Lexical Summary charabah: Dryness, desolation, waste Original Word: חָרָבָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance dry ground, land Feminine of chareb; a desert -- dry (ground, land). see HEBREW chareb NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom chareb Definition dry ground NASB Translation dry (1), dry ground (4), dry land (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs חָֽרָבָה noun feminine dry ground; — absolute ׳ח Genesis 7:22 7t.; opposed to הַיָּם Exodus 14:21 (J), Haggai 2:6; compare Genesis 7:22 (J); opposed to water of Jordan Joshua 3:17 (twice in verse) (J), Joshua 4:18 (E), 2 Kings 2:8; of Nile-arms ׳וְנָתַתִּ֫י יְאֹרִים ח Ezekiel 30:12. Topical Lexicon Conceptual Overview חָרָבָה depicts an area left utterly free of water—ground rendered walkable or territory turned arid. Scripture employs the term both to highlight divine preservation (providing a firm path) and divine judgment (removing life-sustaining water). Occurrences and Narrative Framework • Genesis 7:22 – After the Flood begins, the phrase marks the realm that had once supported life: “Everything with the breath of the spirit of life in its nostrils—everything on dry land—died.” The loss of the חָרָבָה underscores the totality of judgment. • Exodus 14:21 – The Red Sea “turned…into dry land,” allowing Israel safe passage while the pursuing Egyptian army is destroyed. The solid ground becomes a tangible pledge of covenant faithfulness. • Joshua 3:17; 4:18 – Twice the Jordan is said to stand in “dry ground” as Israel enters Canaan. The repetition binds the conquest to the exodus and affirms that the God who delivers also establishes His people in promise. • 2 Kings 2:8 – Elijah’s cloak strikes the Jordan and the prophet walks “on dry ground,” validating his prophetic authority and foreshadowing Elisha’s succession. • Ezekiel 30:12 – “I will make the rivers dry,” prophesies judgment on Egypt. What once symbolized salvation now becomes an agent of desolation, proving that Yahweh rules the elements for rescue or ruin. • Haggai 2:6 – In an eschatological pledge the Lord will shake “the sea and the dry land.” חָרָבָה here stretches beyond Israel’s history to the consummation of all things. Theological Themes 1. Divine Sovereignty over Chaos Whether through the Flood, the Sea, or the Jordan, God commands water and land alike. The sudden appearance of חָרָבָה where water once reigned proclaims His supremacy over chaotic forces and His power to create order. 2. Salvation Pathway The motif of walking across dry ground forms a corridor of redemption. Israel’s exodus and entrance into Canaan mirror one another, bracketing the wilderness era with dramatic proofs that salvation is by grace, not human ingenuity. 3. Judgment Imagery In Genesis and Ezekiel, the same term signals lethal deprivation. What sustains life can be withdrawn at the Lord’s word, warning nations that covenant privilege entails accountability. 4. Eschatological Certainty Haggai pushes the concept past Israel’s borders into cosmic upheaval. The promise that God will again disturb both water and dry land assures believers that the final shaking will usher in an unshakeable kingdom (compare Hebrews 12:26-28). Patterns of Redemptive History The progressive revelation of חָרָבָה traces a movement from creation (Genesis), through redemption (Exodus, Joshua), prophetic authentication (2 Kings), national discipline (Ezekiel), to ultimate consummation (Haggai). Each episode magnifies an aspect of the gospel: cleansing judgment, substitutionary deliverance, covenant ratification, prophetic witness, disciplinary love, and future hope. Practical Ministry Implications • Preaching: Use the Red Sea and Jordan accounts to illustrate God’s capacity to open a path where none exists, applying it to personal or congregational crises. Summary חָרָבָה unites the biblical storyline by portraying the Lord’s mastery over elements, His gracious creation of a safe corridor for His people, and His righteous removal of that security from the unfaithful. From the Flood to the final shaking, dry ground stands as both promise and warning—an enduring testimony that the God who rescues through the waters will also judge, and at last will renew heaven, earth, sea, and חָרָבָה itself. Forms and Transliterations בֶּחָ֣רָבָ֔ה בֶּחָֽרָבָ֖ה בֶּחָֽרָבָ֛ה בֶּחָרָבָֽה׃ בחרבה בחרבה׃ הֶחָרָבָ֑ה הֶחָרָבָֽה׃ החרבה החרבה׃ חָֽרָבָ֔ה חרבה לֶחָרָבָ֑ה לחרבה be·ḥā·rā·ḇāh becharaVah beḥārāḇāh charaVah ḥā·rā·ḇāh ḥārāḇāh he·ḥā·rā·ḇāh hecharaVah heḥārāḇāh le·ḥā·rā·ḇāh lecharaVah leḥārāḇāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 7:22 HEB: מִכֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר בֶּחָֽרָבָ֖ה מֵֽתוּ׃ NAS: of all that was on the dry land, all KJV: of life, of all that [was] in the dry [land], died. INT: all whose the dry died Exodus 14:21 Joshua 3:17 Joshua 3:17 Joshua 4:18 2 Kings 2:8 Ezekiel 30:12 Haggai 2:6 8 Occurrences |
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