The Hebrew verb chamam means to be or become warm, to grow hot. It describes the warmth of sunlight, the heat of fire, and metaphorically the burning of passion or anger. Connected to chamah (the sun) and chom (heat of the day), it captures both sustaining warmth and consuming heat.
The warmth of chamam runs through creation — Ecclesiastes 4:11: 'if two lie together, they keep warm' speaks of companionship. Isaiah 44:16 depicts one warming himself by fire. Psalm 39:3 — 'my heart grew hot within me' — describes inner burning that produces speech. Divine fire warms the righteous and consumes the wicked (Malachi 3:2-3).