חָמַר (H2560) — Hebrew Lexicon

חָמַר

𐤇𐤌𐤓

châmar

H2560 verb

SILEX Entry

Root חמר to bubble, to ferment, to swell, to coat with pitch

Definition

To bubble up, ferment, or foam; to exhibit a swelling or agitated motion. Used figuratively for glowing red with emotion, or (in denominative sense) for coating or plastering with bitumen. Recognizes both physical processes (like fermentation or boiling) and metaphorical senses (such as emotional agitation or blush).

Semantic Range

to foam, to ferment (wine, liquids), to bubble up, to glow red (flush, blush), to be agitated, to smear with pitch, to daub, to befoul, to discolor (face)

Root / Etymology

Root: חמר. Root meaning relates to bubbling, foaming, or swelling. The derived verbal stem חָמַר in Qal refers to liquid processes (boiling, foaming, fermenting). In denominative forms, it refers to smearing or coating, especially with pitch, derived from the noun חֵמָר (bitumen, pitch).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, חָמַר is rare and appears in several semantic domains: for liquids, it evokes the image of bubbling, fermenting, or seething (as with wine or boiling water, e.g., Ps 75:9 [Eng v. 8]); for substances, as 'to smear/plaster' (e.g., with pitch in Gen 6:14, though the verb likely occurs as denominative here). The figurative sense, to 'glow red' or 'be discolored,' is applied to faces in contexts of emotion (like blushing, agitation, or shame, e.g., Nah 2:11 [Eng v. 10]). Later Hebrew and Aramaic witness related forms referring to fermentation and bituminous substances. The root underlies both semantic strands: physical agitation/random motion (liquid or heat) and the substance bitumen/pitch. English translations often choose among 'boil,' 'foam,' 'ferment,' 'glow,' or 'daub,' depending on context; no single English term covers the full range. The meaning does not map directly to emotional 'trouble' in modern idiom, but rather to physical or visible agitation or color change. Some senses may overlap with other Hebrew verbs for redness or smearing (e.g., אָדַם for 'to be red'). The verb's senses are contextually determined and are best understood in connection to the imagery of swelling, bubbling, or coating.

Translation Consistency

primary "seethe" 1 occurrence

Seethe captures the central idea of an agitated, bubbling or fermenting motion (physical liquids that foam or bubble) and also naturally carries the common figurative sense of intense emotional agitation or heat (e.g. seething anger, face seething with heat). It is a natural, commonly used English verb that covers the typical semantic range of חָמַר better than narrower options (foam, redden, coat), while allowing the rare denominative sense (smearing with pitch) to be treated separately when needed.

Alternatives (6 occurrences):

"reddened" (2x) "coated" (1x) "foam" (1x) "foams" (1x) "bubbled violently" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; also as denominative (from חֵמָר); properly, to boil up; hence, to ferment (with scum); to glow (with redness); to smear with pitch; daub, befoul, be red, trouble.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חמר (ḥ-m-r) — to bubble, to ferment, to swell, to coat with pitch

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H2543	חֲמוֹר	on the male donkeys
H2544	חֲמוֹר	Hamor
H2561	חֶמֶר	fermenting wine
H2562	חֲמַר	he fermented
H2563	חֹמֶר	in the clay
H2564	חֵמָר	bubbling bitumen
H2565	חֲמֹרָה	male donkey
H2566	חַמְרָן	Ruddy-one
H3180	יַחְמוּר	reddish-brown deer

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H2560-04`	חֳ֭מַרְמְרוּ	chomaremeru	`HVjp3cp`	are in turmoil	they seethed	are reddened	2
`H2560-06`	יֶחְמְר֣וּ	yechemeru	`HVqi3mp`	foam	they bubble up	they foam	1
`H2560-01`	חָמַ֨ר	chamar	`HVqp3ms`	foaming	he bubbled up	it foams	1
`H2560-02`	חמרמרה	chmrmrh	`HVjp3fp`	is reddened	they bubbled up	is reddened	1
`H2560-03`	חֳמַרְמָ֔רוּ	chomaremaru	`HVjp3cp`	are troubled	they have bubbled violently	they have bubbled violently	1
`H2560-05`	וַ/תַּחְמְרָ֥/ה	vatachemerah	`HC/Vqw3fs/Sp3fs`	and coated it	and she coated her	and she coated her	1

Occurrences in Scripture

7 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H2560-05`	Exodus 2:3	וַ/תַּחְמְרָ֥/ה	vatachemerah	`HC/Vqw3fs/Sp3fs`	and coated it	and she coated her	and she coated her
`H2560-06`	Psalms 46:4	יֶחְמְר֣וּ	yechemeru	`HVqi3mp`	foam	they bubble up	they foam
`H2560-01`	Psalms 75:9	חָמַ֨ר	chamar	`HVqp3ms`	foaming	he bubbled up	it foams
`H2560-02`	Job 16:16	חמרמרה	chmrmrh	`HVjp3fp`	is reddened	they bubbled up	is reddened
`H2560-04`	Job 16:16	חֳ֭מַרְמְרוּ	chomaremeru	`HVjp3cp`	are reddened	they seethed	are reddened
`H2560-03`	Lamentations 1:20	חֳמַרְמָ֔רוּ	chomaremaru	`HVjp3cp`	are troubled	they have bubbled violently	they have bubbled violently
`H2560-04`	Lamentations 2:11	חֳמַרְמְר֣וּ	chomaremeru	`HVjp3cp`	are in turmoil	they seethed	they seethed

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