← H3179 H3181 →

יַחְמוּר

𐤉𐤇𐤌𐤅𐤓

yachmûwr

H3180 noun

SILEX Entry

Root חמר to be red, to be reddish-brown

Definition

A species of hoofed mammal, traditionally identified as a type of large, graceful deer, possibly the fallow deer (Dama dama) or a similar cervid; used in Biblical texts as one of the animals permitted for eating according to dietary regulations. The term refers to a wild, game animal, likely known for its agility and size, but precise zoological identification remains uncertain due to changing taxonomies and the lack of continuity in ancient and modern animal naming.

Semantic Range

a type of wild, edible deer; fallow deer; large game animal; possibly a cervid such as the Persian fallow deer or red deer

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root חמר, which broadly means 'to be red, reddish-brown,' likely referring to the animal's coloration. The noun יַחְמוּר is formed, possibly referring to a reddish-brown wild animal.

Historical & Contextual Notes

יַחְמוּר appears in the context of clean animals listed in Deuteronomy 14:5, indicating its role as a permissible game animal for the Israelite diet. The precise identification is debated; ancient translations (such as the Septuagint) variously rendered it as δορκάς ('gazelle') or other deer-like creatures, and later English translations have adopted 'fallow deer,' although some modern researchers suggest alternative identifications (e.g. Persian fallow deer, red deer, or other local cervids). In post-biblical Hebrew and Middle Eastern zoological traditions, the term continued to denote a cervid or antelope-like animal, but the zoological match remains debated. The term is not to be conflated with other Hebrew words for deer (e.g., אַיָּל). Standard English translations may obscure the uncertainty of the creature referenced, imposing a specific species identification that is not definitive in the Hebrew.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from חָמַר; a kind of deer; fallow deer.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

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

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

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3180-01 וְ/יַחְמ֑וּר veyachemur HC/Ncmsa and-roebucks reddish-brown deer 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3180-01 Deuteronomy 14:5 וְ/יַחְמ֑וּר veyachemur HC/Ncmsa and roe deer reddish-brown deer
H3180-01 1 Kings 5:3 וְ/יַחְמ֔וּר veyachemur HC/Ncmsa and-roebucks reddish-brown deer
← H3179 Hebrew Lexicon H3181 →