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יָרַשׁ

𐤉𐤓𐤔

yârash

H3423 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To take possession of, particularly by displacing or dispossessing others; to inherit property, territory, or status; to succeed to an estate, position, or rights, often as a result of displacement, conquest, or transfer. The word encompasses the act of taking possession (especially of land) and the state of possessing as an heir, as well as causing another to lose their possession (impoverish or dispossess). It is used with concrete, abstract, and metaphorical objects throughout the Hebrew Bible.

Semantic Range

to take possession (especially after expelling former occupants), to inherit (property, land, rights), to dispossess, to succeed (as heir), to impoverish, to seize, to conquer, to succeed to status or role

Root / Etymology

From the root ירשׁ, which carries the sense of taking possession, inheriting, or driving out. As a root, ירשׁ is related to the concept of obtaining or securing something, often with undertones of dispossession of a previous holder, rather than simple passive inheritance.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, יָרַשׁ is frequently used to describe the Israelite conquest and subsequent settlement of Canaan, where the emphasis is on the active taking of possession, often through displacement of existing populations. It is distinct from נחל (to receive as an allotment/share), which emphasizes peaceful transfer or division, and from אחז (to grasp, hold, or retain), which lacks the nuance of displacement. יָרַשׁ can also describe familial inheritance, succession to office or status, and, by extension, impoverishment or dispossession when used in negative constructions. Over time, the primary focus of the term shifted from conquest/expulsion in earlier texts (notably Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges) to inheritance or possession in prophetic and wisdom literature. Standard English translations like "inherit" or "possess" may obscure the active, sometimes forceful, nature of the term, especially in early contexts. Modern translation practice often varies between "dispossess," "take possession," and "inherit" depending on context, but all capture facets of the Hebrew word's semantic range.

Translation Consistency

primary "take" 35 occurrences

Most natural and versatile choice that covers the full semantic range (seize, take possession, inherit, dispossess). It is the most frequent simple rendering in the P2 data and reads naturally in contexts of conquest, dispossession, and succession (e.g. take possession, take as an inheritance), whereas more formal alternatives like “possess” are less idiomatic.

Alternatives (15 occurrences):
"dispossess" (5x) "inherit" (3x) "possess" (2x) "taking-possession" (1x) "come to poverty" (1x) "driven out" (1x) "inheriting" (1x) "dispossessed" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or יָרֵשׁ; a primitive root; to occupy (by driving out previous tenants, and possessing in their place); by implication, to seize, to rob, to inherit; also to expel, to impoverish, to ruin; cast out, consume, destroy, disinherit, dispossess, drive(-ing) out, enjoy, expel, [idiom] without fail, (give to, leave for) inherit(-ance, -or) [phrase] magistrate, be (make) poor, come to poverty, (give to, make to) possess, get (have) in (take) possession, seize upon, succeed, [idiom] utterly.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

י־ר־שׁ (yârash) — to take possession, to inherit, to dispossess, to succeed

Root י־ר־שׁ to take possession, to inherit, to dispossess, to succeed

Word Forms

86 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3423-15 לְ/רִשְׁתָּ֔/הּ lerishetah HR/Vqc/Sp3fs to possess it to take possession of her to take possession of her 29
H3423-12 לָ/רֶ֖שֶׁת lareshet HR/Vqc to possess to take possession to take possession 18
H3423-05 הוֹרִ֣ישׁ horish HVhp3ms drive out he caused to dispossess he caused to dispossess 14
H3423-41 וַ/יִּֽרְשׁוּ֙ vayireshu HC/Vqw3mp and they possessed and they took possession and they took possession 11
H3423-63 וִֽ/ירִשְׁתֶּ֣ם virishetem HC/Vqq2mp and possess and you (masc. plural) took possession and you (masc. plural) will take possession 8
H3423-77 יִֽירְשׁ֜וּ yireshu HVqi3mp will inherit they will take possession they will take possession 8
H3423-55 וְ/יָרְשׁ֣וּ veyareshu HC/Vqq3cp and they shall possess and they took possession and they shall possess 7
H3423-42 וַ/יֹּ֤רֶשׁ vayoresh HC/Vhw3ms and dispossessed and he caused to dispossess and he caused to take possession of 6
H3423-13 לְ/הוֹרִ֗ישׁ lehorish HR/Vhc to-dispossess to cause to dispossess to cause to take possession of 5
H3423-79 יוֹרֵ֣שׁ yoresh HVqrmsa heir one taking possession one taking possession 5

Occurrences in Scripture

232 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3423-79 Genesis 15:3 יוֹרֵ֥שׁ yoresh HVqrmsa is my heir one taking possession one taking possession
H3423-72 Genesis 15:4 יִֽירָשְׁ/ךָ֖ yirashekha HVqi3ms/Sp2ms shall be your heir he will dispossess you will inherit you
H3423-72 Genesis 15:4 יִֽירָשֶֽׁ/ךָ yirashekha-2 HVqi3ms/Sp2ms shall be your heir he will dispossess you will inherit you
H3423-15 Genesis 15:7 לְ/רִשְׁתָּֽ/הּ lerishetah HR/Vqc/Sp3fs to possess it to take possession of her to take possession of her
H3423-09 Genesis 15:8 אִֽירָשֶֽׁ/נָּה irashenah HVqi1cs/Sp3fs I shall inherit it I will take possession of her I will take possession of her
H3423-71 Genesis 21:10 יִירַשׁ֙ yirash HVqi3ms be heir he will take possession he will take possession
H3423-56 Genesis 22:17 וְ/יִרַ֣שׁ veyirash HC/Vqi3ms shall possess and he will take possession and he will take possession
H3423-56 Genesis 24:60 וְ/יִירַ֣שׁ veyirash HC/Vqi3ms and may possess and he will take possession and he will take possession
H3423-16 Genesis 28:4 לְ/רִשְׁתְּ/ךָ֙ lerishetekha HR/Vqc/Sp2ms that you may inherit for your taking-possession for your taking-possession
H3423-32 Genesis 45:11 תִּוָּרֵ֛שׁ tivaresh HVNi2ms you come to poverty you will be dispossessed you come to poverty
H3423-34 Exodus 15:9 תּוֹרִישֵׁ֖/מוֹ torishemo HVhi3fs/Sp3mp shall destroy them she will dispossess them it will dispossess them
H3423-23 Exodus 34:24 אוֹרִ֤ישׁ orish HVhi1cs I will drive out I will dispossess I will dispossess
H3423-31 Leviticus 20:24 תִּֽירְשׁ֣וּ tireshu HVqi2mp shall-possess you will take possession you (pl) will take possession
H3423-12 Leviticus 20:24 לָ/רֶ֣שֶׁת lareshet HR/Vqc to-possess to take possession to take possession
H3423-12 Leviticus 25:46 לָ/רֶ֣שֶׁת lareshet HR/Vqc to inherit to take possession to take possession
H3423-53 Numbers 13:30 וְ/יָרַ֣שְׁנוּ veyarashenu HC/Vqq1cp and we will possess and we took possession and we will take possession
H3423-50 Numbers 14:12 וְ/אוֹרִשֶׁ֑/נּוּ veorishenu HC/Vhi1cs/Sp3ms and disinherit them and I will dispossess him and I will dispossess them
H3423-85 Numbers 14:24 יוֹרִשֶֽׁ/נָּה yorishenah HVhi3ms/Sp3fs shall possess it he will dispossess her will possess it
H3423-38 Numbers 21:24 וַ/יִּירַ֨שׁ vayirash HC/Vqw3ms and dispossessed and he took possession and he took possession
H3423-64 Numbers 21:32 ו/יירש vyyrsh HC/Vqw3ms and he dispossessed and he took possession and he took possession
H3423-42 Numbers 21:32 וַ/יּ֖וֹרֶשׁ vayoresh HC/Vhw3ms and dispossessed and he caused to dispossess and he caused to take possession of
H3423-41 Numbers 21:35 וַ/יִּֽירְשׁ֖וּ vayireshu HC/Vqw3mp and they possessed and they took possession and they took possession
H3423-52 Numbers 27:11 וְ/יָרַ֣שׁ veyarash HC/Vqq3ms and he shall inherit and he took possession and he shall inherit
H3423-07 Numbers 32:21 הוֹרִישׁ֛/וֹ horisho HVhc/Sp3ms he has driven out to dispossess him he has driven out
H3423-42 Numbers 32:39 וַ/יּ֖וֹרֶשׁ vayoresh HC/Vhw3ms and dispossessed and he caused to dispossess and he caused to take possession of
H3423-45 Numbers 33:52 וְ/ה֨וֹרַשְׁתֶּ֜ם vehorashetem HC/Vhq2mp and-you-shall-drive-out and you shall dispossess and you took possession
H3423-45 Numbers 33:53 וְ/הוֹרַשְׁתֶּ֥ם vehorashetem HC/Vhq2mp and-you-shall-dispossess and you shall dispossess and you took possession
H3423-12 Numbers 33:53 לָ/רֶ֥שֶׁת lareshet HR/Vqc to-possess to take possession to take possession
H3423-35 Numbers 33:55 תוֹרִ֜ישׁוּ torishu HVhi2mp you drive out you will dispossess you will dispossess
H3423-81 Numbers 36:8 יֹרֶ֣שֶׁת yoreshet HVqrfsa who possesses possessing one inheriting
H3423-77 Numbers 36:8 יִֽירְשׁוּ֙ yireshu HVqi3mp may possess they will take possession they will take possession
H3423-36 Deuteronomy 1:8 וּ/רְשׁ֣וּ ureshu HC/Vqv2mp and possess and take possession and take possession
H3423-26 Deuteronomy 1:21 רֵ֗שׁ resh HVqv2ms possess Take possession! Take possession
H3423-75 Deuteronomy 1:39 יִירָשֽׁוּ/הָּ yirashuha HVqi3mp/Sp3fs shall possess it they will take possession of her they will take possession of her
H3423-76 Deuteronomy 2:12 יִֽירָשׁ֗וּ/ם yirashum HVqi3mp/Sp3mp dispossessed-them they will dispossess them they dispossessed them
H3423-40 Deuteronomy 2:21 וַ/יִּירָשֻׁ֖/ם vayirashum HC/Vqw3mp/Sp3mp and they dispossessed them and they took possession of them and they took possession of them
H3423-40 Deuteronomy 2:22 וַ/יִּֽירָשֻׁ/ם֙ vayirashum HC/Vqw3mp/Sp3mp and they dispossessed them and they took possession of them and they took possession of them
H3423-25 Deuteronomy 2:24 רָ֑שׁ rash HVqv2ms to possess Take possession! Take possession
H3423-25 Deuteronomy 2:31 רָ֔שׁ rash HVqv2ms to possess Take possession! Take possession
H3423-12 Deuteronomy 2:31 לָ/רֶ֖שֶׁת lareshet HR/Vqc to possess to take possession to take possession
H3423-66 Deuteronomy 3:12 יָרַ֖שְׁנוּ yarashenu HVqp1cp we possessed we took possession we took possession
H3423-15 Deuteronomy 3:18 לְ/רִשְׁתָּ֔/הּ lerishetah HR/Vqc/Sp3fs to possess it to take possession of her to take possession of her
H3423-55 Deuteronomy 3:20 וְ/יָרְשׁ֣וּ veyareshu HC/Vqq3cp and they possess and they took possession and they possess
H3423-63 Deuteronomy 4:1 וִֽ/ירִשְׁתֶּ֣ם virishetem HC/Vqq2mp and take possession and you (masc. plural) took possession and you (masc. plural) will take possession
H3423-15 Deuteronomy 4:5 לְ/רִשְׁתָּֽ/הּ lerishetah HR/Vqc/Sp3fs to possess it to take possession of her to take possession of her
H3423-15 Deuteronomy 4:14 לְ/רִשְׁתָּֽ/הּ lerishetah HR/Vqc/Sp3fs to-possess-it to take possession of her to take possession of her
H3423-63 Deuteronomy 4:22 וִֽ/ירִשְׁתֶּ֕ם virishetem HC/Vqq2mp and possess and you (masc. plural) took possession and you (masc. plural) will take possession
H3423-15 Deuteronomy 4:26 לְ/רִשְׁתָּ֑/הּ lerishetah HR/Vqc/Sp3fs to possess it to take possession of her to take possession of her
H3423-13 Deuteronomy 4:38 לְ/הוֹרִ֗ישׁ lehorish HR/Vhc to drive out to cause to dispossess to cause to dispossess
H3423-41 Deuteronomy 4:47 וַ/יִּֽירְשׁ֨וּ vayireshu HC/Vqw3mp And they possessed and they took possession and they took possession
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