חַמָּן (cham.man)
cham.man
pillar
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun chamman refers to a pillar or column, specifically one associated with idolatrous worship. In the Old Testament, it is most often translated as "sun-pillar" or "idol," describing a sacred stone marker set up in honor of false gods. The sources indicate that these objects were not merely architectural features but served as focal points for pagan religious practices, particularly those involving the sun.
This word appears five times in Scripture, with significant occurrences in Isaiah and II Chronicles. For instance, King Josiah’s reforms involved destroying such pillars to cleanse Judah of idolatry (2 Chronicles 34:4). The term carries a strong negative theological weight, representing the physical manifestations of worship that Israel was repeatedly commanded to reject. Translators typically render it as "pillar" or "sun-pillar," highlighting its connection to celestial deities rather than neutral structural elements.
Etymologically, chamman is linked to concepts of heat or burning, suggesting a possible association with sun worship or incense altars used in these rites. Its presence in Leviticus and Chronicles underscores the tension between Israel’s covenantal law and the surrounding cultures’ practices. Understanding this term helps clarify the intensity of the prophetic calls for religious purity and the concrete nature of the idols Israel faced.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The chamman was a stone pillar set up for worship of false gods, often linked to sun rituals. These objects were not merely decorations; they pulled hearts away from the living God. In Leviticus 26:30, the Lord warns that He will destroy these altars and cast down the dead bodies of idols, showing how seriously He takes anything that steals our devotion. That can feel unsettling, but it is actually a sign of His love. God knows we are easily shaped by what we set our eyes on, and He refuses to let us settle for less than His life.
When King Josiah tore down the sun-pillars throughout Judah (2 Chronicles 34:4), he was not just smashing rocks. He was making a way for God's people to return. Isaiah 27:9 ties the breaking of these pillars directly to forgiveness, 'that he makes all the stones of the altar as chalk stones that are beaten in pieces.' The things that capture your heart today can be gently taken down, not to shame you, but to free you. Jesus does that work. He does not demand you clean yourself up; He invites you to let Him clear the space and fill it with His presence.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ the/ incense altars2×
- the/ incense altars1×
- incense altars/ your1×
- and/ incense altars1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חַמָּ֣נֵי/כֶ֔ם1×
- וְ/חַמָּנִֽים\׃1×
- וְ/הָ/חַמָּנִֽים\׃1×
- וְ/הַֽ/חַמָּנִ֛ים1×
- הַֽ/חַמָּנִ֥ים1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 26:30
I will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and cast your dead bodies upon the bodies of your idols; and my soul will abhor you.
God threatens to destroy the high places and pile dead bodies on the remnants of these pillars, revealing the deadly seriousness of idolatry and the personal affront it is to the Creator.
-
II Chronicles 34:4
They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence; and he cut down the incense altars that were on high above them. He broke the Asherah poles, the engraved images, and the molten images in pieces, made dust of them, and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
Josiah’s physical breaking of the incense altars in front of everyone demonstrates that no object of false worship is too entrenched to be removed when revival comes.
-
Isaiah 17:8
They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands; neither shall they respect that which their fingers have made, either the Asherah poles or the incense altars.
The prophecy describes a day when God’s people will no longer even look at the altars made by human hands, showing that true repentance turns the eyes away from what cannot save.
-
Isaiah 27:9
Therefore by this the iniquity of Jacob will be forgiven, and this is all the fruit of taking away his sin: that he makes all the stones of the altar as chalk stones that are beaten in pieces, so that the Asherah poles and the incense altars shall rise no more.
Forgiveness is directly connected to the smashing of these sun-pillars, teaching that God deals with the root of sin so that the objects of false trust will never stand again.