Lexical Definition

‎חָרַם‎ châram (khaw-ram') to devote/destroy ^H:V
a primitive root

make accursed, consecrate, (utterly) destroy, devote, forfeit, have a flat nose, utterly (slay, make away).

• to seclude
• specifically (by a ban) to devote to religious uses (especially destruction)
• physical and reflexive, to be blunt as to the nose

1) to ban, devote, destroy utterly, completely destroy, dedicate for destruction, exterminate
1a) (Hiphil)
1a1) to prohibit (for common use), ban
1a2) to consecrate, devote, dedicate for destruction
1a3) to exterminate, completely destroy
1b) (Hophal)
1b1) to be put under the ban, be devoted to destruction
1b2) to be devoted, be forfeited
1b3) to be completely destroyed
2) to split, slit, mutilate (a part of the body)
2a) (Qal) to mutilate
2b) (Hiphil) to divide

See Greek: ἀναθεματίζω · ἀναιρέω · ἀνατίθεμαι · ἀποκτείνω · ἀπόλλυμι · ἀφανίζω · ἀφανισμός · ἐνθυμέομαι · ἐξολοθρεύω · ἐρημόω · ὀλοθρεύω · φονεύω

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. [‎חָרַם‎] verb Hiph`il ban, devote, exterminate (MI<sup>17</sup> ‎החרמתה‎ of devoting, dedicating a city to Chemosh, in clause with ‎כי‎ explaining massacre of all inhabitants; the altar-hearth of ‎׳‎‎י‎ there was dragged before Chemosh; be prohibited, forbidden, unlawful, become sacred; II. make, pronounce sacred, inviolable; Ethiopic prohibit from common use, consecrate to God, esteem unlawful; Palmyrene ‎חרם‎ = consacrÈ Vog<sup>No 35</sup>; Nabataean id., Eut<sup>p. 28</sup>; Sabean ‎מחרם‎ sanctuary, temple, Os<sup>ZMG 1865, 176. 252</sup>, ‎חרמתן‎ DHM<sup>ZMG 1875, 594</sup>; Aramaic ‎אַחֲרִים‎, and especially anathematize, excommunicate; see also We<sup>Skizzen iii, 165</sup>, Dr<sup>Sm 100 ff.</sup>, RS<sup>Semitic i. 140</sup> (150)) — Hiph`il Perfect ‎הֶהֱרִים‎ Josh 8:26 + 5 t.; ‎הֶחֱרִם‎ Josh 10:28 2 masculine singular ‎וְהַחֲרַמְתָּ֫ה‎ 1Sam 15:18 1 singular ‎הֶחֱרַמְתִּי‎ 1Sam 15:20 ‎וְהַחֲרַמְתִּ֫י‎ Num 21:2 2 feminine singular ‎וְהַחֲרַמְתְּ(יׅ‎ consecutive Mic 4:13 (so ᵐ5 ᵑ9 ᵑ6 ᵑ7 RV most; ᵑ0 1 singular), see Ges^{«GKC:44»§ 44}, R. 4; plural ‎הֶחֱרִימוּ‎ 1Sam 15:9; 2Chr 32:14 etc.; (1Sam 15:3 read ‎והחרמתו‎ ᵐ5 We Dr); Imperfect ‎יַחֲרִם‎ Lev 27:28 ‎וַיַּחֲרֵם‎ Num 21:3; Josh 10:37 suffix ‎וַיַּחֲרִימָהּ‎ Josh 10:1 1 plural ‎וַנַּחֲרֵם‎ Deut 2:34; Deut 3:6 etc.; Imperative ‎הַחֲרֵם‎ Deut 13:16* plural ‎הַחֲרִימוּ‎ Jer 51:3 suffix ‎הַחֲרִימוּהָ‎ Jer 50:26 Infinitive absolute ‎הַחֲרֵם‎ Deut 3:6 + 4 t.; construct ‎הַחֲרִים‎ 2Chr 20:23; Dan 11:44 suffix ‎הַחֲרִימָם‎ Josh 11:20 + 4 t.; — ban, devote (especially religiously, followed by objects hostile to the theocracy [see especially Exod 22:19* Hoph`al]; this involved generally their destruction; when a city was 'devoted' the inhabitants were put to death, the spoil being destroyed or not according to the gravity of the occasion [contrast Josh 6:17; Josh 6:21; 1Sam 15:3 with Deut 2:34f. Deut 3:6; Deut 3:7], compare MI¹⁷ ‎לעשתר כמש החרמתה‎ to Ashtar-Chemosh I devoted it, i.e. the city Nebo); —

1. most often of devoting to destruction cities of Canaanites and other neighbours of Israel, exterminating inhabitants, and destroying or appropriating their possessions:
a. Israel and her leaders subject Num 21:2; Num 21:3 (destruction according to vow), Josh 6:21 (compare ‎חֵרֶם ליהוה‎ vJosh 6:17 all J); in vJosh 6:18 read ‎תַּחְמְדוּ‎ (for ᵑ0 ‎תַּחֲרִימוּ‎, see Di VB); Josh 8:26 (ᵐ5, not ᵐ5^L, omit verse), Josh 10:1 (JE), Deut 2:34; Deut 3:6 (twice in verse); Deut 7:2 (twice in verse) (commanded through Moses, compare for underlying thought vDeut 7:4 vDeut 7:5 vDeut 7:6), Deut 20:17 (twice in verse) (commanded by ‎׳‎‎י‎), Josh 2:10; Josh 10:28; Josh 10:35; Josh 10:37; Josh 10:39; Josh 10:40 (divine command), Josh 11:11; Josh 11:12; Josh 11:20; Josh 11:21 (divine command vJosh 11:12 vJosh 11:20 all D), 1Sam 15:3; 1Sam 15:8; 1Sam 15:9 (twice in verse); 1Sam 15:15; 1Sam 15:18; 1Sam 15:20 (divine command v1Sam 15:3 v1Sam 15:18 v1Sam 15:20, compare v1Sam 15:11 v1Sam 15:22 v1Sam 15:23); quite secondary is simple exterminate 1Kgs 9:21; 1Chr 4:41.
b. secondary meaning destroy, exterminate, also with other nations subject: — 2Kgs 19:11 = Isa 37:11 = 2Chr 32:14; 2Chr 20:23; Jer 50:21; Jer 50:26 (both by divine command), Jer 51:3; Dan 11:44.
c. God as subject, figurative all nations and their armies Isa 34:2 the nations of Western Asia Jer 25:9 the tongue of the Egyptian sea (by drying it up) Isa 11:15 (but read perhaps ‎החריב‎ with ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ9 ᵑ7).
d. so also of devoting even Israelites: a city of Israel for worshipping other gods Deut 13:16* residents of Jabesh-Gilead for not joining in campaign against Benjamin Judg 21:11.

2. devote to ‎׳‎‎י‎: for sacred uses ‎החרים ליהוה‎ the spoil of the nations Mic 4:13 private possessions, whether a man, animal, or field Lev 27:28 (P). Hoph`al Imperfect ‎יָחֳרַם‎ Lev 27:29; Ezra 10:8 ‎יָחֳרָ֑ם‎ Exod 22:19* —

1. be put under the ban, devoted (to death), for worshipping other gods than ‎׳‎‎י‎ Exod 22:19* (J E; earliest use of word in OT); for some other theocratic offence Lev 27:29 (P; see Di).

2. devoted, i.e. forfeited, to the temple treasures Ezra 10:8. — On ‎חרם‎ see especially Di (Kn) Lev 27:28 Ew^{Antiq. 75. 78}, Dr 1Sam 15:33.

II. [‎חָרַם‎] verb slit (nose, lip, ear, etc.), mutilate, especially face (Arabic perforate, pierce, slit the partition between the nostrils, or the lip, or the lobe of the ear) —

Qal Passive participle ‎אִישׁ עִוֵּר‎ ‎אוֺ פִּסֵּחַ אוֺ חָרֻם אוֺ שָׂרוּעַ‎ a man blind or lame or mutilated in the face (in nose, lip, ear, etc.), or too long in a limb Lev 21:18 (H), see Di (Kn).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References