חִנָּם H2600
For nothing; without cause, freely, in vain — adverb from the root for 'grace/favor'
Derived from the same root as chen ('grace, favor'), this adverbial substantive literally means 'out of favor' — that is, without anything owed in return. It carries three distinct flavors depending on context: undeserved hostility ('without cause'), free generosity ('without cost'), and futile effort ('in vain'). The Psalms frequently deploy it in laments over enemies who attack 'without cause' (Ps 35:7; 69:4), while Genesis uses it of Jacob's unpaid labor for Laban (Gen 29:15). Its etymological connection to grace makes it theologically rich: what is chinnam may be either unjust or generous, depending on which side of favor one stands.
Senses
1. without cause, undeservedly — Describes action done without justification or legitimate cause — unjust, undeserved hostility or accusation. The Psalms are filled with this usage: David's enemies hate him 'without cause' (Ps 35:7, 19; 69:4), and Job insists God has afflicted him chinnam (Job 2:3; 9:17). French uses 'sans cause' and German 'umsonst' or 'ohne Sache,' both capturing the sense of groundless aggression. This is the most frequent sense, appearing in roughly half of all occurrences. 17×
AR["باطِلاً", "باطِلٍ", "بِلا-سَبَب", "بِلا-سَبَبٍ", "بِلاَ-سَبَبٍ", "بِلَا-سَبَبٍ", "مَجَّانًا", "مَجّانًا"]·ben["অকারণে", "কারণ-ছাড়া", "বিনা-কারণে", "বিনামূল্যে"]·DE["ohne-Sache", "ohne-cause", "umsonst"]·EN["causeless", "for-nothing", "without-cause"]·FR["[חנם]", "gratuitement", "sans-cause"]·heb["חינם"]·HI["बिना-कारण", "व्यरथ", "व्यर्थ", "व्यर्थ-का", "व्यर्थ-में"]·ID["sia-sia", "tanpa-alasan", "tanpa-sebab"]·IT["[חנם]", "gratuitamente", "innocente", "senza-causa"]·jav["tanpa-alesan", "tanpa-jalaran", "tanpa-paedah", "tanpa-sabab", "tanpa-sebab"]·KO["같으니", "공연히", "까닭-없이", "까닭없이", "헛되이", "헛된"]·PT["de-graça", "em-vão", "sem-causa", "sem-motivo", "sem-razão"]·RU["без-причины", "напрасно", "напрасно,", "напрасно.", "напрасное", "напрасные"]·ES["sin-causa", "sin-causa.", "sin-causa?", "sin-razón", "vacía"]·SW["bila-sababu", "bure"]·TR["boş-yere", "boşuna", "haksız", "nedensizce", "sebepsiz"]·urd["بلا-وجہ", "بلاوجہ", "بی-وجہ", "بے وجہ", "بے-سبب", "بے-وجہ", "بے-وجہ؟", "بےقصور"]
1 Sam 19:5, 1 Sam 25:31, Job 2:3, Job 9:17, Job 22:6, Ps 35:7, Ps 35:7, Ps 35:19, Ps 69:4, Ps 109:3, Ps 119:161, Prov 1:11 (+5 more)
2. freely, without cost — Denotes something given, received, or performed without payment — freely, gratis, at no cost. Laban asks Jacob whether he should serve 'for nothing' just because he is family (Gen 29:15), and the freed slave goes out chinnam, without ransom (Exod 21:2, 11). Spanish uses both 'de balde' (for free) and 'de gracia' (by grace), the latter beautifully preserving the etymological link to chen. David insists on paying for his offering rather than sacrificing what cost him nothing (2 Sam 24:24). 11×
AR["مَجَّانًا", "مَجَّانِيَّةً", "مَجّاناً", "هَلْ-مَجّانًا"]·ben["কি-বিনামূল্যে", "বিনা-মূল্যে", "বিনা-মূল্যে।", "বিনামূল্যে"]·DE["[חנם]", "der-umsonst", "free", "freely", "ohne-payment", "umsonst"]·EN["for-nothing", "free", "freely", "without-cost", "without-payment"]·FR["[חנם]", "free", "freely", "gratuitement", "pour-rien", "sans-payment"]·heb["ה-חינם", "חינם", "חנם"]·HI["उसपर-शासन-करते-हैं", "क्या-मुफ्त-में", "मुफ़्त", "मुफ़्त-में", "मुफ्त", "मुफ्त-में"]·ID["apakah-dengan-sia-sia", "cuma-cuma", "dengan-cuma-cuma", "dengan-sia-sia", "gratis"]·IT["[חנם]", "freely", "gratuitamente", "libero", "per-nothing", "senza-payment"]·jav["cuma", "cuma-cuma", "gratis", "punapa-tanpa-sebab", "tanpa-bayaran", "tanpa-pambayaran,", "tanpa-pambayaran."]·KO["값-없이", "거저", "거저-", "까닭없이"]·PT["de-graça", "por-nada"]·RU["безвозмездные", "бесплатно", "даром", "напрасно", "разве-даром"]·ES["de-balde", "de-balde?", "de-gracia", "gratis", "¿Acaso-de-balde"]·SW["bure"]·TR["bedava", "bedavaya", "bedelsiz", "boşuna", "boşuna-mı"]·urd["بے-فائدہ", "مفت", "مفت-میں", "کیا-مفت"]
3. in vain, to no purpose — Expresses futility or purposelessness — 'in vain, to no effect.' When the net is spread in vain before the bird's eyes (Prov 1:17), the action achieves nothing. Ezekiel uses it to warn that God's threatened judgments are not chinnam — not empty or purposeless (Ezek 6:10; 14:23). This sense overlaps with 'without cause' but emphasizes result rather than justification. 3×
AR["باطِلٍ", "بَاطِلًا", "بِدُونِ-سَبَبٍ"]·ben["কারণে", "বিফলে", "বৃথা"]·DE["[חנם]", "umsonst"]·EN["in-vain", "nothing", "without-cause"]·FR["gratuitement"]·heb["חינם"]·HI["व्यर्थ"]·ID["sia-sia", "tanpa-alasan"]·IT["gratuitamente"]·jav["tanpa-guna", "tanpa-pituwås", "tanpa-sabab"]·KO["헛되이"]·PT["em-vão", "vão"]·RU["напрасно"]·ES["en-vano", "vano"]·SW["bure"]·TR["boşuna", "konuştum"]·urd["بیکار", "بے-سبب", "فضول"]
4. innocence, guiltlessness — Used substantively in 1 Kings 2:31 to denote the state of innocence or guiltlessness — the 'blood of chinnam' being innocent blood shed without just cause. Here the word functions as a noun rather than an adverb, describing not the manner of an action but the moral status of a person. This rare substantival use bridges the 'without cause' and 'freely' senses into a legal-moral concept. 1×
AR["الْبَرِيءِ"]·ben["নিরপরাধের"]·DE["innocence"]·EN["innocence"]·FR["innocence"]·heb["חינם"]·HI["निर्दोष"]·ID["yang-tidak-bersalah"]·IT["innocenza"]·jav["kang-mboten-salah"]·KO["무죄한"]·PT["inocente"]·RU["напрасную"]·ES["inocencia"]·SW["na-kutoka-juu-ya"]·TR["suçsuz"]·urd["بےگناہ"]
Related Senses
H5414 1. give, bestow (1855×)H3947 1. take, seize, grasp (Qal) (940×)G2192 1. possess / have (680×)G1325 1. give, bestow (336×)H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H5159 1. inherited land or property (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)G2983 1. receive, obtain (134×)H3423 1. Qal: take possession of land (130×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
חִנָּם subst., used chiefly in the accus. as adv. (cf. Assyrian annáma, in vain, DlK 7, Pr 44; from חֵן, with aff. ָם, which is sometimes found in substantives proper, as סֻלָּם, and pr. names, but is more partic. used with substs. applied adverbially, as יוֹמָם, אָמְנָם, דּוּמָם, רֵיקָם: Sta§ 293 BaNB § 216)—lit. out of favour; i.e. a. gratis, gratuitously, for nothing, עָבַד חִנָּם to serve for…