H2563a H2563a
Clay, mortar, or mire; earthy material shaped by potters, used in building, or found as mud in streets.
Chomer is one of the Hebrew Bible's most tactile words -- you can almost feel the wet earth between your fingers. In its most theologically resonant use, it is the potter's clay from which God fashions humanity: 'we are the clay, you are the potter' (Isa 64:8; cf. Isa 29:16; 45:9; Job 10:9). Job laments that human bodies are mere 'houses of clay' (Job 4:19), fragile and easily crushed. The word also has a practical side: the builders at Babel used chomer for mortar with their bricks (Gen 11:3), and Egyptian taskmasters forced Israel to toil 'with mortar and brick' (Exod 1:14). At its most humble, chomer is street-mud -- the mire Isaiah invokes for trampled nations (Isa 10:6).
Senses
1. clay, potter's clay — Clay or potter's clay -- moldable earth used in pottery and as a metaphor for humanity shaped by God. Isaiah's potter-and-clay passages (Isa 29:16; 45:9; 64:8) establish the theological heart, while Job reflects on being fashioned from clay (Job 10:9) and dwelling in 'houses of clay' (Job 4:19). Spanish 'barro' and French 'argile' both denote this formable material. Eleven occurrences span wisdom and prophetic literature. 11×
AR["الطِينُ", "الطِّينُ", "الطِّينِ", "بِ-الطِّينِ", "طِينٍ", "كَ-الطِّينِ", "كَالطِّينِ", "كَـ-طِينِ", "مِنَ-الطّينِ", "وَ-كَ-الطّينِ"]·ben["-কাদার-মতো", "-মাটি-দিয়ে", "এবং-মাটির-মতো", "কাদা", "মাটি", "মাটি-থেকে", "মাটির", "মাটির-মতো", "যেমন-কাদামাটি"]·DE["[בחמר]", "[החמר]", "[וכחמר]", "[חמר]", "[כחמר]", "[מחמר]"]·EN["and-as-clay", "are-the-clay", "clay", "from-clay", "in-the-clay", "like-clay", "like-clay-under", "like-the-clay", "of-the-potter", "the-clay"]·FR["argile", "comme-argile", "dans-l'argile", "de-argile", "et-argile", "le-argile"]·heb["ב-חומר", "ה-חומר", "ו-כ-חומר", "חומר", "כ-חומר", "מ-חומר"]·HI["और-मिट्टी-की-तरह", "जैसे-मिट्टी", "मिट्टी", "मिट्टी-की-तरह", "मिट्टी-के", "मिट्टी-से", "में-मिट्टी"]·ID["dan-seperti-tanah-liat", "dari-tanah liat", "dengan-tanah-liat", "seperti-tanah liat", "seperti-tanah-liat", "tanah-liat"]·IT["argilla", "clay", "come-il-like-clay", "come-like-clay-sotto", "da-da-clay", "e-come-il-e-as-clay"]·jav["kados-lempung", "kadosdene-lempung", "lan-kadosdene-lempung", "lempung", "saking-lempung"]·KO["같이-진흙", "그-진흙이오", "그리고-진흙-같이", "에-진흙으로", "진흙", "진흙-같이", "진흙이", "처럼-진흙이", "흙", "흙-에서"]·PT["barro", "com-o-barro", "como-barro", "como-barro-de", "como-o-barro", "do-barro", "e-como-barro", "o-barro"]·RU["hа-глина", "глина", "глины", "глиняных", "и-как-глину", "из-глины", "как-глина", "как-глину"]·ES["barro", "como-barro", "como-barro-de", "como-barro-del", "como-el-barro", "de-barro", "el-barro", "en-el-barro", "y-como-barro"]·SW["kama-udongo", "kutoka-udongo", "kwa-udongo", "na-kama-udongo", "ni-udongo", "udongo"]·TR["camur", "camur-gibi", "de-kil", "gibi-kil", "kiliz", "ve-çamur-gibi", "çamur", "çamur-gibi", "çamurdan"]·urd["اور-مٹی-کی-طرح", "مٹی", "مٹی سے", "مٹی کی طرح", "مٹی-سے", "مٹی-کی-طرح", "مٹی-کے", "مٹی-ہیں"]
2. mortar, building cement — Mortar or building cement -- the practical construction material binding bricks together. At Babel the builders say 'let us use bitite for mortar' (Gen 11:3); in Egypt the Israelites suffer 'with mortar and with brick' (Exod 1:14); Nahum commands besieged Nineveh to 'tread the mortar' to repair her walls (Nah 3:14). Spanish 'mortero' and German 'Moertel' both isolate this architectural sense. Three occurrences, all in narratives of building or forced labor. 3×
AR["بَدَلَ-طِينٍ", "بِ-الطِّينِ", "فِي-الْمِلَاطِ"]·ben["গাঁথনি-রূপে", "মাটিতে"]·DE["[בחמר]", "mit-Moertel", "zum-Mörtel"]·EN["for-mortar", "in-the-mortar", "with-mortar"]·FR["argile", "avec-mortier", "pour-mortier"]·heb["ב-חומר", "ל-ה-חומר"]·HI["गारा-में", "मसले-के-लिये", "मिट्टी-में"]·ID["dengan-batu-bata-tanah-liat", "di-dalam-tanah-liat,", "sebagai-semen"]·IT["[בחמר]", "con-malta", "per-malta"]·jav["kangge-lenga", "lempung", "wonten-ing-lempung"]·KO["에서-진흙", "진흙과", "회반죽으로"]·PT["com-argamassa", "na-argila", "para-argamassa"]·RU["в-грязи", "вместо-глины", "глиной"]·ES["en-barro", "en-el-mortero!", "por-mortero"]·SW["badala-ya-udongo", "kwa-udongo", "udongo"]·TR["harca-o", "harç-olarak", "çamurla"]·urd["گارے-سے", "گارے-کو", "گارے-کے-بجائے"]
3. mire, mud — Mire or mud -- wet, dirty earth found in streets or low places, carrying connotations of defilement and humiliation. Isaiah pictures Assyria trampling nations like 'the mire of the streets' (Isa 10:6), and Job says God has 'cast me into the mire' to express his degradation (Job 30:19). Spanish 'lodo' (mud) and 'barro' both serve here, but the context of trampling and humiliation distinguishes mire from the potter's dignified clay. Two occurrences. 2×
AR["فِي-الطّينِ", "كَـ-طِينِ"]·ben["কাদাতে", "রাস্তার-কাদার-মতো"]·DE["[כחמר]", "[לחמר]"]·EN["as-mud-of", "into-the-mire"]·FR["argile", "comme-argile"]·heb["כ-חומר", "ל-חומר"]·HI["कीचड़-में", "जैसे-कीचड़-"]·ID["ke-lumpur", "seperti-lumpur"]·IT["al-dentro-the-mire", "argilla"]·jav["ing-lempung", "kados-lempung"]·KO["진흙-같이", "진흙-속에"]·PT["como-a-lama-de", "na-lama"]·RU["в-грязь", "как-грязь"]·ES["al-barro", "como-lodo-de"]·SW["kama-tope", "katika-tope"]·TR["camur-gibi", "çamura"]·urd["جیسے-کیچڑ", "مجھے"]
Related Senses
H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H5178a 1. bronze/copper as metal (131×)H6083 1. dust, dry earth, soil (108×)H8313 1. burn, set fire to (94×)H2734 1. anger was kindled (82×)G5204 1. water (80×)H2822 1. darkness, absence of light (80×)G5457 1. light (illumination) (71×)G0450 1. rise, stand up (physical) (69×)H6965b 2. Qal: to stand firm, endure, be valid (50×)H6999a 2. burn sacrifice on altar (Hifil) (45×)H5553 1. rock, cliff (physical feature) (43×)H6965b 4. Hifil: to establish, confirm (covenant/kingdom/word) (40×)H1197a 1. burn, be on fire (39×)H4306 1. rain, showers (38×)H1653 1. rain, precipitation (34×)G4655 1. darkness (30×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. חֹ֫מֶר n.m. cement, mortar, clay;—ח׳ abs. Gn 11:3 + 13 times; cstr. Is 10:6 + 2 times;— 1. mortar, cement for holding building-stones (brick) together Gn 11:3 (J), Ex 1:14 (P; both ‖ לְבֵנִים); Na 3:14 (‖ טיט). 2. clay: a. as material of vessels Je 18:4, 6, ח׳ היצר Is 29:16, in sim. of God’s fashioning man Is 45:9; 64:7; Jb 10:9; as material of human bodies בָּתֵּי ח׳ Jb 4:19 cf. 33:6; as…