חָרַם

vb.Hiph. ban, devote, exterminate (MI17 החרמתה of devoting, dedicating a city to Chemosh, in cl. with כי explaining massacre of all inhabitants; the altar-hearth of י׳ there was dragged before Chemosh; حَرُمَ be prohibited, forbidden, unlawful, become sacred; ii. make, pronounce sacred, inviolable; Ethiopic ሐረመ prohibit from common use, consecrate to God, esteem unlawful; Palm. חרם = consacré VogNo. 35; Nab. id., Eutp. 28; Sab. מחרם sanctuary, temple, OsZMG 1865, 176, 252, חרמתן DHMZMG 1875, 594; Aramaic אַחֲרִים, and especially ܐܰܚܪܶܡ anathematize, excommunicate; v. also WeSkizzen iii, 165, DrSm 100 ff., RSSem. i. 140(150))— Pf. הֶהֱרִים Jos 8:26 + 5 times; הֶחֱרִם Jos 10:28; 2 ms. וְהַחֲרַמְתָּ֫ה 1 S 15:18; 1 s. הֶחֱרַמְתִּי 1 S 15:20; וְהַחֲרַמְתִּ֫י Nu 21:2; 2 fs. וְהַחֲרַמְתְּ(י) consec. Mi 4:13 (so 𝔊 𝔙 𝔖 𝔗 RV most; MT 1 s.), v. Ges§ 44, R. 4; pl. הֶחֱרִימוּ 1 S 15:9 2 Ch 32:14 etc.; (1 S 15:3 read והחרמתו 𝔊 We Dr); Impf. יַחֲרִם Lv 27:28; וַיַּחֲרֵם Nu 21:3 Jos 10:37; sf. וַיַּחֲרִימָהּ Jos 10:1; 1 pl. וַנַּחֲרֵם Dt 2:34; 3:6 etc.; Imv. הַחֲרֵם Dt 13:16; pl. הַחֲרִימוּ Je 51:3; sf. הַחֲרִימוּהָ Je 50:26; Inf. abs. הַחֲרֵם Dt 3:6 + 4 times; cstr. הַחֲרִים 2 Ch 20:23 Dn 11:44; sf. הַחֲרִימָם Jos 11:20 + 4 times;—ban, devote (especially religiously, sq. objects hostile to the theocracy [v. especially Ex 22:19 Hoph.]; this involved gen. their destruction; when a city was ‘devoted’ the inhab. were put to death, the spoil being destroyed or not according to the gravity of the occasion [contrast Jos 6:17, 21 1 S 15:3 with Dt 2:34f.; 3:6, 7], cf. MI17 לעשתר כמש החרמתה to Ashtar-Chemosh I devoted it, i.e. the city Nebo);— most often of devoting to destruction cities of Canaanites and other neighbours of Isr., exterminating inhabitants, and destroying or appropriating their possessions: Isr. and her leaders subj. Nu 21:2, 3 (destruction according to vow), Jos 6:21 (cf. חֵרֶם ליהוה v 17; all J); in v 18 read תַּחְמְדוּ (for MT תַּחֲרִימוּ, v. Di VB); 8:26 𝔊, not 𝔊L, om. v.), 10:1 (JE), Dt 2:34; 3:6(×2); 7:2(×2) (commanded through Moses, cf. for underlying thought v 4, 5, 6), 20:17(×2) (commanded by י׳), Jos 2:10 10:28, 35, 37, 39, 40 (divine command), 11:11, 12, 20, 21 (divine command v 12, 20; all D), 1 S 15:3, 8, 9(×2), 15, 18, 20 (divine command v 3, 18, 20, cf. v 11, 22, 23); quite secondary is simple exterminate 1 K 9:21, 1 Ch 4:41. secondary meaning destroy, exterminate, also with other nations subj.:—2 K 19:11 = Is 37:11 = 2 Ch 32:14, 2 Ch 20:23, Je 50:21, 26 (both by divine command), 51:3 Dn 11:44. God as subj., fig. all nations and their armies Is 34:2; the nations of Western Asia Je 25:9; the tongue of the Egyptian sea (by drying it up) Is 11:15 (but read perhaps החריב with 𝔊 𝔖 𝔙 𝔗). so also of devoting even Israelites: a city of Isr. for worshipping other gods Dt 13:16; residents of Jabesh-Gilead for not joining in campaign against Benj. Ju 21:11. devote to י׳: for sacred uses החרים ליהוה the spoil of the nations Mi 4:13; private possessions, whether a man, animal, or field Lv 27:28 (P). Impf. יָחֳרַם Lv 27:29 Ezr 10:8; יָחֳרָ֑ם Ex 22:19;— be put under the ban, devoted (to death), for worshipping other gods than י׳ Ex 22:19 (JE; earliest use of word in OT); for some other theocratic offence Lv 27:29 (P; v. Di). devoted, i.e. forfeited, to the temple treasures Ezr 10:8.—On חרם v. especially Di (Kn) Lv 27:28; EwAntiq.75.78, Dr 1 S 15:33.