Original Word: חוּץ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: chuwts
Pronunciation: khoots
Phonetic Spelling: (khoots)
KJV: abroad, field, forth, highway, more, out(-side, -ward), street, without
NASB: streets, outside, street, fields, outer, abroad, exterior
Word Origin: [(both forms feminine in the plural) from an unused root meaning to sever]

1. (properly) separate by a wall, i.e. outside, outdoors

abroad, field, forth, highway, more, outside street, without

Or (shortened) chuts {khoots}; (both forms feminine in the plural) from an unused root meaning to sever; properly, separate by a wall, i.e. Outside, outdoors -- abroad, field, forth, highway, more, out(-side, -ward), street, without.

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
the outside, a street
NASB Translation
abroad (2), abroad* (1), exterior (1), fields (3), large (1), open (1), outdoors (1), outer (3), outside (35), outside to the outer (1), outside* (52), outward (1), street (13), streets (37), without* (1).

חוּץ noun [masculine] the outside, sometimes, especially in plural, specifically a street, never with suffix in singular, with ָ  ה locative ח֫וּצָה, חֻ֫צָה, plural חוּצוֺת, חֻצוֺת, with suffix חוּצֹתָיו etc., Isaiah 15:3 etc.; —

1 the outside, of a house, tent, city, camp, etc., often used, especially with prepositions, to express the adverb idea of outside, abroad (Aramaic synonym, except in sense 2a, is בַּר, ):

a. as accusative after verb of motion Deuteronomy 23:13 יָצָא חוּץ to go forth outside (that is, a camp), Deuteronomy 23:14 (as adverb accusative) בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ חוּץ outside, הוֺצִיא הַחוּץ to bring forth outside (a house or chamber) Judges 19:25; 2 Samuel 13:18 compare Nehemiah 13:8; Judges 12:9b בָּנוֺת הֵבִיא לְבָנָיו מִןהַֿחוּץ from outside, from abroad, 2 Kings 4:3 שַׁאֲלִילָֿךְ כֵּלִים מִןהַֿחוּץ from outside (opposed to בַּבַּיִת 2 Kings 4:2); as Genitive Leviticus 18:9 מוֺלֶדֶת חוּץ one born abroad (i.e. by another father or mother, of a half-sister: opposed to מוֺלֶדֶת בַּיִת) Ezekiel 47:2 (twice in verse). With ָ  ה locative חוּצָה, after a verb of motion Exodus 12:46 מִןהַֿבַּיִת ֗֗֗ חוּצָה, Proverbs 5:16; 2Chron 29:16, 33:15 חוּצָה לָעִיר outside of the city, Numbers 35:4 מִקִּיר הָעִיר וָחוּצָה from the wall of the city and outwards; = on the outside, without 1 Kings 6:6; Isaiah 33:7 צָֽעֲקוּ חוּצָה cry without, 2 Chronicles 24:8: so הַחוּצָה Genesis 15:5 ׳וַיּוֺצֵא אֹתוֺ הח and brought him outside, Genesis 19:17; Genesis 24:29; Joshua 2:19 +, 1 Kings 8:8 לֹא יֵרָאוּ הַחוּצָה were not seen towards the outside, Deuteronomy 25:5 לֹא תִהְיֶה אֵשֶׁת הַמֵּת הַחוּצָה לְאִישׁ זָרi.e. shall not be married into another family, compare Judges 12:9 a.

b. with preps.: a. אלהֿחוץ towards the outside Ezekiel 41:9, Ezekiel 34:21 pleonastic אלהֿחוצה. b. בחוץ Genesis 9:22 outside (opposed to בְּתוֺךְ אָהֳלֹה Genesis 9:21), Genesis 24:31 לָמָּה תַעֲמֹד בַּחוץ, Deuteronomy 24:11; Exodus 21:19 אם יקום והתהלך בחוץ (after leaving a sick couch), 2 Kings 10:24; Psalm 31:12; Ezekiel 7:15 (opposed to מִבַּיִת), Hosea 7:1 +. c. לחוץ Psalm 41:7 יצא לחוץ; = on the outside Ezekiel 41:17; Ezekiel 42:7, לַחוּצָה2Chronicles 32:5 towards the outside. d. מִחוּץ on (מִן

3c) the outside Ezekiel 40:19; Ezekiel 46:2, מִבַיִת וּמִחוּץ within and without (of an ark, building, etc.) Genesis 6:14; Exodus 25:11 = Exodus 37:2; 1 Kings 7:9; Deuteronomy 32:25 מחוץ תְּשַׁכֶּלחֶֿרֶב (opposed to יּמֵחֲדָרִים אֵימָה), Lamentations 1:20 (compare Ezekiel 7:15 above b); so מֵהַחוּץ Ezekiel 41:25. מִחוּץ לְ on the outside of, Genesis 19:16 וַיַּנִּיחֵהוּ מִחוּץ לָעִיר, Genesis 24:11; Exodus 26:35; Exodus 37:7 (twice in verse); Leviticus 8:17; Leviticus 14:8; Numbers 35:5; Joshua 6:23; Jeremiah 21:4 +, even after a verb of motion 1 Kings 21:13 וַיּוֺצִיאוּהוּ מִחוּץ לְעִיר, 2 Kings 23:6, though in this case אל מחוץל is more common, Leviticus 4:12,21 אל מחוץ למחנה, Leviticus 6:4; Leviticus 10:4; Leviticus 14:40,41 + often P, Deuteronomy 23:11. e. מִחוּצָה Ezekiel 40:40 on the outside, מִחוּצָה לְ Ezekiel 40:44. f. (late) חוּץ מִן outside of, Ecclesiastes 2:25 who can eat, and who enjoy, חוּץ מִמֶּנִּיִ outside of me, i.e. except me? (but read rather, with ᵐ5 ᵑ6 De Now and others, חוּץ מִמֶּנּוּ apart from, without him, i.e. God). (So Late Hebrew חוּץ מִן except, without, see De^{Ecclesiastes 2:25.} compare The Aramaic synonym בַּר מִן except Exodus 20:3 ᵑ7; apart from, without Isaiah 36:10 ᵑ7; Syriac id.)

2 Of a definite locality, namely

a. that which is outside the houses of a town, i.e. a street Isaiah 51:23 כַּחוּץ לַעֹבְרִים, Jeremiah 37:21 חוּץ הָאֹפִים the Bakers' street, Proverbs 1:20 כַּחוּץ, ("" כָּֽרְחֹבוֺת: so Proverbs 7:12; Proverbs 22:13; Jeremiah 9:20); often in plural, as חוּצֹת אַשְׁקְלוֹן the streets of Ashkelon 2 Samuel 1:20, ירושׁלם ׳ח Jeremiah 5:1; Jeremiah 7:17,34 #NAME? Jeremiah; 1 Kings 20:34 וְחֻצוֺת תָּשִׂיםלְֿךָ בְּדַמֶּשֶׂק and streets (i.e. bazaars) shalt thou make thee in D., as my father made in Samaria (a concession involving the right of trading), Amos 5:16; Isaiah 15:3; Isaiah 24:11 (as scene of mourning), Isaiah 5:25; Jeremiah 51:4; Ezekiel 11:6; Ezekiel 28:23 ( as filled with corpses of slain), בְּראֹשׁ כָּלחֿוּצוֺת i.e. in conspicuous places, Nahum 3:10; Lamentations 2:19; Lamentations 4:1; Isaiah 51:20, טִיט חוּצוֺת mire of streets Zechariah 10:5 (trampled on by warriors), in simile, of foes trodden under foot, Psalm 18:43; Micah 7:10 ( so ׳כְּחֹמֶר ח Isaiah 10:6), metaphor of cheapness and abundance Zechariah 9:3.

b. more Generally, that which is outside enclosed cities, the open country, Job 18:17 וְלאֹ שֵׁם לוֺ עַלמְּֿנֵיחֿוּץ (see De), compare Proverbs 24:27; in the plural Job 5:10 וְשֹׁלֵחַ מַיִם עַל פְנֵי חוּצוֺת, Proverbs 8:26; Psalm 144:13 (as place where flocks abound).

Meaning and Scope

חוּץ most often denotes the area beyond a defined enclosure—outside a house, outside the camp, outside the city wall, or in the open street or square. About one-third of its 164 occurrences are linked to the wilderness camp; another large block appears in wisdom and prophetic literature to describe city streets, public squares, or the place of exposure and danger that contrasts with the protection found “inside.”

Spatial Orientation in Israelite Life

Ancient dwellings were oriented around an inner courtyard. The moment one stepped “outside” (חוּץ), he left the sphere of household authority and entered communal or untamed space. This basic contrast underlies Genesis 15:5, where the Lord “took Abram outside and said, ‘Now look to the heavens…’ ”. Spatial vocabulary thus shapes narrative perspective, highlighting the difference between private and public, sacred and common, safe and vulnerable.

Ritual Purity and Sacrificial Rites

Levitical law repeatedly assigns חוּץ to the realm where sin and uncleanness are removed:
• Leviticus 4:12; 16:27 – the sin-offering carcass is burned “outside the camp.”
• Numbers 19:3 – the red heifer is slaughtered “outside the camp” as the archetype of cleansing.
• Leviticus 13:46 – the leprous person “must live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.”

This removal anticipates Hebrews 13:11-13, where the writer points to the Messiah suffering “outside the gate.” Old-covenant ritual thus becomes typological, preparing the way for the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ that cleanses those who will go to Him “outside” the realm of human prestige.

Judicial and Penal Actions

Capital punishment took place beyond the camp’s perimeter (Numbers 15:35-36; Deuteronomy 17:5). To be taken חוּץ was to be expelled from covenant protection and exposed to judgment—an image later echoed when Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem.

Public Life in the Streets and Squares

In settled towns חוּץ often means “street” or “square.” These verses portray daily activity, commerce, and civic discourse:
• Proverbs 1:20 – “Wisdom calls out in the street; she lifts her voice in the square.”
• Song of Solomon 3:2 – the bride searches “through the streets and the squares” for her beloved.
• Zechariah 8:4-5 – restored Jerusalem will have “boys and girls playing in its streets.”

Conversely, judgment silences and empties these places (Jeremiah 7:34; Isaiah 24:11).

Wisdom Literature: Moral Choices Displayed Outside

Proverbs contrasts the seductive voice that lurks “in the streets” (Proverbs 7:12) with the noble voice of Wisdom that stands in the same public venue (Proverbs 8:3). The street becomes the arena where moral allegiance is tested and displayed.

Prophetic Imagery of Devastation or Restoration

Prophets employ חוּץ to dramatize catastrophe:
• Jeremiah 9:21 – “Death has climbed in through our windows… cutting off the children from the streets.”
• Lamentations 2:19 – infants faint “in the streets.”

Restoration reverses the picture (Zechariah 8:5). Thus the fate of the streets mirrors the spiritual condition of the people.

Historical and Sociological Insights

Archaeology shows that Iron-Age Israelite towns had narrow lanes, open plazas at gates, and a clear boundary wall. Life “outside” the wall placed one among travelers, traders, and potential enemies. Military encampments likewise maintained a sanctified interior and an unclean exterior. Understanding this layout clarifies David’s lament over Abner—“Should Abner die as a fool dies? … Your hands were not bound… yet you fell as one falls before the sons of iniquity” (2 Samuel 3:33-34)—for the general was slain inside a gate chamber, not outside where warfare belonged.

Typological and Christological Significance

By locating defilement and judgment outside, Scripture prepares the theological groundwork for the Messiah’s atoning work outside Jerusalem’s walls. Believers are summoned to follow Him there, identifying with His reproach while proclaiming redemption to those still “outside” the household of faith (compare Hebrews 13:13 with Revelation 22:15).

Ministry and Pastoral Applications

1. Holiness and Outreach: The church guards purity within but must carry the gospel to the streets (Acts 5:15) as Wisdom once cried out.
2. Compassion for the Marginalized: Lepers, the poor, and the unclean were pushed outside; Christ touched them, modeling compassionate engagement.
3. Discipleship under Reproach: Bearing Christ’s name may leave believers “outside the camp” of cultural approval; faithfulness requires readiness to endure.

Representative Passages

Genesis 15:5; Exodus 29:14; Exodus 33:7; Leviticus 13:46; Leviticus 16:27; Numbers 5:3; Numbers 15:35-36; Deuteronomy 24:11; Joshua 6:23; 2 Kings 7:3; Nehemiah 8:16; Job 18:17; Psalm 144:14; Proverbs 1:20; Proverbs 22:13; Song of Solomon 3:2; Isaiah 15:3; Jeremiah 5:1; Lamentations 2:19; Ezekiel 42:9; Zechariah 8:4-5.

Key Themes Consolidated

• Separation of holy and common
• Removal of sin and impurity
• Public proclamation and moral choice
• Judgment that empties the streets
• Eschatological restoration of communal life
• Christ’s atoning work “outside” and the believer’s call to follow Him there

בְּח֣וּצוֹתֶ֔יהָ בְּחֻצ֨וֹת בְּחוּצ֣וֹת בְּחוּצֹ֣ת בְּחוּצֹתָ֖יו בְּחוּצוֹתֵֽינוּ׃ בְּחוּצוֹתֶֽיהָ׃ בַּ֭חוּץ בַּֽחוּצ֑וֹת בַּֽחוּצ֔וֹת בַּֽחוּצוֹת֙ בַּח֑וּץ בַּח֔וּץ בַּח֖וּץ בַּח֗וּץ בַּח֛וּץ בַּח֣וּץ בַּח֨וּץ ׀ בַּחֽוּץ׃ בַּחוּצ֑וֹת בַּחוּצ֣וֹת בַח֑וּץ בַחוּץ֙ בחוץ בחוץ׃ בחוצות בחוצותיה בחוצותיה׃ בחוצותינו׃ בחוצת בחוצתיו בחצות הַח֑וּץ הַח֑וּצָה הַח֔וּץ הַח֔וּצָה הַח֖וּץ הַח֖וּצָה הַח֗וּצָה הַח֛וּצָה הַחֽוּצָה׃ החוץ החוצה החוצה׃ וְ֠חוּצוֹת וְחוּצ֑וֹת וְכַח֖וּץ וְלַח֙וּצָה֙ וְלַח֜וּץ וָח֔וּצָה וּבְחֻצ֖וֹת וּבְחֻצ֣וֹת וּבְחֻצ֥וֹת וּמִח֑וּץ וּמִח֖וּץ וּמִחוּצָה֩ וּמֵֽחֻצוֹת֙ ובחצות וחוצה וחוצות וכחוץ ולחוץ ולחוצה ומחוץ ומחוצה ומחצות ח֑וּץ ח֑וּצָה ח֔וּץ ח֔וּצָה ח֥וּץ ח֥וּצָה חֻ֑צָה חֻצ֣וֹת חֽוּץ׃ חֽוּצָה׃ חֽוּצוֹתָ֑יִךְ חֽוּצוֹתָ֖ם חוּצ֑וֹת חוּצ֖וֹת חוּצ֣וֹת חוּצ֥וֹת חוּצֹתֶ֖יהָ חוּצֽוֹת׃ חוּצוֹת֙ חוץ חוץ׃ חוצה חוצה׃ חוצות חוצות׃ חוצותיך חוצותם חוצתיה חצה חצות לַח֣וּץ לַחוּץ֙ לחוץ מִח֔וּץ מִח֕וּץ מִח֖וּץ מִח֗וּץ מִח֗וּצָה מִח֣וּץ מִח֤וּץ מִח֥וּץ מִח֨וּץ מִחוּץ֙ מִחוּץ֩ מֵהַחֽוּץ׃ מהחוץ׃ מחוץ מחוצה ba·ḥū·ṣō·wṯ ba·ḥūṣ ḇa·ḥūṣ baChutz bachuTzot baḥūṣ ḇaḥūṣ baḥūṣōwṯ bə·ḥū·ṣō·ṯāw bə·ḥū·ṣō·w·ṯe·hā bə·ḥū·ṣō·w·ṯê·nū bə·ḥu·ṣō·wṯ bə·ḥū·ṣō·wṯ bə·ḥū·ṣōṯ bechuTzot bechutzoTav bechutzoTeiha bechutzoTeinu bəḥūṣōṯ bəḥūṣōṯāw bəḥuṣōwṯ bəḥūṣōwṯ bəḥūṣōwṯehā bəḥūṣōwṯênū Chutz Chutzah chuTzot chutzoTam chutzoTayich chutzoTeiha ha·ḥū·ṣāh ha·ḥūṣ haChutz haChutzah haḥūṣ haḥūṣāh ḥu·ṣāh ḥū·ṣāh ḥū·ṣō·ṯe·hā ḥū·ṣō·w·ṯā·yiḵ ḥū·ṣō·w·ṯām ḥu·ṣō·wṯ ḥū·ṣō·wṯ ḥūṣ ḥuṣāh ḥūṣāh ḥūṣōṯehā ḥuṣōwṯ ḥūṣōwṯ ḥūṣōwṯām ḥūṣōwṯāyiḵ la·ḥūṣ laChutz laḥūṣ mê·ha·ḥūṣ mehaChutz mêhaḥūṣ mi·ḥū·ṣāh mi·ḥūṣ miChutz miChutzah miḥūṣ miḥūṣāh ū·ḇə·ḥu·ṣō·wṯ ū·mê·ḥu·ṣō·wṯ ū·mi·ḥū·ṣāh ū·mi·ḥūṣ ūḇəḥuṣōwṯ umechutzOt ūmêḥuṣōwṯ umiChutz umichuTzah ūmiḥūṣ ūmiḥūṣāh uvechuTzot vaChutz vaChutzah vechaChutz Vechutzot velaChutz velaChutzah wā·ḥū·ṣāh wāḥūṣāh wə·ḥū·ṣō·wṯ wə·ḵa·ḥūṣ wə·la·ḥū·ṣāh wə·la·ḥūṣ wəḥūṣōwṯ wəḵaḥūṣ wəlaḥūṣ wəlaḥūṣāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts