חָמִיץ
𐤇𐤌𐤉𐤑
châmîyts
H2548 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
A substance that has become sour, acidified, or fermented—typically referring to anything leavened or that has undergone fermentation. Primarily used for bread or dough that has had time to rise via fermentation, but also applied more broadly to acidic or soured products. By extension, may refer to things that are sharp, biting, or pungent in taste.
Semantic Range
leavened (fermented) bread or food, sour/acetic products (e.g., vinegar), something sharp or biting in taste, figuratively: something degenerate or corrupted
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root חָמֵץ (ḥāmēṣ), meaning 'to be sour, to ferment, to become leavened.' חָמִיץ is the adjectival form, describing something that has undergone the process of souring or fermentation. The root signifies the chemical process of fermentation and souring, typically occurring in bread-making or food preservation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, חָמִיץ refers most often to bread or food items that have become leavened or acidic due to fermentation. In cultic and legal contexts (e.g., Exodus 12; Leviticus 6:10), the term signals a restriction on fermented or leavened items in sacrificial rituals and at specific festivals such as Unleavened Bread, highlighting the contrast with unleavened, or מַצָּה (maṣṣāh), bread. In later Hebrew, the noun took on the connotation of 'vinegar.' The word also appears metaphorically for something sharp or unpleasant (e.g., Psalm 69:22, where חָמִיץ may be rendered as 'vinegar,' and Isaiah 1:22, where it characterizes wine degraded to an acidic state). English translations as 'leavened,' 'soured,' or 'fermented' capture different aspects, but often fail to convey the broader semantic range relating to anything acidified or pungent. Not to be confused with חָמֵץ (ḥāmēṣ), leaven (the substance or process); חָמִיץ focuses on the quality/state of being fermented or acidic in the finished product.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָמֵץ; seasoned, i.e. salt provender; clean.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חמץ (ḥ-m-ṣ) — to sour, ferment, become leavened
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2541 | חָמוֹץ | violent man |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2548-01 |
חָמִ֖יץ | chamits | HAamsa |
salted | fermented | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2548-01 |
Isaiah 30:24 | חָמִ֖יץ | chamits | HAamsa |
salted | fermented |