English · KJV
H2554

חָמַס

châmaç /khaw-mas'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto be violent; by implication, to maltreat
KJV usagemake bare, shake off, violate, do violence, take away violently, wrong, imagine wrongfully.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of châmaç — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word châmaç, represented by H2554, is a primitive root meaning to be violent. It appears 8 times across 8 unique verses and carries a range of strong connotations, including to maltreat, violate, take away violently, and to imagine wrongfully.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H2554 describes various forms of transgression. It is used in commands against social injustice, such as the Lord's instruction to "do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow" Jeremiah 22:3. The term also denotes a violation of sacred things, as when the priests of Jerusalem "have done violence to the law" Zephaniah 3:4 or when they "have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things" Ezekiel 22:26. The word can describe an action against oneself, as in the proverb stating he who sins against wisdom "wrongeth his own soul" Proverbs 8:36. It is even used to describe God's judgment, as when He "violently taken away his tabernacle" Lamentations 2:6.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the scope of violence and wrongdoing:

  • H2490 châlal (to profane, break, wound): This word often appears alongside H2554 to describe the violation of what is sacred. In Zephaniah, priests who did violence to the law also "polluted the sanctuary" Zephaniah 3:4.
  • H3238 yânâh (to oppress, vex, do violence): This term is used in parallel with H2554 in a direct command against injustice, showing a close relationship: "do no wrong, do no violence" Jeremiah 22:3.
  • H5771 ʻâvôn (iniquity, sin, moral evil): This word for moral evil is presented as the cause for the consequence described by H2554. The people's heels are "made bare" because of the "greatness of thine iniquity" Jeremiah 13:22.
  • H8451 tôwrâh (law, precept, statute): The law is frequently the object of the violence described by H2554. The priests are condemned because they "have violated my law" Ezekiel 22:26.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2554 is significant, highlighting the gravity of unjust force and violation.

  • Violation of Divine Law: The term is explicitly used to condemn religious leaders who profane their duties. By doing violence to the law H8451, they corrupt the relationship between God and His people Ezekiel 22:26.
  • Injustice and Oppression: God specifically forbids doing violence H2554 to the most vulnerable members of society, directly linking the act to the oppression of the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow Jeremiah 22:3.
  • Consequence of Iniquity: The act of violence or being violated is shown as a direct result of sin. Iniquity H5771 leads to being forcibly "made bare" Jeremiah 13:22, and sinning is to wrong one's own soul Proverbs 8:36.
  • Wrongful Intent: The concept extends beyond physical action to include malicious thought, as seen when Job acknowledges those who "wrongfully imagine" devices against him Job 21:27.

Summary

In summary, H2554 is a powerful and multifaceted term that defines more than simple physical aggression. It encompasses the violation of divine commands, the oppression of the vulnerable, the self-destructive nature of sin, and even malicious intent. Its usage illustrates a clear biblical prohibition against unjust force in all its forms, whether directed at people, sacred laws, or oneself.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 8 occurrences, inflected in 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • תַּחְמֹסוּ
  • חָמְסוּ
  • נֶחְמְסוּ
  • יַּחְמֹס
  • יַחְמֹס
  • חֹמֵס

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H2490 חָלַל a primitive root (compare חָלָה); also denominative (from חָלִיל); properly, to bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, t H3238 יָנָה a primitive root; to rage or be violent; by implication, to suppress, to maltreat; destroy, (thrust out by) oppress(-ing H5771 עָוֺן or עָווֹן; (2 Kings 7:9; Psalm 51:5 (אֲבַד)), from עָוָה; perversity, i.e. (moral) evil; fault, iniquity, mischeif, puni H8451 תּוֹרָה or תֹּרָה; from יָרָה; a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch; law.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 8 verses across 6 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Job and Jeremiah (2 verses each); never once in the other 33.

2
Job
1
Proverbs
2
Jeremiah
1
Lamentations
1
Ezekiel
1
Zephaniah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.