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קַדְמוֹנִי

𐤒𐤃𐤌𐤅𐤍𐤉

qadmôwnîy

H6931 adjective

SILEX Entry

Root קדם to precede, to be before, to go before, to be east of

Definition

Relating to former times or former generations; ancient, earliest, or pertaining to those who lived or existed earlier—whether people, places, or things. The term can describe anything pertaining to the distant past, ancestors, prior periods, or eastern/earlier regions in Israelite geography, depending on context.

Semantic Range

ancient, former, preceding generations, people of old, ancestors, former times, earlier periods, eastern (as in 'people of the east')

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root קדמ (ק-ד-מ), meaning 'to proceed, to be before, to face east'. The noun קדמון (qadmôn) means 'ancient one' or 'former one'. קַדְמוֹנִי functions as an adjectival or substantival form meaning 'ancient, former, or eastern'. The morphological suffix -ִי (i) denotes relation or association with the concept of being first or anterior.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term קַדְמוֹנִי appears in the Hebrew Bible primarily in historical or genealogical contexts, often designating earlier generations, traditions, or ancient boundaries (e.g., as contrasted with contemporary Israelite practices or borders). In some passages, it refers to the 'people of old' or 'ancestors' (e.g., Deut 19:14), indicating societal memory or legal precedent. Sometimes it carries the geographical nuance of 'eastern' due to the root association with 'front' or 'east' (as east is 'earlier' relative to Israelite orientation). English translations often render the term as 'ancient', 'former', 'those of old', or 'people of the east', but the word can encompass both temporal and (less commonly) geographic meanings. The range of usage narrows in later biblical texts, where the focus falls overwhelmingly on ancestry and tradition. The word overlaps with but is distinct from עַתִּיק (ʿattîq, 'ancient') and more rarely with קֶדֶם (qedem, 'east' or 'former times'), each with their own connotations.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or קַדְמֹנִי; from קַדְמוֹן; (of time) anterior or (of place) oriental; ancient, they that went before, east, (thing of) old.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

קדם (q-d-m) — to precede, to be before, to go before, to be east of

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6917 קָדוּם those from before
H6921 קָדִים the east
H6923 קָדַם I will go ahead to meet
H6924 קֶדֶם the front
H6925 קֳדָם before you

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6931-01 הַ/קַּדְמֹנִ֔י haqademoni HTd/Aamsa the-eastern the eastern one 6
H6931-03 קַדְמֹנִיּֽוֹת qademoniot HAafpa ancient ancient ones 1
H6931-04 וְ֝/קַדְמֹנִ֗ים veqademonim HC/Aampa and those coming before and former ones 1
H6931-02 קַדְמוֹנִ֗ים qademonim HAampa former ancient ones 1
H6931-05 וְ/קַדְמֹנִיּ֖וֹת veqademoniot HC/Aafpa and the things of old and former ones 1

Occurrences in Scripture

10 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6931-01 1 Samuel 24:14 הַ/קַּדְמֹנִ֔י haqademoni HTd/Aamsa the ancient the eastern one
H6931-05 Isaiah 43:18 וְ/קַדְמֹנִיּ֖וֹת veqademoniot HC/Aafpa and the things of old and former ones
H6931-01 Ezekiel 10:19 הַ/קַּדְמוֹנִ֔י haqademoni HTd/Aamsa the eastern the eastern one
H6931-01 Ezekiel 11:1 הַ/קַּדְמוֹנִי֙ haqademoni HTd/Aamsa the-eastern the eastern one
H6931-02 Ezekiel 38:17 קַדְמוֹנִ֗ים qademonim HAampa former ancient ones
H6931-01 Ezekiel 47:18 הַ/קַּדְמוֹנִ֖י haqademoni HTd/Aamsa the-eastern the eastern one
H6931-01 Joel 2:20 הַ/קַּדְמֹנִ֔י haqademoni HTd/Aamsa the-eastern the eastern one
H6931-01 Zechariah 14:8 הַ/קַּדְמוֹנִ֔י haqademoni HTd/Aamsa the eastern the eastern one
H6931-03 Malachi 3:4 קַדְמֹנִיּֽוֹת qademoniot HAafpa ancient ancient ones
H6931-04 Job 18:20 וְ֝/קַדְמֹנִ֗ים veqademonim HC/Aampa and those coming before and former ones
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