חָמַשׁ
𐤇𐤌𐤔
châmash
H2567 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To collect, designate, or set apart a fifth part. The verb denotes the imposition or taking of a 20% portion, most often in the context of taxation, levies, or tribute, particularly as a share due to an authority or administration. The semantic range can encompass the formal or ritual division of goods or produce, most notably seen in administrative or economic transactions.
Semantic Range
to take or levy a fifth part, to collect a fifth in taxation, to designate or set aside a fifth (portion), to apportion into fifths
Root / Etymology
From the root חמש (ḥ-m-sh), which primarily means 'five.' חָמַשׁ is a denominative verb, meaning it is derived from the cardinal number 'five' (חָמֵשׁ) and denotes actions relating to the partitioning or assignment of something into fifths. The meaning of the root 'five' is extended here into a verb describing the act of making something into a fifth or taxing/setting aside a fifth part.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חָמַשׁ appears in biblical legal and narrative contexts describing the imposition of a 20% levy or division, especially as seen in Genesis 41:34 when Pharaoh appoints officials to take a fifth of Egypt's produce during the years of plenty. Its use is chiefly administrative, not ritual or cultic. The participle form (חֲמוּשִׁים) encountered elsewhere actually denotes an entirely different meaning ('armed' or 'in battle array') derived from another root or a different derivational process; these senses must be differentiated. English translations sometimes obscure the administrative-economic sense when rendering the verb as 'take up a fifth' rather than explicitly stating the economic/tax aspect. The practice referenced by this verb reflects the Near Eastern practice of state taxation or resource allocation during times of abundance or crisis, particularly under centralized authority. The meaning is consistent across its rare Biblical occurrences, with little evidence of semantic shift over time.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a denominative from חָמֵשׁ; to tax a fifth; take up the fifth participle
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חמש (ḥ-m-š) — five, divide into fifths, assign as a fifth
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2549 | חֲמִישִׁי | in the fifth |
| H2569 | חֹמֶשׁ | to a fifth-part |
| H2570 | חֹמֶשׁ | the underbelly |
| H2571 | חָמֻשׁ | armed ones |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2567-01 |
וְ/חִמֵּשׁ֙ | vechimesh | HC/Vpq3ms |
and take a fifth | and he levied a fifth-part | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2567-01 |
Genesis 41:34 | וְ/חִמֵּשׁ֙ | vechimesh | HC/Vpq3ms |
and take a fifth | and he levied a fifth-part |