Original Word: חָצַר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: chatsar
Pronunciation: khaw-tsar' or khaw-tso-tser'
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-tsar')
KJV: blow, sound, trumpeter
NASB: blew, blew trumpets, blowing, sounded
Word Origin: [a primitive root, properly, to surround with a stockade, and thus separate from the open country; but used only in the reduplicated form chatsotser {khast-o-tsare'}; or (2 Chronicles 5]

1. to trumpet, i.e. blow on that instrument

blow, sound, trumpeter

A primitive root; properly, to surround with a stockade, and thus separate from the open country; but used only in the reduplicated form chatsotser {khast-o-tsare'}; or (2 Chronicles 5:12) chatsorer {khats-o-rare'}; as dem. From chatsotsrah; to trumpet, i.e. Blow on that instrument -- blow, sound, trumpeter.

see HEBREW chatsotsrah

Word Origin
denominative verb from chatsotsrah
Definition
to sound a trumpet
NASB Translation
blew (2), blew trumpets (1), blowing (1), sounded (1).

[חצצר] verb Kt, [חצר] Qr, denominative from חצצרה = sound a clarion —

Pi`el Participle מְחַצְּצ֯רִים2Chronicles 5:13 (Qr מְחַצְּרִים) = players on clarions.

Hiph`il Participle מַחְצְצ֯רִים (Qr מַחְצְרִים as Hiph`il see Kö^{ii, 252}) 1 Chronicles 15:24 3t. + 2 Chronicles 5:12 Baer, (van d. H מחצררים); sound with clarions ׳מח בחצצרות 1 Chronicles 15:24; 2Chronicles 5:12; 13:14; absolute sounded (sounding)2Chronicles 7:6; 29:28, compare חצצרה near the end (Kt in all to be pronounced (probably) מְחַצְצְרִים).

חֵק see חֵיק below חוק; חֹק see below חקק.

Overview

The Hebrew verb חָצַר appears six times, always describing the act of priests blowing the long silver trumpets prescribed in Numbers 10. It functions as a liturgical and martial signal, marking moments when the covenant community gathers around the presence of God, seeks His intervention in battle, or celebrates His redemptive work.

Occurrences in Canonical Narrative

• 1 Chronicles 15:24 – Priests trumpet before the Ark as David brings it to Jerusalem, announcing the approach of God’s throne.
• 2 Chronicles 5:12–13 – One hundred twenty priests trumpet at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple; “the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound”, and the glory cloud fills the house.
• 2 Chronicles 7:6 – In the aftermath of that dedication, trumpeting accompanies sacrifices and the refrain, “His loving devotion endures forever,” underscoring covenant faithfulness.
• 2 Chronicles 13:14 – During Abijah’s battle with Jeroboam, priests trumpet as Judah cries to the LORD; the sound becomes a means by which God routs the enemy.
• 2 Chronicles 29:28 – Hezekiah’s revival uses the same priestly trumpeting, consciously restoring Temple worship to Mosaic and Davidic norms.

Priestly Ministry and Worship

Trumpeting is never a lay activity in these texts. The priests alone are authorized to sound the instruments, guarding the holiness of corporate worship. Each occurrence is linked to a renewed or newly established center of worship: the Ark’s placement on Zion, the inauguration of Solomon’s Temple, its rededication after apostasy, and the cleansing under Hezekiah. The verb thus emphasizes continuity between Mosaic legislation and later historical practice.

Covenantal Signal and Theophany

In Numbers 10, the silver trumpets summon the congregation, mobilize the army, and punctuate feast days. Chronicles shows the same functions. At both dedications (2 Chronicles 5 and 7) trumpeting brackets a theophany: “the house of the LORD was filled with a cloud” (5:13). The verb therefore signals a threshold moment when heaven meets earth, affirming God’s willingness to dwell among His people.

War and Divine Intervention

2 Chronicles 13:14 demonstrates the military use envisioned by Moses: the blast is both a cry to God and a declaration of trust. The Chronicler records that “God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah” (13:15). Trumpeting becomes a sacramental act—visible, audible evidence that victory is from the LORD, not from human strength.

Redemptive-Historical Trajectory

The verb’s concentration in Chronicles aligns with that book’s agenda of portraying true worship as central to Israel’s identity. By highlighting priestly trumpeting at key high points—Ark movement, Temple dedication, military crisis, reform—the writer underscores that the nation thrives when liturgy and life are synchronized. Prophets later employ trumpet imagery for eschatological judgment and salvation (e.g., Isaiah 27:13; Joel 2:1), echoing the same theology: the trumpet gathers, warns, and celebrates the presence of the Lord.

Practical Implications for the Church

1. God-initiated Worship: The trumpet blasts remind believers that authentic worship begins with divine summons, not human invention.
2. Unity in Praise: “The trumpeters and singers were as one” (2 Chronicles 5:13) models corporate harmony, a foretaste of the unity Christ prays for in John 17.
3. Spiritual Warfare: As Abijah’s priests sounded, so the church engages battle by proclaiming the gospel—a weapon “mighty through God” (2 Corinthians 10:4).
4. Anticipation of the Last Trumpet: New Testament writers employ trumpet language for the return of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16), rooting Christian hope in the same auditory symbol heard in Chronicles.

The six usages of חָצַר therefore trace a line from Sinai to the eschaton, inviting worshipers in every age to heed the sound that gathers, sanctifies, and heralds the reign of the Lord.

לַמְחַצְּרִ֨ים למחצרים מַחְצְרִ֑ים מַחְצְרִ֖ים מַחְצְרִ֣ים מַחְצְרִים֙ מחצרים lam·ḥaṣ·ṣə·rîm lamchatztzeRim lamḥaṣṣərîm machtzeRim maḥ·ṣə·rîm maḥṣərîmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts