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H2691 · Hebrew · Old Testament
חָצֵר
Chatser
Noun, masculine/feminine
Court / courtyard / village

Definition

The Hebrew chatser refers to an enclosed space such as a court or courtyard (as in the tabernacle or temple), or an unwalled settlement — a village cluster of houses without fortifications. The word bridges the sacred and the domestic.

Usage & Theological Significance

In the tabernacle system, the chatser (court) was the enclosed area surrounding the tent of meeting — the outermost zone of the holy space that everyone could access (Exodus 27:9). The Psalms celebrate God's courts as the ultimate destination of the worshiping heart: 'Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere' (Psalm 84:10). The same word for the temple court also described ordinary villages, connecting sacred space with the fabric of daily life. Access to God's court, purchased by Christ, is the supreme privilege of the believer.

Key Bible Verses

Psalm 84:10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
Psalm 96:8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts.
Exodus 27:9 Make a courtyard for the tabernacle. The south side shall be a hundred cubits long.
Isaiah 62:9 Those who harvest it will eat it and praise the LORD, and those who gather the grapes will drink it in the courts of my sanctuary.
Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Related Words

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