חַמַּת
𐤇𐤌𐤕
Chamat
H2575 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun. Chammath: an ancient city known for its association with hot springs, identified geographically near modern Tiberias. The term is related to the concept of 'hotness' or 'hot springs,' marking the location's defining natural feature. As a toponym, its function is to identify a site rather than describe a substance or phenomenon.
Semantic Range
placename 'Chammath' (site of hot springs), by extension hot springs; does not refer to a personal or ethnic identity, strictly a geographic/topographical designation
Root / Etymology
From the root חמה (ḥ-m-h), meaning 'to be hot.' The form חַמַּת (Chammath) is a feminine noun form used as a place name. Related to words denoting heat; here the lexical item is specialized as a toponym referencing the presence of natural hot springs.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Chammath is attested in Joshua 19:35 in a list of fortified cities within the tribal territory of Naphtali. Its name is closely linked to the nearby natural hot springs, which have been a prominent geographical feature since antiquity. The site is sometimes equated with modern Hammath-Tiberias, south of Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, known historically for its thermal baths. The Septuagint transcription (Ἁμαθ) does not directly convey the 'hot springs' sense but reflects the toponym. English versions often anglicize the name as 'Hammath' or 'Chammath'; in later periods, the association with hot springs remains, but there is no substantive shift in meaning over time, as it consistently refers to the hot springs locality. Not to be confused with חֲמָת (Hamath), a northern city outside the land of Israel, nor with other unrelated uses of the root חמה. Modern translations generally render it as a proper noun, though the semantic connection to 'hot springs' is often noted in critical apparatus or footnotes.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a variation for the first part of חַמֹּת דֹּאר; hot springs; Chammath, a place in Palestine; Hammath.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חמה (ḥ-m-h) — to be hot, heat, warmth
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2528 | חֱמָא | burning fury |
| H2529 | חֶמְאָה | thickened milk |
| H2553 | חַמָּן | your sun-pillars |
| H2574 | חֲמָת | in Hamath-Fortress |
| H2578 | חֲמַת צוֹבָה | Fortified-city of |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2575-02 |
וְ/חַמַּ֖ת | vechamat | HC/Np |
and Hammath | Chammath | 1 |
H2575-01 |
מֵ/חַמַּ֖ת | mechamat | HR/Np |
from Hammath | from Chammath | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2575-02 |
Joshua 19:35 | וְ/חַמַּ֖ת | vechamat | HC/Np |
and Hammath | Chammath |
H2575-01 |
1 Chronicles 2:55 | מֵ/חַמַּ֖ת | mechamat | HR/Np |
from Hammath | from Chammath |