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חֵמָה

𐤇𐤌𐤄

chêmâh

H2534 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Intense heat or burning, both in a literal and figurative sense; most commonly used to denote fierce emotional states—especially rage, wrath, or intense anger. In specific contexts, can also refer metaphorically to venom or poison, highlighting the consuming or harmful aspect of anger. The term may carry the idea of a powerful internal force or outburst, capable of destruction or harm.

Semantic Range

heat, burning, fierce anger, wrath, rage, fury, indignation, poison, venom

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חם (ḥ-m), whose core meaning is 'to be hot, to heat, to become warm.' The noun חֵמָה is a feminine form indicating 'heat.' The development to figurative uses—of anger or wrath—arises from the common metaphorical link between rising heat and intense emotion. The root meaning ('to heat') is more literal and physical, while the lexical usage of חֵמָה typically points to emotional or metaphorical heat.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the earliest biblical texts, חֵמָה already appears predominantly in a figurative sense, describing a violent or consuming anger, whether divine or human. It is often paired with or contrasted to אַף (’af, 'nose, anger'), but חֵמָה stresses intensity and burning power, whereas אַף, which literally means 'nose,' emphasizes the outward display (such as flaring nostrils). In some Psalms and prophetic books, חֵמָה describes the wrath of YHWH, depicting divine judgment as a burning force. The use of חֵמָה for 'venom' or 'poison' (e.g., Deut 32:24) highlights the destructive, consuming aspect of wrath. In late biblical Hebrew (e.g., Daniel), the spelling may appear as חֵמָא (Aramaic influence), but the meaning remains consistent. English translations often render חֵמָה as 'wrath,' 'rage,' 'fury,' or 'fierce anger,' but may underemphasize the sense of internal, burning intensity. The word never refers to calm displeasure; it always signals a forceful, sometimes beyond-control response. The translation 'bottles' (KJV) in Job 32:19 refers metaphorically to the concept of internal pressure (a 'bottle' about to burst), not to a physical vessel. Contrast with חֶמְאָה (ḥem'ah, 'curd'), which is unrelated.

Translation Consistency

primary "wrath" 46 occurrences

The dominant biblical sense is intense, consuming anger; 'wrath' is the most common P2 rendering (61 of 124) and captures the fierce, often destructive force implied by חֵמָה. It matches traditional Bible diction while preserving the stronger, fiery nuance better than the more neutral 'anger'.

Alternatives (4 occurrences):
"wrath-of" (2x) "venom of" (1x) "poison of" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (Daniel 11:44) חֵמָא; from יָחַם; heat; figuratively, anger, poison (from its fever); anger, bottles, hot displeasure, furious(-ly, -ry), heat, indignation, poison, rage, wrath(-ful). See חֶמְאָה.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

חם (Cham) — to be hot, to be warm

Root חם to be hot, heat up, become warm
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2526 חָם Ham
H2535 חַמָּה radiant heat
H2545 חֲמוֹת her mother-in-law

Word Forms

26 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2534-10 חֲמָתִ֛/י chamati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my wrath my burning-heat my wrath 26
H2534-12 חֵמָֽה chemah HNcfsa wrath burning heat wrath 21
H2534-07 חֲמַת chamat HNcfsc fury burning heat of wrath of 19
H2534-09 חֲמָתְ/ךָ֖ chamatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your wrath your burning rage your wrath 6
H2534-11 חֲמָת֑/וֹ chamato HNcfsc/Sp3ms his wrath his burning-heat his wrath 6
H2534-19 וּ/בְ/חֵמָ֖ה uvechemah HC/R/Ncfsa and with fury and in burning heat and in wrath 6
H2534-06 בְּ/חֵמָֽה bechemah HR/Ncfsa in-fury in burning-heat in wrath 5
H2534-01 בַּ/חֲמַ֨ת bachamat HR/Ncfsc in fury in heat-of in wrath-of 4
H2534-17 וּ/בַ/חֲמָתִ֔/י uvachamati HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp1cs and in my fury and in my burning-heat and in my wrath 4
H2534-24 בְ/חֵמָ֔ה vechemah HR/Ncfsa and fury burning heat and wrath 4

Occurrences in Scripture

124 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2534-07 Genesis 27:44 חֲמַ֥ת chamat HNcfsc fury burning heat of wrath of
H2534-01 Leviticus 26:28 בַּ/חֲמַת bachamat HR/Ncfsc in fury in heat-of in wrath-of
H2534-10 Numbers 25:11 חֲמָתִ/י֙ chamati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my-wrath my burning-heat my wrath
H2534-25 Deuteronomy 9:19 וְ/הַ֣/חֵמָ֔ה vehachemah HC/Td/Ncfsa and the hot displeasure and the burning-heat and the wrath
H2534-18 Deuteronomy 29:22 וּ/בַ/חֲמָתֽ/וֹ uvachamato HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp3ms and in his wrath and in his burning-fury and in his wrath
H2534-19 Deuteronomy 29:27 וּ/בְ/חֵמָ֖ה uvechemah HC/R/Ncfsa and-in-fury and in burning heat and in wrath
H2534-07 Deuteronomy 32:24 חֲמַ֖ת chamat HNcfsc the venom burning heat of venom of
H2534-07 Deuteronomy 32:33 חֲמַ֥ת chamat HNcfsc poison burning heat of poison of
H2534-07 2 Samuel 11:20 חֲמַ֣ת chamat HNcfsc wrath burning heat of wrath of
H2534-06 2 Kings 5:12 בְּ/חֵמָֽה bechemah HR/Ncfsa in a rage in burning-heat in wrath
H2534-07 2 Kings 22:13 חֲמַ֣ת chamat HNcfsc is the wrath burning heat of wrath of
H2534-10 2 Kings 22:17 חֲמָתִ֛/י chamati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my anger my burning-heat my wrath
H2534-12 Isaiah 27:4 חֵמָ֖ה chemah HNcfsa wrath burning heat wrath
H2534-24 Isaiah 34:2 וְ/חֵמָ֖ה vechemah HC/Ncfsa and fury burning heat and wrath
H2534-12 Isaiah 42:25 חֵמָ֣ה chemah HNcfsa heat/fury burning heat wrath
H2534-07 Isaiah 51:13 חֲמַ֣ת chamat HNcfsc fury burning heat of wrath of
H2534-07 Isaiah 51:13 חֲמַ֥ת chamat-2 HNcfsc fury burning heat of wrath of
H2534-11 Isaiah 51:17 חֲמָת֑/וֹ chamato HNcfsc/Sp3ms of his wrath his burning-heat his wrath
H2534-07 Isaiah 51:20 חֲמַת chamat HNcfsc of the fury burning heat of wrath of
H2534-10 Isaiah 51:22 חֲמָתִ֔/י chamati HNcfsc/Sp1cs of-my-wrath my burning-heat my wrath
H2534-12 Isaiah 59:18 חֵמָ֣ה chemah HNcfsa fury burning heat wrath
H2534-03 Isaiah 63:3 בַּ/חֲמָתִ֑/י bachamati HR/Ncfsc/Sp1cs in my fury in my burning heat in my wrath
H2534-22 Isaiah 63:5 וַ/חֲמָתִ֖/י vachamati HC/Ncfsc/Sp1cs and-my-wrath and my burning-heat and my wrath
H2534-03 Isaiah 63:6 בַּ/חֲמָתִ֑/י bachamati HR/Ncfsc/Sp1cs in my wrath in my burning heat in my wrath
H2534-06 Isaiah 66:15 בְּ/חֵמָה֙ bechemah HR/Ncfsa with fury in burning-heat in wrath
H2534-10 Jeremiah 4:4 חֲמָתִ֗/י chamati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my wrath my burning-heat my wrath
H2534-07 Jeremiah 6:11 חֲמַ֨ת chamat HNcfsc wrath burning heat of wrath of
H2534-22 Jeremiah 7:20 וַֽ/חֲמָתִ/י֙ vachamati HC/Ncfsc/Sp1cs and my fury and my burning-heat and my wrath
H2534-09 Jeremiah 10:25 חֲמָתְ/ךָ֗ chamatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms Your wrath your burning rage your wrath
H2534-09 Jeremiah 18:20 חֲמָתְ/ךָ֖ chamatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your wrath your burning rage your wrath
H2534-19 Jeremiah 21:5 וּ/בְ/חֵמָ֖ה uvechemah HC/R/Ncfsa and-in-fury and in burning heat and in wrath
H2534-10 Jeremiah 21:12 חֲמָתִ֗/י chamati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my wrath my burning-heat my wrath
H2534-12 Jeremiah 23:19 חֵמָה֙ chemah HNcfsa wrath burning heat wrath
H2534-14 Jeremiah 25:15 הַ/חֵמָ֛ה hachemah HTd/Ncfsa of the wrath the burning-heat of the wrath
H2534-12 Jeremiah 30:23 חֵמָה֙ chemah HNcfsa wrath burning heat wrath
H2534-10 Jeremiah 32:31 חֲמָתִ֗/י chamati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my wrath my burning-heat my wrath
H2534-17 Jeremiah 32:37 וּ/בַ/חֲמָתִ֖/י uvachamati HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp1cs and in my fury and in my burning-heat and in my wrath
H2534-17 Jeremiah 33:5 וּ/בַ/חֲמָתִ֑/י uvachamati HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp1cs and in My fury and in my burning-heat and in my wrath
H2534-25 Jeremiah 36:7 וְ/הַ֣/חֵמָ֔ה vehachemah HC/Td/Ncfsa and the wrath and the burning-heat and the wrath
H2534-22 Jeremiah 42:18 וַ/חֲמָתִ֗/י vachamati HC/Ncfsc/Sp1cs and my wrath and my burning-heat and my wrath
H2534-10 Jeremiah 42:18 חֲמָתִ/י֙ chamati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my wrath my burning-heat my wrath
H2534-10 Jeremiah 44:6 חֲמָתִ/י֙ chamati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my-wrath my burning-heat my wrath
H2534-01 Ezekiel 3:14 בַּ/חֲמַ֣ת bachamat HR/Ncfsc in-the-heat-of in heat-of in wrath-of
H2534-10 Ezekiel 5:13 חֲמָתִ֛/י chamati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my fury my burning-heat my wrath
H2534-10 Ezekiel 5:13 חֲמָתִ֖/י chamati-2 HNcfsc/Sp1cs my fury my burning-heat my wrath
H2534-19 Ezekiel 5:15 וּ/בְ/חֵמָה֙ uvechemah HC/R/Ncfsa and-in-wrath and in burning heat and in wrath
H2534-12 Ezekiel 5:15 חֵמָ֔ה chemah HNcfsa wrath burning heat wrath
H2534-10 Ezekiel 6:12 חֲמָתִ֖/י chamati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my wrath my burning-heat my wrath
H2534-10 Ezekiel 7:8 חֲמָתִ/י֙ chamati HNcfsc/Sp1cs my wrath my burning-heat my wrath
H2534-24 Ezekiel 8:18 בְ/חֵמָ֔ה vechemah HR/Ncfsa in-fury burning heat and wrath
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