# H2388 - chazaq **Strong's:** [H2388](https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2388/) ยท BLB lookup **Pronunciation:** khaw-ZAK **Part of speech:** verb (primitive root) **OT occurrences:** ~290 times (a common, high-frequency verb) **Core range:** to be/grow strong, to strengthen, to prevail, to harden, and (with an object) **to seize, grasp, take firm hold of, overpower**. ## Semantic range *Chazaq* runs across a wide field of "strength" senses: to be or grow strong (2 Samuel 10:12), to strengthen or repair (2 Kings 12:5-6), to prevail over (2 Chronicles 8:3), to harden (repeatedly of Pharaoh's heart, Exodus 4:21; 7:13). With a personal object and the preposition *be-*, it means **to seize, grip, overpower** someone, often by superior force. ## The "force / overpower" sense in the sexual-violence texts The forcible-seizure sense of *chazaq* is apologetically important because it marks **rape** in two key texts: - **Deuteronomy 22:25** (the rape case in the open field): "the man **seizes** her (*wehechezik-bah*, Hiphil of *chazaq*) and lies with her." Here *chazaq* denotes overpowering force, and the law declares the woman innocent, "there is no sin in her worthy of death." - **2 Samuel 13:11, 14** (Amnon and Tamar): "he **took hold of her** (*wayyachazeq-bah*)" and, being "stronger than she" (the same root idea), "he violated her" (*anah*). The forcible-seizure verb underlines that this was rape. ### The chazaq / taphas distinction (argued, not lexically settled) A recognized scholarly reading (Jeffrey Tigay, Carolyn Pressler, Paul Copan) contrasts Deuteronomy 22:25's *chazaq* ("seize, overpower" = rape) with Deuteronomy 22:28's *taphas* (H8610, "grasp, lay hold" = a lesser seizure, read as seduction rather than violent rape). On this reading, 22:25-27 is the rape law (only the man dies; she is innocent) and 22:28-29 is the seduction case, which is why the objection that "the Bible makes a rape victim marry her rapist" misreads the verb. **Honest caveat:** this distinction is **argued, not undisputed lexical fact.** *Taphas* can denote forcible seizure elsewhere, so the rape-versus-seduction reading rests on the **verb pairing plus the surrounding legal logic** (place, the cry for help, the *anah* "violate" language of the parallel case), not on the isolated dictionary meanings of the two verbs. It is a strong contextual argument, and it should be presented as such. See the [Rape Only Condemned When Unmarried Objection Defeater](/codex/rape-only-condemned-when-unmarried-objection-defeater/). ## Apologetic load 1. **Rape is lexically marked and condemned.** Where the text means violent, non-consensual sex, it can and does say so (*chazaq* + *anah*), and it acquits the victim (Deuteronomy 22:26). See [Biblical Marriage Consent Objection Defeater](/codex/biblical-marriage-consent-objection-defeater/). 2. **The verb-pairing defeater.** The *chazaq* (Deut 22:25) versus *taphas* (Deut 22:28) contrast is the lexical hinge of the [Rape Only Condemned When Unmarried Objection Defeater](/codex/rape-only-condemned-when-unmarried-objection-defeater/), deployed with the caveat above. 3. **A caution against over-reading single words.** Because *chazaq* is a broad, common verb, the apologetic weight rests on context and pairing, not on the word in isolation, a useful discipline against proof-texting from a lexicon. ## Notable verses - Exodus 4:21; 7:13, God/Pharaoh "hardens" (*chazaq*) the heart - Deuteronomy 22:25, the man "seizes/forces" the betrothed woman (rape case) - Joshua 1:6-9, "be strong (*chazaq*) and courageous" - 2 Samuel 13:11, 14, Amnon "takes hold of" and overpowers Tamar - 2 Chronicles 8:3, Solomon "prevailed against" Hamath ## See also ### Lexicon - [H6031 - anah](/codex/h6031-anah/), the "violate/humble" verb paired with *chazaq* in the rape texts - [H5039 - nevalah](/codex/h5039-nevalah/), the "outrage" verdict on such acts - [H6370 - pilegesh](/codex/h6370-pilegesh/), the concubine ### Concepts and defeaters - [Rape Only Condemned When Unmarried Objection Defeater](/codex/rape-only-condemned-when-unmarried-objection-defeater/), the *chazaq* / *taphas* verb hinge - [Biblical Marriage Consent Objection Defeater](/codex/biblical-marriage-consent-objection-defeater/) - [OT Sexual-Violence Laws](/codex/ot-sexual-violence-laws/)