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חַמָּן

𐤇𐤌𐤍

chammân

H2553 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חמה sun, heat, radiance

Definition

Stone pillar or column erected as a cultic symbol associated with the sun, frequently serving as an object of worship or ritual veneration in ancient West Semitic religions. The term designates a specific type of cultic installation linked to solar deities or the symbolism of the sun, often condemned in the context of Israelite religious reforms.

Semantic Range

sun-pillar, cultic pillar/image dedicated to or symbolizing the sun, idol associated with solar worship, object of idolatrous worship

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חמה (ḥ-m-h), meaning 'sun; heat.' חַמָּן (chammân) extends from this root, functioning as a noun denoting something connected to the sun, specifically a sun-pillar or sun-image.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חַמָּן most often appears in polemical contexts, especially prophetic and Deuteronomistic literature, where it is condemned as a symbol of foreign or syncretistic worship practices, often associated with Canaanite or broader West Semitic solar cults. Its use in the Hebrew Bible largely reflects negative assessment as part of religious reforms seeking the exclusive worship of YHWH. Archaeological evidence from the Levant suggests that such pillars (massebot) were common cult fixtures in pre-monarchic and even monarchic Israel, contexts in which their precise function (whether Yahwistic or non-Yahwistic) remains debated. חַמָּן is distinct from other cultic terms such as מַצֵּבָה (standing pillar, which could have more varied associations) and אֲשֵׁרָה (cultic pole or sacred tree/stela dedicated to Asherah). Major English translations often render חַמָּן as 'sun-image,' 'sun-pillar,' or simply 'idol.' The term does not carry the connotation of general image/idol worship as do פסל or עצב, but refers specifically to the solar context. In later periods (including the LXX and Vulgate), the sense can shift; sometimes the underlying polemical force is lost, and terms like 'image' or 'idol' dominate in translation, obscuring the original solar link. Not present outside prophetic and reform contexts (e.g., 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Isaiah, Ezekiel, etc.), indicating its association with polemical redefinition of cultic sites and fixtures during religious reforms.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חַמָּה; a sun-pillar; idol, image.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חמה (ḥ-m-h) — sun, heat, radiance

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2528 חֱמָא burning fury
H2529 חֶמְאָה thickened milk
H2574 חֲמָת in Hamath-Fortress
H2575 חַמַּת from Chammath
H2578 חֲמַת צוֹבָה Fortified-city of

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2553-01 חַמָּ֣נֵי/כֶ֔ם chamaneykhem HNcmpc/Sp2mp your incense altars your sun-pillars 3
H2553-02 הַֽ/חַמָּנִ֑ים hachamanim HTd/Ncmpa sun-images the sun-pillars 2
H2553-04 וְ/הָ/חַמָּנִֽים vehachamanim HC/Td/Ncmpa and the incense altars and the sun-pillars 2
H2553-03 וְ/חַמָּנִֽים vechamanim HC/Ncmpa and incense altars and sun-pillars 1

Occurrences in Scripture

8 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2553-01 Leviticus 26:30 חַמָּ֣נֵי/כֶ֔ם chamaneykhem HNcmpc/Sp2mp your incense altars your sun-pillars
H2553-04 Isaiah 17:8 וְ/הָ/חַמָּנִֽים vehachamanim HC/Td/Ncmpa and-the-sun-images and the sun-pillars
H2553-03 Isaiah 27:9 וְ/חַמָּנִֽים vechamanim HC/Ncmpa and incense altars and sun-pillars
H2553-01 Ezekiel 6:4 חַמָּֽנֵי/כֶ֑ם chamaneykhem HNcmpc/Sp2mp your incense altars your sun-pillars
H2553-01 Ezekiel 6:6 חַמָּ֣נֵי/כֶ֔ם chamaneykhem HNcmpc/Sp2mp your incense altars your sun-pillars
H2553-02 2 Chronicles 14:4 הַֽ/חַמָּנִ֑ים hachamanim HTd/Ncmpa sun-images the sun-pillars
H2553-04 2 Chronicles 34:4 וְ/הַֽ/חַמָּנִ֛ים vehachamanim HC/Td/Ncmpa and the incense altars and the sun-pillars
H2553-02 2 Chronicles 34:7 הַֽ/חַמָּנִ֥ים hachamanim HTd/Ncmpa the-incense-altars the sun-pillars
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