חֵמָה

𐤇𐤌𐤄

chêmâh

H2534 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חם to be hot, heat up, become warm

Definition

Intense heat or burning, both in a literal and figurative sense; most commonly used to denote fierce emotional states—especially rage, wrath, or intense anger. In specific contexts, can also refer metaphorically to venom or poison, highlighting the consuming or harmful aspect of anger. The term may carry the idea of a powerful internal force or outburst, capable of destruction or harm.

Semantic Range

heat, burning, fierce anger, wrath, rage, fury, indignation, poison, venom

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חם (ḥ-m), whose core meaning is 'to be hot, to heat, to become warm.' The noun חֵמָה is a feminine form indicating 'heat.' The development to figurative uses—of anger or wrath—arises from the common metaphorical link between rising heat and intense emotion. The root meaning ('to heat') is more literal and physical, while the lexical usage of חֵמָה typically points to emotional or metaphorical heat.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the earliest biblical texts, חֵמָה already appears predominantly in a figurative sense, describing a violent or consuming anger, whether divine or human. It is often paired with or contrasted to אַף (’af, 'nose, anger'), but חֵמָה stresses intensity and burning power, whereas אַף, which literally means 'nose,' emphasizes the outward display (such as flaring nostrils). In some Psalms and prophetic books, חֵמָה describes the wrath of YHWH, depicting divine judgment as a burning force. The use of חֵמָה for 'venom' or 'poison' (e.g., Deut 32:24) highlights the destructive, consuming aspect of wrath. In late biblical Hebrew (e.g., Daniel), the spelling may appear as חֵמָא (Aramaic influence), but the meaning remains consistent. English translations often render חֵמָה as 'wrath,' 'rage,' 'fury,' or 'fierce anger,' but may underemphasize the sense of internal, burning intensity. The word never refers to calm displeasure; it always signals a forceful, sometimes beyond-control response. The translation 'bottles' (KJV) in Job 32:19 refers metaphorically to the concept of internal pressure (a 'bottle' about to burst), not to a physical vessel. Contrast with חֶמְאָה (ḥem'ah, 'curd'), which is unrelated.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (Daniel 11:44) חֵמָא; from יָחַם; heat; figuratively, anger, poison (from its fever); anger, bottles, hot displeasure, furious(-ly, -ry), heat, indignation, poison, rage, wrath(-ful). See חֶמְאָה.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חם (ḥ-m) — to be hot, heat up, become warm

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2525 חָם Ham
H2526 חָם Ham
H2529 חֶמְאָה in burning heat
H2535 חַמָּה radiant heat
H2545 חֲמוֹת her mother-in-law

Word Forms

26 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2534-10 חֲמָתִ/י֙ chamati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my wrath my burning-heat 26
H2534-12 חֵמָ֖ה chemah HNcfsa wrath burning heat 21
H2534-07 חֲמַ֥ת chamat HNcfsc fury burning heat of 19
H2534-11 חֲמָת֑/וֹ chamato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his wrath his burning-heat 6
H2534-09 חֲמָתְ/ךָ֗ chamatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your wrath your burning rage 6
H2534-19 וּ/בְ/חֵמָ֖ה uvechemah HC/R/Ncfsa and with fury and in burning heat 6
H2534-06 בְּ/חֵמָֽה bechemah HR/Ncfsa in-fury in burning-heat 5
H2534-24 וְ/חֵמָ֖ה vechemah HC/Ncfsa and fury burning heat 4
H2534-17 וּ/בַ/חֲמָתִ֖/י uvachamati HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp1cs and in my fury and in my burning-heat 4
H2534-01 בַּ/חֲמַת bachamat HR/Ncfsc in fury in heat-of 4

Occurrences in Scripture

124 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2534-07 Genesis 27:44 חֲמַ֥ת chamat HNcfsc fury burning heat of
H2534-01 Leviticus 26:28 בַּ/חֲמַת bachamat HR/Ncfsc in fury in heat-of
H2534-10 Numbers 25:11 חֲמָתִ/י֙ chamati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my-wrath my burning-heat
H2534-25 Deuteronomy 9:19 וְ/הַ֣/חֵמָ֔ה vehachemah HC/Td/Ncfsa and the hot displeasure and the burning-heat
H2534-18 Deuteronomy 29:22 וּ/בַ/חֲמָתֽ/וֹ uvachamato HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp3ms and in his wrath and in his burning-fury
H2534-19 Deuteronomy 29:27 וּ/בְ/חֵמָ֖ה uvechemah HC/R/Ncfsa and-in-fury and in burning heat
H2534-07 Deuteronomy 32:24 חֲמַ֖ת chamat HNcfsc the venom burning heat of
H2534-07 Deuteronomy 32:33 חֲמַ֥ת chamat HNcfsc poison burning heat of
H2534-07 2 Samuel 11:20 חֲמַ֣ת chamat HNcfsc wrath burning heat of
H2534-06 2 Kings 5:12 בְּ/חֵמָֽה bechemah HR/Ncfsa in a rage in burning-heat