3646. kammon
Lexical Summary
kammon: Cumin

Original Word: כַּמֹּן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: kammon
Pronunciation: kam-mone'
Phonetic Spelling: (kam-mone')
KJV: cummin
NASB: cummin
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to store up or preserve]

1. "cummin" (from its use as a condiment)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
cummin

From an unused root meaning to store up or preserve; "cummin" (from its use as a condiment) -- cummin.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
cummin (a plant grown as a condiment)
NASB Translation
cummin (3).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
כַּמֹּן noun masculine cummin, plant grown as condiment (ᵐ5 κύμινον, cuminum cyminum; Plin.NH xix. 8; German 'römischer Kümmel;' LöwNo. 152; √ dubious; Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic כַּמּוֺנָא, ; Arabic , Ethiopic on formative compare LagBN 89; loan-word according to Di832); — Isaiah 28:25,27 (twice in verse).

Topical Lexicon
Kammon (Cumin)

Agricultural Background in Ancient Israel

Kammon refers to the common culinary spice cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), a low annual plant bearing small aromatic seeds. In the Levant it was sown after plowing and harrowing, usually broadcast by hand, then lightly covered with soil. Its delicate stalks and tiny seeds required gentle harvesting and processing. Farmers beat the dried heads with a stick or thin rod rather than driving a threshing sledge, a practice both economical and protective of the seed’s quality.

Biblical Usage

The word appears three times, all within Isaiah’s parable of the farmer (Isaiah 28:25; Isaiah 28:27 twice). The prophet asks:

“When he has leveled its surface, does he not sow dill and cumin? He scatters wheat in rows, barley in its place, and rye within its border.” (Isaiah 28:25)

“For dill is not threshed with a sledge, and a cart wheel is not rolled over cumin; but dill is beaten out with a staff, and cumin with a rod.” (Isaiah 28:27)

Isaiah employs everyday agronomy to instruct Judah that the LORD’s dealings are never random or harsh. Just as a farmer varies his tools to suit each crop, so God’s judgments and disciplines are proportionate, measured, and purposeful (Isaiah 28:29).

Theological and Prophetic Significance

1. Divine Wisdom in Discipline: The cumin’s need for a light rod underscores that the Almighty tailors chastening to the frailty of His people. Heavy-handed methods would destroy; measured correction refines.
2. Assurance of Purpose: The planting and processing cycle implicitly guarantees a harvest. Judah, though facing pending judgment, could trust that the LORD would preserve a remnant and bring about ultimate fruitfulness.
3. Covenant Consistency: The illustration echoes Deuteronomy’s “blessings and curses” motif—sowing, reaping, and threshing—affirming that covenant faithfulness yields a proportional divine response.

Connections to New Testament Teaching

Jesus draws on the same spice to expose hypocritical legalism: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin, but you have neglected the weightier matters of the Law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness.” (Matthew 23:23)

Thus cumin functions as a rhetorical bridge between Testaments: Isaiah highlights God’s meticulous care; Jesus warns against meticulous externals that ignore the heart of God’s will.

Historical and Cultural Notes

• Cumin was valued not only for flavor but for medicinal properties, including digestive aid and preservative qualities.
• Rabbinic sources note its tithe status, confirming its economic importance.
• Archaeological finds of cumin seeds in Judean strata corroborate the plant’s long-standing cultivation.

Practical and Ministry Applications

• Pastoral Care: Isaiah’s image encourages shepherds to apply discipline with discernment, avoiding methods that crush tender spirits.
• Personal Reflection: Believers can trust that trials are neither arbitrary nor excessive; the Lord, like the prudent farmer, knows precisely what each soul requires for growth.
• Teaching Illustration: The contrast between light rod and heavy sledge furnishes a vivid lesson on the nature of divine sovereignty—simultaneously powerful and compassionate.

Key References

Isaiah 28:25; Isaiah 28:27

Matthew 23:23

Forms and Transliterations
וְכַמֹּ֣ן וְכַמֹּ֥ן וכמן כַּמֹּ֖ן כמן kam·mōn kamMon kammōn vechamMon wə·ḵam·mōn wəḵammōn
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Isaiah 28:25
HEB: וְהֵפִ֥יץ קֶ֖צַח וְכַמֹּ֣ן יִזְרֹ֑ק וְשָׂ֨ם
NAS: and scatter cummin And plant
KJV: and scatter the cummin, and cast
INT: and sow dill cummin and scatter and plant

Isaiah 28:27
HEB: עֲגָלָ֔ה עַל־ כַּמֹּ֖ן יוּסָּ֑ב כִּ֧י
NAS: driven over cummin; But dill is beaten
KJV: turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches
INT: is the cartwheel over cummin driven with

Isaiah 28:27
HEB: יֵחָ֥בֶט קֶ֖צַח וְכַמֹּ֥ן בַּשָּֽׁבֶט׃
NAS: out with a rod, and cummin with a club.
KJV: with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.
INT: is beaten dill and cummin A club

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3646
3 Occurrences


kam·mōn — 1 Occ.
wə·ḵam·mōn — 2 Occ.

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