אַלְמָנָ֥ה
𐤀𐤋𐤌𐤍𐤄
alemanah
widow
feminine of אַלְמָן; a widow; also a desolate place; desolate house (palace), widow.
Exodus 22:21 · Word #2
Lexicon H490
| Lemma | אַלְמָנָה |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤀𐤋𐤌𐤍𐤄 |
| Transliteration | ʼalmânâh |
| Strong's | H490 |
| In-context | widow |
Morphology HNcfsa
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | f — Feminine — Feminine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | a — Absolute — The noun stands independently |
SIBI-P1 H490-01
a bereft woman
| Root | אלם (ʾ-l-m) |
| Core Meanings | to be silent, to be unable to speak, to be bound or bereft |
| Semantic Range | a widow; a woman deprived of her husband; figuratively, a desolate or abandoned city or house |
| Conceptual Significance | The bereft woman (widow) is a central figure in Israel’s social ethics, repeatedly named among the vulnerable (with the orphan and sojourner) whom YHWH defends and whom the covenant community must protect, embodying themes of justice, compassion, and covenant faithfulness. |
| Morphological Notes | Common feminine singular noun in the absolute state; derived from the masculine form אַלְמָן (widower). Functions as a concrete noun referring to a woman whose husband has died. |
| Rendering Rationale | The noun is feminine singular absolute (HNcfsa), referring to one woman. Rendering it as "a bereft woman" preserves the feminine singular form and reflects the likely root sense of being silenced or left without support, which underlies the social condition of widowhood in ancient Israel. |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)
Words from Root אלם (to be silent, to be unable to speak, to be bound or bereft)
| SILEX Code | Transliteration | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
H488-01 |
aleman | wife-bereft (man) |
H490-02 |
alemanot | widowed women |
H492-01 |
alemoni | a concealed one |
Word Usage (56 occurrences of H490)
| Location | Form | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis 38:11 | אַלְמָנָ֣ה | alemanah | a widow |
| Exodus 22:21 | אַלְמָנָ֥ה | alemanah | widow |
| Exodus 22:23 | אַלְמָנ֔וֹת | alemanot | widows |