חֹמֶץ
𐤇𐤌𐤑
chômets
H2558 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A sour liquid, typically wine or other fermented beverage that has turned acidic, used as vinegar; may refer to any fermented or soured drink consumed as a condiment, for flavoring, or in ritual settings. Extends to both the substance itself (vinegar) and the process or state of being soured.
Semantic Range
vinegar, soured wine, soured beverage, product of fermentation, acidic drink, liquid condiment
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root חָמֵץ (ḥ-m-ts), which fundamentally means 'to be sour, become leavened, ferment.' חֹמֶץ (chômets) is a product of fermentation — specifically, a liquid fermented to the point of sourness (vinegar).
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, חֹמֶץ commonly denotes a sour wine or vinegar-like beverage, used as drink (e.g., during work in the fields, Ruth 2:14) or as a symbolic item in ritual law (Leviticus 6:10, Numbers 6:3). It was a common, inexpensive condiment for flavoring bread or for refreshment. The prohibition of its use with certain offerings (e.g., during the festival of unleavened bread and in Nazirite regulations) is closely tied to its association with fermentation, paralleling the exclusion of leavened bread (חָמֵץ). Unlike later English 'vinegar,' biblical חֹמֶץ does not primarily refer to a commercial or culinary product but to naturally soured beverages, likely wine or beer. The term maintains continuity in post-biblical Hebrew but narrows in meaning in later times. The Greek term ὄξος, used in the Septuagint for חֹמֶץ, later influenced New Testament usage (e.g., John 19:29), sometimes leading to the English 'vinegar' translation, although the original refers more broadly to any soured beverage. Distinct from other fermentative products like 'shekar' (שֵׁכָר, strong drink) or 'tirosh' (תִּירוֹשׁ, new wine).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָמֵץ; vinegar; vinegar.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חמץ (ḥ-m-ts) — to be sour, to ferment, to become leavened
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2541 | חָמוֹץ | violent man |
| H2548 | חָמִיץ | fermented |
| H2556 | חָמֵץ | fermented thing |
| H2557 | חָמֵץ | fermented substance |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2558-02 |
חֹ֥מֶץ | chomets | HNcmsc |
vinegar | soured wine | 3 |
H2558-04 |
וְ/חֹ֥מֶץ | vechomets | HC/Ncmsc |
and vinegar | and sour-wine of | 1 |
H2558-01 |
בַּ/חֹ֑מֶץ | bachomets | HRd/Ncmsa |
in the vinegar | in the soured drink | 1 |
H2558-03 |
כַּ/חֹ֤מֶץ | kachomets | HRd/Ncmsa |
like vinegar | like fermented sour drink | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2558-02 |
Numbers 6:3 | חֹ֥מֶץ | chomets | HNcmsc |
vinegar | soured wine |
H2558-04 |
Numbers 6:3 | וְ/חֹ֥מֶץ | vechomets | HC/Ncmsc |
and vinegar | and sour-wine of |
H2558-02 |
Psalms 69:22 | חֹֽמֶץ | chomets | HNcmsa |
vinegar | soured wine |
H2558-03 |
Proverbs 10:26 | כַּ/חֹ֤מֶץ | kachomets | HRd/Ncmsa |
like vinegar | like fermented sour drink |
H2558-02 |
Proverbs 25:20 | חֹ֣מֶץ | chomets | HNcmsa |
vinegar | soured wine |
H2558-01 |
Ruth 2:14 | בַּ/חֹ֑מֶץ | bachomets | HRd/Ncmsa |
in the vinegar | in the soured drink |