Original Word: חֹסֶר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: chocer
Pronunciation: kho'-ser
Phonetic Spelling: (kho'-ser)
KJV: in want of
NASB: lack
Word Origin: [from H2637 (חָסֵר - lacking)]

1. poverty

in want of

From chacer; poverty -- in want of.

see HEBREW chacer

Word Origin
from chaser
Definition
want, lack
NASB Translation
lack (3).

חֹ֫סֶר noun [masculine] want, lack (Lag^{BN 144}) — only construct לֶחֶם ׳ח Amos 4:6; כֹּל ׳ח Deuteronomy 28:48,57.

Overview

The term depicts a state of want, deficiency, or privation that stands in stark contrast to the divine ideal of abundance in covenant relationship with the LORD. Each appearance of the word underscores the relational dynamic between obedience and provision versus rebellion and deprivation.

Occurrences and Narrative Setting

1. Deuteronomy 28:48 situates חֹסֶר within the covenant-curse portion of Moses’ farewell discourse: “You will serve your enemies the LORD will send against you … in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and lack of everything”. Here, lack is comprehensive—touching food, drink, clothing, and all means of sustenance.
2. Deuteronomy 28:57 intensifies the same curse during siege conditions, portraying a mother driven to unthinkable acts “for lack of anything else”. The word exposes the horrific depths to which covenant breakers could sink.
3. Amos 4:6 employs the term in a prophetic lawsuit against the northern kingdom: “I gave you absolutely nothing to eat in all your cities, and a shortage of food in all your communities, yet you did not return to Me”. The deficiency is purposeful discipline designed to provoke repentance.

Covenant Theology and חֹסֶר

In the Mosaic covenant blessings and curses (Deuteronomy 28–30), plenty flows from fidelity, whereas lack arises from disobedience. חֹסֶר therefore functions as a barometer of Israel’s covenant health. The absence of basic necessities is not merely economic; it is theological, signaling broken fellowship with the Giver of every good gift (James 1:17).

Prophetic Employment as Legal Evidence

Amos, functioning as covenant prosecutor, cites חֹסֶר to prove Israel’s guilt. The nation experienced graduated disciplines—drought, famine, pestilence—yet failed to heed the warning. Thus, lack becomes exhibit A in Yahweh’s lawsuit, showing that external want mirrored internal hardness of heart.

Theological Motifs

1. Dependency: Humankind was created to depend on God (Genesis 2–3). חֹסֶר exposes artificial self-reliance and drives people back to their Creator.
2. Discipline: Hebrews 12:5–11 teaches that divine chastening is a sign of sonship. Occasions of lack invite self-examination and renewed obedience.
3. Provision Fulfilled: In redemptive history, the ultimate answer to lack is found in Jesus Christ, who declares, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). His messianic banquet (Isaiah 25:6–9; Revelation 19:9) stands in antithesis to the covenant curse of deprivation.

Ministerial Applications

• Preaching: Use passages containing חֹסֶר to warn against complacency and highlight the blessings of obedience.
• Pastoral Care: When believers experience material shortage, guide them to consider both practical stewardship (Proverbs 6:6–8) and spiritual diagnosis without presuming a simplistic cause-and-effect.
• Mercy Ministry: The church embodies Christ’s provision by relieving the needs of the saints (Acts 4:34). Addressing physical lack becomes a testimony to the gospel’s power to reverse the curse.

Contemporary Relevance

Global hunger, economic collapse, and personal financial crises remind modern readers that human systems cannot guarantee security. חֹסֶר urges nations and individuals alike to trust God rather than wealth (1 Timothy 6:17) and to seek first His kingdom, confident that “all these things will be added” (Matthew 6:33).

Eschatological Hope

Prophetic promises envision a new creation where “they will neither hunger nor thirst” (Isaiah 49:10; Revelation 7:16). The eradication of חֹסֶר in the age to come confirms the faithfulness of God, who will supply His people’s needs perfectly and eternally through the Lamb.

בְּחֹֽסֶר־ בחסר־ וְחֹ֣סֶר וּבְחֹ֣סֶר ובחסר וחסר bə·ḥō·ser- bechoser bəḥōser- ū·ḇə·ḥō·ser ūḇəḥōser uveChoser veChoser wə·ḥō·ser wəḥōserInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts