Bible Word Study
חַמּוּאֵל
Chammûwʼêl · Chammuel, an Israelite
חַמּוּאֵל
Chammuel, an Israelite
Definition
Chammuel is a proper name of a Simeonite man mentioned in the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 4:26. The name means 'anger of God' or 'heat of God,' derived from the Hebrew words for 'heat/anger' (חַמָּה) and 'God' (אֵל). As a personal name, it likely functioned as a theophoric name, invoking a characteristic or action of God. In the biblical context, it identifies a specific individual within the tribe of Simeon, recorded in a list of descendants.
Biblical Usage
This name is used only once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 4:26. It appears in a genealogical list detailing the descendants of Simeon. The context is purely historical and genealogical, with no narrative or descriptive usage beyond identifying Chammuel as the son of Mishma.
Etymology
The name Chammuel is a compound of two Hebrew elements: 'chammah' (H2535), meaning 'heat,' 'sun,' or figuratively 'anger/wrath,' and 'El' (H410), the primary name for God. Thus, it literally translates to 'heat of God' or 'anger of God.' It is a theophoric name, a common practice where a divine name or attribute is incorporated into a personal name.
Semantic Range
As a theophoric name meaning 'anger of God,' it reflects the ancient Israelite understanding of God's attributes, including His holy wrath against sin. While the bearer himself is not a major figure, the name serves as a linguistic artifact reminding readers that God's character encompasses both judgment and covenant faithfulness. Understanding such names enriches reading by highlighting how daily identity was intertwined with theology. In ancient Israelite culture, names often carried significant meaning, describing circumstances at birth, expressing hopes, or declaring truths about God. A name like Chammuel ('anger of God') may seem severe to modern readers, but it authentically reflects the cultural practice of acknowledging the full spectrum of God's nature as understood in that covenant context. It differs from modern naming conventions which often prioritize sound or family tradition over semantic meaning. No direct synonyms as a proper name. Related theophoric names include: Samuel (שְׁמוּאֵל, H8050) — 'heard of God'; Nathaniel (נְתַנְאֵל, H5417) — 'gift of God'; Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵל, H3478) — 'he strives with God'.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]