Strong's Definition
a primitive root; to restrain or (reflex.) refrain; by implication, to refuse, spare, preserve; also (by interch. with 2821) to observe
KJV Usage: assuage, X darken, forbear, hinder, hold back, keep (back), punish, refrain, reserve, spare, withhold
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Hebrew Lexicon
חָשַׂךְ (cha.sakh) — to withhold. 1) to withhold, restrain, hold back, keep in check, refrain 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to withhold, keep back, keep for oneself, keep from, hold in check, refrain, spare, reserve 1a2) to restrain, check 1b) (Niphal) to assuage, be spared
UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew
verb
Possess | verb qal | ≠ נתן · פזר
to withhold, to hold back = causative action by which human or deities keep something to themselves, refusing to give it to someone else
GEN 22:12 · GEN 22:16 · GEN 39:9 · JOB 38:23 · PRO 11:24 · PRO 21:26
Non-Engage | verb qal
to withhold, to hold back, to be reluctant literally: to withhold; hence: = action by which humans keep part of their body to themselves, refusing to use it to perform a particular event
Non-Engage | verb qal | ≠ מוּסָר
Collocation: חשׂךְ שֵׁבֶט
to withhold the rod, to be reluctant to punish literally: to withhold the rod; hence: = action by which humans refrain from administering punishment to someone else
Non-Engage | verb qal, verb nif | ≠ נצל · סגר
to prevent, to rescue, to spare = causative action by which humans or deities keep (other) humans from performing a particular event
GEN 20:6 · 1SA 25:39 · 2SA 18:16 · 2KI 5:20 · JOB 21:30 · JOB 33:18 · PSA 19:14 · PSA 78:50 · PRO 24:11
Unwilling | verb qal | ≈ רחק · תעב
Collocation: לֹא חשׂךְ רֹק
to not withhold spit (from someone) literally: not to withhold spit; = action by which humans are unwilling to restrain themselves from spitting at somebody; ≈ associated with contempt
Lax | verb qal
to hold back = causative action by which humans or deities cause an event to happen with less intensity
verb
UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon
חָשַׂךְ vb. withhold, refrain Qal
withhold, keep back, keep for oneself
keep one from evil, calamity
hold in check
refrain
spare
reserve for
(abs.) restrain, check (pain) i.e. assuage
Niph. at the day of calamity the wicked is spared
base