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" 45 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 (5 occurrences):
"become" (2x) "make" (2x) "made himself" (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
H3045-136 Genesis 43:22 יָדַ֔עְנוּ yadaenu HVqp1cp we know we have known we have known
H3045-156 Genesis 44:15 יְדַעְתֶּ֔ם yedaetem HVqp2mp you know you have known you have known
H3045-156 Genesis 44:27 יְדַעְתֶּ֔ם yedaetem HVqp2mp know you have known you have known
H3045-01 Genesis 45:1 בְּ/הִתְוַדַּ֥ע behitevada HR/Vtc when Joseph made himself known to make oneself known as he made himself known
H3045-137 Genesis 47:6 יָדַ֗עְתָּ yadaeta HVqp2ms you know you have known you have known
H3045-139 Genesis 48:19 יָדַ֤עְתִּֽי yadaeti HVqp1cs I know I knew I knew
H3045-139 Genesis 48:19 יָדַ֔עְתִּי yadaeti-2 HVqp1cs I know I knew I knew
H3045-134 Exodus 1:8 יָדַ֖ע yada HVqp3ms know he knew know
H3045-40 Exodus 2:4 לְ/דֵעָ֕ה ledeah HR/Vqc to know to know to know
H3045-57 Exodus 2:14 נוֹדַ֥ע noda HVNp3ms is known. has become known has become known
H3045-90 Exodus 2:25 וַ/יֵּ֖דַע vayeda HC/Vqw3ms and God knew. and he knew and he knew
H3045-139 Exodus 3:7 יָדַ֖עְתִּי yadaeti HVqp1cs I know I knew I knew
H3045-139 Exodus 3:19 יָדַ֔עְתִּי yadaeti HVqp1cs know I knew I knew
H3045-139 Exodus 4:14 יָדַ֕עְתִּי yadaeti HVqp1cs I know I knew I knew
H3045-139 Exodus 5:2 יָדַ֨עְתִּי֙ yadaeti HVqp1cs I do know I knew I knew
H3045-58 Exodus 6:3 נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי nodaeti HVNp1cs was I known I was made known I was known
H3045-129 Exodus 6:7 וִֽ/ידַעְתֶּ֗ם vidaetem HC/Vqq2mp and you shall know and you will know and you will know
H3045-118 Exodus 7:5 וְ/יָדְע֤וּ veyadeu HC/Vqq3cp And shall know and they knew and they will know
H3045-64 Exodus 7:17 תֵּדַ֔ע teda HVqi2ms you shall know you will know you will know
H3045-64 Exodus 8:6 תֵּדַ֔ע teda HVqi2ms you may know you will know you will know
H3045-64 Exodus 8:18 תֵּדַ֔ע teda HVqi2ms you may know you will know you may know
H3045-64 Exodus 9:14 תֵּדַ֔ע teda HVqi2ms you may know you will know you may know
H3045-64 Exodus 9:29 תֵּדַ֔ע teda HVqi2ms you may know you will know you may know
H3045-139 Exodus 9:30 יָדַ֕עְתִּי yadaeti HVqp1cs I know I knew I knew
H3045-129 Exodus 10:2 וִֽ/ידַעְתֶּ֖ם vidaetem HC/Vqq2mp that you may know and you will know and you will know
H3045-64 Exodus 10:7 תֵּדַ֔ע teda HVqi2ms know you will know you will know
H3045-55 Exodus 10:26 נֵדַ֗ע neda HVqi1cp know we know know
H3045-71 Exodus 11:7 תֵּֽדְע֔וּ/ן tedeun HVqi2mp/Sn you may know you (masculine plural) will know you will know
H3045-118 Exodus 14:4 וְ/יָדְע֥וּ veyadeu HC/Vqq3cp and will know and they knew and they will know
H3045-118 Exodus 14:18 וְ/יָדְע֥וּ veyadeu HC/Vqq3cp and they will know and they knew and they will know
H3045-129 Exodus 16:6 וִֽ/ידַעְתֶּ֕ם vidaetem HC/Vqp2mp you shall know and you will know and you will know
H3045-129 Exodus 16:12 וִֽ/ידַעְתֶּ֕ם vidaetem HC/Vqq2mp and you shall know and you will know and you will know
H3045-142 Exodus 16:15 יָדְע֖וּ yadeu HVqp3cp they knew they knew they knew
H3045-139 Exodus 18:11 יָדַ֔עְתִּי yadaeti HVqp1cs I know I knew I knew
H3045-103 Exodus 18:16 וְ/הוֹדַעְתִּ֛י vehodaeti HC/Vhq1cs and I make known and I caused to know and I make known
H3045-99 Exodus 18:20 וְ/הוֹדַעְתָּ֣ vehodaeta HC/Vhq2ms you shall make known and you caused to know and you shall make known
H3045-57 Exodus 21:36 נוֹדַ֗ע noda HVNp3ms it-is-known has become known has become known
H3045-156 Exodus 23:9 יְדַעְתֶּם֙ yedaetem HVqp2mp you know you have known you have known
H3045-118 Exodus 29:46 וְ/יָדְע֗וּ veyadeu HC/Vqq3cp And they will know and they knew and they will know
H3045-36 Exodus 31:13 לָ/דַ֕עַת ladaat HR/Vqc that you may know to know to know
H3045-136 Exodus 32:1 יָדַ֖עְנוּ yadaenu HVqp1cp we know we have known we know
H3045-137 Exodus 32:22 יָדַ֣עְתָּ yadaeta HVqp2ms know you have known you have known
H3045-136 Exodus 32:23 יָדַ֖עְנוּ yadaenu HVqp1cp we know we have known we have known
H3045-98 Exodus 33:5 וְ/אֵדְעָ֖ה veedeah HC/Vqh1cs that I may know and let me know and let me know
H3045-25 Exodus 33:12 הֽוֹדַעְתַּ֔/נִי hodaetani HVhp2ms/Sp1cs have let me know you caused me to know you caused me to know
H3045-159 Exodus 33:12 יְדַעְתִּ֣י/ךָֽ yedaetikha HVqp1cs/Sp2ms I know you I knew you I knew you
H3045-32 Exodus 33:13 הוֹדִעֵ֤/נִי hodieni HVhv2ms/Sp1cs show me cause me to know cause me to know
H3045-97 Exodus 33:13 וְ/אֵדָ֣עֲ/ךָ֔ veedaakha HC/Vqi1cs/Sp2ms that I may know you I will know you that I may know you
H3045-173 Exodus 33:16 יִוָּדַ֣ע yivada HVNi3ms shall it be known he will be known will it be known
H3045-84 Exodus 33:17 וָ/אֵדָעֲ/ךָ֖ vaedaakha HC/Vqw1cs/Sp2ms and I have known you and I knew you and I knew you