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הָמוֹן

𐤄𐤌𐤅𐤍

hâmôwn

H1995 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A large group or mass, particularly an assemblage of people (multitude, throng) or, by extension, a great quantity or volume of things (abundance, vastness). The term can also refer to the noise, commotion, or tumult produced by such a crowd, as well as the feeling or atmosphere of chaos and disturbance. Less commonly, it may denote material abundance, wealth, or copiousness.

Semantic Range

multitude, throng, crowd, abundance, mass (of things or people), riches, copiousness, tumult, noise, uproar, commotion, confusion, rumbling

Root / Etymology

From the root הָמָה (hmh), which fundamentally means 'to be noisy, to roar, to make a commotion.' The noun form הָמוֹן (hâmôn) develops the sense of 'collective commotion,' emphasizing either the crowd or the sound produced by it. Thus, the extended meanings of 'multitude,' 'abundance,' or 'wealth' derive from the idea of a 'teeming quantity' or 'noise of many.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, הָמוֹן is most often used to denote a great assemblage—usually of people (e.g., a crowded gathering, a formidable army) but sometimes animals, possessions, or nations. In prophetic and poetic texts, it often emphasizes either the confusion or the sheer mass involved (e.g., Isaiah 17:12-13—'the roar of many peoples'). When used for non-human abundance (as in wealth or possessions), it stresses sheer quantity rather than specific value. Some translations (especially KJV) have rendered it 'riches' or 'store,' but such uses are extensions and carry nuances of copiousness rather than strictly monetary wealth. Over time, particularly in later biblical books (e.g., Ezekiel), the word came to encompass not just the physical presence but also the collective impact (noise, tumult, disturbance) of such masses. The term is distinct from קָהָל (qāhāl, assembly—often formal or cultic) and עֵדָה (‘ēdāh, community or congregation—more ordered), in that הָמוֹן typically emphasizes disorder, noise, and sheer mass. It is frequently found in descriptions of invading armies, populous cities, or flourishing nations.

Translation Consistency

primary "multitude" 62 occurrences

'Multitude' is the most frequent and natural English equivalent for הָמוֹן in the P2 data and in Biblical usage. It clearly covers the primary sense of an assemblage or large group of people (throng/crowd) while also fitting extended senses of large quantity or mass. It is idiomatic, preserves the traditional biblical tone, and provides a single consistent base term for all forms of this lemma; rarer senses (e.g., noise, tumult) can be rendered idiomatically in context while still using 'multitude' as the core word.

Alternatives (23 occurrences):
"roaring throng of" (13x) "abundance" (4x) "tumult of" (2x) "commotion" (1x) "tumult" (1x) "nor from their noise" (1x) "than the abundance of" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or הָמֹן; (Ezekiel 5:7), from הָמָה; a noise, tumult, crowd; also disquietude, wealth; abundance, company, many, multitude, multiply, noise, riches, rumbling, sounding, store, tumult.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

המם (h-m-h) — to make noise, to roar, to be in commotion

Root המם to make noise, to roar, to be in commotion
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1950 הוֹמָם and the Tumultuous One
H1967 הֵימָם Hêymâm
H1991 הֵם from them
H1997 הֲמוֹנָה her teeming mass
H2000 הָמַם he threw them into panic

Word Forms

21 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1995-04 הֲמ֥וֹן hamon HNcmsc multitude roaring throng of multitude of 35
H1995-11 הֶ/הָמ֖וֹן hehamon HTd/Ncmsa the multitude the roaring throng the multitude 16
H1995-05 הֲמוֹנָֽ/הּ hamonah HNcmsc/Sp3fs her multitude her throng her multitude 10
H1995-09 הֲמוֹנ֑/וֹ hamono HNcmsc/Sp3ms his hordes his roaring throng his multitude 3
H1995-10 הֲמוֹנֹ֔/ה hamonoh HNcmsc/Sp3ms his multitude his tumultuous multitude his multitude 3
H1995-08 הֲמוֹנִ֣ים hamonim HNcmpa multitudes tumultuous multitudes tumultuous multitudes 2
H1995-18 וַ/הֲמ֤וֹן vahamon HC/Ncmsc and the multitude and the throng of and the multitude of 2
H1995-12 ה/המון hhmvn HTd/Ncmsa the multitude roaring multitude roaring multitude 1
H1995-17 וּ/מֵֽ/הֲמוֹנָ֖/ם umehamonam HC/R/Ncmsc/Sp3mp nor from their noise and from their tumultuous throng nor from their noise 1
H1995-03 הֲמָנְ/כֶם֙ hamanekhem HNcmsc/Sp2mp your turmoil your tumultuous multitude your tumultuous multitude 1

Occurrences in Scripture

85 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1995-04 Genesis 17:4 הֲמ֥וֹן hamon HNcmsc a multitude of roaring throng of a multitude of
H1995-04 Genesis 17:5 הֲמ֥וֹן hamon HNcmsc of a multitude roaring throng of a multitude of
H1995-09 Judges 4:7 הֲמוֹנ֑/וֹ hamono HNcmsc/Sp3ms his-multitude his roaring throng his multitude
H1995-11 1 Samuel 4:14 הֶ/הָמ֖וֹן hehamon HTd/Ncmsa of the commotion the roaring throng the commotion
H1995-11 1 Samuel 14:16 הֶ/הָמ֛וֹן hehamon HTd/Ncmsa the multitude the roaring throng the multitude
H1995-21 1 Samuel 14:19 וְ/הֶ/הָמ֗וֹן vehehamon HC/Td/Ncmsa and-the tumult and the roaring throng and the tumult
H1995-04 2 Samuel 6:19 הֲמ֣וֹן hamon HNcmsc multitude roaring throng of multitude of
H1995-11 2 Samuel 18:29 הֶ/הָמ֨וֹן hehamon HTd/Ncmsa the tumult the roaring throng the multitude
H1995-04 1 Kings 18:41 הֲמ֥וֹן hamon HNcmsc of abundance roaring throng of roaring throng of
H1995-11 1 Kings 20:13 הֶ/הָמ֥וֹן hehamon HTd/Ncmsa the multitude the roaring throng the multitude
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