1967. Hemam

Lexical Summary

Hemam: Hemam

Original Word: הֵימָם
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Heymam
Pronunciation: hay-MAHM
Phonetic Spelling: (hay-mawm')
KJV: Hemam
Word Origin: [another form for H1950 (הוֹמָם - Hemam)]

1. Hemam, an Idumaean

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Hemam

Another form for Howmam; Hemam, an Idumaean -- Hemam.

see HEBREW Howmam

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a form of Homam, q.v.

Brown-Driver-Briggs

הֵימָם proper name see הוֺמָם below המם.

Topical Lexicon

Biblical Occurrence

Genesis 36:22 records, “The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam, and Timna was Lotan’s sister”. This single reference situates הֵימָם (Hemam) within the family of Seir the Horite, inhabitants of the hill-country of Edom during the days of Esau.

Genealogical Context

1. Lineage
• Seir the Horite → Lotan → Hemam (Genesis 36:20–22).
2. Parallel Record
• The Chronicler preserves the same genealogy with the variant spelling “Homam” (1 Chronicles 1:39). The two texts together affirm the reliability of the transmission of Israel’s ancestral records, even when minor orthographic differences appear.
3. Relationship to Israel
• The Horites intermarried and interacted with the descendants of Esau (Edom), highlighting the complex family web that surrounded the covenant people. While Hemam himself never stands on the main biblical stage, his placement in the table of nations provides a snapshot of God’s providential ordering of peoples (Acts 17:26).

Historical Setting

Lotan’s clan occupied the northern reaches of Mount Seir. Archaeological surveys locate Horite settlements in rugged, mineral-rich terrain conducive to pastoralism and mining. The period corresponds roughly to the patriarchal era, prior to the Exodus. Genealogical notices such as Hemam’s served as legal charters that safeguarded territorial claims; they also supplied later Israel with a historical map of neighboring peoples (Deuteronomy 2:4–5, 12).

Theological Implications

1. Divine Sovereignty over All Nations
• By naming Hemam, Scripture silently affirms that even peripheral figures stand within God’s redemptive storyline. His knowledge extends to “the families of the earth” (Genesis 12:3).
2. Covenant Contrast
• Hemam’s lineage, though closely connected to Esau, remains outside the covenant line that leads to Messiah. The placement of Edomite and Horite genealogies beside Jacob’s descendants underlines the elective grace that chose Israel while acknowledging God’s common grace toward other nations.
3. Promise and Fulfillment
• Prophetic oracles against Edom (Obadiah 1–14) presuppose earlier genealogies. Hemam’s mention therefore contributes, however subtly, to the moral accountability of Edom, whose history is traced back to a known ancestor.

Ministry Reflections

• Preaching Genealogies: Hemam encourages expositors not to bypass “minor” names. Every text is profitable for teaching (2 Timothy 3:16); genealogies preach God’s faithfulness across generations.
• Missions Perspective: Hemam’s people lived on the fringes of the covenant community, reminding the church to carry the gospel beyond its natural borders (Matthew 28:19).
• Personal Application: God sees individuals who seem obscure to others. Believers can take comfort that their names, like Hemam’s, are fully known to the Lord (Luke 10:20).

Related Figures and Cross-References

• Lotan – father of Hemam, chief among the Horites (Genesis 36:20).
• Timna – Lotan’s sister; later associated with Amalek (Genesis 36:12), illustrating inter-tribal connections.
• Esau/Edom – allied with Horites, representing the broader non-covenant lineage (Genesis 36:1).
• Seir – eponymous ancestor giving his name to the mountainous region (Genesis 36:20).

Summary

Hemam, though mentioned only once, occupies a strategic niche in Scripture’s tapestry. His entry in the genealogical register of Genesis 36 affirms God’s meticulous attention to every family line, establishes historical legitimacy for Edom’s early inhabitants, and invites believers to marvel at the breadth of divine providence that ultimately converges on the saving work of Jesus Christ.

Forms and Transliterations

וְהֵימָ֑ם והימם veheiMam wə·hê·mām wəhêmām

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 36:22
HEB: לוֹטָ֖ן חֹרִ֣י וְהֵימָ֑ם וַאֲח֥וֹת לוֹטָ֖ן
KJV: were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan's
INT: of Lotan were Hori and Hemam sister and Lotan's

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 1967
1 Occurrence

wə·hê·mām — 1 Occ.