chamor · donkey

What it means

chamor (חֲמוֹר) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “donkey”.

Male donkey.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. An animal for loads and riding, strong and patient.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Donkey: an animal for carrying loads and for riding. BDB: a male ass. Different is אָתוֹן, “she-donkey”.

• An animal for loads and travel Genesis 22:3Exodus 20:17
• The donkey in the laws Exodus 13:13Exodus 23:4
• Samson and “the jawbone of the donkey” Judges 15:16
• “Riding on a donkey”: the king who comes Zechariah 9:9
• In the proverbs Proverbs 26:3

Historical and cultural background

The law asks that the first offspring of a donkey be ransomed “with a lamb” (Exodus 13:13), and that a stray donkey be brought back even to an enemy (Exodus 23:4). Zechariah 9:9 announces the king “riding on a donkey”.

How we translate it

“Donkey” 58 times, “donkeys” 38. The female, another Hebrew word (אָתוֹן), is also “donkey” in English (Numbers 22:21; 1 Samuel 9:3); on touching the word the reader can see which the Hebrew has.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• donkey ×58
• donkeys ×38

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×17
• Exodus×12
• Numbers×6
• Deuteronomy×6
• Joshua×4
• Judges×10
• 1 Samuel×10
• 2 Samuel×4
• 1 Kings×9
• 2 Kings×3
• 1 Chronicles×2
• 2 Chronicles×1
• Ezra×1
• Nehemiah×2
• Job×1
• Proverbs×1
• Isaiah×3
• Jeremiah×1
• Ezekiel×1
• Zechariah×2

• Genesis 12:16

  He dealt well with Abram because of her, and he had sheep, cattle, male donkeys, male slaves, female slaves, female donkeys, and camels.

• Genesis 22:3

  Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and he rose and went to the place that Elohim had told him.

• Genesis 22:5

  Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. I and the boy will go over there; we will bow down and come back to you.”

• Genesis 24:35

  YHWH has blessed my lord greatly, and he has become great. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male slaves and female slaves, camels and donkeys.

• Genesis 30:43

  The man increased exceedingly, and he had many flocks, female slaves and male slaves, camels and donkeys.

• Genesis 32:5

  I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male slaves, and slave women; and I have sent to tell my lord, to find favor in your eyes.’”

• Genesis 34:28

  Their flocks, their herds, their donkeys, what was in the city and what was in the field, they took.

• Genesis 36:24

  These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who found the springs in the wilderness while he was pasturing the donkeys of Zibeon his father.

• Genesis 42:26

  They loaded their grain on their donkeys and went from there.

• Genesis 42:27

  One of them opened his sack to give fodder to his donkey at the lodging place, and he saw his silver, and look, it was in the mouth of his bag.

• Genesis 43:18

  The men were afraid because they were brought into the house of Joseph, and they said, “Because of the matter of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time we are being brought in, so that he may assail us, fall upon us, and take us as slaves, and our donkeys.”

• Genesis 43:24

  The man brought the men into the house of Joseph and gave them water, and they washed their feet, and he gave fodder to their donkeys.

• Genesis 44:3

  As the morning dawned, the men were sent off, they and their donkeys.

• Genesis 44:13

  They tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

• Genesis 45:23

  And to his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys carrying some of the best of Egypt, and ten female donkeys carrying grain, bread, and provisions for his father for the journey.

• Genesis 47:17

  So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys; and he carried them through with bread in exchange for all their livestock that year.

• Genesis 49:14

  Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds.

• Exodus 4:20

  So Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on the donkey and returned to the land of Egypt; and Moses took the staff of Elohim in his hand.

• Exodus 9:3

  look, the hand of YHWH will be on your livestock that are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the cattle, and on the flocks, with a very severe pestilence.

• Exodus 13:13

  Every first offspring of a donkey you shall ransom with a lamb; and if you do not ransom it, you shall break its neck. And every human firstborn among your sons you shall ransom.

• Exodus 20:17

  You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male slave, or his female slave, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

• Exodus 21:33

  When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,

• Exodus 22:4

  If the stolen thing is actually found in his hand alive, whether ox or donkey or lamb, he shall repay double.

• Exodus 22:9

  In every case of transgression, whether for an ox, for a donkey, for a lamb, for a garment, or for any lost thing of which someone says, ‘This is it,’ the case of the two of them shall come before Elohim; the one whom Elohim declares guilty shall repay double to his neighbor.

• Exodus 22:10

  When a man gives his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a lamb or any animal to keep, and it dies or is injured or is carried off, with no one seeing,

• Exodus 23:4

  When you come upon your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him.

• Exodus 23:5

  When you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him; you shall surely help with him.

• Exodus 23:12

  Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall cease, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave and the resident alien may be refreshed.

• Exodus 34:20

  And the firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you do not redeem it, you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And none shall appear before me empty-handed.

• Numbers 16:15

  And Moses became very angry and said to YHWH, “Do not turn to their offering. Not one donkey have I taken from them, and I have not harmed one of them.”

• Numbers 31:28

  And you shall set apart a tribute for YHWH from the men of war who went out to the army: one living being out of five hundred, of the people, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the sheep.

• Numbers 31:30

  And from the half of the sons of Israel you shall take one drawn out of every fifty, of the people, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the sheep, of all the animals, and give them to the Levites who keep the charge of the dwelling of YHWH.”

• Numbers 31:34

  sixty-one thousand donkeys,

• Numbers 31:39

  and the donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, and their tribute for YHWH was sixty-one;

• Numbers 31:45

  thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,

• Deuteronomy 5:14

  but the seventh day is a Sabbath to YHWH your Elohim. You shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male slave, or your female slave, or your ox, or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or your resident alien who is within your gates, so that your male slave and your female slave may rest like you.

• Deuteronomy 5:21

  Nor shall you covet your neighbor’s wife; nor shall you desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male slave, or his female slave, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

• Deuteronomy 22:3

  And so you shall do with his donkey, and so you shall do with his garment, and so you shall do with any lost thing of your brother that is lost by him and you find; you may not ignore it.

• Deuteronomy 22:4

  You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen on the road and ignore them; you shall surely lift them up with him.

• Deuteronomy 22:10

  You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

And 56 more times.