← H2527 H2529 →

חֱמָא

𐤇𐤌𐤀

chĕmâʼ

H2528 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חמה to be hot, to burn, to be inflamed

Definition

Intense anger, wrath, or fury, typically indicating a sudden or consuming outburst of indignation or rage. Used of both human and divine emotion, emphasizing a passionate, often destructive force. In Biblical Aramaic, this term specifically expresses the concept of overwhelming anger, frequently in contexts of judgment or royal displeasure.

Semantic Range

anger, wrath, fury, rage, intense indignation; especially outbursts of emotional or destructive anger

Root / Etymology

Root: חמה (ḥ-m-h), meaning 'to be hot' or 'to burn.' חֱמָא (Aramaic) is the cognate of the Hebrew חֵמָה (ḥēmāh), deriving from the sense of burning or heat, metaphorically extending to strong emotion, especially wrath.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חֱמָא appears only in the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Daniel, Ezra), where it parallels Hebrew חֵמָה. In such contexts, it often describes the anger of rulers, such as the Babylonian king, or the concept of divine wrath upon those who transgress. This term differs from other Aramaic and Hebrew words for anger that may suggest deliberate or enduring resentment (e.g., אֲף or עֶבְרָה), as חֱמָא emphasizes the overwhelming or blazing quality of fury. English translations as 'anger,' 'wrath,' or 'fury' can communicate the general sense, but may not capture the intensity implied in the original contexts. The term does not carry later connotations linked to religious or ethnic identities. In the Persian and Hellenistic periods, Aramaic remained the language of administration and everyday life, so the term would retain its emotional and civic resonance in both official and narrative texts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) or חֲמָה; (Aramaic), corresponding to חֵמָה; anger; fury.

Bantu Hebrew

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

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

חמה (ḥ-m-h) — to be hot, to burn, to be inflamed

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2529 חֶמְאָה thickened milk
H2553 חַמָּן your sun-pillars
H2574 חֲמָת in Hamath-Fortress
H2575 חַמַּת from Chammath
H2578 חֲמַת צוֹבָה Fortified-city of

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2528-02 וַ/חֲמָ֔ה vachamah AC/Ncfsa and fury and burning fury 1
H2528-01 חֱמָ֗א chema ANcfsa with fury burning fury 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2528-02 Daniel 3:13 וַ/חֲמָ֔ה vachamah AC/Ncfsa and fury and burning fury
H2528-01 Daniel 3:19 חֱמָ֗א chema ANcfsa with fury burning fury
← H2527 Hebrew Lexicon H2529 →