חֲמָת (H2574) — Hebrew Lexicon

חֲמָת

𐤇𐤌𐤕

Chamat

H2574 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חמה to surround, to wall, to enclose, to fortify

Definition

Proper noun referring primarily to an important city and its surrounding region in northern Syria, located near the Orontes River. In biblical contexts, חֲמָת (Chămâth) denotes the city-state of Hamath and, by extension, the territory under its influence. The city's prominence often marks a northern boundary for lands associated with Israelite and Judahite kingdoms in various biblical texts. The name itself carries the idea of fortification or enclosure, potentially signifying the strong defensive character of the city.

Semantic Range

Hamath (the principal city in northern Syria), territory or region controlled by Hamath, boundary marker in territorial descriptions, fortified city, place name

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חמה (ḥ-m-h), meaning 'to surround' or 'to wall,' likely related to חוֹמָה (ḥômāh), 'wall.' The place name חֲמָת is thus thought to refer to a 'walled city' or 'fortress.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical sources, Hamath first appears as a significant city-state in the Late Bronze and Iron Ages, frequently mentioned in Egyptian and Assyrian records. The term designates both the city itself and its larger region (Hamathite territory, עַד לְחֲמָת, 'as far as Hamath'), serving as a common geographical marker for the northern limits of the Israelite realm (e.g., Numbers 13:21, 2 Kings 14:25). The inhabitants are referred to as Hamathites (e.g., Genesis 10:18). The English form 'Hamath' is a transliteration of the Hebrew; some English translations have used 'Hemath' due to different spelling traditions. Over time, Hamath remained a distinct polity until absorption into larger empires. The city's identification with modern-day Hama (in Syria) is accepted by most scholars. The use of 'Hamath' never denotes an ethnic or religious group in itself but rather a city and region. In later periods, the area retained distinctiveness, and references in Neviim and Chronicles cite it as an external power rather than a part of Israelite/Judahite territory. English translations render the name with little variation, though the significance of Hamath as a boundary may be lost to modern readers.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the same as חוֹמָה; walled; Chamath, a place in Syria; Hamath, Hemath.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חמה (ḥ-m-h) — to surround, to wall, to enclose, to fortify

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H2528	חֱמָא	burning fury
H2529	חֶמְאָה	thickened milk
H2553	חַמָּן	your sun-pillars
H2575	חַמַּת	from Chammath
H2578	חֲמַת צוֹבָה	Fortified-city of
H2579	חֲמַת רַבָּה	Walled-city of

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H2574-02`	חֲמָֽת	chamat	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of	31
`H2574-04`	וּ/מֵֽ/חֲמָת֙	umechamat	`HC/R/Np`	and from Hamath	and from Walled-Hamath	2
`H2574-03`	חֲמָ֑תָ/ה	chamatah	`HNp/Sd`	[as far as] Hamath	toward Fortified-Hamath	1
`H2574-01`	בַּ/חֲמָֽת	bachamat	`HR/Np`	in Hamath	in Hamath-Fortress	1

Occurrences in Scripture

35 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H2574-02`	Numbers 13:21	חֲמָֽת	chamat	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	Numbers 34:8	חֲמָ֑ת	chamat	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	Joshua 13:5	חֲמָֽת	chamat	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	Judges 3:3	חֲמָֽת	chamat	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	2 Samuel 8:9	חֲמָ֑ת	chamat	`HNp`	of Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	1 Kings 8:65	חֲמָ֣ת	chamat	`HNp`	of Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	2 Kings 14:25	חֲמָ֖ת	chamat	`HNp`	of Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	2 Kings 14:28	חֲמָ֛ת	chamat	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-04`	2 Kings 17:24	וּ/מֵֽ/חֲמָת֙	umechamat	`HC/R/Np`	and from Hamath	and from Walled-Hamath
`H2574-02`	2 Kings 17:30	חֲמָ֖ת	chamat	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	2 Kings 18:34	חֲמָ֜ת	chamat	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	2 Kings 19:13	חֲמָת֙	chamat	`HNp`	of Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	2 Kings 23:33	חֲמָ֔ת	chamat	`HNp`	of Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	2 Kings 25:21	חֲמָ֑ת	chamat	`HNp`	of Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	Isaiah 10:9	חֲמָ֔ת	chamat	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-04`	Isaiah 11:11	וּ/מֵ֣/חֲמָ֔ת	umechamat	`HC/R/Np`	and from Hamath	and from Walled-Hamath
`H2574-02`	Isaiah 36:19	חֲמָת֙	chamat	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	Isaiah 37:13	חֲמָת֙	chamat	`HNp`	of Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	Jeremiah 39:5	חֲמָ֑ת	chamat	`HNp`	of Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	Jeremiah 49:23	חֲמָת֙	chamat	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	Jeremiah 52:9	חֲמָ֑ת	chamat	`HNp`	of Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	Jeremiah 52:27	חֲמָ֑ת	chamat	`HNp`	of Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	Ezekiel 47:16	חֲמָ֤ת	chamat	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	Ezekiel 47:16	חֲמָ֑ת	chamat-2	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	Ezekiel 47:17	חֲמָ֑ת	chamat	`HNp`	of Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	Ezekiel 47:20	חֲמָ֑ת	chamat	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	Ezekiel 48:1	חֲמָ֡ת	chamat	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	Ezekiel 48:1	חֲמָ֔ת	chamat-2	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	Amos 6:14	חֲמָ֖ת	chamat	`HNp`	of Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	Zechariah 9:2	חֲמָ֖ת	chamat	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	1 Chronicles 13:5	חֲמָ֑ת	chamat	`HNp`	Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-03`	1 Chronicles 18:3	חֲמָ֑תָ/ה	chamatah	`HNp/Sd`	[as far as] Hamath	toward Fortified-Hamath
`H2574-02`	1 Chronicles 18:9	חֲמָ֑ת	chamat	`HNp`	of Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-02`	2 Chronicles 7:8	חֲמָ֖ת	chamat	`HNp`	of Hamath	Walled-City-of
`H2574-01`	2 Chronicles 8:4	בַּ/חֲמָֽת	bachamat	`HR/Np`	in Hamath	in Hamath-Fortress

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