חָמוֹץ
𐤇𐤌𐤅𐤑
châmôwts
H2541 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A person characterized by violence or brutality, specifically one who acts with aggression or oppression toward others. In certain contexts, the term points to someone engaged in physical or social injustice, commonly connoting a violent or unscrupulous aggressor.
Semantic Range
violent person, oppressor, person characterized by harshness or brutality, violent man, extortioner
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root חָמֵץ (ḥ-m-ṣ), which means 'to be sour, ferment, be leavened, become sharp.' The noun חָמוֹץ takes on a figurative sense from the root's basic idea of something becoming 'sharp' or 'harsh,' transitioning to describe a person who is harsh, violent, or oppressive.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חָמוֹץ appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible. Most notably in Psalms and Isaiah, it denotes a person who acts with violence or oppression, often in parallel with terms for the wicked or oppressors (e.g., חָטָא, רָשָׁע). Its root association with 'sourness' or 'sharpness' lends to the notion of harsh, aggressive behavior, though by the biblical period the word functions more as a typifying noun for one who perpetrates violence. Standard translations as 'violent man' or 'oppressor' capture most contexts, but the metaphorical undertone of 'harshness' or 'bitterness' is typically lost. Later Jewish interpretive traditions may render it as 'robber' or 'violent person,' and some English translations use 'extortioner,' but none fully convey its underlying imagery. In the Psalms and Prophets, it contrasts with the righteous or innocent, serving as a literary foil.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָמֵץ; properly, violent; by implication, a robber; oppressed.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חמץ (ḥ-m-ṣ) — to be sour, to ferment, to be sharp, to become harsh
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2548 | חָמִיץ | fermented |
| H2556 | חָמֵץ | fermented thing |
| H2557 | חָמֵץ | fermented substance |
| H2558 | חֹמֶץ | in the soured drink |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2541-01 |
חָמ֑וֹץ | chamots | HNcmsa |
the oppressed | violent man | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2541-01 |
Isaiah 1:17 | חָמ֑וֹץ | chamots | HNcmsa |
the oppressed | violent man |