excellence overthrow rise send Exodus 19:21 Exodus 19:24 Exodus 23:24 Exodus 23:24 Judges 6:25 2 Samuel 11:25 1 Kings 18:30 1 Kings 19:10 1 Kings 19:14 2 Kings 3:25 1 Chronicles 20:1 Job 12:14 Psalm 11:3 Psalm 28:5 Psalm 58:6 Proverbs 11:11 Proverbs 14:1 Proverbs 24:31 Proverbs 29:4 Isaiah 14:17 Isaiah 22:19 Isaiah 49:17 Jeremiah 1:10 Jeremiah 24:6 43 Occurrences |
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