to devote/destroy
cha.ram denotes placing people, cities, or possessions under an irreversible devotion, most often ending in their destruction.
The predominant use concerns placing whole populations, cities, lands, or military targets under destruction, regularly with no survivors, sword, or complete removal in view. A smaller group of verses applies the verb to persons, property, gain, or possessions set apart to the LORD, where sale, redemption, or ordinary retention is excluded.
Senses in use
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Putting persons or places under total destruction · dominant
The Hiphil forms occur in commands and reports of striking cities and peoples so that none remain: in Joshua 10:40 the APB renders the clause as Joshua having "devoted every living thing" after leaving no survivor, and in Joshua 6:21 it describes all that was in the city being treated this way with the sword. The same action is directed against Amalek in 1 Samuel 15:3 and against named peoples in Deuteronomy 20:17.
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Setting persons or possessions apart to the LORD · rare
In Leviticus 27:28, a Hiphil imperfect concerns a person setting people, animals, or fields apart to the LORD; the verse says such a thing may not be sold or redeemed. Micah 4:13 similarly uses a first-person Hiphil form for unjust gain and wealth assigned to the LORD, rather than describing the destruction of a city or army.
In the Anselm Project Bible: Across the destruction contexts, the APB commonly uses "devote to destruction" or "devoted to destruction," often alongside sword, killing, or no survivors. In the LORD-directed contexts it uses "devotes to the LORD" or "devote" gain; these renderings reflect the verse-level clauses.