יָדַע
𐤉𐤃𐤏
yâdaʻ
H3045 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To know, perceive, or recognize through observation, experience, or relationship. The verb denotes a spectrum from simple perceptual knowledge (to see, notice, or learn) to more abstract understanding (intellectual knowledge, discernment, wisdom) and even intimate acquaintance (personal relationship, sexual intimacy). Used of both concrete, observable knowledge (e.g., knowing a fact or event) and relational, experiential knowledge (knowing a person or deity). Extended uses include to be skilled, to appoint, and to declare or make known.
Semantic Range
to know (factually), to perceive, to recognize, to understand, to have sexual relations (euphemism), to be acquainted with, to care for, to make known, to declare, to reveal, to appoint, to designate, to be skilled, to instruct, to be taught
Root / Etymology
From the root ידע (y-d-ʻ), whose core meaning is to know, recognize, experience. The verb יָדַע is the basic stem (qal) conveying the act of knowing; derived stems (niphal, hifil, etc.) convey passive, causative, or reflexive senses (to be made known, to inform, to cause to know, etc.).
Historical & Contextual Notes
יָדַע functions as one of the most foundational verbs in Biblical Hebrew for expressing knowledge, perception, and relationship. In the patriarchal and monarchic periods, it covers a wide semantic range, including factual knowledge (Genesis 3:5), discerning moral or ritual situations (Leviticus 5:1), and intimate personal relationships, notably as a euphemism for sexual relations (Genesis 4:1). In wisdom literature, יָדַע is closely associated with wisdom, discernment, and the pursuit of understanding (Proverbs 9:10). Theological usage includes knowing YHWH, a term loaded with covenantal and relational significance (Jeremiah 31:34). Over time, the sense of 'knowing' as experiential, relational, and covenantal came to predominate in prophetic texts, contrasting mere factual awareness. English translations often separate the senses (e.g. 'know,' 'understand,' 'have sexual relations,' 'reveal') but do not capture the full depth of the term's immersive, experiential, and relational dimensions in Hebrew. Related verbs include בין (bin, 'to discern/understand'), שׂכל (śkl, 'to be wise/insightful'), and ראה (ra'ah, 'to see/perceive'), each with partial overlap but distinct focus. Later Jewish and Judean literature, including post-exilic and Second Temple texts, continue to employ ידע, often with heightened emphasis on spiritual or covenantal knowing.
Translation Consistency
yâdaʻ’s dominant and most natural English equivalent is “know,” which covers its primary semantic range—factual/experiential knowledge, recognition, understanding, and intimate acquaintance (the Bible’s euphemistic “know”). Corpus frequency strongly favors know/known/knew, and this single verb yields consistent, idiomatic English across the varied usages; rarer senses (appoint, make known, be skilled) can be rendered per context while keeping the core verb consistent.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.); acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, can have, be (ig-) norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have (knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, [phrase] be learned, [phrase] lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, [idiom] prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell, understand, have (understanding), [idiom] will be, wist, wit, wot.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
ידע (Deuel) — to know, to perceive, to recognize
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1843 | דֵּעַ | Know! |
| H1844 | דֵּעָה | perceptive knowledge |
| H1845 | דְּעוּאֵל | God Knows |
| H1847 | דַּעַת | by his knowledge |
| H3037 | יַדּוּעַ | and Known-One |
Word Forms
188 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3045-139 |
יָדַ֔עְתִּי | yadaeti | HVqp1cs |
I know | I knew | I knew | 90 |
H3045-134 |
יָדָֽע | yada | HVqp3ms |
knows | he knew | he knew | 64 |
H3045-137 |
יָדָֽעְתָּ | yadaeta | HVqp2ms |
know | you have known | you have known | 55 |
H3045-118 |
וְ/יָדְע֤וּ | veyadeu | HC/Vqq3cp |
and-they-will-know | and they knew | and they will know | 53 |
H3045-178 |
יֹדֵ֥עַ | yodea | HVqrmsa |
knows | the knowing one | knows | 43 |
H3045-129 |
וִֽ/ידַעְתֶּ֖ם | vidaetem | HC/Vqp2mp |
and you will know | and you will know | and you will know | 39 |
H3045-142 |
יָדְע֖וּ | yadeu | HVqp3cp |
they knew | they knew | they knew | 39 |
H3045-36 |
לָ/דַ֖עַת | ladaat | HR/Vqc |
to know | to know | to know | 33 |
H3045-64 |
תֵּדַ֖ע | teda | HVqi2ms |
you know | you will know | you will know | 29 |
H3045-148 |
יֵֽדַע | yeda | HVqj3ms |
knows | let him know | let him know | 19 |
Occurrences in Scripture
953 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3045-178 |
Genesis 3:5 | יֹדֵ֣עַ | yodea | HVqrmsa |
knows | the knowing one | knows |
H3045-181 |
Genesis 3:5 | יֹדְעֵ֖י | yodeey | HVqrmpc |
knowing | knowers of | knowers of |
H3045-91 |
Genesis 3:7 | וַ/יֵּ֣דְע֔וּ | vayedeu | HC/Vqw3mp |
and they knew | and they knew | and they knew |
H3045-36 |
Genesis 3:22 | לָ/דַ֖עַת | ladaat | HR/Vqc |
to know | to know | to know |
H3045-134 |
Genesis 4:1 | יָדַ֖ע | yada | HVqp3ms |
knew | he knew | he knew |
H3045-139 |
Genesis 4:9 | יָדַ֔עְתִּי | yadaeti | HVqp1cs |
I know | I knew | I knew |
H3045-90 |
Genesis 4:17 | וַ/יֵּ֤דַע | vayeda | HC/Vqw3ms |
and knew | and he knew | and he knew |
H3045-90 |
Genesis 4:25 | וַ/יֵּ֨דַע | vayeda | HC/Vqw3ms |
knew | and he knew | and he knew |
H3045-90 |
Genesis 8:11 | וַ/יֵּ֣דַע | vayeda | HC/Vqw3ms |
and he knew | and he knew | and he knew |
H3045-90 |
Genesis 9:24 | וַ/יֵּ֕דַע | vayeda | HC/Vqw3ms |
and knew | and he knew | and he knew |
H3045-139 |
Genesis 12:11 | יָדַ֔עְתִּי | yadaeti | HVqp1cs |
I know | I knew | I knew |
H3045-09 |
Genesis 15:8 | אֵדַ֖ע | eda | HVqi1cs |
shall I know | I will know | I will know |
H3045-144 |
Genesis 15:13 | יָדֹ֨עַ | yadoa | HVqa |
surely | to know indeed | you must surely know |
H3045-64 |
Genesis 15:13 | תֵּדַ֜ע | teda | HVqi2ms |
know | you will know | you will know |
H3045-162 |
Genesis 18:19 | יְדַעְתִּ֗י/ו | yedaetiv | HVqp1cs/Sp3ms |
I know him | I have known him | I have known him |
H3045-10 |
Genesis 18:21 | אֵדָֽעָה | edaah | HVqi1cs |
I will know | I will know | I will know |
H3045-108 |
Genesis 19:5 | וְ/נֵדְעָ֖ה | venedeah | HC/Vqh1cp |
that we may know | and let us know | and let us know |
H3045-142 |
Genesis 19:8 | יָדְעוּ֙ | yadeu | HVqp3cp |
have known | they knew | they knew |
H3045-134 |
Genesis 19:33 | יָדַ֥ע | yada | HVqp3ms |
he knew | he knew | he knew |
H3045-134 |
Genesis 19:35 | יָדַ֥ע | yada | HVqp3ms |
he knew | he knew | he knew |
H3045-139 |
Genesis 20:6 | יָדַ֨עְתִּי֙ | yadaeti | HVqp1cs |
knew | I knew | I knew |
H3045-02 |
Genesis 20:7 | דַּ֚ע | da | HVqv2ms |
know | Know! | Know! |
H3045-139 |
Genesis 21:26 | יָדַ֔עְתִּי | yadaeti | HVqp1cs |
I knew | I knew | I knew |
H3045-139 |
Genesis 22:12 | יָדַ֗עְתִּי | yadaeti | HVqp1cs |
I know | I knew | I knew |
H3045-09 |
Genesis 24:14 | אֵדַ֔ע | eda | HVqi1cs |
I shall know | I will know | I will know |
H3045-149 |
Genesis 24:16 | יְדָעָ֑/הּ | yedaah | HVqp3ms/Sp3fs |
had known her | he knew her | he knew her |
H3045-36 |
Genesis 24:21 | לָ/דַ֗עַת | ladaat | HR/Vqc |
to know/learn | to know | to know |
H3045-178 |
Genesis 25:27 | יֹדֵ֥עַ | yodea | HVqrmsa |
skillful | the knowing one | the knowing one |
H3045-139 |
Genesis 27:2 | יָדַ֖עְתִּי | yadaeti | HVqp1cs |
I know | I knew | I knew |
H3045-139 |
Genesis 28:16 | יָדָֽעְתִּי | yadaeti | HVqp1cs |
knew | I knew | I knew |
H3045-17 |
Genesis 29:5 | הַ/יְדַעְתֶּ֖ם | hayedaetem | HTi/Vqp2mp |
Do you know | Have you men known? | Have you men known? |
H3045-136 |
Genesis 29:5 | יָדָֽעְנוּ | yadaenu | HVqp1cp |
We know | we have known | we have known |
H3045-137 |
Genesis 30:26 | יָדַ֔עְתָּ | yadaeta | HVqp2ms |
know | you have known | you have known |
H3045-137 |
Genesis 30:29 | יָדַ֔עְתָּ | yadaeta | HVqp2ms |
know | you have known | you have known |
H3045-157 |
Genesis 31:6 | יְדַעְתֶּ֑ן | yedaeten | HVqp2fp |
know | you women have known | have known |
H3045-134 |
Genesis 31:32 | יָדַ֣ע | yada | HVqp3ms |
did know | he knew | he knew |
H3045-178 |
Genesis 33:13 | יֹדֵ֨עַ֙ | yodea | HVqrmsa |
knows | the knowing one | knows |
H3045-90 |
Genesis 38:9 | וַ/יֵּ֣דַע | vayeda | HC/Vqw3ms |
knew | and he knew | and he knew |
H3045-134 |
Genesis 38:16 | יָדַ֔ע | yada | HVqp3ms |
he knew | he knew | he knew |
H3045-38 |
Genesis 38:26 | לְ/דַעְתָּֽ/ה | ledaetah | HR/Vqc/Sp3fs |
to know her | to know her | to know her |
H3045-134 |
Genesis 39:6 | יָדַ֤ע | yada | HVqp3ms |
know | he knew | he knew |
H3045-134 |
Genesis 39:8 | יָדַ֥ע | yada | HVqp3ms |
knows | he knew | knows |
H3045-57 |
Genesis 41:21 | נוֹדַע֙ | noda | HVNp3ms |
it was known | has become known | has become known |
H3045-173 |
Genesis 41:31 | יִוָּדַ֤ע | yivada | HVNi3ms |
be known | he will be known | it will be known |
H3045-28 |
Genesis 41:39 | הוֹדִ֧יעַ | hodia | HVhc |
has shown | to cause to know | has caused to know |
H3045-142 |
Genesis 42:23 | יָֽדְע֔וּ | yadeu | HVqp3cp |
knew | they knew | they knew |
H3045-09 |
Genesis 42:33 | אֵדַ֔ע | eda | HVqi1cs |
I will know | I will know | I will know |
H3045-98 |
Genesis 42:34 | וְ/אֵֽדְעָ֗ה | veedeah | HC/Vqh1cs |
then I will know | and let me know | and I will know |
H3045-16 |
Genesis 43:7 | הֲ/יָד֣וֹעַ | hayadoa | HTi/Vqa |
could we know | to surely know | to surely know |
H3045-55 |
Genesis 43:7 | נֵדַ֔ע | neda | HVqi1cp |
we know | we know | we know |