חֶרְמֵשׁ
𐤇𐤓𐤌𐤔
chermêsh
H2770 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A hand-held agricultural tool with a curved blade used for reaping or cutting crops, especially grain. In biblical contexts, חֶרְמֵשׁ refers specifically to the sickle as an instrument for harvesting and, at times, as a symbol for the act of reaping itself.
Semantic Range
sickle (agricultural tool), harvesting implement, metaphor for reaping (especially in prophetic or judgment contexts)
Root / Etymology
חֶרְמֵשׁ is likely derived from the root חר״מ (חרם), which generally carries the sense of 'to ban, dedicate, separate,' but the connection to the tool is debated and not linguistically certain. The form itself appears only as a noun for the sickle, with no directly related verb meaning 'to cut' in Hebrew. Thus, the etymological connection to חרם is uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
חֶרְמֵשׁ occurs only a few times in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Deuteronomy 16:9; Joel 3:13) and refers to the tool used in harvesting grain—an essential image for agricultural Israelite society. It is distinct from מַגָּל (maggal), a term also used for 'sickle' or 'scythe' found in Isaiah 18:5. The sickle was emblematic of the harvest season, and its appearance in legal (Deuteronomy 23:26) and prophetic (Joel 3:13) passages sometimes carries figurative overtones, particularly in eschatological imagery. While later translations and traditions might use 'sickle' generically, חֶרְמֵשׁ in the Hebrew Bible carries a specificity tied to agrarian life, and in prophetic settings, may denote impending judgment through the metaphor of reaping. There is no evidence suggesting broader meanings such as a weapon.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from חָרַם; a sickle (as cutting); sickle.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חרם (ḥ-r-m) — ban, devote, separate
| 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
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2770-01 |
חֶרְמֵשׁ֙ | cheremesh | HNcmsa |
of sickle | sickle | 1 |
H2770-02 |
וְ/חֶרְמֵשׁ֙ | vecheremesh | HC/Ncmsa |
and sickle | sickle | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2770-01 |
Deuteronomy 16:9 | חֶרְמֵשׁ֙ | cheremesh | HNcmsa |
of sickle | sickle |
H2770-02 |
Deuteronomy 23:26 | וְ/חֶרְמֵשׁ֙ | vecheremesh | HC/Ncmsa |
and sickle | sickle |