What does חֹמֶר (ḥōmer) mean in the Bible?
חֹמֶר (ḥōmer): Material substance shaped by force—clay, mire—carrying sense of formlessness awaiting divine molding or judgment.
Hebrew · H2563
חֹמֶר
Properly, a bubbling up, i.e. of water, a wave ; of earth, mire or clay (cement); also a heap ; hence, a chomer or dry measure
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חֹמֶרH2563
Pronunciationḥōmer
What does חֹמֶר (ḥōmer) mean in the Bible?
חֹמֶר (ḥōmer): Material substance shaped by force—clay, mire—carrying sense of formlessness awaiting divine molding or judgment.
Full entry for חֹמֶר (H2563) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2563?
The BSB source-word alignment has 31 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include like clay (5), and a homer (2), from each homer (2), of a homer (2), of clay (2).
Where does חֹמֶר (ḥōmer) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 11:3. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (7), Job (7), Isaiah (6), Exodus (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itlike clay5×Job 10:9, Job 27:16, Job 38:14, Isaiah 10:6
and a homer2×Isaiah 5:10, Hosea 3:2
from each homer2×Ezekiel 45:13
of a homer2×Ezekiel 45:11
of clay2×Job 4:19, Job 13:12
. . .1×Exodus 8:14
[are equivalent to] a homer1×Ezekiel 45:14
[or] one homer1×Ezekiel 45:14
and mortar1×Exodus 1:14
are the clay1×Isaiah 64:8
as clay1×Isaiah 29:16
churning1×Habakkuk 3:15
Does the clay1×Isaiah 45:9
for every homer1×Leviticus 27:16
from clay1×Job 33:6
from the clay1×Jeremiah 18:4
homers1×Numbers 11:32
instead of mortar1×Genesis 11:3
into countless heaps1×Exodus 8:14
into the mud1×Job 30:19
the homer1×Ezekiel 45:11
the mortar1×Nahum 3:14
they were mortar1×Isaiah 41:25
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 11:3לַחֹֽמֶר׃toinstead of mortarPreposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singularExodus 1:14בְּחֹ֙מֶר֙toand mortarPreposition-b | Noun - masculine singularExodus 8:14חֳמָרִ֣םtointo countless heapsNoun - masculine pluralExodus 8:14חֳמָרִ֑םto. . .Noun - masculine pluralLeviticus 27:16חֹ֣מֶרtofor every homerNoun - masculine singular constructNumbers 11:32חֳמָרִ֑יםtohomersNoun - masculine pluralJob 4:19חֹ֗מֶרtoof clayNoun - masculine singularJob 10:9כַחֹ֣מֶרtolike clayPreposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singularJob 13:12חֹ֝֗מֶרtoof clayNoun - masculine singularJob 27:16וְ֝כַחֹ֗מֶרtolike clayConjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 11:3
Aligned rows31
Books represented11
Genesis1Exodus3Leviticus1Numbers1Job7Isaiah6Jeremiah2Ezekiel7Hosea1Nahum1Habakkuk1
Source forms
הַחֹ֙מֶר֙2xha·ḥō·merIsaiah 64:8, Ezekiel 45:11
הַחֹ֖מֶר2xha·ḥō·merEzekiel 45:11
חֹ֖מֶר2xḥō·merIsaiah 5:10, Habakkuk 3:15
כְּחֹ֥מֶר2xkə·ḥō·merIsaiah 10:6, Isaiah 29:16
בְּחֹ֙מֶר֙1xbə·ḥō·merExodus 1:14
בַחֹ֖מֶר1xḇa·ḥō·merNahum 3:14
בַּחֹ֖מֶר1xba·ḥō·merJeremiah 18:4
וְחֹ֥מֶר1xwə·ḥō·merHosea 3:2
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular7xJob 4:19, Job 13:12, Isaiah 5:10, Isaiah 41:25
Article | Noun - masculine singular4xIsaiah 64:8, Ezekiel 45:11
Noun - masculine plural3xExodus 8:14, Numbers 11:32
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct3xJob 38:14, Isaiah 10:6, Isaiah 29:16
Noun - masculine singular construct2xLeviticus 27:16, Habakkuk 3:15
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular2xJeremiah 18:4, Nahum 3:14
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular2xJob 10:9, Jeremiah 18:6
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular2xGenesis 11:3, Job 30:19
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Material substance shaped by force—clay, mire—carrying sense of formlessness awaiting divine molding or judgment.
Source Gloss
properly, a bubbling up, i.e. of water, a wave ; of earth, mire or clay (cement); also a heap ; hence, a chomer or dry measure
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Material substance shaped by force—clay, mire—carrying sense of formlessness awaiting divine molding or judgment.
properly, a bubbling up, i.e. of water, a wave; of earth, mire or clay (cement); also a heap; hence, a chomer or dry measure BDB: heap Usage: clay, heap, homer, mire, motion.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Mire or muddy clay as a result of plague, earth turned to mud
Human nature as clay, metaphor for God's creative power over mankind
Potter's clay shaped by the craftsman, metaphor for divine sovereignty over nations
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 31 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
חֹמֶר is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.