Hebrew

Noun

חַשְׁמַל • ‎(khashmál) m ‎(singular construct חַשְׁמַל־)

1. (biblical) Meaning uncertain. Often translated as: electrum, amber
   • Ezekiel 1:4, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וּמִתּוֹכָהּ כְּעֵין הַחַשְׁמַל מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ׃‎

     umitokháh k'éin hakhashmál mitókh ha'ésh.
     ūmittōḵāh kəʿēn haḥašmal mittōḵ hāʾēš.

     and out of the midst thereof as the colour of electrum, out of the midst of the fire.

   • Ezekiel 1:27, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וָאֵרֶא כְּעֵין חַשְׁמַל כְּמַרְאֵה־אֵשׁ בֵּית־לָהּ סָבִיב מִמַּרְאֵה מָתְנָיו וּלְמָעְלָה‎

     va'ére k'éin khashmál k'mar'e-'ésh beit-láh savív mimar'é motnáv ul'má'la
     wāʾḗre kəʿēn ḥašmal kəmarʾē-ʾēš bēṯ-lāh sāḇīḇ mimmarʾē moṯnāw ūləmā́ʿlā

     And I saw as the colour of electrum, as the appearance of fire round about enclosing it, from the appearance of his loins and upward;

   • Ezekiel 8:2, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וּמִמָּתְנָיו וּלְמַעְלָה כְּמַרְאֵה־זֹהַר כְּעֵין הַחַשְׁמַלָה׃‎

     umimotnáv ul'má'la k'mar'e-zóhar k'éin hakhashmála.
     ūmimmoṯnāw ūləmáʿlā kəmarʾē-zṓhar kəʿēn haḥašmálā.

     and from his loins and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of electrum.

2. electricity

Derived terms

• חַשְׁמַלִּי ‎(khashmalí)
• חַשְׁמַלִּית ‎(khashmalít)

References

• “H2830”, in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible, 1979