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יְאֹר

𐤉𐤀𐤓

Yeor

H2975 noun

SILEX Entry

Root (uncertain, probable foreign borrowing) river, watercourse, canal

Definition

A river, stream, or canal; most often refers to the Nile River in Egypt but also used for large rivers such as the Tigris and Euphrates, especially in poetic or broader Near Eastern contexts. The term can denote both the main watercourse and, by extension, associated canals or irrigation ditches, depending on context.

Semantic Range

major river (Nile, Tigris, Euphrates), canal, irrigation ditch, water channel, stream

Root / Etymology

Etymology uncertain. While often considered a loanword from Egyptian (Egyptian: 'itrw', the ancient term for the Nile), this derivation is debated; the root does not correspond to any native Semitic pattern, supporting its origin as a foreign borrowing.

Historical & Contextual Notes

יְאֹר most frequently designates the Nile River (itrw in Egyptian) in narratives concerning Egypt (such as Exodus), where it serves as the main source of water and symbolizes the land’s fertility and power. In a few poetic or prophetic texts, יְאֹר is used for significant rivers beyond Egypt, such as the Euphrates or Tigris (e.g., Daniel 12:5) to convey grandeur or importance. It differs from נָהָר (nahar), the standard Semitic term for 'river,' which is used for waterways across the region; יְאֹר retains a distinctive association with the Nile and, by extension, with Egypt, sometimes representing the broader Egyptian landscape or life-force. English translations sometimes generalize יְאֹר as 'river' or substitute 'Nile' for clarity, but this can obscure the term’s occasional broader referents. The word’s usage reflects Egypt’s prominence in Israelite literature, especially in the context of the Exodus, plagues, and prophetic pronouncements concerning Egypt and its rulers. In post-exilic texts, the word's referential breadth may expand, though its primary association remains Egyptian.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Egyptian origin; a channel, e.g. a fosse, canal, shaft; specifically the Nile, as the one river of Egypt, including its collateral trenches; also the Tigris, as the main river of Assyria; brook, flood, river, stream.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

יאר (y-ʾ-r) — river, watercourse, canal

Word Forms

17 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2975-03 הַ/יְאֹֽר hayeor HTd/Np the Nile the river 25
H2975-01 בַּ/יְאֹ֖ר bayeor HRd/Np in the Nile in the river 7
H2975-11 יְא֖וֹר yeor HNp of the Nile river 6
H2975-15 יְאֹרֶ֖י/ךָ yeoreykha HNcmpc/Sp2ms of your rivers your rivers 5
H2975-13 יְאֹרֵ֥י yeorey HNcmpc streams rivers of 4
H2975-06 כַּ/יְאֹ֑ר kayeor HRd/Np like the Nile like a river 3
H2975-17 יְאֹרִ֖ים yeorim HNcmpa channels rivers 3
H2975-14 יְאֹרֵי/הֶ֣ם yeoreyhem HNcmpc/Sp3mp their canals their rivers 2
H2975-09 כִּ/יא֥וֹר kior HR/Np like the Nile river-watercourse 2
H2975-08 כַ/יְאֹר֙ khayeor HRd/Np like the Nile like a river 1

Occurrences in Scripture

65 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2975-03 Genesis 41:1 הַ/יְאֹֽר hayeor HTd/Np the Nile the river
H2975-03 Genesis 41:2 הַ/יְאֹ֗ר hayeor HTd/Np the Nile the river
H2975-03 Genesis 41:3 הַ/יְאֹ֔ר hayeor HTd/Np the Nile the river
H2975-03 Genesis 41:3 הַ/יְאֹֽר hayeor-2 HTd/Np of the Nile the river
H2975-03 Genesis 41:17 הַ/יְאֹֽר hayeor HTd/Np of the Nile the river
H2975-03 Genesis 41:18 הַ/יְאֹ֗ר hayeor HTd/Np the Nile the river
H2975-04 Exodus 1:22 הַ/יְאֹ֨רָ/ה֙ hayeorah HTd/Np/Sd into the Nile to the river
H2975-03 Exodus 2:3 הַ/יְאֹֽר hayeor HTd/Np the Nile the river
H2975-03 Exodus 2:5 הַ/יְאֹ֔ר hayeor HTd/Np the Nile the river
H2975-03 Exodus 2:5 הַ/יְאֹ֑ר hayeor-2 HTd/Np the Nile the river
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