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הֲדֹם

𐤄𐤃𐤌

hădôm

H1916 noun

SILEX Entry

Root דום to tread, to place the foot, to step upon

Definition

Object used as a support or rest for the feet, most commonly referring to a footstool positioned beneath a seated person’s feet; by extension, a symbol of subordination or authority, particularly vis-à-vis a royal throne or the divine presence. In figurative and metaphorical contexts, denotes a place, subject, or people placed in a position of submission before a ruler or deity.

Semantic Range

footstool; a physical object for resting feet; symbol of subordination or submission; figurative designation of the ark, temple, or earth as subordinate to the divine

Root / Etymology

Likely derived from the root דום or related roots meaning 'to tread, step, trample,' though this specific root does not appear in Biblical Hebrew as a standalone verb. The nominal pattern suggests an instrument or place associated with the act of stepping or placing the feet.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term הֲדֹם occurs rarely in the Hebrew Bible, most notably in reference to objects associated with thrones, such as the 'footstool' of a king or of the throne of Yhwh. In Psalms (e.g., Ps 99:5, 110:1) and 1 Chronicles 28:2, the word is used in both literal and metaphorical senses, conveying both the physical accessory to a throne and the idea of subjugation. The construction 'footstool of [God's] feet' sometimes refers concretely to the Ark of the Covenant or, more abstractly, to the Jerusalem temple or even the earth itself as subordinate to the divine. English translations often narrowly render it as 'footstool,' but the Hebrew sense incorporates wider symbolic and hierarchical meaning. Later rabbinic and Christian traditions associated the term with theological interpretations, but in its biblical context it is primarily a material and symbolic object mediating status and authority.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root meaning to stamp upon; a foot stool; (foot-) stool.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

דום (d-w-m) — to tread, to step upon, to place the foot

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1748 דּוּמָם in stillness
H1826 דָּמַם silence

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1916-01 הֲדֹ֣ם hadom HNcmsc footstool footstool of 3
H1916-02 לַ/הֲדֹ֥ם lahadom HR/Ncmsc at the footstool to the footstool of 2
H1916-03 וְ/לַ/הֲדֹם֙ velahadom HC/R/Ncmsc and for the footstool and to the footstool of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1916-01 Isaiah 66:1 הֲדֹ֣ם hadom HNcmsc footstool footstool of
H1916-02 Psalms 99:5 לַ/הֲדֹ֥ם lahadom HR/Ncmsc at the footstool to the footstool of
H1916-01 Psalms 110:1 הֲדֹ֣ם hadom HNcmsa footstool footstool of
H1916-02 Psalms 132:7 לַ/הֲדֹ֥ם lahadom HR/Ncmsc at the footstool to the footstool of
H1916-01 Lamentations 2:1 הֲדֹם hadom HNcmsc the footstool footstool of
H1916-03 1 Chronicles 28:2 וְ/לַ/הֲדֹם֙ velahadom HC/R/Ncmsc and for the footstool and to the footstool of
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