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חֲמֹרָה

𐤇𐤌𐤓𐤄

chămôrâh

H2565 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חמר to heap up, pile, gather, collect

Definition

A heap, especially of material substances such as earth, clay, or grain; by extension, a mound, pile, or mass collected in one place. The word can denote an amassed group or aggregation of material, either formed naturally or intentionally gathered.

Semantic Range

heap, mound, pile, mass of material, accumulation of earth or clay, aggregate

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חָמַר (ḥ-m-r), which means 'to heap up, pile, make into a mound, gather in mass.' The noun form חֲמֹרָה is constructed as a feminine derivative indicating 'a collection' or 'mass' of material, typically indicating an accumulation of earth, clay, or other substances.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חֲמֹרָה is a rare term in the Hebrew Bible, found in contexts relating to construction or natural features. It is closely related to חֹמֶר (ḥômer, H2563), which denotes 'clay' or 'mortar,' and both share the concept of materiality and physical aggregation, but חֲמֹרָה is more specifically a 'heap' or 'mound,' i.e., the result of piling up. In the biblical period, heaps of earth or materials often marked boundaries or served cultic and memorial purposes, and such terminology may reflect broader ancient Near Eastern practices of marking sites with mounds or cairns. The English term 'heap' captures the sense but may not fully convey the material specificity implied in certain contexts, especially where clay, earth, or construction material is implied. Later Jewish and rabbinic sources use similar terms for mounds of earth or compost heaps, reflecting an ongoing semantic association with a physical pile or accumulation. This term must not be confused with similar-sounding terms relating to donkeys (חֲמוֹר, ḥămôr), which come from a distinct root.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חָמַר (compare חֹמֶר); a heap; heap.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חמר (ḥ-m-r) — to be red, reddish-brown, to ferment, to foam

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2543 חֲמוֹר on the male donkeys
H2544 חֲמוֹר Hamor
H2560 חָמַר he bubbled up
H2561 חֶמֶר fermenting wine
H2562 חֲמַר he fermented

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2565-01 חֲמ֖וֹר chamor HNcmsa heap male donkey 1
H2565-02 חֲמֹרָתָ֑יִם chamoratayim HNcmda upon heaps two heaps 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2565-01 Judges 15:16 חֲמ֖וֹר chamor HNcmsa heap male donkey
H2565-02 Judges 15:16 חֲמֹרָתָ֑יִם chamoratayim HNcmda upon heaps two heaps
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