עָמִית
𐤏𐤌𐤉𐤕
ʻâmîyth
H5997 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A companion, associate, neighbor, or fellow member of a community; emphasizes social interconnectedness or shared association within a group, often implying mutual obligations or responsibilities. Semantic range includes companion, fellow, associate, neighbor, or partner, particularly in civil, legal, or cultic contexts.
Semantic Range
companion, associate, fellow, neighbor, partner, counterpart (in legal, social, or cultic context); member of the same community
Root / Etymology
Root עמת (ע-מ-ת), meaning 'to join', 'to associate with', or 'to connect alongside.' עָמִית derives from the abstract sense of association or being joined with another, and comes to denote someone with whom one shares a close or reciprocal relationship within a social setting.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, עָמִית occurs primarily in legal and cultic contexts to denote a fellow Israelite within the covenant community, often emphasizing mutual rights or obligations (e.g., Leviticus 19:15, 19:17, 25:14-17). Unlike רֵעַ (re'a), which can refer to a broader spectrum of 'friend' or 'neighbor', עָמִית tends to highlight formal association within societal or legal frameworks. Its relatively restricted usage underscores the shared responsibilities of community life, such as fairness in judgment or economic dealings. In later Hebrew, the term can denote a colleague or partner, but this is not its primary biblical sense. Standard English translations like 'neighbor' or 'fellow' only partially convey the sense of formal association implied in the original Hebrew. The term never refers to outsiders or foreigners; it specifically marks someone as belonging to the same community or category as the speaker.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from a primitive root meaning to associate; companionship; hence (concretely) a comrade or kindred man; another, fellow, neighbour.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
עמת (ʻâmîyth) — to join, to be associated, to connect alongside
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5997-01 |
עֲמִֽיתְ/ךָ֔ | amitekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
your-neighbor | your fellow-associate | your fellow-associate | 5 |
H5997-04 |
בַּ/עֲמִית֜/וֹ | baamito | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
in his neighbor | with his associate | against his neighbor | 3 |
H5997-03 |
עֲמִיתֽ/וֹ | amito | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his fellow | his associate | his associate | 2 |
H5997-02 |
עֲמִיתִ֔/י | amiti | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
who is my associate | my associate | my associate | 1 |
H5997-05 |
לַ/עֲמִיתֶ֔/ךָ | laamitekha | HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms |
to your fellow | your companion | to your companion | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
12 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5997-04 |
Leviticus 5:21 | בַּ/עֲמִית֜/וֹ | baamito | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
to-his-neighbor | with his associate | against his neighbor |
H5997-03 |
Leviticus 5:21 | עֲמִיתֽ/וֹ | amito | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his-neighbor | his associate | his neighbor |
H5997-01 |
Leviticus 18:20 | עֲמִֽיתְ/ךָ֔ | amitekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
your neighbor | your fellow-associate | your fellow-associate |
H5997-04 |
Leviticus 19:11 | בַּ/עֲמִיתֽ/וֹ | baamito | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
with-his-fellow | with his associate | with his associate |
H5997-01 |
Leviticus 19:15 | עֲמִיתֶֽ/ךָ | amitekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
your-neighbor | your fellow-associate | your fellow-associate |
H5997-01 |
Leviticus 19:17 | עֲמִיתֶ֔/ךָ | amitekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
your-neighbor | your fellow-associate | your associate |
H5997-04 |
Leviticus 24:19 | בַּ/עֲמִית֑/וֹ | baamito | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
in his neighbor | with his associate | in his associate |
H5997-05 |
Leviticus 25:14 | לַ/עֲמִיתֶ֔/ךָ | laamitekha | HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms |
to your fellow | your companion | to your companion |
H5997-01 |
Leviticus 25:14 | עֲמִיתֶ֑/ךָ | amitekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
of your fellow | your fellow-associate | your companion |
H5997-01 |
Leviticus 25:15 | עֲמִיתֶ֑/ךָ | amitekha | HNcmsc/Sp2ms |
your fellow | your fellow-associate | your fellow |
H5997-03 |
Leviticus 25:17 | עֲמִית֔/וֹ | amito | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his fellow | his associate | his associate |
H5997-02 |
Zechariah 13:7 | עֲמִיתִ֔/י | amiti | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
who is my associate | my associate | my associate |