2558. chomets

Lexicon

chomets: Vinegar, sour wine

Original Word: חֹמֶץ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: chomets
Pronunciation: kho'-mets
Phonetic Spelling: (kho'-mets)
Definition: Vinegar, sour wine
Meaning: vinegar

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

vinegar

From chamets; vinegar -- vinegar.

see HEBREW chamets

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from chamets
Definition
vinegar
NASB Translation
vinegar (5).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

חֹ֫מֶץ noun masculine vinegar — ׳ח absolute Proverbs 10:26 3t.; construct Numbers 6:3 (twice in verse); — a common condiment Ruth 2:14, forbidden to Nazirite (יין ׳ח and שֵׁכָר ׳ח) Numbers 6:3 (twice in verse) (P), offered (in cruelty) to a thirsty man Psalm 69:22 (figurative for harshness lack of sympathy); in simile of sluggard כַּחֹמֶץ לַשִּׁנַּיִם Proverbs 10:26, עַלנָֿ֑תֶר ׳ח Proverbs 25:20 vinegar on nitre (simile of merry songs for the heavy-hearted).

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root חָמֵץ (chametz), which means "to be sour" or "to ferment."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • G3690 (ὄξος, oxos): The Greek equivalent of חֹמֶץ, used in the New Testament to describe the vinegar offered to Jesus during His crucifixion. This term appears in passages such as Matthew 27:48, Mark 15:36, Luke 23:36, and John 19:29-30, where it is associated with the fulfillment of prophecy and the suffering of Christ.

This lexical entry provides a comprehensive understanding of the Hebrew word חֹמֶץ, its usage in the biblical text, and its theological implications, while also connecting it to its Greek counterpart in the New Testament.

Usage: The term חֹמֶץ appears in the Hebrew Bible to describe vinegar, often in contexts related to food and drink. It is mentioned in various passages, sometimes symbolizing bitterness or unpleasantness.

Context: • Occurrences in the Old Testament: The word חֹמֶץ is found in several passages, including Psalms 69:21 and Proverbs 10:26. In Psalms 69:21, it is used metaphorically to describe the suffering of the psalmist: "They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst." This verse is often seen as a prophetic reference to the suffering of Christ, who was offered vinegar during His crucifixion (Matthew 27:48).
• Cultural and Historical Context: Vinegar in ancient Israel was a common household item, used both as a condiment and for its preservative qualities. It was made from wine or other fermented substances. The sour taste of vinegar made it a symbol of bitterness and hardship in biblical literature.
• Symbolism and Interpretation: In Proverbs 10:26, vinegar is used metaphorically to describe the irritation caused by a lazy messenger: "Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him." This imagery highlights the unpleasantness and frustration associated with unreliability and laziness.
• Theological Significance: The use of vinegar in the Bible often carries deeper symbolic meanings, particularly in relation to suffering and endurance. The offering of vinegar to Jesus on the cross is seen as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and a testament to His endurance in the face of suffering.

Forms and Transliterations

בַּחֹ֑מֶץ בחמץ וְחֹ֥מֶץ וחמץ חֹ֣מֶץ חֹ֥מֶץ חֹֽמֶץ׃ חמץ חמץ׃ כַּחֹ֤מֶץ ׀ כחמץ ba·ḥō·meṣ baChometz baḥōmeṣ Chometz ḥō·meṣ ḥōmeṣ ka·ḥō·meṣ kaChometz kaḥōmeṣ veChometz wə·ḥō·meṣ wəḥōmeṣ

Englishman's Concordance

Numbers 6:3
HEB: וְשֵׁכָר֙ יַזִּ֔יר חֹ֥מֶץ יַ֛יִן וְחֹ֥מֶץ
NAS: no vinegar, whether made from wine
KJV: and shall drink no vinegar of wine,
INT: and strong shall abstain vinegar wine vinegar

Numbers 6:3
HEB: חֹ֥מֶץ יַ֛יִן וְחֹ֥מֶץ שֵׁכָ֖ר לֹ֣א
KJV: of wine, or vinegar of strong drink,
INT: vinegar wine vinegar drink no

Ruth 2:14
HEB: וְטָבַ֥לְתְּ פִּתֵּ֖ךְ בַּחֹ֑מֶץ וַתֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ מִצַּ֣ד
NAS: your piece of bread in the vinegar. So she sat
KJV: thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat
INT: and dip your piece the vinegar sat beside

Psalm 69:21
HEB: וְ֝לִצְמָאִ֗י יַשְׁק֥וּנִי חֹֽמֶץ׃
NAS: they gave me vinegar to drink.
KJV: and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
INT: my thirst gave vinegar

Proverbs 10:26
HEB: כַּחֹ֤מֶץ ׀ לַשִּׁנַּ֗יִם וְכֶעָשָׁ֥ן
NAS: Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke
KJV: As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke
INT: vinegar to the teeth and smoke

Proverbs 25:20
HEB: בְּי֣וֹם קָ֭רָה חֹ֣מֶץ עַל־ נָ֑תֶר
NAS: day, [or like] vinegar on soda,
KJV: weather, [and as] vinegar upon nitre,
INT: day A cold vinegar on soda

6 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2558
6 Occurrences

ba·ḥō·meṣ — 1 Occ.
ḥō·meṣ — 3 Occ.
ka·ḥō·meṣ — 1 Occ.
wə·ḥō·meṣ — 1 Occ.