Hebrew word · H2538

חָמוּל

vechamul

Hamul

Probably a passive participle of the verb ḥāmal, "to spare, have pity on," so "spared" or "one who is pitied" (BDB). Some scholars treat the meaning as uncertain.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.12;

son of: Perez (H6557);

brother of: Hezron (H2696H)

Also named: cha.mu.li (חָמוּלִי "Hamulite" H2539)

§ Hamul = "spared"

the younger son of Pharez, Judah's son by Tamar

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of 1 Chronicles 2:5

Range of meaning

Probably a passive participle of the verb ḥāmal, "to spare, have pity on," so "spared" or "one who is pitied" (BDB). Some scholars treat the meaning as uncertain.

Against the English

All versions say "Hamul." None translates the possible meaning, which is normal practice for names.

Used elsewhere in the period

Genesis 46:12; Numbers 26:21 (the Hamulite clan); 1 Chronicles 2:5. He is mentioned nowhere else.

Similar words

Where it appears

Genesis · 1

  1. Genesis 46:12 וְחָמֽוּל׃ and Hamul

    The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.

    Here: Perez's second son and head of the Hamulite clan (Num 26:21). The name probably comes from chamal, "to spare, have pity". It would fit a child seen as 'spared' after earlier losses, but that link is only possible.

Numbers · 1

  1. Numbers 26:21 לְחָמ֕וּל of Hamul

    And these were the descendants of Perez: the Hezronite clan from Hezron and the Hamulite clan from Hamul.

1 Chronicles · 1

  1. 1 Chronicles 2:5 וְחָמֽוּל׃ ס and Hamul

    The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.

    Here: Perez's second son, joined by "and." He founded the Hamulite clan (Numbers 26:21), but Chronicles never traces his descendants. The name probably means "spared" or "pitied."

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.