Original Word: חֲזִיר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: chaziyr
Pronunciation: khaw-zeer'
Phonetic Spelling: (khaz-eer')
KJV: boar, swine
NASB: swine's, pig, boar
Word Origin: [from an unused root probably meaning to enclose]

1. a hog (perhaps as penned)

boar, swine

From an unused root probably meaning to enclose; a hog (perhaps as penned) -- boar, swine.

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
swine, boar
NASB Translation
boar (1), pig (2), swine's (4).

חֲזִיר noun masculine^{Psalm 80:14} swine, boar (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic חֲזִירָא, Arabic (Aramaic Loan-word according to Frä¹¹⁰, yet see Lag^{BN 113}); Ethiopic : (only once; = wild boar), see Hom^{NS 319 f.} 358, 385) — always stative absolute, 4 t. with article ׳הַח; —

1 swine, forbidden as food Leviticus 11:7 (P), Deuteronomy 14:8, compare ׳בְּשַׂר הַח Isaiah 65:4; Isaiah 66:17, and ׳דַּםחֿ Isaiah 66:3 as heathen offering (RS^{Semitic 1, 272, 325, 338, 392}); with implication of repul siveness ׳נֶזֶם זָהָב בְּאַף ח Proverbs 11:22 simile of fair woman with dubious character.

2 wild boar מִיָּ֑עַר ׳ח Psalm 80:14 figurative of foes of Israel (in figurative of vineyard).

Definition and Natural History

חֲזִיר denotes both the domestic pig and the wild boar. Omnivorous, strong-snouted, and prolific, swine were widely known throughout the Ancient Near East, yet they were never incorporated into Israel’s pastoral economy. Their dietary habits, preference for wallowing, and potential to spread disease reinforced the biblical portrayal of the animal as unclean.

Cultic and Dietary Prohibitions

Leviticus 11:7 and Deuteronomy 14:8 make the pig the paradigmatic illustration of an unclean creature: “the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you”. The prohibition goes beyond mere hygiene; it serves the larger theological purpose of setting Israel apart as a holy nation. Refusal to eat or touch swine flesh testified to covenant fidelity and visibly distinguished the people of God from neighboring cultures in which pork was a staple.

Symbolic and Moral Dimensions

The Old Testament employs the pig to convey moral and spiritual truths:

• Psalm 80:13 pictures the wild boar ravaging the vineyard—an image of hostile powers trampling the covenant community.
• Proverbs 11:22 warns, “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion”. External adornment cannot mask inner folly; purity of heart outweighs outward beauty.

Thus, the swine becomes a literary device for uncleanness, destruction, and folly.

Prophetic Usage and Eschatological Warnings

Isaiah intensifies the association of pigs with idolatry and judgment. The prophet denounces those “who eat the flesh of swine” (Isaiah 65:4) and equates the offering of “pig’s blood” with abhorrent worship (Isaiah 66:3). Final judgment will overtake those consuming swine in pagan rites (Isaiah 66:17). Swine flesh functions as a shorthand for rebellion against divine holiness, and its mention sharpens the contrast between genuine worshipers and apostates.

New Testament Echoes and Continuing Application

Although Strong’s 2386 appears only in the Old Testament, its trajectory carries into the New Testament era. Demons driven into a herd of pigs (Mark 5:1-20) underscore the animal’s uncleanness within Jewish consciousness. Yet Jesus “declared all foods clean” (Mark 7:19), and the apostolic church affirmed culinary liberty (Acts 10; 1 Timothy 4:3-5). The ceremonial ban was fulfilled in Christ; the moral symbolism remains. Pigs still epitomize impurity (2 Peter 2:22), warning believers against returning to sin’s mire.

Homiletical and Pastoral Insights

1. Holiness requires separation from what God deems defiling, whether dietary, moral, or ideological.
2. External attractiveness without spiritual wisdom is futile; character adorns a life far more than cosmetic appeal.
3. The unclean becoming clean through Christ foreshadows the gospel’s reach to every nation; yet liberty must never diminish reverence for God’s standards.
4. Prophetic imagery urges modern believers to examine worship practices, ensuring they are untainted by idolatrous compromise.

In sum, חֲזִיר serves Scripture not only as an animal designation but as a multifaceted symbol—of uncleanness avoided, folly exposed, enemies judged, and, ultimately, of the transforming power of redemption that redefines purity in the new covenant.

הַ֠חֲזִיר הַחֲזִ֔יר החזיר חֲזִ֑יר חֲזִ֔יר חֲזִ֣יר חזיר chaZir ha·ḥă·zîr ḥă·zîr Hachazir haḥăzîr ḥăzîrInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts