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חׇרְמָה

𐤇𐤓𐤌𐤄

Chremah

H2767 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חרם to ban, devote (to destruction), set apart, prohibit

Definition

Proper name designating a city or region whose meaning relates to being 'devoted to destruction.' Primarily, Hormah refers to a location in the southern region of Canaan, known from biblical narratives that associate the site either with a defeat or a subsequent Israelite victory over local inhabitants. The lexical meaning conveys a place set apart for destruction or devoted as a result of a herem-ban, often linked with the outcome of a battle or banishment as commanded or enacted by divine instruction.

Semantic Range

name of a location associated with being devoted to destruction, city set apart for eradication, a place under a ban; by extension, symbolizes judgment, fulfillment of a destructive vow

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חרם (ḥ-r-m), which means 'to ban, devote, prohibit, exterminate.' The form חׇרְמָה (Chormâh) is a feminine noun or toponym formed by adding the -ה suffix, reflecting the action or result of the root: the state of being eradicated, designated for destruction, or under a ban. Root: חרם.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חׇרְמָה (Hormah) appears multiple times in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Numbers 14:45; 21:3; Joshua 12:14; Judges 1:17), always as a place name in southern Canaan, near the Negev. Its name commemorates the Israelite practice of 'herem'—setting something apart for destruction as an offering or ban—in the context of warfare. In Numbers 21:3, the name is directly connected to the Israelite vow to devote local cities to destruction if given victory. Later descriptions place Hormah among conquered territories during Israelite campaigns. English translations sometimes render this word as 'Hormah,' but do not reflect the term's nuance of being devoted to destruction—a key dimension of its significance. The term is closely related to but distinct from other place-based names evoking ruin or destruction (e.g., Ai, עַי), and reflects ancient Near Eastern and Israelite practices of warfare and consecration. In post-biblical references and in the Septuagint, the phonetic form is preserved (e.g., Χερμα), but the semantic nuance often becomes opaque. During the monarchic and post-exilic periods, the site's precise identification was lost, but the name continued to evoke themes of defeat, divine judgment, and fulfillment of vows of extermination or devotion.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חָרַם; devoted; Chormah, a place in Palestine; Hormah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

חרם (ḥ-r-m) — ban, devote to destruction, set apart, prohibit, exterminate

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1179 בַּעַל חֶרְמוֹן Set-Apart Mountain
H2763 חָרַם ban-devoted one
H2764 חֵרֶם in the ban-devoted thing
H2765 חֳרֵם Chorem
H2766 חָרִם Snub-Nosed

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2767-02 חָרְמָֽה charemah HNp Hormah Ban-Devoted Place 4
H2767-05 וְ/חָרְמָֽה vecharemah HC/Np and Hormah and Ban-Devoted Place 2
H2767-01 בְּ/חָרְמָ֛ה becharemah HR/Np in Hormah in Devoted-to-Destruction 1
H2767-04 וּ/בְ/חָרְמָ֖ה uvecharemah HC/R/Np and Hormah and in Devoted-to-Destruction 1
H2767-03 הַֽ/חָרְמָֽה hacharemah HTd/Np Hormah the Ban-Devoted Place 1

Occurrences in Scripture

9 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2767-03 Numbers 14:45 הַֽ/חָרְמָֽה hacharemah HTd/Np Hormah the Ban-Devoted Place
H2767-02 Numbers 21:3 חָרְמָֽה charemah HNp Hormah Ban-Devoted Place
H2767-02 Deuteronomy 1:44 חָרְמָֽה charemah HNp Hormah Ban-Devoted Place
H2767-02 Joshua 12:14 חָרְמָה֙ charemah HNp of Hormah Ban-Devoted Place
H2767-05 Joshua 15:30 וְ/חָרְמָֽה vecharemah HC/Np Hormah and Ban-Devoted Place
H2767-05 Joshua 19:4 וְ/חָרְמָֽה vecharemah HC/Np and Hormah and Ban-Devoted Place
H2767-02 Judges 1:17 חָרְמָֽה charemah HNp Hormah Ban-Devoted Place
H2767-01 1 Samuel 30:30 בְּ/חָרְמָ֛ה becharemah HR/Np in Hormah in Devoted-to-Destruction
H2767-04 1 Chronicles 4:30 וּ/בְ/חָרְמָ֖ה uvecharemah HC/R/Np and Hormah and in Devoted-to-Destruction
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