חָמַר (cha.mar)
cha.mar
to aggitate; to daub; be red
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb chamar carries two distinct meanings that share a vivid imagery of agitation and color. In its primary sense, it describes something boiling, foaming, or fermenting. This usage captures the turbulent movement of water or the active bubbling of wine, conveying a sense of internal pressure and unrest.
Less commonly, chamar means to daub or smear with asphalt. This specific application appears in Exodus 2:3, where Moses’ mother uses bitumen to seal the basket among the reeds. The connection between the two senses likely lies in the dark, bubbling nature of hot pitch or the reddish hue associated with fermentation and boiling liquids.
Most occurrences are found in poetic books like Job and Lamentations, where the word illustrates emotional turmoil or chaotic waters. For instance, it describes the roaring foam of the sea or the fermenting distress within a person’s inner being. This dual usage highlights how physical phenomena were used to express deep spiritual and emotional states.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word chamar paints a vivid picture of inner turbulence. In Job and Lamentations, it describes a heart that churns like boiling wine or foaming water. This is not calm reflection; it is the raw, physical sensation of grief pressing against the ribs. When we feel overwhelmed by sorrow or guilt, this word validates that our distress has weight and movement.
Yet there is another side to this term. In Exodus, it refers to coating a basket with pitch to keep it watertight. Here, agitation turns into protection. The same energy that causes turmoil can also create a seal against danger. This reminds us that God often uses our deepest struggles to craft a shelter for the vulnerable.
Whether you are experiencing the redness of weeping or the need for a protective covering, this word shows that your emotions are seen. They are not hidden away but are part of a larger story where pain can lead to preservation. You are held in the midst of both the storm and the shelter.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they are in turmoil2×
- they are reddened1×
- and/ sealed it/ she1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חֳמַרְמָ֔רוּ1×
- חֳמַרְמְר֣וּ1×
- חֳ֭מַרְמְרוּ1×
- וַ/תַּחְמְרָ֥/ה1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 2:3
When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with pitch. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank.
This verse uniquely applies the word to daubing a basket with pitch, showing how the term describes sealing an object against water rather than emotional turmoil.
-
Job 16:16
My face is red with weeping. Deep darkness is on my eyelids,
Here the word connects physical redness from weeping with the internal pressure of grief, illustrating how sorrow manifests in the body.
-
Lamentations 2:11
My eyes fail with tears. My heart is troubled. My bile is poured on the earth, because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because the young children and the infants swoon in the streets of the city.
The term describes bile being poured out, using visceral imagery to convey the intensity of mourning over national destruction.