יָד
𐤉𐤃
yâd
H3027 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The physical hand, especially the open human hand; by extension, a symbol or agent of power, possession, control, strength, or personal action. In wider usage, refers both to literal body part and a wide range of figurative applications, such as authority, means, agency, care, responsibility, and proximity. May also denote side, direction, or part in spatial relations.
Semantic Range
hand (physical), power, agency, authority, control, possession, responsibility, care, strength, means, direction, side, border, proximity, part, portion, by/care of, through/by means of, manual labor, instrumentality, help, stroke, pledge, oath, mark, bystander, initiate action
Root / Etymology
Root: יד (y-d). The root primarily means 'hand,' with focus on the organ used for grasping, holding, or acting. The noun יָד derives directly from this root, emphasizing the function of the open, active hand. Distinct from כַּף (kaf), which tends to signify the palm or hollow of the hand, often with emphasis on holding or cupping.
Historical & Contextual Notes
יָד is the standard biblical Hebrew term for 'hand,' with usages spanning personal names, legal language (such as oaths, pledges, or transfer of property), ritual actions (laying hands on sacrificial animals), expressions of personal agency, and metaphors for power, control, or fate (e.g., 'into the hand of enemies'). In spatial or directional contexts, it may indicate 'side' or 'at/by the hand of.' In post-exilic and later Hebrew, the range remains broad, but distinctions with related terms are maintained (e.g., כַּף 'palm,' or זְרוֹעַ 'arm' emphasizing strength). English translations sometimes narrow the sense or obscure figurative uses by rendering as 'hand' even when 'power' or 'custody' is meant. In most contexts during the patriarchal, monarchic, and exilic periods, יָד retains its multiplicity—literal, metaphorical, and idiomatic. Later, Aramaic usage in similar expressions continues this pattern. The association of 'hand' with power, responsibility, and agency is shared with many ancient Near Eastern languages.
Translation Consistency
'Hand' is by far the dominant and most natural English equivalent (1290 of the P2 renderings). It covers the literal body part and the wide range of figurative senses (agency, power/possession, means/by the hand of, side/direction, help, responsibility, etc.). Using 'hand' yields consistent, idiomatic English across contexts while allowing context words to render specialized senses (e.g., 'hand of power,' 'in his hand,' 'at hand').
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive word; in distinction from כַּף, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows); a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),; ([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, [idiom] enough, [phrase] fellowship, force, [idiom] from, hand(-staves, -y work), [idiom] he, himself, [idiom] in, labour, [phrase] large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, [idiom] mine, ministry, near, [idiom] of, [idiom] order, ordinance, [idiom] our, parts, pain, power, [idiom] presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, [phrase] swear, terror, [idiom] thee, [idiom] by them, [idiom] themselves, [idiom] thine own, [idiom] thou, through, [idiom] throwing, [phrase] thumb, times, [idiom] to, [idiom] under, [idiom] us, [idiom] wait on, (way-) side, where, [phrase] wide, [idiom] with (him, me, you), work, [phrase] yield, [idiom] yourselves.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
יד (yâd) — hand (open), to grasp, to hold, to act
Word Forms
91 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3027-01 |
בְּ/יַ֖ד | beyad | HR/Ncbsc |
by the hand of | by the hand of | in the hand of | 263 |
H3027-79 |
יָד֗/וֹ | yado | HNcbsc/Sp3ms |
his hand | his hand | his hand | 157 |
H3027-63 |
יַד | yad | HNcbsc |
hand | open hand | hand | 144 |
H3027-25 |
מִ/יַּ֣ד | miyad | HR/Ncbsc |
from the hand of | from hand of | from hand of | 104 |
H3027-70 |
יָדְ/ךָ֙ | yadekha | HNcbsc/Sp2ms |
your hand | your hand | your hand | 89 |
H3027-78 |
יָדִ֖/י | yadi | HNcbsc/Sp1cs |
my hand | my hand | my hand | 74 |
H3027-10 |
בְּ/יָד֔/וֹ | beyado | HR/Ncbsc/Sp3ms |
in his hand | in his hand | in his hand | 73 |
H3027-69 |
יָדָ֔י/ו | yadayv | HNcbdc/Sp3ms |
his hands | his two hands | his two hands | 44 |
H3027-85 |
יְדֵי | yedey | HNcbdc |
the hands of | the two hands of | the two hands of | 42 |
H3027-05 |
בְּ/יָדֶֽ/ךָ | beyadekha | HR/Ncbsc/Sp2ms |
in your hand | in your hand | in your hand | 41 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1627 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3027-79 |
Genesis 3:22 | יָד֗/וֹ | yado | HNcbsc/Sp3ms |
his hand | his hand | his hand |
H3027-29 |
Genesis 4:11 | מִ/יָּדֶֽ/ךָ | miyadekha | HR/Ncbsc/Sp2ms |
from your hand | from your hand | from your hand |
H3027-77 |
Genesis 5:29 | יָדֵ֔י/נוּ | yadeynu | HNcbdc/Sp1cp |
of our hands | our two hands | our two hands |
H3027-79 |
Genesis 8:9 | יָד/וֹ֙ | yado | HNcbsc/Sp3ms |
his hand | his hand | his hand |
H3027-11 |
Genesis 9:2 | בְּ/יֶדְ/כֶ֥ם | beyedekhem | HR/Ncbsc/Sp2mp |
into your hand | in your (masc. plural) hand | in your (masc. plural) handing |
H3027-25 |
Genesis 9:5 | מִ/יַּ֥ד | miyad | HR/Ncbsc |
from the hand of | from hand of | from hand of |
H3027-37 |
Genesis 9:5 | וּ/מִ/יַּ֣ד | umiyad | HC/R/Ncbsc |
and from the hand of | and from the hand of | and from the hand of |
H3027-25 |
Genesis 9:5 | מִ/יַּד֙ | miyad-2 | HR/Ncbsc |
from the hand of | from hand of | from hand of |
H3027-05 |
Genesis 14:20 | בְּ/יָדֶ֑/ךָ | beyadekha | HR/Ncbsc/Sp2ms |
into your hand | in your hand | in your hand |
H3027-78 |
Genesis 14:22 | יָדִ֤/י | yadi | HNcbsc/Sp1cs |
my hand | my hand | my hand |
H3027-06 |
Genesis 16:6 | בְּ/יָדֵ֔/ךְ | beyadekhe | HR/Ncbsc/Sp2fs |
in your hand | in your hand | in your hand |
H3027-74 |
Genesis 16:9 | יָדֶֽי/הָ | yadeyha | HNcbdc/Sp3fs |
her authority | her two hands | her two hands |
H3027-79 |
Genesis 16:12 | יָד֣/וֹ | yado | HNcbsc/Sp3ms |
his hand | his hand | his hand |
H3027-46 |
Genesis 16:12 | וְ/יַ֥ד | veyad | HC/Ncbsc |
and hand | hand of | and hand of |
H3027-65 |
Genesis 19:10 | יָדָ֔/ם | yadam | HNcbsc/Sp3mp |
their hands | their hand | their hand |
H3027-10 |
Genesis 19:16 | בְּ/יָד֣/וֹ | beyado | HR/Ncbsc/Sp3ms |
his hand | in his hand | in his hand |
H3027-39 |
Genesis 19:16 | וּ/בְ/יַד | uveyad | HC/R/Ncbsc |
and the hand | and in the hand of | and in the hand of |
H3027-39 |
Genesis 19:16 | וּ/בְ/יַד֙ | uveyad-2 | HC/R/Ncbsc |
and the hand | and in the hand of | and in the hand of |
H3027-72 |
Genesis 21:18 | יָדֵ֖/ךְ | yadekhe | HNcbsc/Sp2fs |
your hand | your hand | your hand |
H3027-32 |
Genesis 21:30 | מִ/יָּדִ֑/י | miyadi | HR/Ncbsc/Sp1cs |
from my hand | from my hand | from my hand |
H3027-10 |
Genesis 22:6 | בְּ/יָד֔/וֹ | beyado | HR/Ncbsc/Sp3ms |
in his hand | in his hand | in his hand |
H3027-79 |
Genesis 22:10 | יָד֔/וֹ | yado | HNcbsc/Sp3ms |
his hand | his hand | his hand |
H3027-70 |
Genesis 22:12 | יָֽדְ/ךָ֙ | yadekha | HNcbsc/Sp2ms |
your hand | your hand | your hand |
H3027-70 |
Genesis 24:2 | יָדְ/ךָ֖ | yadekha | HNcbsc/Sp2ms |
your hand | your hand | your hand |
H3027-79 |
Genesis 24:9 | יָד֔/וֹ | yado | HNcbsc/Sp3ms |
his hand | his hand | his hand |
H3027-10 |
Genesis 24:10 | בְּ/יָד֑/וֹ | beyado | HR/Ncbsc/Sp3ms |
in his hand | in his hand | in his hand |
H3027-64 |
Genesis 24:18 | יָדָ֖/הּ | yadah | HNcbsc/Sp3fs |
her hand | her hand | her hand |
H3027-74 |
Genesis 24:22 | יָדֶ֔י/הָ | yadeyha | HNcbdc/Sp3fs |
her hands | her two hands | her hands |
H3027-85 |
Genesis 24:30 | יְדֵ֣י | yedey | HNcbdc |
the hands | the two hands of | the two hands of |
H3027-74 |
Genesis 24:47 | יָדֶֽי/הָ | yadeyha | HNcbdc/Sp3fs |
her hands | her two hands | her two hands |
H3027-56 |
Genesis 25:26 | וְ/יָד֤/וֹ | veyado | HC/Ncbsc/Sp3ms |
and his hand | his hand | and his hand |
H3027-69 |
Genesis 27:16 | יָדָ֑י/ו | yadayv | HNcbdc/Sp3ms |
his hands | his two hands | his two hands |
H3027-01 |
Genesis 27:17 | בְּ/יַ֖ד | beyad | HR/Ncbsc |
into the hand | by the hand of | in the hand of |
H3027-45 |
Genesis 27:22 | וְ/הַ/יָּדַ֖יִם | vehayadayim | HC/Td/Ncbda |
but the hands | and the two hands | and the two hands |
H3027-85 |
Genesis 27:22 | יְדֵ֥י | yedey | HNcbdc |
hands | the two hands of | the two hands of |
H3027-69 |
Genesis 27:23 | יָדָ֗י/ו | yadayv | HNcbdc/Sp3ms |
his hands | his two hands | his two hands |
H3027-20 |
Genesis 27:23 | כִּ/ידֵ֛י | kidey | HR/Ncbdc |
like the hands of | like the hands of | like the hands of |
H3027-01 |
Genesis 30:35 | בְּ/יַד | beyad | HR/Ncbsc |
into the hand of | by the hand of | in the hand of |
H3027-78 |
Genesis 31:29 | יָדִ֔/י | yadi | HNcbsc/Sp1cs |
in my hand | my hand | my hand |
H3027-32 |
Genesis 31:39 | מִ/יָּדִ֖/י | miyadi | HR/Ncbsc/Sp1cs |
from my hand | from my hand | from my hand |
H3027-25 |
Genesis 32:12 | מִ/יַּ֥ד | miyad | HR/Ncbsc |
from the hand of | from hand of | from hand of |
H3027-25 |
Genesis 32:12 | מִ/יַּ֣ד | miyad-2 | HR/Ncbsc |
from the hand of | from hand of | from hand of |
H3027-56 |
Genesis 32:14 | בְ/יָד֛/וֹ | veyado | HR/Ncbsc/Sp3ms |
to his hand | his hand | in his hand |
H3027-01 |
Genesis 32:17 | בְּ/יַד | beyad | HR/Ncbsc |
into the hand of | by the hand of | in the hand of |
H3027-32 |
Genesis 33:10 | מִ/יָּדִ֑/י | miyadi | HR/Ncbsc/Sp1cs |
from my hand | from my hand | from my hand |
H3027-25 |
Genesis 33:19 | מִ/יַּ֥ד | miyad | HR/Ncbsc |
from the hand of | from hand of | from hand of |
H3027-68 |
Genesis 34:21 | יָדַ֖יִם | yadayim | HNcbda |
enough | two hands | enough |
H3027-03 |
Genesis 35:4 | בְּ/יָדָ֔/ם | beyadam | HR/Ncbsc/Sp3mp |
in their possession | in their hand | in their hand |
H3027-27 |
Genesis 37:21 | מִ/יָּדָ֑/ם | miyadam | HR/Ncbsc/Sp3mp |
from their hand | from their hand | from their hand |
H3027-46 |
Genesis 37:22 | וְ/יָ֖ד | veyad | HC/Ncbsa |
and hand | hand of | and hand of |