עֶדֶן
𐤏𐤃𐤍
Eden
H5729 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A proper noun referring primarily to a region or locality known as 'Eden,' associated in the Hebrew Bible with an idyllic garden and presented as the setting of humanity's beginnings (e.g., Genesis 2–3). The term carries connotations of delight or pleasurable abundance, rooted in an association with pleasantness or delight. In some contexts, it may also denote other places or people linked to a similar name without specific reference to the Genesis narrative.
Semantic Range
delight, pleasantness, luxury or pleasure (abstract noun), Eden (proper name of a locality), reference to the ancient region associated with the primeval garden, generic designation of places named 'Eden' in Assyrian or Mesopotamian context, occasionally a personal name
Root / Etymology
Derived from the Hebrew root עדן (ʿ-d-n), which carries a core meaning of 'to be soft, delicate, or to enjoy luxury, to take delight.' The noun עֶדֶן (ʿeden) thus originally referred to a state or place of delight or pleasure. The etymological connection between the toponym and the root suggests a meaning related to pleasantness, though, as a proper name, it may have assumed additional associations in Israelite tradition.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, עֶדֶן occurs most famously as the locale for the Garden of Eden narrative (Genesis 2–3), representing an idealized early human environment characterized by abundance, harmony, and proximity to the divine. Later passages refer to people or places named Eden unrelated to the garden (e.g., 2 Kings 19:12; Ezekiel 27:23), suggesting a wider usage as a toponym. While English tradition renders עֶדֶן as 'Eden,' and later Jewish and Christian interpretation often associate it exclusively with the paradisal origin narrative, in historical contexts it could designate other, unrelated places in the region (including areas in northern Mesopotamia). The English word 'Eden' conveys the sense of an ideal or paradise, but this nuance derives from biblical reception history, not the original lexical range. The meaning of 'pleasure' or 'delight'—while etymologically relevant—is contextually applied to both real locations and literary figurations in biblical literature. There is no evidence in the Bible for a religious or ethnic group associated with the name, nor for the later religious connotations linked to the term 'Eden' or 'paradise' in post-biblical Judaism or Christianity.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from עָדַן; pleasure; Eden, a place in Mesopotamia; Eden.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עדן (ʿ-d-n) — to be soft, to luxuriate, to take pleasure, to enjoy delight
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4574 | מַעֲדָן | luxury delicacies |
| H5719 | עָדִין | delicate woman |
| H5720 | עָדִין | Delicate One |
| H5721 | עֲדִינָא | Refined-one |
| H5722 | עֲדִינוֹ | Adino |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5729-01 |
עֶ֖דֶן | eden | HNp |
Eden | Delight-land (Eden) | 2 |
H5729-02 |
וָ/עֶ֔דֶן | vaeden | HC/Np |
and Eden | and Eden | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5729-01 |
2 Kings 19:12 | עֶ֖דֶן | eden | HNp |
Eden | Delight-land (Eden) |
H5729-01 |
Isaiah 37:12 | עֶ֖דֶן | eden | HNp |
Eden | Delight-land (Eden) |
H5729-02 |
Ezekiel 27:23 | וָ/עֶ֔דֶן | vaeden | HC/Np |
and Eden | and Eden |