הָמוֹן (ha.mon)
ha.mon
crowd; be turbulent
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 50 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun hamon describes a powerful noise or a large gathering, capturing both the sound of turbulence and the visual of a multitude. It can refer to the roar of water, the murmur of a crowd, or the tumult of battle. In Isaiah 17:12, it depicts the roaring of many nations that God silences, while in 2 Chronicles 34:4, it refers to the idols and shrines removed from Jerusalem.
Its meaning extends beyond noise to signify abundance or wealth, as seen in Jeremiah 51:13 where it describes the vast waters of Babylon. The word conveys a sense of overwhelming presence, whether that is a physical crowd or an intangible force like riotous sound. Translators often render it as "multitude," "tumult," or "abundance" depending on the context.
The root verb haman suggests raging or being turbulent, which grounds the noun's dual sense of noise and quantity. This connection highlights how biblical Hebrew links large numbers with loud, chaotic energy. The word appears fifty times in Scripture, frequently emphasizing the scale and intensity of human activity or natural forces.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word hamon captures the overwhelming scale of God’s promises and the chaotic noise of human fear. In Genesis, it transforms Abram into Abraham, marking a shift from isolation to becoming the father of a multitude. This suggests that divine calling often expands our identity beyond what we can manage alone, inviting us into a larger story where we are part of something enduring.
When faced with the roaring armies in Chronicles or the tumult of battle, the biblical response is not panic but perspective. The text reminds readers that the noise of many nations does not override the sovereignty of God. Even when circumstances feel like a chaotic crowd closing in, the narrative consistently points to a stillness that comes from trusting in divine protection rather than human strength.
This duality invites reflection on where we place our trust. Whether facing personal anxiety or global unrest, the word encourages a shift from fearing the noise of the multitude to resting in the one who commands it. It offers a quiet hope that peace is not found in silencing the world, but in anchoring the heart in God’s steadfast presence.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 50 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ multitude12×
- [the] multitude of7×
- a multitude5×
- a multitude of4×
- [the] tumult of3×
- the/ abundance2×
- and/ multitude/ its2×
- a tumult of2×
- a tumult2×
- [the] noise of2×
- with/ [the] tumult of1×
- tumult1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הֲמ֥וֹן9×
- הֲמ֣וֹן5×
- הֲמוֹן֙4×
- הָמ֣וֹן3×
- הֶ/הָמ֥וֹן3×
- הֶ/הָמ֖וֹן3×
- הָמ֔וֹן2×
- הֶ/הָמ֨וֹן2×
- הֶ/הָמ֤וֹן2×
- הֶ/הָמ֣וֹן2×
- מֵ֝/הֲמ֗וֹן1×
- לַ/הֲמ֣וֹן1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 17:5
Your name will no more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
This verse marks the pivotal renaming of Abram to Abraham, using hamon to signify a covenantal expansion from a single man to the father of many nations.
-
II Chronicles 20:15
and he said, “Listen, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat. Yahweh says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed because of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
Here the word describes an intimidating military force, yet the divine command to not be afraid reframes the threat as a context for God’s intervention rather than human defeat.
-
I Samuel 4:14
When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, “What does the noise of this tumult mean?” The man hurried, and came and told Eli.
The term describes the chaotic noise of Eli’s household crisis, highlighting how hamon can signify destructive turmoil that demands immediate spiritual attention.
-
Psalms 37:16
Better is a little that the righteous has, than the abundance of many wicked.
This verse contrasts the righteous with the wicked by using hamon to denote material abundance, suggesting that numerical or financial power does not equate to divine favor.