← H516 H518 →

אֵם

𐤀𐤌

ʼêm

H517 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A female parent; specifically, the biological mother of a child. The term may also denote an ancestress or matriarch within a kinship structure. In extended or figurative use, it refers to the foundational or originating element of a group, position, or object (e.g., 'mother city,' 'mother of all living'). In some contexts, 'ēm also signifies the source or primal part of something (e.g., the main channel or 'parting' of a stream).

Semantic Range

biological mother, female parent, ancestress, matriarch, source/fountainhead (of a people or thing), principal or chief part, origin (of a stream or city), nurturing figure, foundation

Root / Etymology

From the root א-מ (אֵם), meaning 'mother.' The term is a primary noun with no evident derivational prefix or suffix. Its root relates fundamentally to the notion of mother or source, but word formation beyond this simple root is uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

אֵם occurs throughout the Hebrew Bible from early to late texts, typically as the standard term for 'mother'—the female biological parent. The word is used literally (as in genealogies or narratives: Gen 3:20, Exod 20:12) and figuratively (Ezek 21:26 for the base/crown of a diadem or Isa 50:1 for personified Jerusalem as 'mother'). It can represent both immediate parentage and wider, symbolic ideas of origin or nurturing. The term is also utilized in the idiom 'mother city' for principal towns. In a few instances, 'ēm is associated with the 'parting' or source of a stream (as in Josh 15:9), expressing the idea of an originating point. English translations rendering this term as 'dam' (Leviticus 12:7) reflect older English for 'mother,' but modern English retains only 'mother.' Later Hellenistic and Roman period texts begin to extend the figurative use of 'ēm to collective or institutional origins. In rabbinic sources, 'ēm is foundational for legal and social definitions of kinship and ancestry. Contrast is to be made with אב ('av, father), which functions similarly for male ancestors or origins.

Translation Consistency

primary "mother" 50 occurrences

'Mother' is by far the dominant and most natural English equivalent (used in 204 of 220 occurrences) and covers the primary senses in the SILEX range: biological female parent, ancestress/matriarch, and metaphorical source or origin (e.g., 'mother city,' 'mother of all living'). It is simple, familiar, and preserves the nurturing/foundational connotations needed for consistent translation.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive word; a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively (like father)); dam, mother, [idiom] parting.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

אם (Amam) — to be a mother, to bring forth, act as source, nourish

Root אם to be a mother, to bring forth, act as source, nourish
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H523 אֻמַּה the people-groups
H538 אֲמָם Amam

Word Forms

31 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H517-10 אִמּֽ/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms his mother his mother his mother 79
H517-05 אִמֶּ֑/ךָ imekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms of your mother your mother your mother 25
H517-01 אֵ֥ם em HNcfsc mother mother of mother of 23
H517-09 אִמִּ֔/י imi HNcfsc/Sp1cs of my mother my mother my mother 23
H517-31 וְ/אִמּ֗/וֹ veimo HC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms and his mother and his mother and his mother 14
H517-16 לְ/אִמּ֗/וֹ leimo HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms to his mother to his mother to his mother 8
H517-03 אִמָּ֖/הּ imah HNcfsc/Sp3fs her mother with her her mother 5
H517-22 וּ/לְ/אִמּ/וֹ֙ uleimo HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp3ms and to his mother and to his mother and to his mother 5
H517-26 וְ/אִמָּ֑/הּ veimah HC/Ncfsc/Sp3fs and her mother her mother and her mother 4
H517-30 וְ/אִמִּ/י֙ veimi HC/Ncfsc/Sp1cs and my mother and my mother and my mother 4

Occurrences in Scripture

220 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H517-10 Genesis 2:24 אִמּ֑/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms his mother his mother his mother
H517-01 Genesis 3:20 אֵ֥ם em HNcfsc mother mother of mother of
H517-09 Genesis 20:12 אִמִּ֑/י imi HNcfsc/Sp1cs of my mother my mother my mother
H517-10 Genesis 21:21 אִמּ֛/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms his mother his mother his mother
H517-03 Genesis 24:28 אִמָּ֑/הּ imah HNcfsc/Sp3fs her mother with her her mother
H517-20 Genesis 24:53 וּ/לְ/אִמָּֽ/הּ uleimah HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp3fs and to her mother and to her mother and to her mother
H517-26 Genesis 24:55 וְ/אִמָּ֔/הּ veimah HC/Ncfsc/Sp3fs and her mother her mother and her mother
H517-10 Genesis 24:67 אִמּ֔/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms his mother his mother his mother
H517-10 Genesis 24:67 אִמּֽ/וֹ imo-2 HNcfsc/Sp3ms his mother his mother his mother
H517-10 Genesis 27:11 אִמּ֑/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms his mother his mother his mother
H517-10 Genesis 27:13 אִמּ֔/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms his mother his mother his mother
H517-16 Genesis 27:14 לְ/אִמּ֑/וֹ leimo HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms to his mother to his mother to his mother
H517-10 Genesis 27:14 אִמּ/וֹ֙ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms his mother his mother his mother
H517-05 Genesis 27:29 אִמֶּ֑/ךָ imekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms of your mother your mother your mother
H517-05 Genesis 28:2 אִמֶּ֑/ךָ imekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms of your mother your mother your mother
H517-05 Genesis 28:2 אִמֶּֽ/ךָ imekha-2 HNcfsc/Sp2ms of your mother your mother your mother
H517-01 Genesis 28:5 אֵ֥ם em HNcfsc mother mother of mother of
H517-10 Genesis 28:7 אִמּ֑/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms his mother his mother his mother
H517-10 Genesis 29:10 אִמּ֔/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms of his mother his mother his mother
H517-10 Genesis 29:10 אִמּ֑/וֹ imo-2 HNcfsc/Sp3ms of his mother his mother his mother
H517-10 Genesis 29:10 אִמּֽ/וֹ imo-3 HNcfsc/Sp3ms of his mother his mother his mother
H517-10 Genesis 30:14 אִמּ֑/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms his mother his mother his mother
H517-01 Genesis 32:12 אֵ֖ם em HNcfsa mother mother of mother of
H517-27 Genesis 37:10 וְ/אִמְּ/ךָ֣ veimekha HC/Ncfsc/Sp2ms and your mother and your mother and your mother
H517-10 Genesis 43:29 אִמּ/וֹ֒ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms of his mother his mother his mother
H517-16 Genesis 44:20 לְ/אִמּ֖/וֹ leimo HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms of his mother to his mother to his mother
H517-01 Exodus 2:8 אֵ֥ם em HNcfsc the mother of mother of mother of
H517-05 Exodus 20:12 אִמֶּ֑/ךָ imekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your mother your mother your mother
H517-31 Exodus 21:15 וְ/אִמּ֖/וֹ veimo HC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms or his mother and his mother and his mother
H517-31 Exodus 21:17 וְ/אִמּ֖/וֹ veimo HC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms or-his-mother and his mother and his mother
H517-10 Exodus 22:29 אִמּ֔/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms its mother his mother his mother
H517-10 Exodus 23:19 אִמּֽ/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms of its mother his mother his mother
H517-10 Exodus 34:26 אִמּֽ/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms of its mother his mother his mother
H517-05 Leviticus 18:7 אִמְּ/ךָ֖ imekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms of your mother your mother your mother
H517-05 Leviticus 18:7 אִמְּ/ךָ֣ imekha-2 HNcfsc/Sp2ms your mother your mother your mother
H517-05 Leviticus 18:9 אִמֶּ֔/ךָ imekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms of your mother your mother your mother
H517-05 Leviticus 18:13 אִמְּ/ךָ֖ imekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your mother your mother your mother
H517-05 Leviticus 18:13 אִמְּ/ךָ֖ imekha-2 HNcfsc/Sp2ms your mother your mother your mother
H517-10 Leviticus 19:3 אִמּ֤/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms his mother his mother his mother
H517-10 Leviticus 20:9 אִמּ֖/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms his mother his mother his mother
H517-31 Leviticus 20:9 וְ/אִמּ֛/וֹ veimo HC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms and his mother and his mother and his mother
H517-03 Leviticus 20:14 אִמָּ֖/הּ imah HNcfsc/Sp3fs her mother with her her mother
H517-10 Leviticus 20:17 אִ֠מּ/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms of his mother his mother his mother
H517-05 Leviticus 20:19 אִמְּ/ךָ֛ imekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your mother your mother your mother
H517-16 Leviticus 21:2 לְ/אִמּ֣/וֹ leimo HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms for his mother to his mother to his mother
H517-22 Leviticus 21:11 וּ/לְ/אִמּ֖/וֹ uleimo HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp3ms or for his mother and to his mother and to his mother
H517-10 Leviticus 22:27 אִמּ֑/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms its mother his mother his mother
H517-10 Leviticus 24:11 אִמּ֛/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms of his mother his mother his mother
H517-22 Numbers 6:7 וּ/לְ/אִמּ֗/וֹ uleimo HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp3ms or for his mother and to his mother and to his mother
H517-10 Numbers 12:12 אִמּ֔/וֹ imo HNcfsc/Sp3ms mother-his his mother his mother
← H516 Hebrew Lexicon H518 →