STRONGS NUMBER H2556


Word Summary
chamets: to be sour or leavened
Original Word: חָמֵץ
Transliteration: chamets
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-mates')
Part of Speech: Verb
Short Definition: to be sour or leavened
Meaning: to be pungent, in taste, in color
Strong's Concordance
cruel man, dyed, be grieved, leavened

A primitive root; to be pungent; i.e. In taste (sour, i.e. Literally fermented, or figuratively, harsh), in color (dazzling) -- cruel (man), dyed, be grieved, leavened.

Brown-Driver-Briggs

H2556. chamets

I. חָמֵץverb be sour, leavened (Late Hebrew id., Pi`el Hiph`il make sour, leaven; Arabic be sour; Aramaic חֲמַעbe sour, leavened, be leavened) —

Qal Perfect חָמֵץExodus 12:39; Imperfect יֶחְמָ֑ץ12:34; Infinitive suffix חֻמְצָתוֺHosea 7:4 +; — be leavened, of dough (בָּצֵק‎), Exodus 12:34, 39 (E), compare Hosea 7:4.

Hitph. be soured, embittered, Psalm 73:21 ("" אֶשְׁתּוֺנָן כִּלְיוֺתַי‎).

II. [חמץ‎] verb be red (? compare Aramaic Ethpa`al blush, be ashamed, possibly originally be red); —

Qal Passive participle construct בְּגָדִים חֲמוּץred of garments Isaiah 63:1; possibly also Imperfect3feminine singular תֶּחֱמַץPsalm 68:24 that thy foot may be red with blood (for תמחץ ᵑ0‎; so Krochm Hi Gr; most, however, read תרחץ‎ see רחץ‎).

III. [חמץ‎] verb be ruthless (dubious √; perhaps by-form of חמס‎; perhaps erroneous for it; identification by most with I. חמץ‎, be sour, hence sharp, violent, but connection improbable) — only

Qal Participle active וְחוֺמֵץ מְעַוֵּל מִכַּףPsalm 71:4 from the hand of the unjust and ruthless ("" רָשָׁע מִיַּד‎).