כֻּסֶּמֶת
𐤊𐤎𐤌𐤕
kuççemeth
H3698 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An ancient cereal grain identified as emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum), cultivated in the Levant and used primarily for making bread. The term refers specifically to this hulled wheat variety distinct from common wheat or barley, distinguished by its coarse, bristly husk. In biblical usage, it appears among lists of staple grains, signifying both a food crop and an element in Israelite agricultural and ritual context.
Semantic Range
emmer wheat, hulled wheat, bristly cereal grain, bread grain; a distinct species from barley and common wheat
Root / Etymology
The word derives from the root כסם (k-s-m), generally thought to mean 'to shear, cut, trim short.' The form כֻּסֶּמֶת is a feminine noun likely designating the grain as one that has been 'shorn' (i.e., separated from its bristly husk), emphasizing the process or character of the grain’s harvest. The connection between the verb root and the noun is based on the grain's rough, bristly husk, which must be removed via shearing or threshing.
Historical & Contextual Notes
כֻּסֶּמֶת appears in agricultural lists (e.g., Exodus 9:32, Isaiah 28:25, Ezekiel 4:9), always in contexts alongside other staples such as wheat and barley. Its identification with emmer wheat is confirmed by comparative Semitic lexicography and modern botany; translations such as 'spelt' reflect the closest pre-modern European equivalent, but true spelt is distinct botanically. In all periods, the term designates a physically robust, coarse-hulled grain requiring additional processing. The English translations 'fitches' and 'rie' are no longer accurate, as they referred to different crops. By the post-exilic and Second Temple periods, usage of כֻסֶּמֶת diminishes as other cultivars became more prevalent, though the term persists in later rabbinic literature. In the ancient Israelite context, כֻסֶּמֶת was a secondary grain of significance, sometimes used in times of crop failure when the more desirable wheat failed to mature.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from כָּסַם; spelt (from its bristliness as if just shorn); fitches, rie.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כסם (k-s-m) — to shear, cut, trim short
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3698-03 |
וְ/כֻסְּמִ֗ים | vekhusemim | HC/Ncfpa |
and spelt | and emmer grains | 1 |
H3698-02 |
וְ/כֻסֶּ֖מֶת | vekhusemet | HC/Ncfsa |
and spelt | emmer wheat | 1 |
H3698-01 |
וְ/הַ/כֻּסֶּ֖מֶת | vehakusemet | HC/Td/Ncfsa |
and the spelt | the emmer wheat | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3698-01 |
Exodus 9:32 | וְ/הַ/כֻּסֶּ֖מֶת | vehakusemet | HC/Td/Ncfsa |
and the spelt | the emmer wheat |
H3698-02 |
Isaiah 28:25 | וְ/כֻסֶּ֖מֶת | vekhusemet | HC/Ncfsa |
and spelt | emmer wheat |
H3698-03 |
Ezekiel 4:9 | וְ/כֻסְּמִ֗ים | vekhusemim | HC/Ncfpa |
and spelt | and emmer grains |