חֵמָה
chêmâh · H2534 · Hebrew · 125 occurrences
Meanings
-
poison, venom, aggression
Poisonous fluid; secreted by serpents, scorpions, etc. and introduced into body of victim by bite or sting; used by these animals to kill their prey and/or defend themselves against their natural enemies; often used to denote suffering and injury in a more general sense as well
ExamplesDeuteronomy 32:24 ‘They will be wasted by famine, and emaciated by plague And a bitter epidemic; And the teeth of beasts I will send against them, With the venom of crawling things of the dust.
Deuteronomy 32:33 “Their wine is the venom of serpents, And the deadly poison of vipers.
Job 6:4 “For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, My spirit drinks their poison; The terrors of God line up against me.
-
heat, arousal, being inflamed
State of excitement of the body; caused by drinking intoxicating drinks; which may cause someone to lose restraint and behave in a way which differs from one's normal behavior
ExamplesHosea 7:5 On the day of our king, the officials became sick with the heat of wine; He stretched out his hand with scoffers,
-
anger, wrath, jealousy
State in which humans and deities experience excitement caused by anger
ExamplesGenesis 27:44 “Stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury subsides,
Leviticus 26:28 then I will act with wrathful hostility against you, and I for My part will punish you seven times for your sins.
Deuteronomy 9:19 “For I was afraid of the anger and the rage with which the LORD was angry with you so as to destroy you; but the LORD listened to me that time as well.
How it’s used In 9 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
82 occurrences in 19 groups
- יmy 37
- ךָyour 11
- הוּhis 9
- יְהֹוָהthe LORD, YHWH 6
- מֶלֶךְking 4
- Other words · 14 groups that occur once or twice (15) 15
Words describing itAdjectives, demonstratives, participles
10 occurrences in 8 groups
- גָּדוֹלgreat, large 2
- שָׁפַךְto pour out, to shed 2
- דָבַרto speak, to say 1
- זֹאתthis 1
- יָצַתto set fire on 1
- נָתַךְto pour 1
Named alongside itApposition
4 occurrences in 3 groups
- סַעַרstorm 2
- גְּעָרָהrebuke 1
- כּוֹסcup 1
What it doesIt is the subject
21 occurrences in 9 groups
- נָתַךְto pour 7
- עָלָהto go up 3
- Other words · 7 groups that occur once or twice (11) 11
What is done to itIt is the object
31 occurrences in 10 groups
- שָׁפַךְto pour out, to shed 13
- כָּלָהto be finished 4
- נוּחַto rest, to put, to leave 4
- שׁוּבto return, to turn back 4
- Other words · 6 groups that occur once or twice (6) 6
What it is said to bePredicate
10 occurrences in 8 groups
- גָּדוֹלgreat, large 3
- דְּמוּתlikeness 1
- אַיֵּהwhere? 1
- אַיִןthere is no, not 1
- אַכְזְרִיּוּתcruelty 1
- מֲלְאָךְmessenger, angel 1
What is said to be itIt is the predicate
2 occurrences in 2 groups
- יַיִןwine 1
- קִנְאָהjealousy, zeal 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
34 occurrences in 5 groups
- בin/on/with 48
- מִןfrom 2
- עִםwith 2
- עַלon, upon, over, against 1
- כlike/as 1
In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive
14 occurrences in 9 groups
- Other words · 9 groups that occur once or twice (14) 14
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Near synonyms 4 words
- עֶבְרָה ʻebrâh · H5678 · wrath, anger, fury
- Both lexemes are anger terms whose glosses overlap substantially — anger, rage, wrath.
- זַעַם zaʻam · H2195 · anger, wrath
- Both lexemes denote intense anger emotions and share overlapping glosses ("rage," "indignation").
- כַּעַס kaʻaç · H3708 · vexation, grief, anger
- Both words are terms for anger with overlapping senses: anger, wrath and indignation.
- חֳרִי chŏrîy · H2750 · to be angry, to become angry
- חֵמָה (chêmâh, H2534) has broad attestation covering anger/wrath/rage; חֳרִי (chŏrîy, H2750) is rare but glossed as "fierce, heat" suggesting intensity overlapping with חֵמָה (chêmâh, H2534)'s anger sense.
In the other Testament 1 word
- θυμός thymós · G2372 · anger, fury, wrath
- Greek θυμός (passion, wrath) is the standard LXX rendering of Hebrew חֵמָה across its anger/wrath semantic range, representing the same core concept of intense emotional heat or fury in both languages.
Semantic domains 3 entries
- Liquids001002005007
- The word can denote a container for liquid, as in a reference to wineskins or bottles among household vessels, alongside its more common abstract sense of heated emotion.
- Desire002004001001001
- The word can denote poison or venom, an older sense connected to the burning or consuming quality shared with the word's more common meaning of wrath.
- Angry002001002002
- The word denotes hot anger or wrath, as in Genesis 27:44's reference to a brother's fury and Numbers 25:11's description of averted divine wrath.
Word family 3 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H2534. chemah חֵמָא see חֵמָה below יחם. חֵמָה wrath, see below יחם; חֵמָה Job 29:6, see…
חֵמָא see חֵמָה below יחם.
חֵמָה wrath, see below יחם; חֵמָה Job 29:6, see חֶמְאָה; חַמַּת חַמּוֺן, חַמָּן, חַמָּה, see below חמם. below
חֵמָה (once חֵמָא):121 noun feminine heat, rage (for ֗֗֗ יְחֵמָה; Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic יַחְמָא poison, heat, wrath, poison, BrockLex. 116, also Nö§ 103; Arabic poison, Lane651; Assyrian imtu, spittle, breath, poison, DlHWB 78 Muss-ArnCD 62) — absolute חֵמָה Nah 1:2 39t.; חֵמָא Dan 11:44; construct חֲמַת Gen 27:44 Gen 27:25t.; suffix חֲמָתִי Jer 4:4 36t.; חֲמָֽתְךָ Jer 10:25 Jer 10:8t.; חֲמָתֶ֑ךָ Psa 88:8; Psa 89:47; חֲמָתוֺ Isa 51:17 Isa 51:8t.; חֲמָתָם Job 6:4; plural חֵמוֺת Pro 22:24, חֵמֹת Psa 76:11; —
1 heat:
a. fever, מִיַּיִן חֲמַת Hos 7:5 fever from wine, wine-fever (on stative construct see Ges§ 130, 1).
b. venom, poison (figurative): עָפָר זֹחֲלֵי חֲמַת Deu 32:24; ׳ח תַּנִּינִים Deu 32:33; ׳ח נָחָשׁ Psa 58:5 compare Psa 58:5; ׳ח עַכְשׁוּב Psa 140:4; poison of arrows (of ׳י) Job 6:4.
2 burning anger, rage:
a. of man: Gen 27:44 (J), 2Sa 11:20; 2Ki 5:12; Est 1:12; Est 2:1; Est 3:5; Est 5:9 (against, עַל), Est 7:7, Est 7:10; Psa 37:8 (|| אַף), Psa 76:11 (yet on text see Che), Pro 6:34; Pro 15:1, Pro 15:18 (חֵמָה אִישׁ man of rage = raging or wrathful man), Pro 16:4; Pro 19:19 (׳גְּדָלאח Qr = one great in rage, see De Now), Pro 27:4 (|| אַף), Isa 51:13 (twice in verse); Eze 23:25; חֵמוֺת אִישׁ Pro 22:24 (|| אָ֑ף בַּעַל); חֵמָה בַּעַל Pro 29:22 (|| אַף אִישׁ); עַזָּה חֵמָה strong rage Pro 21:14 (|| אַף); רוּחִי חֲמַת Eze 3:14 the rage of my spirit.
b. of the he-goat in Daniel's vision, כֹחוֺ בַּחֲמַת Dan 8:6 in the fury of his power.
c. of God (׳י), often Jeremiah, Isa2, Ezekiel, Psalms: Jer 4:4 Jer 4:16t. Jeremiah; 2Ki 22:13, 2Ki 22:17; Isa 27:4 (Hi Ew Di Du; on other interpretations, and on text see Di), Isa 63:5; Lam 2:4; Eze 5:13 29t. Ezekiel; Num 25:11 (P), 2Ch 12:7; 2Ch 34:21, 2Ch 34:25; 2Ch 36:16; Psa 59:14; Psa 79:6; Psa 88:8; Psa 89:47; Psa 106:23; Job 21:20; apparently also Job 19:29; Job 36:18 see Di; often || אַף Mic 5:14; Deu 9:19; Deu 29:22; Isa 42:25 (אַמּוֺ as appositive, + מִלְחָמָה עֱזוּז), Isa 63:3, Isa 63:6; Dan 9:16; Psa 6:2; Psa 78:38; Psa 90:7; אַמּוֺ בְּחֵמָה לְהָשִׁיב Psa 66:15 (|| בְּלַהֲבֵיאֵֿשׁ וְגַעֲרַתוֺ), + Jer 23:19; Jer 30:23 of the whirlwind of ׳י; || אַף + גָּדוֺל קֶצֶף Deu 29:27; Jer 21:5; Jer 32:37; || אַף + חֵמָה תֹּכְחוֺת Eze 5:15, compare חֵמָה תּוֺכְחוֺת alone Eze 25:17; || אַמּוֺ חֲרוֺן Nah 1:6; Lam 4:11; || קֶצֶף Isa 34:2 (of fury against, על ), Psa 38:2; || גְּעָרָה Isa 51:20; || גְּמוּל Isa 59:18; || קִנְאָה Eze 36:6, compare קִנֵּאתִי גְדוֺלָה חֵמָה Zec 8:2 (|| גדולה קִנְאָה); וְקִנְאָה חֵמָה דַּם Eze 16:38 (on text see Co); קֶ֑רִי חֲמַת Lev 26:28 rage of meeting, i.e. encountering them in rage; חֲמָתוֺ(ת־ִיׅ כּוֺס Isa 51:17, Isa 51:22 the cup of his (my) fury; הַזּאֹת הַחֵמָה הַיַּיִן כּוֺס Jer 25:15; חֵמָה בַּעַל a possessor of fury = furious Nah 1:2 (|| קִנּוֺא אֵל נֹקֵם,). [עַל חֵמָה = rage against one: Isa 34:2; 2Ch 28:9. — Vbs. used with חֵמָה are: 2. a.: שׁוּב Gen 27:44, הֵשִׁיב Pro 15:1, עָלָה 2Sa 11:20, בָּעַר Est 1:12, שָׁכַךְ Est 2:1; Est 7:10;
2. c.: הֵשִׁיב turn away wrath of ׳י Num 25:11; Psa 106:23; Jer 18:20 (but אַמּוֺ בְּחֵמָה הָשִׁיכ Isa 66:15 to recompense his anger in fury, give it as requital); ׳ח ׳י is kindled against one ב יצת Niph`al 2Ki 22:13, 2Ki 22:17; it burns בָּֽעֲרָה Jer 4:4; Jer 21:12; Jer 44:6; Psa 89:47; arises עלה2Ch 36:16, compare as object of עלה Hiph`il Eze 24:8; is poured out בְ נִתְּכָה2Ch 12:7; 2Ch 34:21, 2Ch 34:25; Jer 7:20; עַל נִתְּכָה Jer 42:18 (twice in verse); Jer 44:6; כָאֵשׁ נִתְּכָה Nah 1:6; ׳י pours it out אֶל שָׁפַךְ Psa 79:6; עַל שָׁפַךְ Isa 42:25; Jer 10:25; Eze 7:8; Eze 9:8; Eze 14:19; Eze 16:38 (according to Co's conjecture), Eze 20:8, Eze 20:13, Eze 20:21; Eze 22:22; Eze 30:15; Eze 36:18; כָּאֵשׁ שָׁפַךְ Lam 2:4; שְׁפוּכָה חֵמָה Eze 20:33-34, ח ׳הֵנִיחַ בְ bring to rest (i.e. satisfy) one's fury upon Eze 5:13; Eze 16:42; Eze 24:13; ח ׳כִּלָּה Lam 4:11; + בְּ Eze 5:13 I have accomplished my fury upon them (in their case), Eze 6:12; Eze 13:15.]
יַחְמוּר see below IV. חמר
יַחְמַי see below חמה
יחף (√ of following; original meaning unknown; Late Hebrew Aramaic יָחֵף adjective as Hebrew; Syriac Aph`el discalceatus fuit; compare perhaps Arabic (transposed) walk barefoot, also become chafed, of foot or hoof).
יחם (√ of following; see Biblical Hebrew יָחַם, whence חֵמָה).
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Topical studies with this word 3 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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