Lexical Summary
hamon: Multitude, crowd, abundance, noise, tumult
Original Word:הָמוֹן
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:hamown
Pronunciation:hah-MONE
Phonetic Spelling:(haw-mone')
KJV: abundance, company, many, multitude, multiply, noise, riches, rumbling, sounding, store, tumult
NASB:multitude, hordes, tumult, abundance, many, commotion, horde
Word Origin:[fromH1993 (הָמָה - roar)]
1. a noise, tumult, crowd
2. also disquietude, wealth
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
abundance, company, many, multitude, multiply, noise, riches, rumbling,
Or hamon (Ezek. 5:7) {haw-mone'}; fromhamah; a noise, tumult, crowd; also disquietude, wealth -- abundance, company, many, multitude, multiply, noise, riches, rumbling, sounding, store, tumult.
see HEBREWhamah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
hamahDefinitiona sound, murmur, roar, crowd, abundance
NASB Translationabundance (4), commotion (2), great quantity (1), horde (2), hordes (14), many (3), multitude (31), multitudes (2), noise (2), people (1), populated (1), population (1), roar (1), rumbling (1), sound (1), stirrings (1), tumult (9), tumultuous (1), uproar (1), wealth (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
1Samuel 4:14 (
Job 31:34) ; — absolute
1 Samuel 4:14 27t. ( +
2 Kings 25:11 = in ""
Jeremiah 52:15, see II. above); construct
Genesis 17:14 30t. +
Ezekiel 39:11,15 (); suffix
Isaiah 5:13 2t. +
Ezekiel 31:18 Qr + 3 t. (Kt ); so also Co for proper name (?) (q. v.)
Ezekiel 39:16;
Isaiah 5:14 6t. +
Ezekiel 7:12,13;
Ezekiel 30:4 (all strike out B Co; in
Ezekiel 7:13 also Da),
Ezekiel 29:19;
Isaiah 31:4;
Ezekiel 7:11; plural Joel 4:14 (twice in verse); suffix
Ezekiel 32:30; —
Ezekiel 5:7 see below below; —
sound, murmur, rush, roar, especially sound made by a crowd of people,murmur, roarPsalm 65:8 ("" etc.); compareIsaiah 13:4sound of a roaring ("" ),Isaiah 33:3;Daniel 10:6;Isaiah 17:12 ("" ) where again compared with ; alsoIsaiah 31:4 of throng of shepherds ("" ); of a cityJob 39:7 ("" ); compare =noisy cityIsaiah 32:14,Isaiah 5:14; ofsound of songsEzekiel 26:13 ("" ), compareAmos 5:23 ("" ); of crying1 Samuel 4:14 ("" ) ; see further figurative of sympathyIsaiah 63:15 ("" ), compare
;1 Kings 18:41, compareJeremiah 10:13 =Jeremiah 51:16; — ofrumbling of chariot-wheelsJeremiah 47:3 ("" & ).tumult, confusion (as occasioning a roar)1 Samuel 14:19;2 Samuel 18:29.
crowd, multitude (especially frequently in Ezra, Chronicles): —
Judges 4:7;1 Samuel 14:16;1 Kings 20:13,28;Isaiah 29:5 (twice in verse); 2Chronicles 13:8; 2 Chronicles 14:10; 2 Chronicles 20:2,12,15,24; 32:7; compareEzekiel 39:11; alsoEzekiel 7:12,13;Ezekiel 30:4 (compare emendation above); onJeremiah 3:23 compare VB; see furtherEzekiel 39:11,15;Daniel 11:10 ( )Daniel 11:11Daniel 11:11;Daniel 11:12;Daniel 11:13 ("" ); also plural JoelDaniel 4:14 (twice in verse).
2 Samuel 6:19;Isaiah 5:13;Isaiah 16:14;Ezekiel 7:11,14;Ezekiel 29:19;Ezekiel 30:10,15;Ezekiel 31:2,18;Ezekiel 32:12 (twice in verse);Ezekiel 32:16,18,20,24,25,26,31,32
2 Kings 7:13 (twice in verse) (so2 Kings 25:11, but ""Jeremiah 52:15 )Psalm 42:5;Job 31:34 ( )Ezekiel 23:42;Genesis 17:4,5 (P) compareIsaiah 29:7,8; so, under figure of overwhelming mass of wavesJeremiah 51:42.
great number, abundance (late) 2Chronicles 11:23 for PerlesAnal. 47 proposes (compare ); of cattleJeremiah 49:32; of things: materials for temple-building1 Chronicles 29:16; tithes & gifts 2Chronicles 31:10. Hence
abundance, wealth,Psalm 37:16 compareEcclesiastes 5:9 ("" ),Isaiah 60:5 ( ; "" ).
Topical Lexicon
Overview and Semantic Scopeהָמוֹן depicts an overwhelming mass expressed either as people, goods, or sound. It can signify a throng gathered for blessing, an army poised for battle, the din of celebration, or the crashing uproar of divine judgment. The root idea of “vastness” runs through every occurrence, whether in covenant promise, military narrative, liturgical poetry, or prophetic oracle.
Distribution Across the Canon
Approximately eighty-three attestations span the Old Testament:
• Pentateuch – covenantal promise (Genesis)
• Historical Books – military and civic scenes (Samuel, Kings, Chronicles)
• Wisdom Literature – moral observations on abundance (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes)
• Major Prophets – oracles of judgment and restoration (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel)
• Minor Prophets – eschatological visions (Joel, Zechariah)
Covenantal Abundance
Genesis 17 contains the foundational use. Twice the Lord tells Abram,
“As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of a multitude of nations” (Genesis 17:4).
The same word frames the name change to Abraham (Genesis 17:5) and reappears in royal covenant language: “O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy Name comes from Your hand” (1 Chronicles 29:16). In these texts הָמוֹן underscores God’s multiplying grace, linking the patriarchal promise to later temple worship.
Military Tumult and National Uproar
Narrative history frequently pairs הָמוֹן with warfare. When the Ark is seized, Eli hears “the noise of the uproar” and his heart trembles (1 Samuel 4:14). Saul observes the “tumult in the camp of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 14:19). Isaiah universalizes the picture: “Alas, the uproar of many peoples! They roar like the roaring of the seas” (Isaiah 17:12). The prophets portray international conflict as a deafening surge that God alone can still (Isaiah 17:13).
Commercial and Material Plenty
The term also marks overflowing wealth.Proverbs 15:6 states, “In the house of the righteous there is great treasure,” linking abundance with ethical living. Zechariah envisions end-time tribute: “The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—gold, silver, and garments in great abundance” (Zechariah 14:14). Ezekiel laments Tyre’s downfall by highlighting the once-lavish cargo (Ezekiel 27), showing that material hamon, when idolatrously trusted, invites judgment.
Liturgical Soundscape
Temple worship could be joyous hamon: “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising You” (Psalm 84:4). But when Israel apostatized, the Lord promised to silence it: “I will put an end to the joyful songs and the sound of the harps” (Ezekiel 26:13). Celebration and silence alike reveal God’s sovereignty over worship.
Eschatological Judgment and Restoration
Ezekiel 39 designates the burial place of Gog’s vanquished host “the Valley of Hamon-Gog,” memorializing divine victory. Joel pictures cosmic upheaval preceding the Day of the LORD, the tumult of nations culminating in universal judgment (Joel 3:14). Yet restoration balances judgment: the same prophets herald a redeemed Jerusalem filled with grateful multitudes (Isaiah 60:5).
Theological and Ministry Implications
1. Promise versus Presumption: הָמוֹן can signal either covenantal blessing (Genesis 17) or hubristic pride (Ezekiel 27). Preaching should trace how faith transforms abundance into worship, while pride turns it into noise awaiting divine silencing.
2. Divine Lordship over History: Turbulent armies and roaring seas cannot thwart God’s purposes (Isaiah 17:12-14). Believers find assurance that every human commotion remains under His command.
3. Eschatological Hope: The term’s final trajectory is redemptive. The graves of Hamon-Gog remind the faithful that all hostile multitudes will be subdued, while the saved will become an innumerable multitude worshiping the Lamb (Revelation 7:9).
Practical Application for Preaching and Teaching
• Highlight the contrast between Abraham’s hamon of nations and the uproar of rebellious nations; both are vast, yet only the first is blessed.
• UseIsaiah 17:12-13 to address contemporary anxieties over global unrest, underscoring God’s ability to rebuke the roaring seas.
• CoupleProverbs 15:6 with1 Chronicles 29:16 to teach stewardship: abundance originates with God and must return to Him in worship.
• Draw evangelistic parallels fromEzekiel 39:11-16, warning that every hostile throng faces burial unless it joins the redeemed multitude ofRevelation 7.
Summary
Whether describing covenantal blessing, military tumult, material plenty, or liturgical sound, הָמוֹן consistently magnifies the scale of God’s dealings with humanity. Its varied contexts invite believers to discern the difference between divinely granted abundance and self-generated uproar, to rest in God’s governance over nations, and to anticipate the consummate gathering of a redeemed multitude in Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
בֶּהָמ֖וֹן בַּהֲמ֥וֹן בהמון הֲמ֖וֹן הֲמ֣וֹן הֲמ֥וֹן הֲמָנְכֶם֙ הֲמֹ֤ון הֲמֹונֹ֑ו הֲמֹנָ֜הּ הֲמוֹן֙ הֲמוֹנ֑וֹ הֲמוֹנִ֔ים הֲמוֹנִ֣ים הֲמוֹנֶ֔ךָ הֲמוֹנֶֽיהָ׃ הֲמוֹנָ֔הּ הֲמוֹנָֽהּ׃ הֲמוֹנָהּ֙ הֲמוֹנֹ֔ה הֶ֣הָמ֔וֹן הֶהָמ֑וֹן הֶהָמ֖וֹן הֶהָמ֛וֹן הֶהָמ֣וֹן הֶהָמ֤וֹן הֶהָמ֥וֹן הֶהָמ֨וֹן הָ֘מ֤וֹן הָמ֔וֹן הָמ֛וֹן הָמ֣וֹן הָמ֥וֹן הָמֽוֹן׃ הָמוֹן֮ ההמון המון המון׃ המונה המונה׃ המונו המוניה׃ המונים המונך המנה המנכם וְהֶהָמ֗וֹן וַהֲמ֤וֹן וַהֲמ֥וֹן וַהֲמוֹנ֖וֹ וַהֲמוֹנָ֛הּ וּמֵֽהֲמוֹנָ֖ם וההמון והמון והמונה והמונו ומהמונם לַהֲמ֣וֹן להמון מֵ֝הֲמ֗וֹן מֵהֲמוֹנָ֛ם מהמון מהמונם ba·hă·mō·wn bahaMon bahămōwn be·hā·mō·wn behaMon behāmōwn hă·mā·nə·ḵem hă·mō·nāh hă·mō·w·nāh hă·mō·w·ne·hā hă·mō·w·ne·ḵā hă·mō·w·nîm hă·mō·w·nōh hă·mō·w·nōw hă·mō·wn hā·mō·wn hamaneChem hămānəḵem haMon hamoNah hămōnāh hamoNecha hamoNeiha hamoNim hamoNo hamoNoh hămōwn hāmōwn hămōwnāh hămōwnehā hămōwneḵā hămōwnîm hămōwnōh hămōwnōw he·hā·mō·wn hehaMon hehāmōwn la·hă·mō·wn lahaMon lahămōwn mê·hă·mō·w·nām mê·hă·mō·wn mehaMon mehamoNam mêhămōwn mêhămōwnām ū·mê·hă·mō·w·nām umehamoNam ūmêhămōwnām vahaMon vahamoNah vahamoNo vehehaMon wa·hă·mō·w·nāh wa·hă·mō·w·nōw wa·hă·mō·wn wahămōwn wahămōwnāh wahămōwnōw wə·he·hā·mō·wn wəhehāmōwn
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