חֲרֹדִי
a Charodite, or inhabitant of Charod
Definition
The term חֲרֹדִי (Chărôdîy) is a gentilic noun meaning 'a Charodite,' referring to an inhabitant or native of a place called Charod. It is used exclusively in the Old Testament to identify Shammah, one of King David's mighty warriors, as 'Shammah the Harodite' in 2 Samuel 23:25. The name Charod itself is derived from a root meaning 'to tremble' or 'to be afraid,' possibly indicating a location associated with trembling, such as a place of fear or awe. This single biblical occurrence serves purely as a geographical and ethnic identifier for a member of David's elite military force.
Biblical Usage
This word appears only once in the Old Testament, in 2 Samuel 23:25, within the list of David's 'Thirty' mighty men. Its usage is strictly as a gentilic—a term denoting origin—to specify the hometown or region of the warrior Shammah. There are no other contexts or patterns of usage; it functions solely to provide geographical detail in this historical military roster.
Etymology
חֲרֹדִי is a patrial noun (indicating origin) formed from a derivative of the root חָרַד (H2729), meaning 'to tremble, be afraid, be in terror.' The place name Charod likely means 'place of trembling.' It is linguistically connected to the well-known location 'En-harod' (עֵין חֲרֹד, H5878), meaning 'spring of trembling,' mentioned in Judges 7:1 as the site where Gideon's army camped. Thus, a Charodite is literally 'one from the place of trembling.'
Semantic Range
In the cultural context of ancient Israel, a gentilic like 'Charodite' was a crucial identifier, linking an individual to a specific clan, town, or region. This was important for establishing identity, lineage, and social standing, especially within military or tribal lists. The association with a place named for 'trembling' might evoke the memory of Gideon's battle at En-harod (Judges 7), where God reduced Israel's army, creating a context of holy fear and dependence on God. For a warrior in David's army, this geographical name could carry connotations of God's power and the fear experienced by enemies.
עֵין חֲרֹדִי (ʿÊyn Chărôdîy, H5878) — Refers specifically to an inhabitant of En-harod, the spring of trembling, a more precise location than the general Charod.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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