Chemarim (Hastings' Dictionary)

In EV this word is found only in Zeph 1 ; but the original c-i-s, of which it is the transliteration, is used also at 2 K 23° and Hos 10°, and in both instances ChSmAnm is placed in the margin of AV and RV ' idolatrous priests,' and 'priests' holding the post of honour in the text. It is a little curious that at Zeph \, the one case where our versions have it, it is probably an inter- polation : the LXX omits it, and the parallelism is spoilt by its presence. Wellhausen wished to assert its claim to a place in Hos 4', but other critics have rightly denied this. Chumer, of which Chim&rim is the plural, is of Aram, origin,* and when used in Syr. carries no unfavourable con- notation. In the Peshitta Version of the OT it is employed at Jg 17^' '^ of Miuah's idolatrous priests, but at Is 61" of the true priests promised to the restored Israel. In the Pesh. Vers, of the NT, Ac 19^ has it as the rendering of vcaicdpo!, thus reminding us of the Latin wditui { = tem\i\e- attendants) of Hos 10°, Zeph 1^ ; and the Epistle to the Hebrews, passim, employs it of the Leiitical priests and of our Lord (2" 3' 4"- " 5'- '", and many other places). In the Heb. of the OT, however, CKimArim always has a bad sense : it is applied to the priests who conducted the worship of the calves (2 K 23°, Hos 10°), and to those who served the Baalim (Zeph 1''). Kimchi believed the original signilicance of the verbal form was ' to be black,' and explained the use of the noun by the assertion that the idolatrous priests wore black garments. Amongst recent lexicographers Brockelniann ac- cei>ts this derivation. Others take the root to mean, ' to be sad,' tlie chumrd being a sad, ascetic person, a monk or priest. The two ideas run into each other, as is well exemplilied at Ezk 31'°, where Pesh. has rhcinird, LXX iaKbraaev, Vulg. contristatus est, EV caused to mourn. J. Taylor.