חֲמוּטַל
Chamutal or Chamital, an Israelitess
Definition
Chamutal is the name of a queen of Judah, specifically the wife of King Josiah and mother of two later kings, Jehoahaz (also called Shallum) and Zedekiah. Her name, meaning 'father-in-law of dew' or possibly 'heat of dew,' identifies her within the royal lineage during the tumultuous final decades of the southern kingdom. She is mentioned in the historical records of 2 Kings and Jeremiah solely in the context of introducing her sons as kings, establishing her maternal and dynastic role. All three biblical occurrences (2 Kings 23:31, 2 Kings 24:18, Jeremiah 52:1) use her name identically to denote this specific royal personage.
Biblical Usage
The name Chamutal is used exclusively in the historical books of 2 Kings and the parallel account in Jeremiah to identify the mother of a reigning king. The pattern is formulaic: when a new king is introduced, the text often names his mother to establish his lineage. She is cited as the mother of King Jehoahaz in 2 Kings 23:31 and as the mother of King Zedekiah in 2 Kings 24:18 and Jeremiah 52:1. This usage underscores the importance of maternal lineage in Judah's royal succession records.
Etymology
The name Chamutal (חֲמוּטַל) or its variant Chamital (חֲמִיטַל) is a compound of two Hebrew elements: 'cham' (חָם, H2524), meaning 'hot' or 'father-in-law,' and 'tal' (טַל, H2919), meaning 'dew.' The most common interpretation is 'father-in-law of dew,' a poetic or metaphorical construction whose precise significance is unclear. It may suggest a familial connection to the life-giving dew or, if from 'cham' as 'heat,' could imply 'heat of dew.' The name's unusual construction is typical of many Hebrew personal names.
Semantic Range
While Chamutal herself is not a major theological figure, her mention is theologically significant as part of the Davidic lineage record. As the wife of the righteous reformer King Josiah and mother of Judah's last two kings, she is a connective figure in the covenant promises to David's house. Her sons' reigns ended in disaster and exile, fulfilling prophetic warnings. Understanding her place in this genealogy highlights the biblical emphasis on God's faithfulness to the Davidic line despite individual failures, a thread leading to the Messiah.
In ancient Judah, the naming of the queen mother (gebirah) in royal annals was a standard practice that signified her important political and dynastic status. Chamutal's name, like many Hebrew names, is theophoric or nature-based, reflecting cultural and religious values. The reference to 'dew' in her name would have been understood as a symbol of blessing, fertility, and God's provision (e.g., Genesis 27:28, Deuteronomy 33:28). Her role exemplifies the prominence of the queen mother in the Judean court.
Nehushta (נְחֻשְׁתָּא, H5180) — Another queen mother (of King Jehoiachin) mentioned in a similar formula (2 Kings 24:8).
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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