Original Word: חֵמָר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: chemar
Pronunciation: khay-mawr'
Phonetic Spelling: (khay-mawr')
KJV: slime(-pit)
NASB: tar
Word Origin: [from H2560 (חָמַר - To boil up)]

1. bitumen (as rising to the surface)

slimepit

From chamar; bitumen (as rising to the surface) -- slime(-pit).

see HEBREW chamar

Word Origin
from chamar
Definition
bitumen, asphalt
NASB Translation
tar (3).

חֵמָר noun [masculine] bitumen, asphalt (from I. חמר according to OBlau^{ZMG 1869, 279, bitumen as} seething, swelling up; Thes MV, from IV. חמר, with reference to reddish-brown colour) — חֵמָר Genesis 11:3 2t.; used for cement in building Babel Genesis 11:3 (J); abounding in vale of Siddim ׳בֶּאֱרֹת בֶּאֱרֹת ח Genesis 14:10; used in coating Moses' 'ark' of bulrushes Exodus 2:3 (E; "" זָ֑פֶת).

Substance and Composition

ḥēmār is the dark, viscous material that oozes naturally from bituminous seams or is skimmed from oil-rich pits—what we today call asphalt or tar. In the ancient Near East it was prized for water-proofing, for binding bricks, and for sealing baskets, boats, and storage vessels. Unlike vegetal resins or lime mortar, this petroleum-based substance required no kiln, only heating and stirring, making it readily available wherever deposits surfaced.

Occurrences in Scripture

• Genesis 11:3 – used as “tar for mortar” in the Tower of Babel project.
• Genesis 14:10 – the Valley of Siddim “was full of tar pits,” a strategic detail in a military narrative.
• Exodus 2:3 – Moses’ mother “coated [the basket] with tar and pitch” before setting it on the Nile.

Historical and Cultural Context

Archaeology confirms extensive bitumen fields southeast of Babylon, around the Dead Sea, and along the Nile delta. Babylonian tablets speak of “brick and bitumen” as a standard building pair; Egyptian boat fragments retain bituminous caulking; and Dead Sea deposits were commercially mined in the Bronze Age. Scripture’s three notices fit this backdrop precisely: Mesopotamian tower construction, Dead Sea battle terrain, and Nile delta river craft.

Theological Significance

1. Human Pride versus Divine Rule (Genesis 11). The same substance that unified bricks for Babel’s sky-reaching tower became a silent witness to human ambition that ignored God’s command to fill the earth. The scattering judgment that followed underscores that human ingenuity, even with the best materials, cannot overthrow the divine purpose.
2. Judgment and Mercy in Balance (Genesis 14). The tar pits of Siddim serve as God-provided terrain that checked wicked Sodomite kings and foreshadowed the fiery judgment their cities would later suffer (Genesis 19).
3. Deliverance Through Covering (Exodus 2). When Jochebed smeared Moses’ basket with tar, she enacted a miniature replay of Noah’s Ark, which had been coated with pitch (a cognate term, kopher). Both vessels illustrate salvation through sheltering “covering.” The theme culminates in Christ, whose atoning blood is the ultimate covering for sin (Romans 3:25).

Typological and Prophetic Foreshadowing

• Covering and Atonement: Tar’s sealing property pictures the protective covering God provides against judgment waters.
• Two Ways to Use God’s Gifts: At Babel, ḥēmār is pressed into a monument to self-glory; in Exodus it becomes an instrument of redemption. The same material placed under different lordship yields opposite outcomes, echoing Romans 6:13.

Practical and Ministry Applications

• Stewarding Resources. Every natural resource can serve rebellion or redemption. Believers are called to harness God’s provisions for Kingdom purposes, not personal towers.
• Trusting God’s Means of Protection. Moses’ floating cradle invites modern Christians to rest in divinely appointed means of safety—ultimately the cross—rather than improvising self-made security.
• Teaching Children. The tactile imagery of tar’s stickiness and waterproof quality offers Sunday-school teachers vivid object lessons on the sufficiency of Christ’s covering.

Related Hebrew Terms

• kopher (Strong’s 3724) – pitch used on Noah’s Ark, stressing “covering” and later the idea of ransom.
• zepheth (Strong’s 2203) – refined pitch, appearing in Isaiah 34:9.

While distinct in form, all three highlight themes of sealing, protection, and, by extension, atonement.

See Also

Genesis 6:14; Isaiah 34:9; Romans 3:25; 1 Peter 3:20

בַחֵמָ֖ר בחמר וְהַ֣חֵמָ֔ר והחמר חֵמָ֔ר חמר ḇa·ḥê·mār ḇaḥêmār cheMar ḥê·mār ḥêmār vacheMar veHacheMar wə·ha·ḥê·mār wəhaḥêmārInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts