חָסַם
𐤇𐤎𐤌
châçam
H2629 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To bind or close the mouth of an animal, specifically to prevent it from eating; by extension, to shut or stop up an opening, such as the nose or mouth, either literally or figuratively. In biblical usage, most often refers to restraining an animal—especially an ox—by placing a covering over its mouth, depriving it of access to food while working. Less commonly, used for stopping up of other openings or senses (e.g., the nose).
Semantic Range
to muzzle an animal (particularly an ox), to stop up (an opening such as a mouth or nose), to bind shut, to hinder feeding, to close or obstruct
Root / Etymology
Root: חסם. Derived from primary Hebrew root meaning 'to restrain, bind, hinder,' expressing the action of closing or sealing off an opening, most often the mouth. Not directly related to words for 'cover' or 'seal,' but distinctively conveys the act of closing via binding or fastening rather than mere covering.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חָסַם occurs infrequently in the Hebrew Bible, with its primary attestation in legal (Deuteronomic) contexts, where it refers to the action of muzzling an ox during threshing (Deut 25:4). This law provides for the humane treatment of working animals, emphasizing that even animals engaged in labor must not be prevented from eating. The verb is not used for the act of silence among humans, nor does it imply general 'covering,' but rather a specific constraining of the mouth or, rarely, the nose. Its use is narrowly legal and agrarian rather than liturgical or metaphorical, though later Jewish interpretative tradition expanded its figurative applications. English translations often render this as 'muzzle,' which accurately captures the original sense, but 'stop' is sometimes used when the object is a nose or another opening (1 Kings 20:35; Job 5:16), although these are rare and usually metaphorical. Related verbs like סָגַר (to close, shut) or עָצַר (to restrain, hold back) have broader application and less specific reference to the mouth or eating.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to muzzle; by analogy, to stop the nose; muzzle, stop.
Bantu Hebrew
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+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חסם (ḥ-s-m) — to muzzle, to restrain by closing, to bind shut
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4269 | מַחְסוֹם | muzzle |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2629-02 |
וְ/חֹסֶ֥מֶת | vechosemet | HC/Vqrfsa |
and it will block | and muzzling | 1 |
H2629-01 |
תַחְסֹ֥ם | tachesom | HVqi2ms |
you shall muzzle | you will muzzle | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2629-01 |
Deuteronomy 25:4 | תַחְסֹ֥ם | tachesom | HVqi2ms |
you shall muzzle | you will muzzle |
H2629-02 |
Ezekiel 39:11 | וְ/חֹסֶ֥מֶת | vechosemet | HC/Vqrfsa |
and it will block | and muzzling |