חָמַל (H2550) — Hebrew Lexicon

חָמַל

𐤇𐤌𐤋

châmal

H2550 verb

SILEX Entry

Root חמל to spare, to have compassion, to feel pity, to show restraint

Definition

To feel or show compassion, to have pity for another or for something; to exercise forbearance or restraint, often with a sense of refraining from inflicting deserved harm or withholding what might otherwise be destroyed or taken. The term can also convey a sense of grieving over or cherishing, and is frequently used in contexts of granting mercy, showing compassion, or sparing someone or something from negative consequences or destruction.

Semantic Range

to show mercy, to feel or show pity, to spare or refrain from harming, to grieve over, to cherish, to withhold destruction, to show leniency

Root / Etymology

Root: חמל. The root appears to carry the fundamental idea of feeling compassion or retaining something from harm based on inner emotion. The verbal form חָמַל is derived from the root and means 'to spare, have compassion, feel pity.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

חָמַל appears multiple times in the Hebrew Bible, typically indicating an emotion-driven decision to refrain from executing judgment, punishment, or harm, usually in situations where destruction or loss was possible or even expected (e.g., Saul sparing Agag, 1 Samuel 15:9; showing pity to cattle in Jonah 4:11). The word does not always indicate an exclusively positive compassion but can also be used when someone inappropriately withholds punishment (as in prophetic rebuke). In contrast to other Hebrew terms such as רָחַם (racham, 'to have deep compassion or mercy'), חָמַל often emphasizes the act of sparing rather than an emotional state. In later biblical Hebrew and post-biblical literature, its use narrows somewhat, and it appears less frequently, with other roots (especially רָחַם) taking primacy for mercy or compassion. Standard English translations as 'spare' or 'pity' capture much of the word's intent, but may overlook its nuance of emotional reluctance or internal conflict in the act of showing compassion.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to commiserate; by implication, to spare; have compassion, (have) pity, spare.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חמל (ḥ-m-l) — to spare, to have compassion, to feel pity, to show restraint

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H2538	חָמוּל	to Compassioned-one
H2539	חָמוּלִי	the Hamulite clansman
H2551	חֶמְלָה	in compassionate sparing of
H4263	מַחְמָל	cherished-thing of

Word Forms

14 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H2550-13`	יַחְמֹ֑ל	yachemol	`HVqi3ms`	spares	he spares	11
`H2550-04`	אֶחְמ֧וֹל	echemol	`HVqi1cs`	will I have pity	I will spare	7
`H2550-01`	חָמַ֤ל	chamal	`HVqp3ms`	spared	he spared	6
`H2550-11`	וַ/יַּחְמֹל֩	vayachemol	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and-spared	and he spared	4
`H2550-07`	תַחְמֹ֥ל	tachemol	`HVqi2ms`	spare	you will spare	2
`H2550-02`	חָמָֽלְתָּ	chamaleta	`HVqp2ms`	you-have-spared	you spared	2
`H2550-06`	תַּחְמְל֖וּ	tachemelu	`HVqj2mp`	spare	may you spare	2
`H2550-10`	וַ/תַּחְמֹ֣ל	vatachemol	`HC/Vqw3fs`	and she had compassion	and she spared	1
`H2550-05`	לְ/חֻמְלָ֣ה	lechumelah	`HR/Ncfsa`	to have compassion	for compassion	1
`H2550-09`	וָ/אֶחְמֹ֖ל	vaechemol	`HC/Vqw1cs`	But I had pity	and I spared	1
`H2550-14`	יַחְמֹֽלוּ	yachemolu	`HVqi3mp`	spares	they will spare	1
`H2550-08`	תַּחְמֹֽלוּ	tachemolu	`HVqj2mp`	have-mercy	may you spare	1
`H2550-12`	וְ/חָמַלְתִּ֣י	vechamaleti	`HC/Vqq1cs`	and-I-will-spare	and I will spare	1
`H2550-03`	חֲמַלְתֶּ֖ם	chamaletem	`HVqp2mp`	you have had compassion	you spared	1

Occurrences in Scripture

41 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H2550-10`	Exodus 2:6	וַ/תַּחְמֹ֣ל	vatachemol	`HC/Vqw3fs`	and she had compassion	and she spared
`H2550-07`	Deuteronomy 13:9	תַחְמֹ֥ל	tachemol	`HVqi2ms`	you shall spare	you will spare
`H2550-07`	1 Samuel 15:3	תַחְמֹ֖ל	tachemol	`HVqi2ms`	spare	you will spare
`H2550-11`	1 Samuel 15:9	וַ/יַּחְמֹל֩	vayachemol	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and-spared	and he spared
`H2550-01`	1 Samuel 15:15	חָמַ֤ל	chamal	`HVqp3ms`	spared	he spared
`H2550-03`	1 Samuel 23:21	חֲמַלְתֶּ֖ם	chamaletem	`HVqp2mp`	you have had compassion	you spared
`H2550-11`	2 Samuel 12:4	וַ/יַּחְמֹ֗ל	vayachemol	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and he spared	and he spared
`H2550-01`	2 Samuel 12:6	חָמָֽל	chamal	`HVqp3ms`	he had pity	he spared
`H2550-11`	2 Samuel 21:7	וַ/יַּחְמֹ֣ל	vayachemol	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and-spared	and he spared
`H2550-14`	Isaiah 9:18	יַחְמֹֽלוּ	yachemolu	`HVqi3mp`	spares	they will spare
`H2550-13`	Isaiah 30:14	יַחְמֹ֑ל	yachemol	`HVqi3ms`	he will spare	he spares
`H2550-04`	Jeremiah 13:14	אֶחְמ֧וֹל	echemol	`HVqi1cs`	I-will-pity	I will spare
`H2550-13`	Jeremiah 15:5	יַחְמֹ֤ל	yachemol	`HVqi3ms`	will have pity	he spares
`H2550-13`	Jeremiah 21:7	יַחְמֹ֖ל	yachemol	`HVqi3ms`	he-will-pity	he spares
`H2550-06`	Jeremiah 50:14	תַּחְמְל֖וּ	tachemelu	`HVqj2mp`	spare	may you spare
`H2550-06`	Jeremiah 51:3	תַּחְמְלוּ֙	tachemelu	`HVqi2mp`	spare	may you spare
`H2550-04`	Ezekiel 5:11	אֶחְמֽוֹל	echemol	`HVqi1cs`	will have pity	I will spare
`H2550-04`	Ezekiel 7:4	אֶחְמ֑וֹל	echemol	`HVqi1cs`	will I have pity	I will spare
`H2550-04`	Ezekiel 7:9	אֶחְמ֑וֹל	echemol	`HVqi1cs`	will I have pity	I will spare
`H2550-04`	Ezekiel 8:18	אֶחְמֹ֑ל	echemol	`HVqi1cs`	will-have-pity	I will spare
`H2550-08`	Ezekiel 9:5	תַּחְמֹֽלוּ	tachemolu	`HVqj2mp`	have-mercy	may you spare
`H2550-04`	Ezekiel 9:10	אֶחְמֹ֑ל	echemol	`HVqi1cs`	will I spare	I will spare
`H2550-05`	Ezekiel 16:5	לְ/חֻמְלָ֣ה	lechumelah	`HR/Ncfsa`	to have compassion	for compassion
`H2550-09`	Ezekiel 36:21	וָ/אֶחְמֹ֖ל	vaechemol	`HC/Vqw1cs`	But I had pity	and I spared
`H2550-11`	Joel 2:18	וַ/יַּחְמֹ֖ל	vayachemol	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and had pity	and he spared
`H2550-13`	Habakkuk 1:17	יַחְמֽוֹל	yachemol	`HVqi3ms`	will he spare	he spares
`H2550-13`	Zechariah 11:5	יַחְמ֖וֹל	yachemol	`HVqi3ms`	they have pity	he spares
`H2550-04`	Zechariah 11:6	אֶחְמ֥וֹל	echemol	`HVqi1cs`	will-I-have-compassion	I will spare
`H2550-12`	Malachi 3:17	וְ/חָמַלְתִּ֣י	vechamaleti	`HC/Vqq1cs`	and-I-will-spare	and I will spare
`H2550-13`	Malachi 3:17	יַחְמֹ֣ל	yachemol	`HVqi3ms`	spares	he spares
`H2550-13`	Proverbs 6:34	יַ֝חְמ֗וֹל	yachemol	`HVqi3ms`	he-will-spare	he spares
`H2550-13`	Job 6:10	יַחְמ֑וֹל	yachemol	`HVqi3ms`	he would spare	he spares
`H2550-13`	Job 16:13	יַחְמ֑וֹל	yachemol	`HVqi3ms`	he spares	he spares
`H2550-13`	Job 20:13	יַחְמֹ֣ל	yachemol	`HVqi3ms`	he spares it	he spares
`H2550-13`	Job 27:22	יַחְמֹ֑ל	yachemol	`HVqi3ms`	spares	he spares
`H2550-01`	Lamentations 2:2	חָמַ֗ל	chamal	`HVqp3ms`	spared	he spared
`H2550-01`	Lamentations 2:17	חָמָ֑ל	chamal	`HVqp3ms`	had pity	he spared
`H2550-02`	Lamentations 2:21	חָמָֽלְתָּ	chamaleta	`HVqp2ms`	you-have-spared	you spared
`H2550-02`	Lamentations 3:43	חָמָֽלְתָּ	chamaleta	`HVqp2ms`	have pitied	you spared
`H2550-01`	2 Chronicles 36:15	חָמַ֥ל	chamal	`HVqp3ms`	he had compassion	he spared
`H2550-01`	2 Chronicles 36:17	חָמַ֛ל	chamal	`HVqp3ms`	he-had-compassion	he spared

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