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יָלַךְ

𐤉𐤋𐤊

yâlak

H3212 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To go, move, proceed, or walk—a verb indicating movement from one place to another, whether by walking, traveling, or departing. The sense extends to both literal travel or locomotion (on foot or otherwise) and various metaphorical uses, such as conducting oneself in life, behaving, or experiencing changes or progress. The verb can also be used causatively ('to lead, to bring, to carry') and in expressions meaning 'to follow, to pursue, to depart' or to indicate the passage or journey of time, life, or outcomes.

Semantic Range

to go, to walk, to travel, to move (oneself), to depart, to come, to proceed, to follow, to lead, to bring, to carry, to flow (water or time), to march, to conduct oneself (behaviorally), to grow (in certain contexts), to vanish/disappear, to cause to go, to make depart, to spread, to pursue

Root / Etymology

From the root הלך, whose core meaning is 'to go, walk, move.' יָלַךְ is the Qal (basic) verb form denoting the action of going or walking. It is likely one of the most archaic terms in Hebrew for physical movement.

Historical & Contextual Notes

יָלַךְ appears throughout the Hebrew Bible and is a core verb for movement, journey, or a change of state or place. Its literal meaning pertains to traveling or moving by foot, but it is also used metaphorically for conduct ('walk before God', i.e., live righteously), progress ('walk in wisdom'), following (both physically and in sense of following advice or precepts), or departing (active leaving). In narrative texts (patriarchal and monarchic periods), it typically describes journeys, departures, or physical arrival/departure. In later poetry and legal texts, it serves broader metaphorical or idiomatic functions (e.g., walking in paths, walking in darkness). The verb is distinct from other common verbs of movement (e.g., רָץ for 'to run,' בּוֹא for 'to come/go in'), and frequently parallels or contrasts with verbs of standing still or remaining. In post-exilic and Second Temple texts, the metaphor of 'walking' to describe moral or religious behavior becomes particularly prominent. English translations often render יָלַךְ as 'go,' 'walk,' or 'depart,' but do not always capture metaphorical nuances.

Translation Consistency

primary "go" 957 occurrences

'Go' is the most frequent and natural English rendering across the full semantic range of yâlak (502 occurrences as 'go' plus many 'went' forms). It covers literal walking/travel, departure, movement, and the common metaphorical senses (proceed, pass, continue) while remaining flexible enough to supply causative or directional idioms in context; rarer senses (lead, bring, cause) are better handled by context-specific phrasing rather than replacing the core verb.

Alternatives (87 occurrences):
"come" (19x) "go, you (feminine)" (15x) "walk" (12x) "go, you men" (11x) "led" (6x) "leading" (6x) "lead" (4x) "go, you women" (2x) "bring" (1x) "please" (1x) "walking" (1x) "continued" (1x) "depart" (1x) "who leads" (1x) "two walk" (1x) "leading (feminine plural)" (1x) "leading-one of" (1x) "walked" (1x) "carry" (1x) "take" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root (compare הָלַךְ); to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses); [idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue, cause to run, spread, take away (-journey), vanish, (cause to) walk(-ing), wax, [idiom] be weak.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

הלך (h-l-k) — to go, to walk, to move, to proceed, to travel

Root הלך to go, to walk, to travel, to proceed, to move
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1946 הוּךְ to go
H1973 הָלְאָה further on
H1978 הָלִיךְ my steps
H1979 הֲלִיכָה in their journeying
H1980 הָלַךְ I walk about

Word Forms

107 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3212-78 וַ/יֵּ֣לֶךְ vayelekhe HC/Vqw3ms and went and he went and he went 212
H3212-79 וַ/יֵּֽלְכוּ֙ vayelekhu HC/Vqw3mp and they went they went and they went 100
H3212-28 לֶךְ lekhe HVqv2ms Go Go Go 90
H3212-24 לָ/לֶ֨כֶת֙ lalekhet HR/Vqc to go to go to go 83
H3212-38 לְכ֣וּ lekhu HVqv2mp go Go Go 68
H3212-103 יֵֽלְכ֔וּ yelekhu HVqi3mp they went they will go they will go 52
H3212-55 תֵלֵ֔ךְ telekhe HVqi2ms you go you will go you will go 34
H3212-74 וַ/תֵּ֥לֶךְ vatelekhe HC/Vqw3fs and she went and she went and she went 32
H3212-102 יֵלֵ֥ךְ yelekhe HVqi3ms shall go he will go he will go 27
H3212-27 לְכָ֨/ה lekhah HVqv2ms/Sh Come Go! Go! 26

Occurrences in Scripture

1044 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3212-55 Genesis 3:14 תֵלֵ֔ךְ telekhe HVqi2ms you shall go you will go you will go
H3212-74 Genesis 7:18 וַ/תֵּ֥לֶךְ vatelekhe HC/Vqw3fs went and she went and it went
H3212-79 Genesis 9:23 וַ/יֵּֽלְכוּ֙ vayelekhu HC/Vqw3mp and walked they went and they went
H3212-24 Genesis 11:31 לָ/לֶ֨כֶת֙ lalekhet HR/Vqc to go to go to go
H3212-28 Genesis 12:1 לֶךְ lekhe HVqv2ms Go Go Go
H3212-78 Genesis 12:4 וַ/יֵּ֣לֶךְ vayelekhe HC/Vqw3ms went and he went and he went
H3212-78 Genesis 12:4 וַ/יֵּ֥לֶךְ vayelekhe-2 HC/Vqw3ms and went and he went and he went
H3212-24 Genesis 12:5 לָ/לֶ֨כֶת֙ lalekhet HR/Vqc to go to go to go
H3212-68 Genesis 12:19 וָ/לֵֽךְ valekhe HC/Vqv2ms and go and go! and go
H3212-78 Genesis 13:3 וַ/יֵּ֨לֶךְ֙ vayelekhe HC/Vqw3ms And he journeyed and he went and he went
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