Lexical Definition

‎חָסֵר‎ châçêr (khaw-sare') to lack ^H:V
a primitive root

be abated, bereave, decrease, (cause to) fail, (have) lack, make lower, want.

• to lack
• by implication, to fail, want, lessen

1) to lack, be without, decrease, be lacking, have a need
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to lack
1a2) to be lacking
1a3) to diminish, decrease
1b) (Piel) to cause to lack
1c) (Hiphil) to cause to be lacking

See Greek: ἀπορέω · ἐλαττονέω · ἐλαττόω · ἐνδεής · κενός · προσδέομαι · ὑστερέω

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎חָסֵר‎ verb lack, need, be lacking, decrease (see Lag^{BN 143}; Late Hebrew ‎חִסֵּר‎ cause to lack or fail, diminish (active), and derivatives; Aramaic ‎חֲסַר‎, , want, lack, and derivatives, compare Phoenician ‎מחסר‎, see ‎מחסור‎ below; Arabic remove, strip off; disappear, retire (of water), fail (of sight), etc.; perhaps also Ethiopic be inferior, worthless, diminished Di^{590 and derivatives}) —

Qal Perfect 3 masculine singular ‎׳‎‎ח‎ 1Kgs 17:16 2 masculine singular ‎חָסַרְתָּ‎ Deut 2:7 3 plural ‎חָסֵ֑רוּ‎ Neh 9:21 1 plural ‎חָסַרְנוּ‎ Jer 44:18 Imperfect ‎יֶחְסַר‎ Deut 15:8 + 2 t.; ‎יֶחְסָ֑ר‎ Prov 31:11; Eccl 9:8 3 feminine singular ‎תֶּחְסָ֑ר‎ 1Kgs 17:14; Prov 13:25 2 masculine singular ‎תֶּחְסַר‎ Deut 8:9 1 singular ‎תֶּחְסָ֑ר‎ Ps 23:1 plural ‎יַחְסְרוּ‎ Ps 34:11*; Ezek 4:17 ‎וַיַּחְסְרוּ‎ Gen 8:3 ‎יַחְסְרוּן‎ Gen 18:28 Infinitive construct ‎חֲסַר‎ Prov 10:21 Ew^{§ 238 a}, compare Ges^{«GKC:45»§ 45}. 1 a; absolute ‎חָסוֺר‎ Gen 8:5 Participle ‎חָסֵר‎ 1Kgs 11:22; Eccl 10:3 (see ‎חָסֵר‎ below); —

1. lack:
a. with accusative Gen 18:28 (J) perchance the fifty righteous lack five, Deut 2:7 thou hast not lacked anything, Deut 8:9; Jer 44:18; 1Kgs 11:22; Ezek 4:17; Ps 34:11*; Prov 31:11, compare also ‎בַּחֲסַרלֵֿב‎ Prov 10:21 by lacking intelligence (sense), (Di puts here Deut 15:8, see below)
b. absolute be in want, want Ps 23:1; Prov 13:25; Neh 9:21.

2. be lacking, ‎לוֺ‎ ‎׳‎‎מַחְסֹרוֺ אֲשֶׁר יֶח‎ Deut 15:8 his lack (i.e. thing needed), which is lacking to him (possible also is, which he lacks for himself, so Di, see above); ‎שֶׁמֶן‎ ‎׳‎‎עַלרֹֿאְשְׁךָ אַליֶֿח‎ Eccl 9:8 oil on thy head let it not be lacking; see also absolute Isa 51:14; Song 7:3*, and ‎לִבּוֺ חָסֵר‎ Eccl 10:3 his sense is lacking; of jar of oil 1Kgs 17:14; 1Kgs 17:16 (absolute) by meton. for the oil itself (compare || ‎כלה‎ be consumed, exhausted).

3. diminish, decrease, of waters Gen 8:3 (P), compare ‎הָלוֺךְ וְחָסוֺר‎ vGen 8:5 (P), waters continually diminished (see ‎הלך‎ above). Pi`el cause to lack, with accusative of person, Imperfect 2 masculine singular suffix ‎וַתְּחַסְּרֵהוּ מעט מֵאֱלהים‎ Ps 8:6* and thou didst make him lack little of God; Participle ‎וּמְחַסֵּר אתנֿפשׁי מִטּוֺבָה‎ Eccl 4:8 for whom am I labouring and depriving myself of good things? Hiph`il Perfect ‎הֶחֱסִיר‎ Exod 16:18 Imperfect ‎יַחְסִיר‎ Isa 32:6 — cause to be lacking, fail, with accusative of thing ‎׳‎‎מַשְׁקֵה צָמֵא יַח‎ Isa 32:6 the drink of the thirsty he causeth to fail (|| ‎לְהָרִיק נפשׁ רָעֵב‎); absolute Exod 16:18 (P), he that gathered little caused no lack.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References