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

primary "know" 48 occurrences

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.

Alternatives (2 occurrences):
"knowers of" (1x) "become" (1x)

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

Root ידע to know, perceive, recognize, experience
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