H3649 H3649
idolatrous priest, a priest serving false gods rather than YHWH
A term specifically designating priests of pagan cults, never used of legitimate Levitical priests. King Josiah's reform (2 Kings 23:5) targeted these idolatrous clergy whom earlier kings had appointed to burn incense at the high places. The word appears in parallel with regular 'priests' (כֹּהֲנִים) in Zephaniah 1:4, distinguishing the illegitimate from those who, though serving at the Jerusalem temple, had also compromised with Baal worship.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The three biblical occurrences mark moments of religious crisis and reform. In 2 Kings 23:5, Josiah purges the כֹּמָרִים appointed by Judah's kings for astral and Baal worship. Hosea 10:5 mourns that even the idolatrous priests of the calf-idol will wail over its exile. Zephaniah 1:4 prophesies their complete removal alongside Baal's remnant. Languages consistently mark the term's negative sense: Spanish 'sacerdotes idólatras,' German 'Götzenpriester.' 3×
AR["الكَمَارِيمَ", "الْكَهَنَةَ-الْوَثَنِيِّينَ", "وَكَهَنَتُهُ"]·ben["এবং-তার-যাজকেরা", "মূর্তিপূজকদের", "মূর্তিপূজকদের-"]·DE["Goetzenpriester", "der-idolatrous-Priester", "und-Goetzenpriester"]·EN["and-its-idolatrous-priests", "the-idolatrous-priests"]·FR["et-prêtre", "le-idolatrous-sacrificateurs", "prêtre"]·heb["ה-כמרים", "ו-כמריו"]·HI["और-पुजारी-उसके", "पुजारियों-का", "ह-कमारीम"]·ID["imam-berhala", "para-imam-penyembah-berhala"]·IT["e-sacerdote-idolatra", "il-idolatrous-sacerdoti", "sacerdote-idolatra"]·jav["imam-imam-brahala", "lan-para-imam", "para-imam-brahala"]·KO["그-이교도-제사장들을", "그리고-그의-제사장들이", "그마림-의"]·PT["e-sacerdotes-dele", "os-sacerdotes-de-ídolos", "os-sacerdotes-idólatras"]·RU["жрецов", "жрецов-идолов", "и-жрецы-его"]·ES["los-sacerdotes-idólatras", "y-sus-sacerdotes"]·SW["makuhani-wa-sanamu", "na-makuhani-wake"]·TR["kâhinleri-", "putperest-kâhinlerin", "ve-kâhinleri"]·urd["اور-اُس-کے-پجاری", "بُت-پجاریوں-کا", "پجاریوں"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [כֹּ֫מֶר] n.m. (idol-)priest (so NH כּוּמָר; Aramaic ܟܽܘܡܪܳܐ, כּוּמְרָא, is also priest of God; Nerab כמר Hal Rev. Sém. 1896, 280, 282; Nab. כמר priest CIS ii, No. 170, Teima כמרא id. CIS ii, No. 113 a, b, b, bis; so כמר Neo-Pun. EutZMG. 1875, 238, 239 BergerJAs Apr.–June, 1887, 465; perhaps TelAm. kamiru Bez BM. Tabl. xxvi; Or. Dipl. 92; WklTA 1, 15, 33 leaves untransl.);—pl. abs., in O.T.…