חַלָּמוּת
𐤇𐤋𐤌𐤅𐤕
challâmûwth
H2495 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A plant, likely a type of edible green such as purslane (Portulaca oleracea), referenced primarily as a food or culinary herb in the Hebrew Bible. The term denotes a plant with bland or insipid flavor, sometimes suspected to refer to an egg, but more accurately used for a leafy vegetable or herb consumed with bread.
Semantic Range
purslane, edible herb, bland plant, insipid food
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root חָלַם (ḥ-l-m), meaning 'to be insipid, tasteless, bland.' The noun form חַלָּמוּת (challâmûwth) signifies an edible plant characterized by a lack of strong flavor. Some older lexicons, based on uncertain identification, have suggested it could mean 'egg,' but this is not supported by modern botanical or lexicographical evidence.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חַלָּמוּת occurs in Job 6:6 in a context contrasting it with salt and referencing bland food. Ancient translation traditions have struggled to identify the referent; the Septuagint renders it as 'egg,' while the Vulgate and some modern versions render it as 'purslane,' a common mild-flavored herb in the region. Purslane was a known potherb in the ancient Near East, eaten raw or cooked, particularly by the poor. The context in Job suggests blandness rather than an association with eggs. The term's usage is extremely limited, making exact identification difficult, but modern scholarship overwhelmingly favors a reference to a mild-tasting plant. English translations that use 'egg' reflect translation tradition rather than lexical accuracy.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָלַם (in the sense of insipidity); probably purslain; egg.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חלם (ḥ-l-m) — to be insipid, to lack flavor, to be bland
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2472 | חֲלוֹם | in the dream |
| H2492 | חָלַם | he dreamed |
| H2493 | חֵלֶם | dream-vision |
| H2494 | חֵלֶם | to Helem |
| H5161 | נֶחֱלָמִי | the Nechelamite |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2495-01 |
חַלָּמֽוּת | chalamut | HNcfsa |
of the mallow | bland herb | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2495-01 |
Job 6:6 | חַלָּמֽוּת | chalamut | HNcfsa |
of the mallow | bland herb |