Lexical Summary Chamor: Hamor, Hamor's Original Word: חֲמוֹר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Hamor The same as chamowr; donkey; Chamor, a Canaanite -- Hamor. see HEBREW chamowr NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom chamar Definition father of Shechem NASB Translation Hamor (12), Hamor's (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs III. חֲמוֺר proper name, masculine father of Shechem (he-ass; see RSK 220; Sem i. 449) — Genesis 33:19; Genesis 34:2,4,6,8,13,18 (twice in verse); Genesis 34:20,24,26; Joshua 24:32; Judges 9:28. Topical Lexicon Name and Meaning Hamor (חֲמוֹר, Ḥămôr) bears the ordinary Hebrew word for “donkey,” yet in Scripture the term functions chiefly as a proper name. The semantic linkage between name and animal underscores traits of strength and stubborn persistence that appear in the narrative. Occurrences in Scripture Genesis 33:19; 34:2, 4, 6, 8, 13, 18 (appears twice in the verse list), 20, 24, 26 Historical Background Hamor is introduced as a Hivite chieftain inhabiting the ancient city of Shechem in Canaan during the Patriarchal era. Archaeological layers at Tell Balata (identified with Shechem) show fortified occupation in the Middle Bronze Age, aligning with the Genesis setting. As “prince of the land” (Genesis 34:2), Hamor wielded civic authority, controlled commercial exchange at the city gate, and negotiated alliances with passing clans. Interaction with the Patriarchs Jacob purchased a parcel of land “from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver” (Genesis 33:19). The transaction marks the first recorded land acquisition by Israel in Canaan outside the family burial plot at Machpelah, anticipating eventual territorial possession (cf. Genesis 15:18-21). The Shechem Covenant Proposal The Dinah incident (Genesis 34) places Hamor at the center of an inter-family crisis. When Shechem violated Dinah, Hamor sought to regularize the union through bride-price and covenant. His words emphasize integration: “Make marriages with us. Give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves” (Genesis 34:9). Circumcision, proposed by Jacob’s sons, represented to Hamor not a divine covenant sign but a political gesture toward one peoplehood. His advocacy—“Will not their livestock, their property, and all their animals become ours?” (Genesis 34:23)—reveals economic motives beneath the veneer of reconciliation. Consequences and Legacy The massacre led by Simeon and Levi resulted in Hamor’s death (Genesis 34:26) and the decimation of Shechem’s male populace. Immediate fallout included Jacob’s fear of Canaanite reprisal (Genesis 34:30) and the subsequent divine directive to move to Bethel (Genesis 35:1). Long-term, the event served as a moral caution: Jacob’s deathbed oracle condemns Simeon and Levi’s violence (Genesis 49:5-7), yet God still preserved covenant promises. Later Biblical Reflections Joshua 24:32 cites the same land tract, linking Hamor with Israel’s burial of Joseph’s bones—“the tract of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor.” Thus a Hivite parcel becomes Israelite inheritance, symbolizing fulfilled promise. Judges 9:28 references “the men of Hamor father of Shechem” as an ancestral benchmark of civic independence against Abimelech’s tyranny. The name continues to represent indigenous governance in contrast to foreign rule. Theological Observations 1. Covenant vs. convenience: Hamor’s acceptance of circumcision without faith contrasts sharply with Abraham’s covenantal reception (Genesis 17), illustrating that outward ritual devoid of heart allegiance cannot produce true unity. Practical Ministry Applications • Evangelism and cultural engagement must rest on spiritual transformation rather than mere social assimilation; otherwise, partnerships mirror Hamor’s superficial covenant. Summary Hamor stands as a pivotal yet cautionary figure whose land became a tangible token of promise, whose diplomacy exposed mixed motives, and whose demise underscores that only covenants forged in faith and obedience endure. Forms and Transliterations חֲמ֑וֹר חֲמ֖וֹר חֲמ֛וֹר חֲמ֥וֹר חֲמֽוֹר׃ חֲמוֹר֙ חמור חמור׃ chaMor ḥă·mō·wr ḥămōwrLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 33:19 HEB: מִיַּ֥ד בְּנֵֽי־ חֲמ֖וֹר אֲבִ֣י שְׁכֶ֑ם NAS: of the sons of Hamor, Shechem's KJV: of the children of Hamor, Shechem's INT: the hand of the sons of Hamor father Shechem's Genesis 34:2 Genesis 34:4 Genesis 34:6 Genesis 34:8 Genesis 34:13 Genesis 34:18 Genesis 34:18 Genesis 34:20 Genesis 34:24 Genesis 34:26 Joshua 24:32 Judges 9:28 13 Occurrences |
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