חָמַק
𐤇𐤌𐤒
châmaq
H2559 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To slip away, escape, or withdraw oneself, often with an implied sense of elusiveness, avoidance, or fleeing from danger, pursuit, or obligation. The term denotes physical or metaphorical movement away from a position or person, often marked by secrecy or determination to evade capture or confrontation.
Semantic Range
to slip away, to escape physical pursuit, to withdraw oneself, to evade or elude, to act with avoidance or stealth, to metaphorically become inaccessible
Root / Etymology
From the root חָמַק, whose basic sense is 'to slip away, escape, be elusive.' The precise etymology is uncertain, but it may be related to similar roots conveying notions of avoidance, withdrawal, or evasion. No clear derivation from concrete action nouns is documented, and the exact progression from root to verb is debated.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חָמַק appears primarily in poetic or narrative contexts in the Hebrew Bible, such as in Genesis 27:43 (referring to Jacob fleeing from Esau) and in poetic books like Song of Songs (Song 5:6), where it conveys elusiveness and intentional withdrawal. The action often carries a nuance of outmaneuvering or acting in such a way as to foil pursuit or detection. It does not simply mean to 'go away,' but rather emphasizes the act of slipping out of reach or evading. In some translation traditions this nuance is not fully captured, and terms like 'withdraw' or 'depart' may fail to convey the active sense of avoidance or escape. The term is relatively rare and does not bear the same sense as other verbs of ordinary departure (e.g., יָצָא 'to go out', עָזַב 'to leave'). Its use in wisdom and poetic texts can also carry metaphorical significance, expressing the inaccessibility or withdrawal of a person, lover, or even wisdom itself.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; properly, to wrap; hence, to depart (i.e. turn about); go about, withdraw self.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חמק (ḥ-m-q) — to slip away, to withdraw, to escape, to be elusive
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2542 | חַמּוּק | curved thighs of |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2559-01 |
חָמַ֣ק | chamaq | HVqp3ms |
had turned away | he slipped away | 1 |
H2559-02 |
תִּתְחַמָּקִ֔י/ן | titechamaqin | HVti2fs/Sn |
turn away | you will slip yourself away | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2559-02 |
Jeremiah 31:22 | תִּתְחַמָּקִ֔י/ן | titechamaqin | HVti2fs/Sn |
turn away | you will slip yourself away |
H2559-01 |
Song of Songs 5:6 | חָמַ֣ק | chamaq | HVqp3ms |
had turned away | he slipped away |