Lexical Summary chum: Brown, dark, swarthy Original Word: חוּם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance brown From an unused root meaning to be warm, i.e. (by implication) sunburnt or swarthy (blackish) -- brown. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition darkened, dark brown or black NASB Translation black (3), black ones (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs חוּם adjective darkened, dark brown or black, only of colour of sheep (in Genesis 30, J); — וכלשֶֿׂהחֿוּם בכשׂבים Genesis 30:32, ׳וְחוּם בכ Genesis 30:33,35, וכלחֿוּם בְּצאֹן Genesis 30:40 (clause probably interpolated Ol Hup De We Di). חוֺמָה see below חמה. Topical Lexicon Occurrences in GenesisGenesis 30 describes Jacob’s agreement with Laban that the “speckled and spotted” goats and the “dark-colored” (חֻם, ḥum) lambs would become Jacob’s wages. Four verses employ the adjective: • Genesis 30:32 – “Let me pass through all your flocks today, removing from them every speckled or spotted sheep and every dark-colored lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. These will be my wages.” • Genesis 30:33 – “…any goat not speckled or spotted and any lamb not dark-colored among the sheep will be considered stolen.” • Genesis 30:35 – “That very day Laban removed the streaked and spotted male goats, all the speckled and spotted female goats, and every one that had any white on it, as well as every dark-colored lamb, and he placed them under the care of his sons.” • Genesis 30:40 – “Jacob set apart the young rams but made the rest face the streaked or dark-colored animals in Laban’s flocks…” Here חוּם functions strictly as a color descriptor for certain lambs within the flock. Semitic Color Terminology and Agricultural Context Ancient Semitic languages possess a limited set of basic color terms, and shades were often conveyed by metaphors to common objects (earth, clay, blood, sky). In pastoral settings, the appearance of livestock carried economic importance. A dark-brown fleece provided natural pigmentation, advantageous for weaving without subsequent dyeing. Shepherds could therefore leverage color variations to diversify textile production and secure specific markets. Covenantal Overtones in Jacob’s Wages Jacob’s twenty-year sojourn with Laban culminates in the episode where “brown” lambs and other marked animals become the tangible token of divine blessing. The narrative stresses: 1. God’s sovereignty – Jacob later testifies, “God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me” (Genesis 31:9). Symbolic and Typological Observations While Scripture assigns no direct symbolic meaning to the color brown, the separation of flocks foreshadows later biblical themes of election and sanctification. Just as the Lord distinguished Israel from the nations (Exodus 11:7), the dark-colored lambs represent a divinely ordained subset drawn out for a special purpose. This anticipates the Gospel truth that God sovereignly calls a people for Himself, not by human stratagem but by grace (Romans 9:10-13). Historical Significance for Israel’s Self-Understanding For Israel, whose patriarchs were shepherds, the memory of Jacob’s brown lambs reinforced the conviction that prosperity flows from covenant loyalty rather than manipulation. The episode warned subsequent generations against trusting in clever techniques while encouraging responsibility and ingenuity under God’s providence. Practical Ministry Applications 1. Integrity in the workplace – Jacob’s transparent agreement regarding “every dark-colored lamb” provides a model for believers to establish clear, honest contractual terms. Summary Strong’s Hebrew 2345, חוּם, surfaces exclusively in Genesis 30 to describe dark-brown lambs. Though a minor adjective linguistically, its narrative role is major: it marks the animals through which the Lord enriches Jacob, vindicates righteousness, and teaches enduring lessons about divine faithfulness, human integrity, and covenant blessing. Forms and Transliterations וְחוּם֙ וחום ח֖וּם חוּם֙ חום chum ḥūm veChum wə·ḥūm wəḥūmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 30:32 HEB: וְכָל־ שֶׂה־ חוּם֙ בַּכְּשָׂבִ֔ים וְטָל֥וּא NAS: and every black one KJV: cattle, and all the brown cattle INT: and every one black the lambs and the spotted Genesis 30:33 Genesis 30:35 Genesis 30:40 4 Occurrences |
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