It is clear that there is a peal verb with these consonants meaning "to slay." and using the transitive thematic vowel pattern. Whether this is really a denominative from "sword" rather than simply a transitive variant of ḥrb "to be wasted" is by no means so clear. We assume the latter, but the difference in thematic vowel and, perhaps of greater significance, the difference between the participles ḥreḇ "lying in waste" and ḥrīḇ "slain" show that the distinction was clearly maintained, at least in Syriac. Note, however, the passage cited from P Jos10:28 sub peal meaning #3 in ḥrb #1, where the verb governs both a city and a person as its direct object.