חַמּוֹן
𐤇𐤌𐤅𐤍
Chamon
H2540 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Hammon—A proper noun designating place names, specifically towns or locations associated with a warm spring or thermal feature. The primary usage is as a geographical designation, not a common noun. Occurs in contexts indicating locales in the territory allocated to the Israelite tribes.
Semantic Range
a specific location (town or city) associated with a warm spring, place name; Hammon as a town in Asher; Hammon as a Levitical city in Naphtali
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root חָמַם (ḥmm), meaning 'to be warm' or 'to become hot', plus a place-name suffix. The underlying sense is likely 'place of warmth' or 'hot spring', referencing a notable natural feature associated with these localities.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, חַמּוֹן (Hammon) appears as a toponym and does not function as a common noun. Its usage is attested in Joshua 19:28 as a border town allotted to the tribe of Asher. Another potential occurrence is found in 1 Chronicles 6:61, listed among Levitical cities in the territory of Naphtali (though some manuscripts and translations vary). The term reflects an Israelite method of naming locations for their natural features, here emphasizing proximity to a warm or hot spring. In the Greek Septuagint, the place names are transliterated, and in English traditions they are rendered as Hammon or Chammon, sometimes influenced by the later term 'Hammon.' The name is not ethnically or religiously specific, simply describing a locale. Distinguished from related terms such as חַמְמָה (ḥammāh) 'sun' and חֹם (ḥom) 'heat,' which are common nouns rather than toponyms. English translations usually translate חַמּוֹן simply as a place name, and do not always reflect the underlying meaning related to warmth or springs.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָמַם; warm spring; Chammon, the name of two places in Palestine; Hammon.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חמם (ḥ-m-m) — to be warm, to become hot
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2525 | חָם | hot ones |
| H2527 | חֹם | in heat |
| H2536 | חַמּוּאֵל | Chammuel |
| H2552 | חָמַם | I became hot |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2540-01 |
חַמּ֖וֹן | chamon | HNp |
Hamon | Warm-Spring Place | Chamon | 1 |
H2540-02 |
וְ/חַמּ֣וֹן | vechamon | HC/Np |
and Hammon | and Warm-Spring-town | and Chamon | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2540-02 |
Joshua 19:28 | וְ/חַמּ֣וֹן | vechamon | HC/Np |
and Hammon | and Warm-Spring-town | and Chamon |
H2540-01 |
1 Chronicles 6:61 | חַמּ֖וֹן | chamon | HNp |
Hamon | Warm-Spring Place | Chamon |