חָמֻשׁ
𐤇𐤌𐤔
châmush
H2571 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
Armed, equipped, especially for battle; describes those outfitted with weapons or military gear, particularly troops or groups of people prepared for conflict. In some contexts, it refers specifically to a formation of warriors or the state of being battle-ready.
Semantic Range
armed, equipped for battle, organized for military movement, prepared for conflict, marshaled in formation
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root חמש (ḥ-m-š), which at its core denotes the number 'five.' However, as a verbal form or derivative (passive participle), חָמֻשׁ refers to someone 'armed' or 'equipped,' possibly linked to early military formations organized by fives, or carrying fivefold weaponry, but the precise origin of this military sense is uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, חָמֻשׁ most frequently describes the Israelites as they departed from Egypt (e.g., Exodus 13:18; Joshua 1:14; Judges 7:11), emphasizing their readiness for organized movement or battle rather than simply traveling in haste or as fugitives. The term does not specifically define the type of weapons, merely the state of being armed or prepared for conflict. English translations often render it as 'armed' or 'in battle array,' but this can obscure the original nuance, which could also imply organized ranks or divisions. Later translators, unfamiliar with ancient Israelite military organization, sometimes guessed 'armed in fives' (from the 五 root), but the text usage points to general military preparedness. The word is distinct from other terms for 'weapons' or 'fighters' (e.g., לוחם 'warrior,' כלי נשק 'weapons'). Use of חָמֻשׁ is concentrated in narrative contexts focusing on military or migratory organization, not personal armament. There is scholarly debate whether the root meaning 'five' is at play beyond mere phonetic relationship, but its actual lexical function is well-established as 'armed' or 'equipped.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
passive participle of the same as חֹמֶשׁ; staunch, i.e. able-bodied soldiers; armed (men), harnessed.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חמש (ḥ-m-š) — five, to arm, to equip
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2549 | חֲמִישִׁי | in the fifth |
| H2567 | חָמַשׁ | and he levied a fifth-part |
| H2569 | חֹמֶשׁ | to a fifth-part |
| H2570 | חֹמֶשׁ | the underbelly |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2571-01 |
חֲמֻשִׁ֜ים | chamushim | HVqsmpa |
armed | armed ones | armed | 2 |
H2571-03 |
וַ/חֲמֻשִׁ֛ים | vachamushim | HC/Vqsmpa |
armed | armed men | armed | 1 |
H2571-02 |
הַ/חֲמֻשִׁ֖ים | hachamushim | HTd/Vqsmpa |
of the armed men | the armed ones | the armed ones | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2571-03 |
Exodus 13:18 | וַ/חֲמֻשִׁ֛ים | vachamushim | HC/Vqsmpa |
armed | armed men | armed |
H2571-01 |
Joshua 1:14 | חֲמֻשִׁ֜ים | chamushim | HVqsmpa |
armed | armed ones | armed |
H2571-01 |
Joshua 4:12 | חֲמֻשִׁ֔ים | chamushim | HVqsmpa |
armed | armed ones | armed ones |
H2571-02 |
Judges 7:11 | הַ/חֲמֻשִׁ֖ים | hachamushim | HTd/Vqsmpa |
of the armed men | the armed ones | the armed ones |