חַשְׁמַן (H2831) — Hebrew Lexicon

חַשְׁמַן

𐤇𐤔𐤌𐤍

chashman

H2831 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חשמ uncertain (possibly to be firm, to have resources, but unattested as a root)

Definition

A personal or family name, appearing in postexilic genealogies, denoting a lineage associated with notable status, possibly wealth or social prominence; not a common noun in biblical Hebrew, but a proper name referencing a clan or ancestral house within Israelite society.

Semantic Range

proper name of a priestly family, clan designation in genealogies

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חש׳׳ם (ḥ-š-m), though the root is unattested in biblical Hebrew and its original meaning is uncertain. Some linguistic theories suggest an underlying sense related to firmness or resourcefulness, but no direct evidence supports this in biblical usage. The form is only attested as a proper name, not a vocabulary word.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חַשְׁמַן (Chashman) occurs only within genealogical records (notably 1 Chronicles 24:22) as the head or eponymous ancestor of a priestly family during the postexilic period. There is no indication in the Hebrew Bible that the term carried the meaning 'prince' or 'wealthy' as it sometimes does in later Jewish tradition or in Strong's gloss. The name is not etymologically or historically related to the later Hasmonean dynasty, despite superficial similarity. In context, the term functions purely as a personal or clan identifier and does not directly reference social status or office. Later translation traditions associated the name with wealth or authority, but this reflects interpretive expansions rather than evidence for the word's meaning in biblical texts. Standard English translations typically transliterate the name.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root (probably meaning firm or capacious in resources); apparently; wealthy; princes.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חשמ (ḥ-š-m) — uncertain; possibly firmness or resourcefulness (unattested root)

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H2829	חֶשְׁמוֹן	and Cheshmon
H2832	חַשְׁמֹנָה	from Hashmonah

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H2831-01`	חַ֭שְׁמַנִּים	chashemanim	`HNcmpa`	fat ones/nobles	Hashmanites	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H2831-01`	Psalms 68:32	חַ֭שְׁמַנִּים	chashemanim	`HNcmpa`	fat ones/nobles	Hashmanites

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