---
title: חׇרְבָּה — waste · The Tanakh dictionary
description: חׇרְבָּה (2723), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 42 times: waste. BDB 1906: n.f. waste, desolation, ruin. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# חׇרְבָּה

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«חׇרְבָּה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **waste** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 42 times · **Key:** 2723 · **BDB:** חָרְבָּה

### Glosses

ruins (9); places (6); a.ruin (5)

### Meaning (OSHB)

waste [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2723/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. waste, desolation, ruin [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2723/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. waste, desolation, ruin;—abs. ח׳ Lv 26:31 + 15 times + Ez 38:8 (del. 𝔖 Co) + Ez 38:12 חרבה 𝔊 Co for חרבות; pl. חֳרָבוֹת ψ 9:7 + 11 times (Ez 38:12, cf. supr.); cstr. חָרְבוֹת Is 5:17 + 7 times; sf. חָרְבֹתַיִךְ Is 49:19; חָרְבֹתָיו Ezr 9:9; חָרְבֹתֶיהָ Is 51:3; חָרְבוֹתֶיהָ Is 44:26; חָרְבוֹתֵיהֶם ψ 109:10 + 2 Ch 34:6 (cf. חֶרֶב and infr.); (chiefly mid. and late Heb. Is 2 8 times; Je 10 times Ez 14 times—incl. 38:8, q. del. Co);— waste, ruin, of cities of Israel Lv 26:31, 33 (H); Judah Is 44:26; 49:19 (‖ שֹׁמְמֹת), 58:12 (בנה), Je 25:18; 27:17; 44:2, 6 Ez 5:14; ruins of Jerusalem Is 52:9 Dn 9:2; also Ez 35:4; cf. Mal 1:4 (c. בנה), Ez 36:10 (c. בנה) v 33 (id.); Egypt Ez 29:9, 10 (in both ‖ שְׁמָמָה; חרבות חֹרֶב in v 10); ruin of temple Ezr 9:9; = ruined dwellings ψ 109:10; cf. 2 Ch 34:6, where read perhaps בְּחָרְבֹתֵיהֶם for בּחר בתיהם (v. חֶרֶב sub III. חרב); Je 22:5; in gen. ruins (si vera l., v. Di; obj. of בנה) Jb 3:14; כוס ח׳ ψ 102:7 an owl of a ruin. of land: waste place amid ruins Is 5:17, cf. 51:3 (‖ מִדְבָּר, עֲרָבָה); land a desolation Je 7:34; 44:22 Ez 25:13 (Edom) Je 25:11 Is 64:10 and Ez 33:24, 27 (of Judah), cf. Ez 13:4, כְּשֻׁעָלִים בח׳ sim. of the prophets; הח׳ הַשֹּׁמֵמוֹת Ez 36:4 (of Israel); of desolation of enemies of Isr. ψ 9:7 (ח׳ לָנֶ֫צַח); ח׳ עולם = old ruins Is 61:4 (c. בנה); elsewhere perpetual ruin, desolation Je 25:9; 49:13 (cities of Bosra); ה׳ מעולם Ez 26:20 (sim. of Tyre) pl. חֲרָבוֹת deserts (?) Is 48:21.

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Why these entries: BDB: same consonants, part of speech agrees, 42 of its verses cited, 3 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (2 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (2 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «חׇרְבָּה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2723/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 102:7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.102.7/)

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דָּ֭מִיתִי לִקְאַ֣ת מִדְבָּ֑ר הָ֝יִ֗יתִי כְּכ֣וֹס חֳרָבֽוֹת׃

*Word for word:* I.am.like (to).a desert.owl of.\[the\].wilderness I.am like an.owl of.\[the\].waste.places

*JPS 1917:* I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am become as an owl of the waste places.

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[Ezekiel 13:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/EZK.13.4/)

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כְּשֻׁעָלִ֖ים בָּחֳרָב֑וֹת נְבִיאֶ֥יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הָיֽוּ׃

*Word for word:* like foxes among ruins prophets your O.Israel they.have.been

*JPS 1917:* O Israel, thy prophets have been like foxes in ruins.

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