2799. charosheth
Lexical Summary
charosheth: Forest, wood, or thicket

Original Word: חֲרשֶׁת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: charosheth
Pronunciation: khar-o'-sheth
Phonetic Spelling: (khar-o'-sheth)
KJV: carving, cutting
NASB: carving, cutting
Word Origin: [from H2790 (חָרַשׁ - To be silent)]

1. mechanical work

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
carving, cutting

From charash; mechanical work -- carving, cutting.

see HEBREW charash

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from charash
Definition
a carving, skillful working
NASB Translation
carving (2), cutting (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. חֲר֫שֶׁת noun feminine carving, skilful working, only construct חֲרשֶׁת עֵץ Exodus 31:5; Exodus 35:33; אֶבֶן ׳ח Exodus 31:5; Exodus 35:33. — II.חֲרשֶׁת see below

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Semantic Range

חֲרֶשֶׁת (charosheth) speaks of artistic craftsmanship, especially the carving or engraving of materials such as wood, stone, and precious metals. It covers both the design phase (“plans” or “devices”) and the manual execution of intricate work. The word therefore gathers into one term the ideas of creativity, skilled labor, and aesthetic beauty pressed into the service of worship.

Biblical Usage and Context

Charosheth appears only four times, and every occurrence concerns Bezalel’s God‐given abilities for the construction of the tabernacle: Exodus 31:5; Exodus 31:5 (reiterated in the same commissioning speech); Exodus 35:33; Exodus 35:33 (as Moses repeats the charge to the people).

Exodus 31:5: “to cut gemstones for settings, to carve wood, so that he may be a master of every craft.”

Exodus 35:33: “to cut gemstones for settings and to carve wood, so that he may be a master of every artistic design.”

In both passages charosheth is paired with stone cutting and metal work, underlining a comprehensive gifting that equips Bezalel to translate heavenly patterns (Exodus 25:9, Exodus 25:40) into tangible objects.

Historical Background in Tabernacle Construction

Around the middle of the fifteenth century BC, Israel camped at Sinai received the blueprint for a portable sanctuary. The construction demanded far more than rough carpentry; it called for refined artistry that would proclaim the holiness and glory of the LORD to a watching nation. Charosheth captures that refined side of the labor. The Spirit of God “filled” Bezalel (Exodus 31:3) so that what was produced bore divine excellence rather than merely human adequacy. From the cherubim on the mercy-seat to the almond blossoms on the lampstand, carved and engraved detail transformed common materials into vessels of revelation.

Theological and Ministry Significance

1. Gifted Artistry Originates in God

Bezalel’s charosheth did not arise from private genius alone; it was bestowed by the Spirit (Exodus 31:3). Artistic talent is therefore a stewarded gift, accountable to its Giver and intended for His glory.

2. Beauty Serves Worship

Carved acacia boards and engraved onyx stones bore perpetual witness that aesthetic beauty is not peripheral but integral to biblical worship. When skill honors God, it becomes an act of worship equal in dignity to sacrifice or song.

3. Sanctified Skill Prefigures the Incarnation

The tabernacle, fashioned through charosheth, was the place where God “dwelt” (Exodus 25:8). John 1:14 later declares, “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” The meticulous craftsmanship surrounding Israel’s sanctuary thus foreshadows the perfect dwelling of God with humanity in Jesus Christ.

Practical Implications for Contemporary Ministry

• Encourage artists, woodworkers, graphic designers, and builders to view their abilities as Spirit-given callings, not mere hobbies.
• Budget and plan for beauty in church architecture, furnishings, and publications, seeing such expenditure as a theological statement about the worth of God.
• Teach children and youth that craftsmanship and technical skill can be forms of discipleship when offered to the Lord.
• Guard the heart: the same hands that carve wood for the sanctuary could, when misdirected, shape an idol (Exodus 32:4). Skill must remain under the lordship of Christ.

Related Biblical Themes

– Ruach-empowered craftsmanship (compare Exodus 28:3; 1 Kings 7:13-14).

– Wise-hearted artisanship (Exodus 31:6; Exodus 35:35).

– The motif of wood in redemption: acacia in the tabernacle, cedar in the temple, the cross of Christ (Acts 5:30).

Summary

Charosheth is more than an Old Testament technical term; it is a reminder that creative excellence, when surrendered to God, becomes a conduit of revelation. Whether in the wilderness tabernacle or in modern ministry settings, Spirit-filled craftsmanship continues to proclaim the beauty, order, and holiness of the One who gifts and calls.

Forms and Transliterations
וּבַחֲרֹ֣שֶׁת וּבַחֲרֹ֥שֶׁת ובחרשת ū·ḇa·ḥă·rō·šeṯ ūḇaḥărōšeṯ uvachaRoshet
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Exodus 31:5
HEB: וּבַחֲרֹ֥שֶׁת אֶ֛בֶן לְמַלֹּ֖את
NAS: and in the cutting of stones
KJV: And in cutting of stones, to set
INT: the cutting of stones settings

Exodus 31:5
HEB: אֶ֛בֶן לְמַלֹּ֖את וּבַחֲרֹ֣שֶׁת עֵ֑ץ לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת
NAS: for settings, and in the carving of wood,
KJV: to set [them], and in carving of timber,
INT: of stones settings the carving of wood may work

Exodus 35:33
HEB: וּבַחֲרֹ֥שֶׁת אֶ֛בֶן לְמַלֹּ֖את
NAS: and in the cutting of stones
KJV: And in the cutting of stones, to set
INT: the cutting of stones settings

Exodus 35:33
HEB: אֶ֛בֶן לְמַלֹּ֖את וּבַחֲרֹ֣שֶׁת עֵ֑ץ לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת
NAS: for settings and in the carving of wood,
KJV: to set [them], and in carving of wood,
INT: of stones settings the carving of wood to perform

4 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2799
4 Occurrences


ū·ḇa·ḥă·rō·šeṯ — 4 Occ.

2798
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