חָמַל (cha.mal)
cha.mal
to spare
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 30 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb chāmal carries a dual sense of sparing and showing compassion. It describes an internal softness that leads to restraint, whether in withholding judgment or offering mercy. In narrative contexts like Exodus 2:6, it depicts the tender reaction of Pharaoh’s daughter toward the infant Moses, while in legal or prophetic texts, it often appears as a command not to spare enemies or resources.
Its root conveys gentleness rather than mere emotional pity. This nuance is visible when God declares He will not "spare" His own name in Ezekiel 36:21, meaning He will act to protect its honor. Conversely, the negative form highlights cruelty, as seen in Lamentations 2:2 where God’s refusal to chāmal results in destruction without restraint.
Translators typically render this word as "spare," "have pity," or "show compassion." The choice depends on context: sparing life implies mercy, while sparing judgment implies severity. This flexibility allows the term to bridge human empathy and divine justice, showing that true compassion often involves deliberate restraint from what is deserved.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word chāmal speaks to the heart of mercy, describing a tenderness that holds back judgment. It is not merely feeling sorry for someone, but actively choosing restraint when punishment or destruction is possible. This gentle strength appears in Exodus when Pharaoh’s daughter sees the infant Moses crying and chooses compassion over protocol. Her action reveals that true mercy often looks like protecting the vulnerable, even when it goes against the expectations of power.
Yet this same word also warns us about the cost of refusing to spare. In Lamentations, the absence of chāmal describes a harshness that leaves no room for grace, reminding us that divine justice can be severe when mercy is rejected. For believers, this duality invites reflection on how we treat others. Do we hold back our anger? Do we offer protection to those who cannot defend themselves?
Understanding chāmal helps us see that compassion is an active choice. It requires the strength to withhold what we might otherwise deliver. When we extend mercy, we reflect a God who often chooses patience over immediate retribution, offering space for repentance and healing.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 30 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ he had compassion3×
- you spare2×
- you have spared2×
- he will show pity2×
- he will have compassion2×
- he has spared2×
- he has compassion2×
- he had compassion2×
- you must have compassion1×
- you have had compassion1×
- will he spare?1×
- will he have compassion1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יַחְמֹ֣ל2×
- יַחְמֹ֑ל2×
- יַחְמ֑וֹל2×
- תַּחְמְלוּ֙1×
- תַּחְמְל֖וּ1×
- תַחְמֹ֖ל1×
- יַחְמֽוֹל\׃\ \ס1×
- יַחְמֹ֤ל1×
- יַחְמֹ֖ל1×
- יַחְמ֖וֹל1×
- יַ֝חְמ֗וֹל1×
- חָמָֽלְתָּ\׃\ \ס1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 2:6
She opened it, and saw the child, and behold, the baby cried. She had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
This verse shows chāmal as an immediate, tender response to vulnerability, where Pharaoh’s daughter chooses compassion over her royal status to protect a Hebrew infant.
-
I Samuel 15:3
Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and don’t spare them; but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing baby, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
Here the command not to spare is absolute, illustrating how chāmal can be withheld in divine judgment against persistent evil, leaving no room for partial mercy.
-
Lamentations 2:2
The Lord has swallowed up all the dwellings of Jacob without pity. He has thrown down in his wrath the strongholds of the daughter of Judah. He has brought them down to the ground. He has profaned the kingdom and its princes.
The absence of chāmal here highlights the severity of God’s wrath, showing that when mercy is withdrawn, destruction follows without restraint.
-
II Samuel 12:6
He must restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and because he had no pity!”
David’s reaction uses chāmal to condemn the rich man’s lack of pity, establishing that true justice requires a heart capable of compassion toward the innocent.