יָבַם
𐤉𐤁𐤌
yâbam
H2992 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To enter into a levirate marriage, specifically the act by which a man marries his deceased brother's widow so as to perpetuate the brother's lineage. The verb emphasizes both the formal obligation and the actual act of marrying the widow, in accordance with customary and legal expectations within ancient Israelite society. The word is used exclusively in legal and narrative contexts relating to the institution of levirate marriage.
Semantic Range
to contract a levirate marriage, to fulfill the obligation towards a deceased brother's widow, to marry (specifically in the context of levirate duty)
Root / Etymology
From the root י-ב-ם, which is likely denominative from the noun יָבָם (yâvām, 'brother-in-law' in the specific sense of 'husband's brother'). The noun refers to the man obligated to perform the levirate marriage. The root itself appears only as a denominative verb meaning 'to act as brother-in-law, to marry the brother's widow.' The original, non-denominative meaning of the root, if any, is uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb יָבַם occurs only rarely in the Hebrew Bible (most notably in Deuteronomy 25:5-10 and Genesis 38). It is exclusively associated with levirate marriage, a custom practiced among ancient Israelites whereby a man is required—upon his brother's death without offspring—to marry the widow and father a child to carry on the deceased brother's name and inheritance. This practice is legislated in Deuteronomy 25:5-10 and illustrated in the narrative of Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38). The corresponding noun יָבָם is technical, distinct from the generic term for 'brother.' English translations often render the verb inadequately as 'marry' or 'perform the duty of a husband's brother,' but these paraphrases do not bring out the specific, institutional meaning. The verb is absent outside the context of levirate marriage obligations. Later in Jewish tradition, the levirate custom (yibbum) continued but with modifications, including the preference for 'halitzah' (formal renunciation of the right). Comparable practices existed among neighboring peoples, but the technical sense of יָבַם is unique to ancient Israelite legal tradition. Modern usage of 'levirate' and 'levir' in English is derived from the Latin, not the Hebrew, and does not always preserve the nuances of the original term.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root of doubtful meaning; used only as a denominative from יָבָם; to marry a (deceased) brother's widow; perform the duty of a husband's brother, marry.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
יבם (yâbam) — to act as a husband's brother, to marry a brother's widow, to perpetuate a dead brother's lineage
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2992-01 |
וְ/יַבֵּ֣ם | veyabem | HC/Vpv2ms |
and marry | and enter levirate marriage | and enter levirate marriage | 1 |
H2992-02 |
וְ/יִבְּמָֽ/הּ | veyibemah | HC/Vpq3ms/Sp3fs |
and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her | and he levirate-married her | and he shall perform levirate-marriage to her | 1 |
H2992-03 |
יַבְּמִֽ/י | yabemi | HVpc/Sp1cs |
to perform my husband's duty | to levirate-marry me | to levirate-marry me | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2992-01 |
Genesis 38:8 | וְ/יַבֵּ֣ם | veyabem | HC/Vpv2ms |
and marry | and enter levirate marriage | and enter levirate marriage |
H2992-02 |
Deuteronomy 25:5 | וְ/יִבְּמָֽ/הּ | veyibemah | HC/Vpq3ms/Sp3fs |
and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her | and he levirate-married her | and he shall perform levirate-marriage to her |
H2992-03 |
Deuteronomy 25:7 | יַבְּמִֽ/י | yabemi | HVpc/Sp1cs |
to perform my husband's duty | to levirate-marry me | to levirate-marry me |