Word Study for H2559 (חָמַק) | Strong's Concordance

châmaq /khaw-mak'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningproperly, to wrap; hence, to depart (i.e. turn about)

KJV usagego about, withdraw self.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of châmaq — 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 châmaq, represented by H2559, is a primitive root that means to depart or withdraw self. Its core meaning is to wrap or turn about. It appears only 2 times in 2 unique verses, but each instance provides a distinct and poignant picture of departure. The term captures the essence of turning away, whether in a personal relationship or in a spiritual context.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical occurrences, H2559 illustrates two different kinds of separation. In the Song of Solomon, it describes a deeply personal and emotional departure: "my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone" Song of Solomon 5:6. This use highlights a sudden absence that leads to a desperate search. In contrast, Jeremiah uses the word to characterize spiritual unfaithfulness: "How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter?" Jeremiah 31:22. Here, the term suggests a restless wandering and an aimless turning away from a stable relationship with God.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context and consequences of the actions described by châmaq:

H7728 shôwbêb (backsliding): Defined as apostate, this term appears alongside H2559 in Jeremiah 31:22 to describe the spiritual state of the daughter who is "going about." It specifies that her wandering is an act of turning away from faith.
H5674 ʻâbar (to cross over; pass): This word is paired with H2559 in Song of Solomon 5:6, stating the beloved had "withdrawn himself, and was gone." It emphasizes the finality of the transition, as when the LORD "passed by" before proclaiming His name Exodus 34:6.
H3318 yâtsâʼ (to go out): In Song of Solomon 5:6, the consequence of the beloved's withdrawal is that the speaker's "soul failed," a figurative use of this word. This shows that the departure described by H2559 can cause a profound inner reaction, akin to life or spirit "going out."

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2559 is concentrated in the themes of separation and fidelity.

Relational Departure: The word powerfully illustrates the pain of personal separation. In Song of Solomon 5:6, the withdrawal of the beloved creates a crisis, demonstrating the importance of presence and the distress caused by absence in a covenant relationship.
Spiritual Apostasy: In Jeremiah, "going about" is not neutral movement but a metaphor for spiritual unfaithfulness. It is linked directly with being a "backsliding H7728 daughter" Jeremiah 31:22, framing the departure as a turning away from God.
The Consequence of Absence: The act of withdrawing has a direct impact. The speaker's soul "failed H3318" when her beloved was gone Song of Solomon 5:6, illustrating that turning away from a relationship, whether human or divine, causes harm and distress to the one left behind.

Summary

In summary, though rare, H2559 châmaq is a significant term for understanding the biblical concept of departure. It conveys both the intimate pain of a beloved's withdrawal and the broader theological problem of spiritual wandering. In its two appearances, it paints a vivid picture of the relational and spiritual consequences that occur when one turns away.

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 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 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.

תִּתְחַמָּקִי
חָמַק

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 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Song of Solomon and Jeremiah (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Song of Solomon

Jeremiah

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.