The Hebrew verb chatah means to snatch up or carry away, particularly used of taking burning coals with a firepan. It appears in Proverbs 6:27 and 25:22, the latter providing the famous imagery quoted by Paul in Romans 12:20: 'heap burning coals on his head.' The word captures a sudden decisive action — grabbing, removing, or placing something with intent.
The most theologically significant use of chatah is in Proverbs 25:22, where acts of kindness toward an enemy are described as heaping burning coals on their head. Paul quotes this in Romans 12:20 to teach transformative, enemy-disarming love. The image is not of punishment but of a smelting metaphor — the fire of kindness purifies and convicts. Chatah captures the urgency and intentionality of this act: grace must be actively seized and carried to others.