2570. chomesh
Lexical Summary
chomesh: Fifth part, one-fifth

Original Word: חֹמֶשׁ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: chomesh
Pronunciation: kho-mesh'
Phonetic Spelling: (kho'-mesh)
KJV: fifth (rib)
NASB: belly
Word Origin: [from an unused root probably meaning, to be stout]

1. the abdomen (as obese)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
fifth rib

From an unused root probably meaning, to be stout; the abdomen (as obese) -- fifth (rib).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
belly
NASB Translation
belly (4).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
II. חֹ֫מֶשׁ noun masculine belly (Aramaic ) — הַחֹמֶשׁ 2 Samuel 2:23 3t.; ׳וַיַּכֵּהוּ ֗֗֗ אלהֿח 2 Samuel 2:23 and he smote him in the belly; 2 Samuel 20:10 + 2 Samuel 4:6, read וַתָּ֫נָם וַתִּישָׁ֑ן and she slumbered and slept ᵐ5 We Dr.; yet corruption difficult to explain, see Klo; ׳וַיַּכֵּהוּ שָׁם הח 2 Samuel 3:27 (where probably insert אלֿ compare Dr).

IV. חמשׁ (√ of following; meaning dubious; perhaps compare Arabic army, Sabean חֿמס men of a tribe who can bear arms; √ then possibly = I. חמשׁ (e.g. army as composed of five parts) see Lane Frey; also SabDenkm24, which cities tribus (from tres), quartier (from quartus, quatuor); > Thes MV and others who compare Arabic be firm strong, be courageous, etc.)

Topical Lexicon
Physical Sense and Imagery

The Hebrew term חֹמֶשׁ designates the vulnerable area “beneath the fifth rib,” broadly corresponding to the abdomen. Ancient warriors, fighting at close quarters with short swords or spear butts, recognized it as a decisive target. A blow here could pierce vital organs and arteries, bringing swift death. Scripture therefore employs the word to heighten the drama of lethal encounters, marking them as deliberate, intimate, and inescapably fatal.

Occurrences in Scripture

The word appears only four times, all in the historical narratives surrounding the rise of King David (2 Samuel 2:23; 2 Samuel 3:27; 2 Samuel 4:6; 2 Samuel 20:10). Each setting involves a calculated act of violence that alters the political landscape of Israel:
• Abner kills Asahel (2 Samuel 2:23).
• Joab murders Abner (2 Samuel 3:27).
• Baanah and Rechab assassinate Ish-bosheth (2 Samuel 4:6).
• Joab slays Amasa (2 Samuel 20:10).

The repeated use of the same anatomical term links these otherwise separate incidents, underscoring a cycle of bloodshed and retribution that accompanies David’s consolidation of the throne.

Narrative and Historical Context

The writer of Samuel deliberately clusters all four occurrences within the turbulent transition from Saul’s house to David’s reign. Each stabbing brings personal vendetta or political ambition to the surface:
• Abner’s blow eliminates a swift pursuer but sows the seed of Joab’s revenge.
• Joab’s retaliatory murder of Abner stains David’s reputation and requires public lament (2 Samuel 3:31-39).
• The assassination of Ish-bosheth ends Saul’s dynasty but compels David to denounce vigilante justice (2 Samuel 4:9-12).
• Amasa’s death removes a rival commander and re-installs Joab, yet at the cost of further blood guilt.

Thus חֹמֶשׁ becomes a narrative signpost: whenever it appears, the account is about to pivot through treachery and death.

Theological Significance

1. Sanctity of Life and Justice. Each text records murder carried out “in the stomach,” and each is met—either immediately or eventually—with divine or royal censure. The repetition rebukes the notion that political ends justify violent means, affirming that “whoever sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed” (Genesis 9:6).
2. Sovereignty of God. Even as human actors wield the blade, the unfolding of God’s covenant with David proceeds unhindered. The word חֹמֶשׁ, tied to fatal strikes, ironically highlights the limits of human power: assassins may hasten or delay events, but they cannot thwart God’s purpose.
3. Accountability for Leaders. All four victims are military men of rank; their deaths demonstrate that leaders stand under divine scrutiny. David’s public responses—mourning Abner, executing Ish-bosheth’s killers, charging Solomon to deal with Joab—affirm that the throne must be established in righteousness, not bloodlust (2 Samuel 23:3).

Sample Biblical Quotations

“Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear… and Asahel fell and died there on the spot.” (2 Samuel 2:23)

“Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.” (2 Samuel 3:27)

“But Amasa was not on his guard… and Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and his entrails spilled out on the ground.” (2 Samuel 20:10)

Lessons for Ministry and Discipleship

• Guard the heart against revenge. Abner’s and Joab’s fatalities trace a chain reaction of retaliation; believers are called instead to forgive (Matthew 6:14-15).
• Uphold justice impartially. David’s refusal to condone the murder of Ish-bosheth models righteous governance and pastoral oversight.
• Recognize the hidden cost of ambition. Each assassin sought position or security; each act ultimately exposed the actor to judgment. Ministry motives must be scrutinized before the Lord (1 Corinthians 4:5).

Typological and Messianic Hints

Although the word itself does not directly foreshadow the Messiah, the context prepares for a king who will reign without shedding innocent blood. David, despite failure, points to the Son of David who secures His throne not by plunging a sword beneath the fifth rib of others, but by having His own side pierced (John 19:34), bringing life rather than death.

Related Themes

• Blood guilt and its expiation (Numbers 35:33-34).
• The ethics of warfare and assassination.
• The role of lament in confronting violence (2 Samuel 1; 3:31-34).
• Divine providence overruling human intrigue (Psalm 37:7-15).

Conclusion

חֹמֶשׁ, “the fifth rib,” serves as more than an anatomical note; it threads through the narrative of 2 Samuel as a marker of decisive, often illicit killings. Its limited but pointed usage exposes the destructive cycles of vengeance, underlines the gravity of unlawful bloodshed, and magnifies the righteous standard by which Israel’s kings—and ultimately all God’s people—are called to live.

Forms and Transliterations
הַחֹ֑מֶשׁ הַחֹ֔מֶשׁ הַחֹ֗מֶשׁ הַחֹ֜מֶשׁ החמש ha·ḥō·meš haChomesh haḥōmeš
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
2 Samuel 2:23
HEB: הַחֲנִ֜ית אֶל־ הַחֹ֗מֶשׁ וַתֵּצֵ֤א הַֽחֲנִית֙
NAS: struck him in the belly with the butt
KJV: him under the fifth [rib], that the spear
INT: of the spear under the belly came the spear

2 Samuel 3:27
HEB: וַיַּכֵּ֤הוּ שָׁם֙ הַחֹ֔מֶשׁ וַיָּ֕מָת בְּדַ֖ם
NAS: he struck him in the belly so that he died
KJV: and smote him there under the fifth [rib], that he died,
INT: struck and there the belly died of the blood

2 Samuel 4:6
HEB: וַיַּכֻּ֖הוּ אֶל־ הַחֹ֑מֶשׁ וְרֵכָ֛ב וּבַעֲנָ֥ה
NAS: and they struck him in the belly; and Rechab
KJV: and they smote him under the fifth [rib]: and Rechab
INT: struck in the belly and Rechab and Baanah

2 Samuel 20:10
HEB: בָ֨הּ אֶל־ הַחֹ֜מֶשׁ וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֨ךְ מֵעָ֥יו
NAS: so he struck him in the belly with it and poured
KJV: so he smote him therewith in the fifth [rib], and shed out
INT: struck in the belly and poured his inward

4 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2570
4 Occurrences


ha·ḥō·meš — 4 Occ.

2569
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