לַ/חֹֽמֶר
𐤋/𐤇𐤌𐤓
chômer
as mortar
A mass or heap of earth or clay; clay or loam used for making bricks or pottery; in an extended sense, a dry measure of volume (approx. 220–230 liters) used for grain or other bulk goods. The primary lexical meaning is 'clay'—either as physical material (mud, loam, or earth), particularly in construction or pottery contexts, or metaphorically to describe human frailty (as in creation imagery). In rare cases, refers to a large heap or pile. The secondary meaning, as a standard dry measure ('homer'), represents a specific quantity in administrative and legal texts.
Genesis 11:3 · Word #17
Lexicon H2563
| Lemma | חֹמֶר |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤇𐤌𐤓 |
| Transliteration | chômer |
| Strong's | H2563 |
| Definition | A mass or heap of earth or clay; clay or loam used for making bricks or pottery; in an extended sense, a dry measure of volume (approx. 220–230 liters) used for grain or other bulk goods. The primary lexical meaning is 'clay'—either as physical material (mud, loam, or earth), particularly in construction or pottery contexts, or metaphorically to describe human frailty (as in creation imagery). In rare cases, refers to a large heap or pile. The secondary meaning, as a standard dry measure ('homer'), represents a specific quantity in administrative and legal texts. |
Morphology HRd/Ncmsa
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | a — Absolute — The noun stands independently |
Common Translation
| Phrase | as mortar |
SIBI-P1 Translation H2563-08
to the clay
| Morphological Notes | Preposition לַ (to/for the) + masculine singular common noun absolute חֹמֶר. |
| Rendering Rationale | The noun חֹמֶר primarily denotes clay or loam as a thick, swelling mass of earth. The prefixed לַ indicates "to/for the," and the masculine singular absolute form is preserved in the singular rendering "the clay." |
View full lexicon entry for H2563 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
as mortar
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | 'To the clay' is insufficient; the Hebrew term here specifically refers to clay used as mortar. 'As mortar' better fits the construction context. |