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יֶלֶד

𐤉𐤋𐤃

yeled

H3206 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ילד to bear, give birth, beget

Definition

A male child, generally used for a boy or youth—less commonly, a generic term for child regardless of gender. In some contexts, it denotes a son or descendant. Its primary use is to identify one who is young, most often male, and still dependent or under the care of parents. Less often, it denotes children collectively, offspring, or progeny, especially in construct or plural patterns.

Semantic Range

male child, boy, youth, son, offspring, young man (in certain contexts), children (collectively), descendant

Root / Etymology

From the root ילד (y-l-d), which primarily means 'to bear, to bring forth, to beget.' The nominal pattern gives יֶלֶד (yeled) the sense of 'one who is born' or 'born one,' focusing on the status of being a child or juvenile.

Historical & Contextual Notes

יֶלֶד is generally used for a male child, but can occasionally (particularly in construct forms or in aggregate) refer generically to children (of either gender), contrasting with יַלְדָּה (yaldah, 'girl') for a female child. Throughout the Hebrew Bible, yeled most frequently describes young males prior to maturity or military age and can be used of infants, boys, or occasionally youths approaching adolescence. In genealogical or narrative contexts, 'yeled' often simply means 'son,' though it can also mean 'offspring' more broadly. In some poetic or wisdom texts, yeled can refer generically to the young or to future generations. The English translation 'boy' or 'child' usually covers its sense, but 'son' or 'offspring' may be contextually appropriate. Unlike נַעַר (naʿar, 'youth, adolescent'), yeled implies younger age or more dependence, though the terms may overlap. The term is not used to denote religious or ethnic identity. In later periods (Second Temple and after), Rabbinic usage shifted somewhat, but yeled retained its basic meaning as 'child' or 'boy.'

Translation Consistency

primary "child" 41 occurrences

Most frequent and natural English equivalent across contexts. The SILEX range centers on a young person (usually male), but English 'child' covers the typical sense and easily yields 'children' for plurals; context can supply 'boy' or 'son' when needed. This gives consistent, natural wording for all forms of יֶלֶד.

Alternatives (49 occurrences):
"children" (27x) "boys" (9x) "child-ones" (3x) "young men" (2x) "children of" (2x) "young man" (1x) "boy" (1x) "born-ones of" (1x) "among the children of" (1x) "born-ones" (1x) "young" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from יָלַד; something born, i.e. a lad or offspring; boy, child, fruit, son, young man (one).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ילד (y-l-d) — to bear, give birth, beget

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2056 וָלָד male-born child
H3205 יָלַד in being born
H3207 יַלְדָּה the female child
H3208 יַלְדוּת in your childhood-years
H3209 יִלּוֹד the one born

Word Forms

23 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3206-03 הַ/יֶּ֖לֶד hayeled HTd/Ncmsa the child the boy the child 26
H3206-02 הַ/יְלָדִ֗ים hayeladim HTd/Ncmpa the young men the boys the boys 17
H3206-01 הַ/יָּ֑לֶד hayaled HTd/Ncmsa the child the boy the child 9
H3206-20 יְלָדִ֔ים yeladim HNcmpa children boys children 5
H3206-16 יַלְדֵי/הֶ֖ן yaledeyhen HNcmpc/Sp3fp their young their born-ones their children 4
H3206-08 וְ/הַ/יְלָדִים֙ vehayeladim HC/Td/Ncmpa and the children and the boys and the children 3
H3206-21 יֶ֣לֶד yeled HNcmsa child male child male child 3
H3206-18 יְלָדָ֑י/ו yeladayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms children his born-ones his child-ones 3
H3206-13 וִֽ/ילָדֶ֨י/הָ֙ viladeyha HC/Ncmpc/Sp3fs and her children and her born-ones and her children 3
H3206-12 וְ/יֶ֖לֶד veyeled HC/Ncmsa and a child male child and a child 2

Occurrences in Scripture

90 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3206-12 Genesis 4:23 וְ/יֶ֖לֶד veyeled HC/Ncmsa and a young man male child and a young man
H3206-03 Genesis 21:8 הַ/יֶּ֖לֶד hayeled HTd/Ncmsa the child the boy the child
H3206-03 Genesis 21:14 הַ/יֶּ֖לֶד hayeled HTd/Ncmsa the child the boy the child
H3206-03 Genesis 21:15 הַ/יֶּ֔לֶד hayeled HTd/Ncmsa the child the boy the child
H3206-01 Genesis 21:16 הַ/יָּ֑לֶד hayaled HTd/Ncmsa of the child the boy the child
H3206-17 Genesis 30:26 יְלָדַ֗/י yeladay HNcmpc/Sp1cs my children my children my children
H3206-18 Genesis 32:23 יְלָדָ֑י/ו yeladayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms children his born-ones his child-ones
H3206-02 Genesis 33:1 הַ/יְלָדִ֗ים hayeladim HTd/Ncmpa children the boys the children
H3206-16 Genesis 33:2 יַלְדֵי/הֶ֖ן yaledeyhen HNcmpc/Sp3fp their children their born-ones their children
H3206-13 Genesis 33:2 וִֽ/ילָדֶ֨י/הָ֙ viladeyha HC/Ncmpc/Sp3fs and her children and her born-ones and her children
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