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אֱמֹרִי

𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤉

ʼĔmôrîy

H567 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אמר to say, declare

Definition

Refers to a member of the Amorite people, a distinct Northwest Semitic group frequently mentioned among the inhabitants of ancient Canaan prior to and during the early Israelite period. The term can denote either individual members or the entire group collectively, commonly categorized with other pre-Israelite populations of the region. In wider usage, it sometimes functions as a representative label for all inhabitants of Canaan, but also specifically for the population residing in highland or mountainous areas attributed to the Amorites.

Semantic Range

Amorite (individual or nation), member of the Amorite people, collective ethnic designation for pre-Israelite Canaanite groups, inhabitant of the highland regions (mountaineer), representative term for non-Israelite Canaanites in some contexts

Root / Etymology

From the root אמר (ʾ-m-r), generally meaning 'to say, speak', though the specific derivation of the name אֱמֹרִי is uncertain. It may derive from a presumed, unattested personal name or from an extended meaning of the root, possibly 'the talkers' or 'the prominent ones,' but this is speculative. The exact etymology of 'Amorite' remains debated among scholars.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term אֱמֹרִי (Emori) is primarily an ethnonym, referring to a group recognized in Egyptian, Akkadian, and biblical sources. In the Hebrew Bible, the Amorites are frequently listed alongside other peoples of Canaan (e.g., Hittites, Jebusites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Girgashites, Hivites). Textually, they are often associated with mountainous terrain, especially in Transjordan and central hill country, but the label is at times generalized for non-Israelite inhabitants of Canaan. In early texts (e.g., Genesis, Numbers), the Amorites are portrayed as resident in both Transjordan and Cisjordan; later literature sometimes conflates 'Amorite' with 'Canaanite', blurring distinctions between different pre-Israelite groups. Modern translations often render the term as 'Amorite', which accurately preserves the ethnic label but may not always reflect the broader or more fluid use of the term in ancient contexts. The English term 'Amorite' is a direct transliteration from the Hebrew and is not directly related to the modern term 'Amorites' outside of biblical usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably a patronymic from an unused name derived from אָמַר in the sense of publicity, i.e. prominence; thus, a mountaineer; an Emorite, one of the Canaanitish tribes; Amorite.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אמר (ʾ-m-r) — to say, declare

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H201 אוֹמָר Omar
H3982 מַאֲמַר authoritative declaration of
H3983 מֵאמַר according to decree-of
H534 אָמִיר prominent summit
H559 אָמַר he said

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H567-02 הָ֣/אֱמֹרִ֔י haemori HTd/Ngmsa the Amorite the Amorite 71
H567-04 וְ/הָֽ/אֱמֹרִי֙ vehaemori HC/Td/Ngmsa and the Amorite and the Amorite 13
H567-01 אֱמֹרִ֖י emori HNgmsa Amorite Amorite 2
H567-03 לָֽ/אֱמֹרִֽי laemori HRd/Ngmsa to the Amorite to the Amorite 1

Occurrences in Scripture

87 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H567-02 Genesis 10:16 הָ֣/אֱמֹרִ֔י haemori HTd/Ngmsa the Amorite the Amorite
H567-02 Genesis 14:7 הָ֣/אֱמֹרִ֔י haemori HTd/Ngmsa the Amorites the Amorite
H567-02 Genesis 14:13 הָ/אֱמֹרִ֗י haemori HTd/Ngmsa the Amorite the Amorite
H567-02 Genesis 15:16 הָ/אֱמֹרִ֖י haemori HTd/Ngmsa of the Amorites the Amorite
H567-02 Genesis 15:21 הָֽ/אֱמֹרִי֙ haemori HTd/Ngmsa Amorites the Amorite
H567-02 Genesis 48:22 הָֽ/אֱמֹרִ֔י haemori HTd/Ngmsa the Amorite the Amorite
H567-04 Exodus 3:8 וְ/הָֽ/אֱמֹרִי֙ vehaemori HC/Td/Ngmsa and the Amorite and the Amorite
H567-04 Exodus 3:17 וְ/הָֽ/אֱמֹרִי֙ vehaemori HC/Td/Ngmsa and the Amorite and the Amorite
H567-04 Exodus 13:5 וְ/הָ/אֱמֹרִ֜י vehaemori HC/Td/Ngmsa and the Amorite and the Amorite
H567-02 Exodus 23:23 הָֽ/אֱמֹרִי֙ haemori HTd/Ngmsa the Amorite the Amorite
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