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וָלָד

𐤅𐤋𐤃

vâlâd

H2056 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ילד to bear, give birth, bring forth

Definition

Male child, boy; in some contexts, refers specifically to an infant, son, or offspring. Refers primarily to a child of male gender but may at times be used in a more general sense for a descendant. Most commonly denotes a young child, often with emphasis on birth or youth.

Semantic Range

male child, boy, infant, son, offspring, young descendant

Root / Etymology

From the root ילד, meaning 'to bring forth, beget, give birth.' וָלָד (valad) is a noun of masculine gender formed directly from the root, denoting the product of birth, i.e., a child, typically male.

Historical & Contextual Notes

וָלָד appears infrequently in the Hebrew Bible and typically in poetic or later texts. It often occurs in parallel with יֶלֶד (yeled), another term for 'child' or 'boy.' Unlike יֶלֶד, which is widely used during all periods and generally denotes a child regardless of birth status, וָלָד emphasizes offspring relating to birth, sometimes highlighting early infancy or the biological state of being a son. In later Hebrew (rabbinic and post-biblical), the term becomes more common, coming to denote generally 'child' or 'offspring' without strict reference to gender, though in the biblical period, it is substantively masculine. English translations may render וָלָד as 'boy,' 'male child,' or 'offspring,' but such renderings risk losing the nuance of birth and early childhood. The term does not inherently refer to ethnic or legal status (such as inheritance rights). The use of וָלָד as 'Jew' or 'Jewish child' in later translation tradition reflects post-biblical vocabulary and should not be retrojected onto biblical contexts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

for יֶלֶד; a boy; child.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

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

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3205 יָלַד in being born
H3206 יֶלֶד the boy
H3207 יַלְדָּה the female child
H3208 יַלְדוּת in your childhood-years
H3209 יִלּוֹד the one born

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2056-01 וָלָֽד valad HNcmsa child male-born child 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2056-01 Genesis 11:30 וָלָֽד valad HNcmsa child male-born child
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