---
title: חֶרֶשׂ — earthenware · The Tanakh dictionary
description: חֶרֶשׂ (2789), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 17 times: earthenware. BDB 1906: earthenware, earthen vessel, sherd, potsherd. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# חֶרֶשׂ

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«חֶרֶשׂ» in the Tanakh dictionary: **earthenware** — 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:** 17 times · **Key:** 2789 · **BDB:** חֶ֫רֶשׂ

### Glosses

of.earthenware (8); a.potsherd (3); earthenware (3)

### Meaning (OSHB)

earthenware [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2789/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

earthenware, earthen vessel, sherd, potsherd [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2789/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.\[m.\] earthenware, earthen vessel, sherd, potsherd, P and late (NH חֶרֶס, Aramaic חֲרַס)—abs. ח׳ Lv 6:21 + 9 times, חָ֑רֶשׂ Nu 5:17 + 4 times; pl. cstr. חַרְשֵׂי Is 45:9; sf. חֲרָשֶׂיהָ Ez 23:34.— earthenware: כְּלִי־ח׳ earthen vessel Je 32:14; especially P Lv 6:21; 11:33; 14:5, 50; 15:12; Nu 5:17; without כְּלִי Pr 26:23; cf. בַּקְבֻּק יוֹצֵר ח׳ Je 19:1; לְנִבְלֵי ח׳ La 4:2 they are reckoned as earthen vessels, sim. of sons of Zion; חֶרֶשׂ אֶת־חַרְשֵׂי אֲדָמָה Is 45:9 a potsherd (perhaps = earthen vessel, v. Pr 26:23 supr.) among earthen potsherds (of men, over against י׳ their potter); sim. of dryness ψ 22:16. a fragment of earthenware, sherd Is 30:14 Ez 23:34; ה׳ לְהִתְגָּרֵד Jb 2:8 a sherd to scrape himself; חַדּוּדֵי ח׳ Jb 41:22 sharpest potsherds, fig. of sharp scales on belly of crocodile.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 16 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (14 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (12 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «חֶרֶשׂ» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1495/2789/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Job 41:22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.41.22/)

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תַּ֭חְתָּיו חַדּ֣וּדֵי חָ֑רֶשׂ יִרְפַּ֖ד חָר֣וּץ עֲלֵי־טִֽיט׃

*Word for word:* \[are\].under it sharp.points of.potsherd\[s\] it.spreads.out a.threshing.sledge on mud

*JPS 1917:* Sharpest potsherds are under him; he spreadeth a threshing-sledge upon the mire.

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[Proverbs 26:23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.26.23/)

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כֶּ֣סֶף סִ֭יגִים מְצֻפֶּ֣ה עַל־חָ֑רֶשׂ שְׂפָתַ֖יִם דֹּלְקִ֣ים וְלֶב־רָֽע׃

*Word for word:* silver of.dross(es) overlaid on earthenware lips burning and a.heart evil

*JPS 1917:* Burning lips and a wicked heart are like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross.

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