אַשִׁימָא
𐤀𐤔𐤉𐤌𐤀
Ashima
H807 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A proper name designating a deity venerated by the inhabitants of Hamath; Ashima. The word refers specifically to this cultic figure worshipped in non-Israelite religious contexts, particularly in the region of Hamath as depicted in biblical texts. The term functions exclusively as a theonym (a name of a deity), without application to persons, places, or general concepts in the Hebrew Bible.
Semantic Range
proper name of a deity worshipped in Hamath; theonym; Ashima
Root / Etymology
uncertain
Historical & Contextual Notes
אַשִׁימָא (Ashima) appears in 2 Kings 17:30 within a list of deities worshipped by the people groups resettled in Samaria following the Assyrian conquest. The term refers to a specific deity associated with Hamath, a prominent city and region in northern Syria. The identity of this deity remains unclear, though some proposals relate Ashima to northwestern Semitic or Aramean religious traditions; linguistic connection to terms for 'fate' or 'portion' have been suggested but remain hypothetical. The biblical text presents Ashima as distinct from Israelite religious worship, and there is no evidence of its use among Israelites themselves. Later Jewish and Christian interpreters sometimes attempted to relate Ashima to concepts of fate or luck, but this reflects interpretive developments outside the biblical period. Standard English translations (sometimes 'Ashima', sometimes left untranslated) reflect the limited occurrence and proper name status of the term. The appearance of 'Ashima' is confined to exilic or post-exilic narrative describing non-Israelite cults, with no subsequent development in meaning.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of foreign origin; Ashima, a deity of Hamath; Ashima.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
uncertain (uncertain) — uncertain (proper name of a deity)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1085 | בִּלְדַּד | Bildad |
| H1095 | בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר | Belteshatsar |
| H1114 | בִּלְשָׁן | Bilshan |
| H1150 | בִּנְעָא | Bin'a |
| H116 | אֱדַיִן | and then |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H807-01 |
אֲשִׁימָֽא | ashima | HNp |
Ashima | Ashima | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H807-01 |
2 Kings 17:30 | אֲשִׁימָֽא | ashima | HNp |
Ashima | Ashima |