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חָם

𐤇𐤌

châm

H2525 adjective

SILEX Entry

Root חמם to be hot, to become warm, to make hot

Definition

An adjective denoting the physical property of being hot or warm, either in temperature or intensity. It is most often used to describe objects or conditions that radiate heat, such as earth, wind, or weather. In rare cases, it may refer metaphorically to warmth of feeling or color, though this is not a primary sense in biblical usage.

Semantic Range

hot (in temperature), warm, heated (objects), of weather or atmosphere

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root ח־מ־ם (חמם), which fundamentally means 'to be warm' or 'to become hot.' The form חָם is a simple adjectival formation from this verbal root, retaining the sense of temperature.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Used infrequently in the Hebrew Bible, most occurrences describe physical states (e.g., heated objects, the earth, or wind). Unlike broader Semitic parallels where the term can denote emotional heat or passionate intensity, biblical usage is usually literal. Not to be confused with the proper name חָם (Ham), one of Noah's sons, which is etymologically related but contextually and semantically distinct in the text. The term is almost always descriptive and does not carry metaphorical senses of zeal or anger, unlike the related terms חֵמָה (anger, heat) or חָרוֹן (burning, wrath). In the context of biblical chronology and authorship, there is no significant development or shift in meaning from earlier to later texts. English translations such as 'hot' or 'warm' fairly capture its range, though the literal sense should be emphasized over any figurative English connotations.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חָמַם; hot; hot, warm.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חם (ḥ-m-m) — to be hot, to be warm

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2526 חָם Ham
H2529 חֶמְאָה in burning heat
H2534 חֵמָה in heat-of
H2535 חַמָּה radiant heat
H2545 חֲמוֹת her mother-in-law

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2525-01 חָ֞ם cham HAamsa warm Ham 1
H2525-02 חַמִּ֑ים chamim HAampa hot hot ones 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2525-01 Joshua 9:12 חָ֞ם cham HAamsa warm Ham
H2525-02 Job 37:17 חַמִּ֑ים chamim HAampa hot hot ones
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