English · KJV
H2560

חָמַר

châmar /khaw-mar'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningalso as denominative (from חֵמָר); properly, to boil up; hence, to ferment (with scum); to glow (with redness); to smear with pitch
KJV usagedaub, befoul, be red, trouble.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of châmar — 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 châmar, represented by H2560, is a primitive root with a core meaning of "to boil up." It appears 6 times in 6 unique verses. From its primary sense of boiling or fermenting, it expands to describe a range of intense states, including being troubled, glowing with redness, being befouled, or the literal act of smearing with pitch.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H2560 captures both literal actions and deep emotional or physical turmoil. In a literal sense, it describes the preparation of the ark for the infant Moses, which was daubed with slime and pitch to make it waterproof Exodus 2:3. Metaphorically, it conveys intense agitation. The psalmist describes the cup of God's judgment containing wine that is red, suggesting fermentation and potency Psalms 75:8. It is also used to depict the physical manifestation of extreme grief and distress, as in Lamentations where the speaker's "bowels are troubled" (Lamentations 1:20; Lamentations 2:11) or in Job, where his face is foul from weeping Job 16:16.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which H2560 is used:

  • H1993 hâmâh (to be in great commotion or tumult, to rage, roar): This word often appears alongside H2560 to describe massive upheaval. In Psalms 46:3, the waters roar (hâmâh) and be troubled (châmar), painting a picture of cosmic disturbance.
  • H2564 chêmâr (bitumen... slime): As the root for the denominative use of H2560, this word is directly linked to the physical application of materials. In Exodus 2:3, the ark is daubed using slime (chêmâr).
  • H6887 tsârar (to cramp... be in distress, vex): This word describes the internal state of affliction that H2560 often expresses physically. The cry, "I am in distress" in Lamentations 1:20, is immediately followed by the physical symptom: "my bowels are troubled."

Theological Significance

The conceptual weight of H2560 is found in its powerful depiction of agitation, whether righteous or resulting from sin.

  • The Turmoil of Judgment: The word is used to illustrate divine judgment. The red, fermented wine in the Lord's cup symbolizes the potent wrath to be served to the wicked Psalms 75:8. The "troubled" waters in Psalms 46:3 also speak of a creation in commotion.
  • The Anguish of Suffering: In Lamentations and Job, H2560 gives a visceral, physical expression to emotional and spiritual pain. The "troubled" bowels are not just a figure of speech but a depiction of how profoundly grief and the consequences of rebellion affect the human body (Lamentations 1:20; Lamentations 2:11).
  • An Act of Preservation: In a unique positive application, the action of "daubing" derived from H2560 is what seals and protects the ark of Moses, leading to his salvation from death Exodus 2:3. This shows the concept of "covering" or "smearing" used for deliverance.

Summary

In summary, H2560 is a dynamic term that moves from the literal boiling of a substance to the figurative boiling of emotion and the turmoil of nature. It can describe the color of fermented wine in a cup of judgment Psalms 75:8, the physical agony of a soul in distress Lamentations 1:20, and the practical act of sealing an ark for preservation Exodus 2:3. This word powerfully illustrates how Scripture connects abstract concepts like judgment and grief to tangible, physical experiences.

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 5 occurrences, inflected in 4 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.

  • חֳמַרְמָרוּ
  • תַּחְמְרָ
  • יֶחְמְרוּ
  • חָמַר

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.

H1993 הָמָה a primitive root (compare הוּם); to make a loud sound (like English 'hum'); by implication, to be in great commotion or H2564 חֵמָר from חָמַר; bitumen (as rising to the surface); slime(-pit). H6887 צָרַר a primitive root; to cramp, literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive; adversary, (be in) afflict(-ion), bes

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 6 verses across 4 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms and Lamentations (2 verses each); never once in the other 35.

1
Exodus
1
Job
2
Psalms
2
Lamentations

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.