2800. Charosheth
Lexical Summary
Charosheth: Charosheth

Original Word: חֲרשֶׁת
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Charosheth
Pronunciation: khar-o'-sheth
Phonetic Spelling: (khar-o'-sheth)
KJV: Harosheth
Word Origin: [the same as H2799 (חֲרוֹשֶׁת - carving)]

1. Charosheth, a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Harosheth

The same as charosheth; Charosheth, a place in Palestine -- Harosheth.

see HEBREW charosheth

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from the same as cheresh
Definition
a place in Pal.
NASB Translation
Harosheth-hagoyim* (3).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
II. חֲר֫שֶׁת proper name, of a location only in combination ׳ח הַגּוֺיִם, „arosheth of the nations (see גּוֺי), Judges 4:2,13,16; perhaps modern el-„arit¾îye, on right bank of lower Kishon, see ThomsonLand and Book; Central Palestine, 1883, 215 ff. BdPal 241 Be Bla CookeHist. Deb. 3 GASmGeog. 393.

חֲרָשִׁים see חָרָשׁ and גַּיְא; also II. חֶרֶשׁ. above &

Topical Lexicon
Geographical Setting

Harosheth (חֲרשֶׁת) was a fortified settlement on the western edge of the Valley of Jezreel near the Kishon River. The fertile plain allowed swift movement for chariots, while nearby highlands provided natural defense. Most scholars locate the site at modern Tell el‐Amr (Tell el‐Charoth) or Tell el‐Haroth, roughly twenty miles northwest of Mount Tabor. The designation “Harosheth of the Nations” (Judges 4:2) hints at a mixed, probably Canaanite–Syro‐Anatolian population under Jabin’s hegemony.

Historical Context in Judges

After a generation of peace won by Ehud, “the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan” (Judges 4:2). Jabin’s military dominance rested on nine hundred iron chariots stationed at Harosheth. Sisera, his commander, made the city his operational base. For twenty years Israel “cried out to the LORD” under harsh oppression until the prophetess Deborah summoned Barak from Kedesh‐naphtali.

Military and Political Significance

1. Chariot Arsenal: Harosheth’s strategic value lay in its chariot corps. Iron fittings gave Sisera a psychological and tactical edge over Israel’s largely infantry militia.
2. Supply and Communication Hub: Situated by the Kishon and at the crossroads of northern trade routes, the city could quickly mobilize reinforcements from Galilee and the Mediterranean coast.
3. Battlefield Outcome: Barak descended from Mount Tabor; a divinely sent storm swelled the Kishon, bogging down Sisera’s chariots (cf. Judges 5:20-21). “Barak pursued the chariots and the army as far as Harosheth of the Nations, and all the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; not even one was left” (Judges 4:16). The once‐feared fortress became a symbol of total defeat.

Spiritual Lessons

• God overrules military superiority. The formidable tech of Harosheth collapsed when the Lord fought for His people (compare Psalm 20:7).
• Obedience and Courage: Deborah’s prophetic leadership and Barak’s eventual faith (Hebrews 11:32) demonstrate that victory follows trustful obedience.
• Covenant Faithfulness: Israel’s deliverance after repentance aligns with the covenant pattern outlined in Deuteronomy 28–30, reinforcing Scripture’s internal consistency.

Christological and Redemptive Themes

Harosheth foreshadows the ultimate overthrow of oppressive powers. As Barak pursued Sisera to utter destruction, so Christ “disarmed the powers and authorities” (Colossians 2:15). The location therefore illustrates the gospel pattern: bondage, divine intervention, decisive victory, and lasting peace.

Application for Ministry Today

1. Strategic Strongholds: Modern believers face ideological and spiritual “Harosheths.” Prayer and obedience remain God-ordained means for tearing them down (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
2. Encouragement for Leaders: Deborah’s bold prophecy encourages both men and women to exercise their Spirit-given gifts for the deliverance of God’s people.
3. Reliance on Divine Power: Ministries may lack material resources comparable to Sisera’s “iron chariots,” yet God’s victory does not depend on human advantage.

Related References

Judges 4–5; Psalm 83:9-10; Hebrews 11:32-34; Colossians 2:15; Revelation 19:11-16

Forms and Transliterations
בַּחֲרֹ֥שֶׁת בחרשת חֲרֹ֣שֶׁת חרשת מֵחֲרֹ֥שֶׁת מחרשת ba·ḥă·rō·šeṯ bachaRoshet baḥărōšeṯ chaRoshet ḥă·rō·šeṯ ḥărōšeṯ mê·ḥă·rō·šeṯ mechaRoshet mêḥărōšeṯ
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Judges 4:2
HEB: וְה֥וּא יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בַּחֲרֹ֥שֶׁת הַגּוֹיִֽם׃
NAS: who lived in Harosheth-hagoyim.
KJV: which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
INT: he lived Harosheth of the Gentiles

Judges 4:13
HEB: אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתּ֑וֹ מֵחֲרֹ֥שֶׁת הַגּוֹיִ֖ם אֶל־
NAS: who [were] with him, from Harosheth-hagoyim to the river
KJV: and all the people that [were] with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles
INT: who from Harosheth of the Gentiles to

Judges 4:16
HEB: הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה עַ֖ד חֲרֹ֣שֶׁת הַגּוֹיִ֑ם וַיִּפֹּ֞ל
NAS: as far as Harosheth-hagoyim, and all
KJV: and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles:
INT: the army far Harosheth of the Gentiles fell

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2800
3 Occurrences


ba·ḥă·rō·šeṯ — 1 Occ.
ḥă·rō·šeṯ — 1 Occ.
mê·ḥă·rō·šeṯ — 1 Occ.

2799
Top of Page
Top of Page