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חָמֵץ

𐤇𐤌𐤑

châmêts

H2556 verb

SILEX Entry

Root חמץ to sour, to ferment, to leaven, to agitate

Definition

To become sour or leavened, primarily referring to a process of fermentation in food, especially bread; by extension, to experience or undergo a transformation suggestive of souring or leavening, including figuratively the sense of moral corruption, agitation, or cruel behavior. The core lexical sense involves a physical or moral change from an original, unmodified state.

Semantic Range

to become leavened, to ferment, to become sour, to be changed or altered (usu. for the worse), to become agitated, to act with violence or cruelty, to be intense or harsh in color or character

Root / Etymology

From the root חמץ, which means 'to be or become sour, leavened, or fermented.' The word חָמֵץ is the Qal verb form, typically expressing an intransitive action referring to the becoming of sourness or the process of leavening. The root ultimately denotes physical or figurative alteration from a neutral to a pungent, agitated, or corrupted state.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חָמֵץ is most commonly used in biblical Hebrew in connection with food laws, especially prohibitions regarding leavened bread (notably in the context of Passover where unleavened bread [מַצָּה] is contrasted with leavened bread). In figurative contexts, the term may also refer to acts or attitudes described as 'soured,' 'cruel,' or 'agitated,' highlighting a change in moral or emotional character. The root appears in both literal (fermentation, leavening) and metaphorical senses across various biblical passages. English translations often oversimplify the term as 'leavened' or 'fermented,' but the semantic range includes both physical souring and figurative expressions of agitation, corruption, or intensity. In legal and ritual texts, the avoidance of חָמֵץ underscores ritual purity or distinctiveness.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to be pungent; i.e. in taste (sour, i.e. literally fermented, or figuratively, harsh), in color (dazzling); cruel (man), dyed, be grieved, leavened.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חמץ (ḥ-m-ṣ) — to sour, to ferment, to leaven, to agitate

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2541 חָמוֹץ violent man
H2548 חָמִיץ fermented
H2557 חָמֵץ fermented substance
H2558 חֹמֶץ in the soured drink

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2556-05 יֶחְמָ֑ץ yechemats HVqi3ms it was leavened he will become sour 1
H2556-04 וְ/חוֹמֵץ vechomets HC/Vqrmsa and ruthless and sourness-of 1
H2556-02 חֲמ֤וּץ chamuts HVqsmsc stained crimson soured one 1
H2556-03 חֻמְצָתֽ/וֹ chumetsato HVqc/Sp3ms it is leavened his souring 1
H2556-06 יִתְחַמֵּ֣ץ yitechamets HVti3ms was embittered he will sour himself 1
H2556-01 חָמֵ֑ץ chamets HVqp3ms had leavened fermented thing 1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2556-05 Exodus 12:34 יֶחְמָ֑ץ yechemats HVqi3ms it was leavened he will become sour
H2556-01 Exodus 12:39 חָמֵ֑ץ chamets HVqp3ms had leavened fermented thing
H2556-02 Isaiah 63:1 חֲמ֤וּץ chamuts HVqsmsc stained crimson soured one
H2556-03 Hosea 7:4 חֻמְצָתֽ/וֹ chumetsato HVqc/Sp3ms it is leavened his souring
H2556-04 Psalms 71:4 וְ/חוֹמֵץ vechomets HC/Vqrmsa and ruthless and sourness-of
H2556-06 Psalms 73:21 יִתְחַמֵּ֣ץ yitechamets HVti3ms was embittered he will sour himself
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