חֲמוּטַל
𐤇𐤌𐤅𐤈𐤋
Chamutal
H2537 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name, feminine: 'Hamutal'—likely meaning 'my heat (is like the) dew' or 'the warmth of dew.' Appears as the name of a Judahite woman, mother of two later kings of Judah. The meaning combines the senses of warmth and dew, possibly evoking freshness, renewal, or fertility. The precise conception behind the name's formation is uncertain, but it does not contain a typical theophoric element.
Semantic Range
personal name (feminine), 'the warmth (is like the) dew,' name of a Judahite woman, genealogical marker
Root / Etymology
Derived from the combination of the roots חָם (ḥam, 'warm, hot') and טַל (ṭal, 'dew'). The structure and vocalization parallel other Israelite personal names, constructed as a compound possibly meaning 'the warmth is dew,' though the syntactical relationship is ambiguous and non-standard for Hebrew names. May reflect a poetic or idiomatic phrase. Root: חם ('to be warm, hot') + טל ('dew').
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֲמוּטַל (Hamutal) appears in the Deuteronomistic History (2 Kings 23:31, 24:18) and in the Chronicler's account (Jeremiah 52:1) as the mother of Jehoahaz and Zedekiah, both kings of Judah in the late First Temple period. Her father's name is given as Jeremiah of Libnah, indicating a notable Judahite lineage. The name structure is relatively rare and does not follow common patterns for theophoric or descriptive personal names. No explicit theological or cultic allusion occurs in the name, and it does not imply any later religious identity. The English translation 'Hamutal' or 'Hamital' is a direct transliteration; older or less precise translations sometimes obscure the feminine character or misinterpret the name's components. The formation differs from related feminine Israelite names by the lack of a divine name or general descriptive adjective. There is no evidence to connect this name to any literary symbolism in the biblical narrative beyond genealogical identification.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or חֲמִיטַל; from חָם and טַל; father-in-law of dew; Chamutal or Chamital, an Israelitess; Hamutal.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חם־טל (ḥ-m / ṭ-l) — warmth, heat; dew
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2537-01 |
חֲמוּטַ֥ל | chamutal | HNp |
Hamutal | Warmth-of-Dew | 3 |
H2537-02 |
חמיטל | chmytl | HNp |
Hamutal | Warmth-of-Dew | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2537-01 |
2 Kings 23:31 | חֲמוּטַ֥ל | chamutal | HNp |
Hamutal | Warmth-of-Dew |
H2537-02 |
2 Kings 24:18 | חמיטל | chmytl | HNp |
Hamutal | Warmth-of-Dew |
H2537-01 |
2 Kings 24:18 | חֲמוּטַ֥ל | chamutal | HNp |
Hamutal | Warmth-of-Dew |
H2537-02 |
Jeremiah 52:1 | חמיטל | chmytl | HNp |
Hamutal | Warmth-of-Dew |
H2537-01 |
Jeremiah 52:1 | חֲמוּטַ֥ל | chamutal | HNp |
Hamutal | Warmth-of-Dew |