צְמָרִי (tse.ma.ri)
tse.ma.ri
Zemarite
N:N--PGQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--PG
Word Overview
The noun tsemarî designates a member of the Zemarites, a small Canaanite clan listed among the descendants of Canaan in Genesis 10:18 and repeated in 1 Chronicles 1:13–16. This gentilic form identifies people associated with a place or ancestor named Zemar, situating them within the broader Hamitic tribal structure described in these genealogies.
Etymological notes in the sources suggest a connection to "double woolens" or a city known as Ṣimirra in Assyrian records, though the exact location remains unknown. The term appears exclusively in these two biblical passages, serving as one of many specific identifiers that map the diverse and fragmented landscape of ancient Canaanite society alongside groups like the Sidonians and Hittites.
Its rarity highlights the precision of the biblical authors in recording tribal lineages, even for minor or obscure communities. By preserving these names, the text acknowledges the full scope of the nations inhabiting the land before the Israelite settlement, offering a historical snapshot of the region's ethnic complexity without further elaboration on their specific customs or fate.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Names like Zemarite often feel distant or obscure in Scripture. They appear only twice in the Bible, tucked into genealogical lists that trace the descendants of Canaan. Yet these records matter because they show God’s care for history in its full detail. Every clan, no matter how small, is remembered by name.
This precision reminds us that God knows every people group and place. The biblical authors did not skip over minor tribes; they recorded them with accuracy. This invites trust in the reliability of Scripture. If these small details are preserved, we can believe the larger stories about God’s promises and faithfulness.
When you read these lists, consider the vastness of human history before Israel. God’s plan unfolds within a real world of many nations. His sovereignty covers all peoples, not just one group. This truth brings comfort: no one is forgotten by God.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ Zemarite[s]2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/צְּמָרִ֖י2×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 10:18
the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad.
This verse places the Zemarites within the Table of Nations, showing their role as part of the broader Canaanite family structure before Israel's settlement.
-
I Chronicles 1:16
the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.
The repetition of this name in Chronicles confirms the reliability of the genealogical record, linking back to Genesis and preserving the identity of this small clan.