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קָדִים

𐤒𐤃𐤉𐤌

qâdîym

H6921 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Primary lexical meaning: 'East, eastward, or in the direction of the rising sun.' The term denotes the direction from which the sun rises and is often associated with orientation, geography, or wind (the east wind). In context, it can refer to (1) the general direction of east, (2) the region or area located to the east of a reference point (such as the land east of Israel), or (3) the east wind (a prevalent and often harsh wind in the region).

Semantic Range

east, eastward, the east side or region, wind from the east (east wind), toward the front (in reference to orientation)

Root / Etymology

From the root קדם (q-d-m), meaning 'to be in front, to precede, to come before.' The noun form קָדִים (qadim) develops the spatial and geographical sense: 'that which is before in time or space,' thus 'east,' as the direction facing forward (toward the sunrise) when orienting oneself to the east. The word is directly built from the root without additional nominal suffixation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In ancient Israelite orientation, east (קָדִים) was often viewed as the 'front' since people were imagined as facing the sunrise. As a geographical term, קָדִים could refer both to the cardinal direction itself and to lands eastward of Israel (e.g., the Transjordan). When used for wind, the 'east wind' or 'wind from the east' was notorious for being dry, scorching, and destructive—prominent in biblical imagery as a harbinger of blight or judgment (e.g., Genesis 41:6, Exodus 10:13, Psalm 48:8). While most English translations render the term as 'east' or 'east wind,' the nuance of orientation and of the wind's destructive qualities can be lost. Differentiated from מִזְרָח (mizrach), which also means 'east' but emphasizes the process or place of sunrise rather than orientation. Over time, קָדִים mostly retains its spatial and meteorological senses throughout biblical texts. In post-biblical Hebrew, the directional use prevails, but some metaphorical senses develop as well.

Translation Consistency

primary "east" 41 occurrences

Most common and natural rendering in English (47 of 69 occurrences). 'East' cleanly covers the primary senses — direction toward the rising sun, the region or side located to the east, and phrases like 'east wind' — while remaining flexible as noun/adjective/adverb for consistent translation across contexts.

Alternatives (9 occurrences):
"eastward" (9x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or קָדִם; from קָדַם; the fore or front part; hence (by orientation) the East (often adverbially, eastward, for brevity the east wind); east(-ward, wind).

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

קדם (Qedemah) — to precede, to be in front, to come before (in time or space)

Root קדם to precede, to come before, to face, to be eastward
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6917 קָדוּם those from before
H6924 קֶדֶם the front
H6925 קֳדָם before you
H6926 קִדְמָה front/eastern region of
H6927 קַדְמָה like your former times

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6921-05 קָדִים֙ qadim HNcmsa east east east 28
H6921-06 קָדִ֔ימָ/ה qadimah HNcmsa/Sd eastward eastward eastward 18
H6921-01 הַ/קָּדִ֔ים haqadim HTd/Ncmsa the east the east the east 17
H6921-08 וְ/קָדִ֗ימָ/ה veqadimah HC/Ncmsa/Sd and eastward and toward the east and toward the east 2
H6921-02 הַ/קָּדִ֔ימָ/ה haqadimah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd the east toward the east the east 1
H6921-03 לַ/קָּדִ֖ים laqadim HRd/Ncmsa to-the-east to the east to the east 1
H6921-04 מֵֽ/הַ/קָּדִ֔ים mehaqadim HR/Td/Ncmsa from-the-east from the east from the east 1
H6921-07 וְ/לַ/קָּדִ֑ים velaqadim HC/Rd/Ncmsa and-toward-the-east and to the east and toward the east 1

Occurrences in Scripture

69 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6921-05 Genesis 41:6 קָדִ֑ים qadim HNcmsa by the east wind east by east wind
H6921-05 Genesis 41:23 קָדִ֑ים qadim HNcmsa by the east wind east by the east wind
H6921-01 Genesis 41:27 הַ/קָּדִ֑ים haqadim HTd/Ncmsa east wind the east the east wind
H6921-05 Exodus 10:13 קָדִים֙ qadim HNcmsa east east east
H6921-01 Exodus 10:13 הַ/קָּדִ֔ים haqadim HTd/Ncmsa east the east the east
H6921-05 Exodus 14:21 קָדִ֤ים qadim HNcmsa east east east
H6921-05 Isaiah 27:8 קָדִֽים qadim HNcmsa of east wind east east wind
H6921-05 Jeremiah 18:17 קָדִ֥ים qadim HNcmsa east east east
H6921-06 Ezekiel 11:1 קָדִ֔ימָ/ה qadimah HNcmsa/Sd eastward eastward eastward
H6921-01 Ezekiel 17:10 הַ/קָּדִים֙ haqadim HTd/Ncmsa the east the east the east
H6921-01 Ezekiel 19:12 הַ/קָּדִ֖ים haqadim HTd/Ncmsa the-east the east the east
H6921-01 Ezekiel 27:26 הַ/קָּדִ֔ים haqadim HTd/Ncmsa the east the east the east
H6921-02 Ezekiel 40:6 הַ/קָּדִ֔ימָ/ה haqadimah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd the east toward the east the east
H6921-01 Ezekiel 40:10 הַ/קָּדִ֗ים haqadim HTd/Ncmsa the-east the east the east
H6921-01 Ezekiel 40:19 הַ/קָּדִ֖ים haqadim HTd/Ncmsa the east the east the east
H6921-01 Ezekiel 40:22 הַ/קָּדִ֑ים haqadim HTd/Ncmsa the-east the east the east
H6921-07 Ezekiel 40:23 וְ/לַ/קָּדִ֑ים velaqadim HC/Rd/Ncmsa and-toward-the-east and to the east and toward the east
H6921-01 Ezekiel 40:32 הַ/קָּדִ֑ים haqadim HTd/Ncmsa the east the east the east
H6921-01 Ezekiel 40:44 הַ/קָּדִ֔ים haqadim HTd/Ncmsa of the east the east the east
H6921-03 Ezekiel 41:14 לַ/קָּדִ֖ים laqadim HRd/Ncmsa to-the-east to the east to the east
H6921-04 Ezekiel 42:9 מֵֽ/הַ/קָּדִ֔ים mehaqadim HR/Td/Ncmsa from-the-east from the east from the east
H6921-01 Ezekiel 42:10 הַ/קָּדִ֛ים haqadim HTd/Ncmsa the east the east the east
H6921-01 Ezekiel 42:12 הַ/קָּדִ֖ים haqadim HTd/Ncmsa the east the east the east
H6921-01 Ezekiel 42:15 הַ/קָּדִ֑ים haqadim HTd/Ncmsa the-east the east the east
H6921-01 Ezekiel 42:16 הַ/קָּדִ֖ים haqadim HTd/Ncmsa the east the east the east
H6921-01 Ezekiel 43:1 הַ/קָּדִֽים haqadim HTd/Ncmsa the east the east the east
H6921-01 Ezekiel 43:2 הַ/קָּדִ֑ים haqadim HTd/Ncmsa of the east the east the east
H6921-01 Ezekiel 43:4 הַ/קָּדִֽים haqadim HTd/Ncmsa the east the east the east
H6921-05 Ezekiel 43:17 קָדִֽים qadim HNcmsa east east east
H6921-05 Ezekiel 44:1 קָדִ֑ים qadim HNcmsa east east east
H6921-06 Ezekiel 45:7 קָדִ֑ימָ/ה qadimah HNcmsa/Sd eastward eastward eastward
H6921-06 Ezekiel 45:7 קָדִֽימָ/ה qadimah-2 HNcmsa/Sd eastward eastward eastward
H6921-05 Ezekiel 46:1 קָדִ֔ים qadim HNcmsa east east east
H6921-05 Ezekiel 46:12 קָדִ֔ים qadim HNcmsa east east east
H6921-06 Ezekiel 47:1 קָדִ֔ימָ/ה qadimah HNcmsa/Sd eastward eastward eastward
H6921-05 Ezekiel 47:1 קָדִ֑ים qadim HNcmsa east east east
H6921-05 Ezekiel 47:2 קָדִ֑ים qadim HNcmsa east east east
H6921-05 Ezekiel 47:3 קָדִ֖ים qadim HNcmsa eastward east east
H6921-05 Ezekiel 47:18 קָדִ֡ים qadim HNcmsa east east east
H6921-06 Ezekiel 47:18 קָדִֽימָ/ה qadimah HNcmsa/Sd eastward eastward eastward
H6921-05 Ezekiel 48:1 קָדִ֛ים qadim HNcmsa east east east
H6921-05 Ezekiel 48:2 קָדִ֛ים qadim HNcmsa east east east
H6921-06 Ezekiel 48:3 קָדִ֛ימָ/ה qadimah HNcmsa/Sd of the east eastward eastward
H6921-06 Ezekiel 48:4 קָדִ֛מָ/ה qadimah HNcmsa/Sd of east eastward eastward
H6921-06 Ezekiel 48:5 קָדִ֛מָ/ה qadimah HNcmsa/Sd of the east eastward eastward
H6921-05 Ezekiel 48:6 קָדִ֛ים qadim HNcmsa east east east
H6921-05 Ezekiel 48:7 קָדִ֛ים qadim HNcmsa of the east east east
H6921-05 Ezekiel 48:8 קָדִ֖ים qadim HNcmsa east east east
H6921-06 Ezekiel 48:8 קָדִ֨ימָ/ה֙ qadimah HNcmsa/Sd eastward eastward eastward
H6921-08 Ezekiel 48:10 וְ/קָדִ֗ימָ/ה veqadimah HC/Ncmsa/Sd and eastward and toward the east and toward the east
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