חֲמֹרָה
a heap
Definition
The Hebrew noun חֲמֹרָה (chămôrâh) refers to a 'heap' or 'pile,' specifically a mound of collected items. Its sole biblical occurrence is in Judges 15:16, where Samson boasts, 'With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps (חֲמֹר חֲמֹרָתָיִם), with the jawbone of a donkey I have struck down a thousand men.' Here, it vividly describes the piles of Philistine corpses resulting from his victory. The word conveys a sense of accumulation and substantial quantity, often implying something amassed through action.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in the narrative of Judges 15:16. It appears in a poetic, triumphant taunt by Samson following his single-handed defeat of the Philistines. The context is military and graphic, emphasizing the scale of the slaughter through the imagery of stacked bodies. The usage is singular and dramatic, serving as a key literary device in the story to highlight Samson's God-given strength and the completeness of the enemy's defeat.
Etymology
חֲמֹרָה derives from the root חָמַר (H2560, chāmar), which means 'to boil up' or 'to ferment,' and by extension, 'to heap up' or 'to swell.' It is a feminine noun form. A related noun is חֹמֶר (H2563, chōmer), meaning 'clay,' 'mud,' or 'mortar,' which also carries the sense of a mass or heap of material. Thus, the core idea connects to something that is piled up or accumulated, like fermenting liquid or heaped clay.
Semantic Range
While the word itself is a common noun for a heap, its single use in Judges 15:16 carries theological weight. It underscores God's empowerment of Samson as a deliverer for Israel, demonstrating divine judgment on the oppressive Philistines. The 'heaps' of corpses serve as a tangible sign of Yahweh's victory through a flawed instrument. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading by highlighting the completeness and overwhelming nature of God's intervention in this narrative, pointing to His sovereignty in using human strength for His purposes.
In ancient Near Eastern warfare, piling enemy corpses was a known practice to display victory, demoralize foes, and sometimes dishonor the dead. Samson's reference to 'heaps' would have resonated culturally as a stark image of total military triumph. The use of a donkey's jawbone—an improvised, humble weapon—contrasts with the grand scale of the heaps, emphasizing that the victory was miraculous and divinely aided rather than achieved through conventional arms.
גַּל (gal, H1530) — a heap, especially of stones (often for a memorial or tomb); עֲרֵמָה (ărēmâ, H6194) — a heap, typically of grain or harvested produce; תֵּל (tēl, H8510) — a mound or heap, often an ancient ruin or tell.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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