חֲמוֹר

From the study of Judges 15:15

Range of meaning

Male donkey, the everyday beast of burden for farmers, travelers and even dignitaries (Judg 10:4; 12:14). It was unclean as food (Lev 11:26, as it lacks split hooves), and its firstborn had to be redeemed (Exod 13:13).

Against the English

KJV's "ass" was simply the standard word for donkey in 1611. Modern ears hear a vulgarity or a fool, and neither is in the Hebrew.

How it drifted

English "ass" (the animal) gradually took on its slang sense, partly from the American spelling of "arse", and now distracts most readers from the plain meaning.

Used elsewhere in the period

Very common in the Hebrew Bible. In v. 16 Samson's victory couplet plays on it: bi-lechi ha-chamor, chamor chamoratayim, "with a donkey's jaw, a heap, two heaps" (or "I have donkeyed them a pair of donkey-loads"). Hebrew chamor ("heap") sounds the same as chamor ("donkey").

From the study of Judges 15:16

Range of meaning

H2543: the male domestic donkey, the ordinary pack and riding animal of Israel. H2565: a heap or pile. A related word, ḥomer (the 'homer'), was a dry measure, roughly a donkey-load. Hebrew has more than one root spelled ḥ-m-r: one linked with heaping, one with being red, and one with foaming or fermenting (wine, bitumen). So the same consonants could make a listener think of 'donkey', 'heap' and possibly 'red'.

Against the English

English cannot carry the pun. KJV, WEB, ESV and NASB keep the meaning 'heaps upon heaps' but lose the sound. YLT ('an ass upon asses') and NIV ('made donkeys of them') keep the sound but have to choose a less likely sense. BSB turns it into a verb ('piled them into heaps').

Used elsewhere in the period

Exodus 8:14 (Hebrew 8:10): the frogs were gathered ḥomarim ḥomarim, 'heaps, heaps', the closest parallel for the 'heap' sense. Ugaritic has ḥmr for 'donkey', so the animal word is old and common across the region. The ancient Greek translators (Septuagint) seem to have read a verb here ('wiping out I wiped them out'). Jerome's Latin reads a donkey word instead.

From the study of Nehemiah 7:69

Range of meaning

The male donkey, or donkeys in general. It was the basic pack and riding animal of ordinary Israelite households (Gen 22:3; Exod 23:4–5). It was also ridden by people of standing in peaceful settings (Judg 10:4; Zech 9:9).

Against the English

The KJV and YLT say 'asses', which is accurate but now sounds old-fashioned or rude to many readers. Modern versions say 'donkeys'.

How it drifted

The English word 'ass' has picked up a vulgar sense that has nothing to do with the Hebrew. It is a problem of register, not meaning.

Used elsewhere in the period

Donkeys are everywhere in Near Eastern economic texts as the standard caravan animal. Old Assyrian merchants moved tin and textiles to Anatolia on donkey caravans. Ezra 2:67 has the same figure of 6,720.