חֹמֶט
𐤇𐤌𐤈
chômeṭ
H2546 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A small creeping animal, specifically a type of lizard. In biblical usage, refers to an unclean, ground-dwelling reptile listed among forbidden creatures. The precise zoological identification is uncertain, though its classification as a 'creeper' distinguishes it from larger reptiles. It does not mean 'snail' in the strict sense, though some later or traditional translations render it thus.
Semantic Range
lizard, ground-dwelling reptile, a type of creeping creature (possibly skink or similar), small unclean animal designated in biblical ritual law; sometimes rendered as 'snail' in later tradition though this is unlikely
Root / Etymology
Root/etymology uncertain. Some propose a connection to an unused Semitic root related to 'to be low, to creep,' possibly cognate with Arabic ḥamāṭa ('to press close to the ground'). The word form does not appear elsewhere in Hebrew, and no clear cognate is attested in other Semitic languages. Derivation from a verb meaning ‘to lie low’ is plausible, but unattested.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֹמֶט appears only in Leviticus 11:30, where it is listed among the 'small creatures that move along the ground' (שֶׁרֶץ הַדָּמָה) which are ritually impure for Israelites. Ancient translations varied: the Septuagint renders it as σαύρα ('lizard'); the Vulgate as lacerta; Targum Onkelos as 'lizard.' Rabbinic tradition fluctuated, sometimes identifying it as a 'sand-lizard' or kind of newt; Rashi associates it with a ground lizard. Due to the ambiguity of ancient zoological terms, precise identification is uncertain. The translation 'snail' has little lexical basis and probably reflects confusion or later interpretive tradition, not original meaning. In biblical classification, it functions within purity laws and not zoological taxonomy. Modern scholarship generally prefers 'lizard' or 'skink' but notes persistent uncertainty.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root probably meaning, to lie low; a lizard (as creeping); snail.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חמט (ḥ-m-ṭ) — to be low, to creep, to press close to the ground
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2547 | חֻמְטָה | and Humtah |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2546-01 |
וְ/הַ/חֹ֖מֶט | vehachomet | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
and the skink | ground-creeping lizard | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2546-01 |
Leviticus 11:30 | וְ/הַ/חֹ֖מֶט | vehachomet | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
and the skink | ground-creeping lizard |