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עֻמָּה

𐤏𐤌𐤄

ʻummâh

H5980 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ע־מ־ם to be dim, to grow faint, to be obscured

Definition

A preposition and rare noun signifying proximity or association; primarily functioning as a relational term meaning 'along with,' 'beside,' 'in the company of,' or 'corresponding to.' Most frequently appears in prepositional forms (with prefixes such as כְּ־ 'like,' עִם 'with,' and לְ־ 'to, for'), indicating spatial, social, or comparative closeness. As a noun, it is found in the sense of 'society' or 'group.' The word may also denote opposition, as in 'against' or 'in juxtaposition to,' depending on context.

Semantic Range

along with, beside, in the company of, corresponding to, in parallel with, against, in juxtaposition to, society (as social grouping)

Root / Etymology

From the root עָמַם (ע־מ־ם), which carries the sense of being 'dim,' 'faint,' or 'obscure,' though the semantic connection is debated. The derived noun עֻמָּה appears to involve a shift from the notion of 'obscured/distinct' (root idea) to that of 'group' or 'association,' possibly reflecting indistinct mass or collectivity. Its use as a preposition likely developed from this nominal sense, focusing on proximity or alignment.

Historical & Contextual Notes

עֻמָּה is mostly attested in construct or prefixed forms (such as כְּעֻמַּת 'according to,' 'in comparison with'), rather than standing as an independent word. Its primary usage is in administrative, legal, and ritual contexts (e.g., distribution of Levitical cities, corresponding offerings), denoting alignment, parallelism, or equivalence between groups, objects, or persons. Less frequently, it can convey a sense of opposition. Contrast with עִם ('with') and אֵת (definite direct object marker or 'with') for subtle differences: עֻמָּה typically emphasizes correspondence or direct relationship rather than simple accompaniment. In later periods and translations, the force of the preposition sometimes narrowed or became ambiguous; some English versions render it as 'corresponding to,' 'over against,' or 'at the side of.' The term appears mainly in post-Pentateuchal portions and is rare, possibly indicating a late or specialized development in Biblical Hebrew. There is no developed religious or ethnic connotation; its usage is pragmatic.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from עָמַם; conjunction, i.e. society; mostly adverb or preposition (with prepositional prefix), near, beside, along with; (over) against, at, beside, hard by, in points.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עמם (ʿ-m-m) — to be dim, to grow faint, to be obscured

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3818 לֹא עַמִּי my people
H532 אָמִי my people
H5971 עַם gathered people
H5972 עַם a gathered people
H5991 עַמִּיחוּר My-Kinsman-is-Hur

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5980-01 לְ/עֻמַּת֙ leumat HR/Ncfsc corresponding to in alignment with 22
H5980-02 לְ/עֻמָּתָ֔/ם leumatam HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp beside them in juxtaposition to them 5
H5980-03 לְ/עֻמָּת֗/וֹ leumato HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms at him in juxtaposition to him 2
H5980-04 לְ/עֻמּוֹת֙ leumot HR/Ncfpc corresponding to to the associations of 1
H5980-06 עֻמַּ֥ת umat HNcfsc company-of 1
H5980-05 מִ/לְּ/עֻמַּ֣ת mileumat HR/R/Ncfsc over-against in juxtaposition to 1

Occurrences in Scripture

32 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5980-01 Exodus 25:27 לְ/עֻמַּת֙ leumat HR/Ncfsc close to in alignment with
H5980-01 Exodus 28:27 לְ/עֻמַּ֖ת leumat HR/Ncfsc close to in alignment with
H5980-01 Exodus 37:14 לְ/עֻמַּת֙ leumat HR/Ncfsc close to in alignment with
H5980-01 Exodus 38:18 לְ/עֻמַּ֖ת leumat HR/Ncfsc corresponding-to in alignment with
H5980-01 Exodus 39:20 לְ/עֻמַּ֖ת leumat HR/Ncfsc opposite in alignment with
H5980-01 Leviticus 3:9 לְ/עֻמַּ֥ת leumat HR/Ncfsc close to in alignment with
H5980-03 2 Samuel 16:13 לְ/עֻמָּת֗/וֹ leumato HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms opposite him in juxtaposition to him
H5980-03 2 Samuel 16:13 לְ/עֻמָּת֔/וֹ leumato-2 HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms at him in juxtaposition to him
H5980-05 1 Kings 7:20 מִ/לְּ/עֻמַּ֣ת mileumat HR/R/Ncfsc over-against in juxtaposition to
H5980-02 Ezekiel 1:20 לְ/עֻמָּתָ֔/ם leumatam HR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp over against them in juxtaposition to them
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