הָמָס
𐤄𐤌𐤎
hâmâç
H2003 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A dry twig or piece of brushwood; specifically, a withered or brittle branch that easily snaps or crackles. The term can also refer metaphorically to something that is frail, easily broken, or consumed by fire. Occasionally, the word carries the notion of something that is destroyed or perishes quickly, as when compared to chaff or stubble.
Semantic Range
dry twig, brushwood, brittle branch, stubble, something easily consumed or destroyed, metaphor for transience or frailty
Root / Etymology
Root uncertain. The term is traditionally connected with a hypothetical root (possibly המס) meaning 'to crackle,' suggesting a relationship to sounds or effects of dry twigs breaking or burning. No attested verbal form of this root exists in Biblical Hebrew. Hence, derivation is from an 'unused root.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
הָמָס appears only rarely in the Hebrew Bible (notably in Isaiah 1:31). In its biblical context, it refers to stubble or dry branches—material easily set aflame or consumed, often contrasted with stronger or more enduring materials. The imagery is vivid in contexts of judgment or destruction, where the frailness of הָמָס emphasizes the ease with which something (a person, city, or group) may be destroyed. Some early English translations, influenced by tradition, render it as 'tow' or 'chaff,' but it more accurately refers to brittle woody debris than to fibers. In later post-biblical Hebrew, the term is virtually absent; alternative words (e.g., קש, קמה) become more common for straw or chaff. The comparison to fire also highlights a symbolic dimension—swift, total destruction—frequently in prophetic literature addressing Israelite or Judahite moral and social collapse.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root apparently meaning to crackle; a dry twig or brushwood; melting.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
המס (h-m-s) — to crackle, to be brittle, to break apart
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2003-01 |
הֲמָסִ֗ים | hamasim | HNcmpa |
brushwood | brittle twigs | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2003-01 |
Isaiah 64:1 | הֲמָסִ֗ים | hamasim | HNcmpa |
brushwood | brittle twigs |