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מַיִם

𐤌𐤉𐤌

mayim

H4325 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Primary meaning: water, the substance essential for life in liquid form. Used for natural bodies of water—such as rivers, springs, seas, rain—materials in or with water, or as an element in rituals. Secondarily, may serve as a metonym for abundance, chaos, or danger (e.g., 'waters' of the deep, flood, or destruction), and occasionally for bodily fluids in specific contexts (semen, urine). The term may stand for any potable or environmental water, from dew to ocean; its figurative usage points to aspects of fertility, life, and chaos.

Semantic Range

water (liquid), body of water (sea, river, spring), rain or dew, floodwaters, dangerous or chaotic waters, ritual water, bodily fluids (semen, urine), figurative for chaos or destruction, figurative of abundance or fertility

Root / Etymology

From the root מ-י-ם, though the root is rarely attested as a verb in Biblical Hebrew. The form is formally dual, reflecting the pair or expansiveness of water masses, but the word functions as a singular collective noun. It is used both in the absolute and construct states. The relation to other Semitic cognates (Akkadian 'mû', Ugaritic 'my') suggests a very ancient Semitic root denoting water in general.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, מַיִם is by far the standard term for all natural water, appearing from Genesis 1 (creation narrative) onward—'the waters' above and below the firmament. It is indispensable in narratives regarding creation, flood, miracles, and ritual (e.g., purity laws in Leviticus, ceremonial washing). Its collective dual form ('mayim') reflects water's nature as both a singular substance and plural in its many manifestations (streams, rivers, seas etc.). Occasionally used euphemistically or metonymically for bodily fluids in ritual or legal contexts (cf. semen, Leviticus 15; urine, 1 Samuel 25:22). Its scope is wider than most English translations ('water'), since it includes reference to destructive floodwaters or chaos ('the deep'), and is also used idiomatically for both positive (life, fertility) and negative (danger, destruction) imagery. In late biblical texts, the distinction between מַיִם and artificially directed waters (e.g., canals, aqueducts) becomes more pronounced, but the word itself remains the standard term. English translations nearly always render it as 'water,' but sometimes obscure the range of usages, particularly in poetic and metaphorical contexts.

Translation Consistency

primary "water" 581 occurrences

Primary and most natural English rendering for מַיִם is the substance 'water.' This single base word covers the full range of uses—liquid water, bodies of water (seas, rivers, springs), rain/dew, floodwaters, ritual water, and the common figurative senses (abundance, chaos, destruction). 'Water' is the natural uncountable form and can be rendered in context as 'waters' or specific phrases when needed, meeting the consistency requirement while fitting typical usage.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"who" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense); water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen; [phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).

Bantu Hebrew

Language Bantu Word Transliteration Meaning
Bemba Amenshi water
Chichewa madzi water
Kikuyu Mae water
Kikuyu mai water
Kirundi Amazi water
Kongo mési water
Lingala Mayi water
Lozi Mezi Water
Luganda amazzi water
Oshiwambo omeya/omeva water
Sukuma maji water
Swahili Mayi water
Tonga amanzi water
Tshiluba maayi water
Zulu Amanzi water
+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

מים (m-y-m) — water, flowing substance, abundance

Root מים to be abundant, to flow, water (as substance)
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4956 מִשְׂרְפוֹת מַיִם waters
H66 אַבֵל מַיִם waters

Word Forms

38 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4325-13 מַ֖יִם mayim HNcmpa water waters waters 244
H4325-05 הַ/מָּֽיִם hamayim HTd/Ncmpa the waters the waters the waters 96
H4325-14 מֵ֥י mey HNcmpc waters waters of waters of 54
H4325-01 בַּ/מָּ֑יִם bamayim HRd/Ncmpa in water in the waters in the waters 50
H4325-27 וּ/מַ֨יִם֙ umayim HC/Ncmpa and water and waters and waters 18
H4325-06 כַּ/מַּ֨יִם֙ kamayim HRd/Ncmpa like water like water like water 12
H4325-35 בַ/מַּ֔יִם vamayim HRd/Ncmpa and water waters and waters 11
H4325-17 מֵימֵ֨י meymey HNcmpc waters of waters of waters of 8
H4325-36 וְ/הַ/מַּ֗יִם vehamayim HC/Td/Ncmpa and the waters and the waters and the waters 7
H4325-16 מֵימָ֑י/ו meymayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms its waters his waters his waters 7

Occurrences in Scripture

582 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4325-05 Genesis 1:2 הַ/מָּֽיִם hamayim HTd/Ncmpa the waters the waters the waters
H4325-05 Genesis 1:6 הַ/מָּ֑יִם hamayim HTd/Ncmpa the waters the waters the waters
H4325-13 Genesis 1:6 מַ֖יִם mayim HNcmpa waters waters waters
H4325-09 Genesis 1:6 לָ/מָֽיִם lamayim HR/Ncmpa from waters to the waters to water
H4325-05 Genesis 1:7 הַ/מַּ֨יִם֙ hamayim HTd/Ncmpa the waters the waters the waters
H4325-05 Genesis 1:7 הַ/מַּ֔יִם hamayim-2 HTd/Ncmpa the waters the waters the waters
H4325-05 Genesis 1:9 הַ/מַּ֜יִם hamayim HTd/Ncmpa the waters the waters the waters
H4325-05 Genesis 1:10 הַ/מַּ֖יִם hamayim HTd/Ncmpa of the waters the waters the waters
H4325-05 Genesis 1:20 הַ/מַּ֔יִם hamayim HTd/Ncmpa the waters the waters the waters
H4325-05 Genesis 1:21 הַ/מַּ֜יִם hamayim HTd/Ncmpa the waters the waters the waters
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