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הָמַם

𐤄𐤌𐤌

hâmam

H2000 verb

SILEX Entry

Root המם to confuse, agitate, cause panic, disturb

Definition

To bring into tumult or confusion, to agitate or disturb; to cause panic or disarray, typically in contexts of divine intervention in battles. The verb primarily conveys the idea of causing disorder, panic, or confusion among a group, often leading to defeat or destruction, but the focus is on the act of unsettling or throwing into commotion rather than directly killing or consuming.

Semantic Range

to cause panic or terror, to confound or confuse (especially in battle), to disturb, to agitate, to throw into disorder, to drive to tumult, to trouble, to vex, to defeat by psychological means

Root / Etymology

Root: המם. The root conveys an onomatopoetic sense of noise, agitation, or confusion. Derived from a verbal root expressing the causation of tumult, agitation, or panic; cognate in sense to roots like המה ('to murmur, roar') and הום ('to make a noise, be in commotion'), though the form המם distinctively expresses the causation of such states, often as a divine act against Israel's adversaries.

Historical & Contextual Notes

הָמַם appears sparingly in the Hebrew Bible, predominantly in narrative contexts describing military conflicts. It is characteristically used to describe Yahweh intervening on behalf of the Israelites, confounding enemy forces by inducing panic, confusion, or chaos, leading to their defeat. Such language underscores the non-physical means—psychological terror or supernatural turmoil—by which enemies are overcome. This distinguishes הָמַם from direct terms for killing or destroying (like שָׁחַת or אַבֵּד), as it refers to the precursor commotion or panic that brings about defeat rather than merely physical obliteration. English translations such as "destroy" or "discomfit" do not fully communicate the nuanced sense of induced psychological chaos; older English renderings like "trouble" or "vex" similarly miss the core imagery of commotion and collective panic. The term does not carry theological import by itself but rather describes the means by which victory is accomplished, often by rendering enemies unable to coordinate or resist effectively. Not common outside military narrative contexts, and rarely used in non-combative or everyday contexts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root (compare הוּם, הָמָה); properly, to put in commotion; by implication, to disturb, drive, destroy; break, consume, crush, destroy, discomfit, trouble, vex.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

המם (h-m-m) — confusion, agitation, panic, tumult

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1950 הוֹמָם and the Tumultuous One
H1967 הֵימָם Hêymâm
H1991 הֵם from them
H1995 הָמוֹן your tumultuous multitude
H1997 הֲמוֹנָה her teeming mass

Word Forms

11 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2000-08 וַ/יְהֻמֵּ֤/ם vayehumem HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3mp and confused them and he threw them into panic 3
H2000-09 וְ/הָמָ/ם֙ vehamam HC/Vqq3ms/Sp3mp and crush and he threw them into panic 2
H2000-06 וַ/יָּ֕הָם vayaham HC/Vqw3ms and He threw into confusion and he caused panic 2
H2000-04 לְ/הֻמָּ֖/ם lehumam HR/Vqc/Sp3mp to destroy them to throw them into panic 2
H2000-03 הממ/נו hmmnv HVqp3ms/Sp1cp crushed-us he confused us 1
H2000-02 הֲמָמַ֗/נִי hamamani HVqp3ms/Sp1cs crushed-me he panicked me 1
H2000-10 וְ/הַמֹּתִי֙ vehamoti HC/Vqq1cs and I will throw into confusion and I threw into panic 1
H2000-05 וּ/תְהֻמֵּֽ/ם utehumem HC/Vqi2ms/Sp3mp and confuse them and you will throw them into panic 1
H2000-07 וַ/יָּהֹֽם vayahom HC/Vhw3ms and he discomfited and he caused panic 1
H2000-11 ו/יהמ/ם vyhmm HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3mp and confused them and he caused them to panic 1

Occurrences in Scripture

16 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2000-06 Exodus 14:24 וַ/יָּ֕הָם vayaham HC/Vqw3ms and He threw into confusion and he caused panic
H2000-10 Exodus 23:27 וְ/הַמֹּתִי֙ vehamoti HC/Vqq1cs and I will throw into confusion and I threw into panic
H2000-04 Deuteronomy 2:15 לְ/הֻמָּ֖/ם lehumam HR/Vqc/Sp3mp to destroy them to throw them into panic
H2000-09 Deuteronomy 7:23 וְ/הָמָ/ם֙ vehamam HC/Vqq3ms/Sp3mp and will throw them and he threw them into panic
H2000-08 Joshua 10:10 וַ/יְהֻמֵּ֤/ם vayehumem HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3mp and threw them into confusion and he threw them into panic
H2000-06 Judges 4:15 וַ/יָּ֣הָם vayaham HC/Vqw3ms and-routed and he caused panic
H2000-08 1 Samuel 7:10 וַ/יְהֻמֵּ֔/ם vayehumem HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3mp and confused them and he threw them into panic
H2000-11 2 Samuel 22:15 ו/יהמ/ם vyhmm HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3mp and confused them and he caused them to panic
H2000-07 2 Samuel 22:15 וַ/יָּהֹֽם vayahom HC/Vhw3ms and he discomfited and he caused panic
H2000-09 Isaiah 28:28 וְ֠/הָמַם vehamam HC/Vqq3ms and crush and he threw them into panic
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