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חֶמֶר

𐤇𐤌𐤓

chemer

H2561 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חמר to ferment, to foam, to be red (of liquids)

Definition

A liquid, specifically wine in a fermenting or unrefined state; can denote strong, foaming, or bubbling wine, emphasizing its fresh or undiluted character. In some contexts, the term is associated with 'red wine' due to its visual and cultural connotations, but the central sense refers to fermenting or 'foaming' grape juice.

Semantic Range

fermenting wine, foaming wine, fresh or unrefined wine, red wine, wine of the grape, pure wine

Root / Etymology

From the root חמר, which means 'to ferment, to foam, to be red (of liquids)'; the noun form חֶמֶר derives from this root and refers specifically to the substance undergoing fermentation, especially wine.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חֶמֶר is attested in poetic and elevated contexts (e.g., Deuteronomy 32:14, Isaiah 27:2), typically in reference to the prized or exceptional quality of wine, especially in metaphorical or symbolic descriptions. The word does not refer in general to all wine, but to the foaming, fermenting, or pure state, often with connotations of richness or abundance. This distinguishes it from more common Hebrew terms for wine such as יַיִן (yayin, the general term for wine), and תִּירוֹשׁ (tirosh, usually 'new wine', unfermented or less mature). The term's use is rare and often poetic, and later translations sometimes render it as 'pure wine' or 'wine of the grape', though it does not necessarily carry the ritual purity sense. In later Rabbinic literature and post-biblical usage, the root connotes 'clay' (as in mud or mortar) from a secondary semantic development, but this is distinct from its biblical usage referencing wine.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חָמַר; wine (as fermenting); [idiom] pure, red wine.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חמר (ḥ-m-r) — to ferment, to foam, to be red (of liquids)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2543 חֲמוֹר on the male donkeys
H2544 חֲמוֹר Hamor
H2560 חָמַר he bubbled up
H2562 חֲמַר he fermented
H2563 חֹמֶר in the clay

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2561-01 חָֽמֶר chamer HNcmsa wine fermenting wine 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2561-01 Deuteronomy 32:14 חָֽמֶר chamer HNcmsa wine fermenting wine
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