Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament, 2014 Vol. 29, No. 2, 197-203, http://dx.doi.org/ © 2015 The Editors of the Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament A Note on the Meaning of Ḥamas in Ezekiel Tova Ganzel Bar-Ilan University Ramat-Gan, Israel ganzelct@yahoo.com ABSTRACT: The entries for ḥamas in the biblical lexicons read “violence, wrong”; “treat violently”; or “theft, exploitation, social oppression;” namely, this word is understood as referring to the social sphere. On this basis, in the usual exegesis of the verses in which it appears in Ezekiel, ḥamas is understood to refer to social violence. I suggest, however, that a closer examination of each of the seven occurrences of this term in Ezekiel indicates that it refers to the sins of the people that led to the destruction of the Temple—including idolatry and bloodshed—and that Ezekiel utilized and adjusted this pentateuchal con- cept to his prophetic needs. Key words: ḥamas, Ezekiel, cultic sin, social sin As defined in biblical lexicons, ḥamas is generally understood as “violence, wrong”; 1 “treat violently” (to inflict physical, ethical, or both physical and eth- ical wrong); 2 or “theft, exploitation, social oppression.” 3 But, the treatment of ḥamas in the scriptural context requires a more nuanced, contextualized ap- proach. 4 Considered here are the seven occurrences of ḥamas in Ezekiel, which are usually interpreted as referring to social violence. 5 I suggest that a closer examination of each of the occurrences of this term in Ezekiel indicates that this interpretation is not inevitable; rather, the meaning of ḥamas must be de- termined according to its function in each oracle and against the backdrop of 1. KB, p. 311; HALOT, p. 329. 2. BDB, p. 329. 3. M. Z. Kaddari, “חמס,” A Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (Alef-Tav) (in Hebrew; Ramat Gan: Bar-Ilan University, 2007), pp. 318-319. See also H. Haag, “חמס,” TDOT IV, pp. 478-487; H. J. Stoebe, “חמס,” TLOT I, pp. 437-439. 4. I. Swart, “In Search of the Meaning of ‘Hamas’: Studying an Old Testament Word in Context,” Journal for Semitics 3/2 (1991), pp. 156-166. See also Stoebe, “חמס.” 5. For some more recent commentaries on Ezekiel, see D. I. Block, The Book of Ezekiel 1-24 (NICOT; Grand Rapids, MICH—Cambridge: Eerdmans, 1997), pp. 254, 263, 297, 380, 721; idem, The Book of Ezekiel 25-48 (Grand Rapids, MICH—Cambridge: Eerdmans, 1998), pp. 101, 654; R. Kasher, Ezekiel. Introduction and Commentary, Vol. 1: Chapters 1-24 (in Hebrew; Mikra Leyisra’el; Tel Aviv—Jerusalem: Am Oved, 2004), p. 253. See also P. Joyce, Divine Initiative and Human Response in Ezekiel (JSOTS, 51; Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1989), p. 100.