יָמַר
𐤉𐤌𐤓
yâmar
H3235 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
Verb meaning 'to exchange' or 'to change,' typically referring to the act of replacing something or someone with another, or making a substitution. In several contexts, it also means 'to alter' in a more general sense. The verb describes an interchange or transformation, and can occasionally carry the nuance of boasting when context allows (through a play on changing oneself, often connected to self-display).
Semantic Range
to exchange (one thing for another), to substitute, to alter, to transform, to change status, to boast (rare or contextually driven)
Root / Etymology
Root ימר, to exchange or to change. The verb is built from this root and conveys the concrete sense of physically or metaphorically swapping or exchanging one thing for another. No certain cognates are known outside Hebrew, and the etymology does not suggest direct relationship to more common words for change (such as שנה, shanah), though see Aramaic מָרֵי (to change).
Historical & Contextual Notes
יָמַר appears infrequently in the Hebrew Bible. It describes the act of changing or exchanging, often in legal or cultic contexts, such as substituting one animal for another in a sacrifice (Leviticus 27:10, 27:33). In these instances, the verb expresses both a literal exchange and an associated alteration of status or sanctity. The nuance of boasting is much rarer and seems context or wordplay-driven (Psalm 15:4 may be interpreted this way, though the reading is debated and most modern scholars read the root meaning as 'change'). The primary term for routine alteration is שָׁנָה (shanah), while יָמַר focuses narrowly on the transactional or substitutional aspect. In later periods, such as post-biblical Hebrew and Aramaic, similar forms retain the sense of 'to exchange.' English translations sometimes fail to capture the cultic or transactional specificity of יָמַר, rendering it generically as 'change.' This can obscure the technical nature of the term, especially in Levitical law.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to exchange; by implication, to change places; boast selves, change.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ימר (y-m-r) — to exchange, to substitute, to change
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3236 | יִמְרָה | Yimrah |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3235-01 |
תִּתְיַמָּֽרוּ | titeyamaru | HVti2mp |
you will boast | you will exchange yourselves | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3235-01 |
Isaiah 61:6 | תִּתְיַמָּֽרוּ | titeyamaru | HVti2mp |
you will boast | you will exchange yourselves |