Original Word: אֵם
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: em
Pronunciation: em
Phonetic Spelling: (ame)
KJV: dam, mother, X parting
NASB: mother, mother's, mothers, mothers', parting
Word Origin: [a primitive word]

1. a mother (as the bond of the family)
2. in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively (like H0001

dam, mother, parting

A primitive word; a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively (like 'ab) -- dam, mother, X parting.

see HEBREW 'ab

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
a mother
NASB Translation
infancy* (1), mother (145), mother's (67), mothers (5), mothers' (1), parting (1).

אֵם₂₂₁ noun feminine mother (Phoenician אם, Arabic , Ethiopic , Sabean אם (only in proper names compare e. g. Bae^{Rel 118}) Assyrian ummu COT^Gloss; Aramaic אֵם, אִימָּא, ) — ׳א absolute Genesis 32:12 +; construct Genesis 3:20 +; suffix אִמִּי Genesis 20:12 + etc.; plural only suffix אִמֹּתֵנוּ Lamentations 5:3; אִמֹּתָם Jeremiah 16:3; Lamentations 2:12 (twice in verse); —

1 literal (human) mother, as parent Genesis 20:12; Genesis 32:12; Genesis 44:20; Exodus 2:8; Psalm 51:7; Psalm 113:9 ( opposed to עֲקֶרֶת) Jeremiah 15:8,10; Jeremiah 20:14; Jeremiah 22:26; Jeremiah 50:12; 1 Chronicles 4:9; Songs 6:9; Songs 8:5 +; hence of Eve אֵם כָּלחָֿ֑י Genesis 3:20; in poetry of birth, יָצָא מִבֶּטֶן אֵם Job 1:21; Ecclesiastes 5:14; יָצָא מֵרֶחֶם אֵם Numbers 12:12 compare Psalm 139:13 (Jeremiah 20:18 &) מִמְּעֵי אִמִּי גּוֺזִי Psalm 71:6 (subject ׳י, compare גחה Psalm 22:10; > גּוֺזִי = my benefactor from birth Thes Ew Hup Pe); also וַתְּהִי אִמִּי קִבְרִי Jeremiah 20:17; מִבֶּטֶן אֵם = from earliest existence Judges 16:17; Job 31:18; Psalm 22:11; so מִמְּעֵי אֵם Isaiah 49:1; as giving suck Songs 8:1 (שְׁדֵי אֵם) Psalm 22:10; compare Psalm 131:2 (see Exodus 2:9 compare Exodus 2:8); as exercising authority Genesis 21:21; Genesis 24:28; Genesis 27:11,13,14; Judges 17:2 f Ruth 1:8; Songs 3:4; Songs 8:2 etc.; especially of queen-mother as possessing dignity & influence 1 Kings 1:11; 1 Kings 2:13,19,20; 2Chronicles 22:2,3; Songs 3:11; Proverbs 31:1; compare names of mo-thers of kings of Judah 1 Kings 14:21,31; 1 Kings 15:2,10,13 +; as shewing love & care 1 Samuel 2:19; 1 Kings 3:27; 1 Kings 17:23; 2 Kings 4:30; Isaiah 66:13 (simile of ׳יs comforting his people; compare also Genesis 27:45); as beloved & lamented 1 Kings 19:20 ("" אָב) Genesis 24:67; Psalm 35:14; בֶּןאִֿמּוֺ = own (uterine) brother Genesis 43:29; & "" אָח Genesis 27:29; Deuteronomy 13:7; Judges 8:19; Psalm 50:20; Psalm 69:9; Songs 1:6; compare Songs 8:1; so בַּתאִֿמּוֺ Leviticus 18:9; Leviticus 20:17; Deuteronomy 27:22 ("" בַּתאָֿבִיו) Genesis 20:12; often with אָב, as parentes Jeremiah 16:3; Zechariah 13:3 (twice in verse); Isaiah 8:4; as rightfully claiming honour, authority, etc., compare above, Genesis 28:7 (P) compare Genesis 37:10 (E) Judges 14:2 f, so in precept Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs 6:20; Proverbs 10:1; Proverbs 15:20 etc. compare Ezekiel 22:7; laws enjoining these Exodus 20:12 = Deuteronomy 5:16; Leviticus 19:3 compare Deuteronomy 22:15; laws prohib. contrary Exodus 21:15,17 (E) Leviticus 20:9 (twice in verse) (H) Deuteronomy 21:18,19; Deuteronomy 27:16; laws as to mourning for Leviticus 21:2,11 (H) Numbers 6:7 (P) compare Jeremiah 16:7; Ezekiel 44:25; left for wife Genesis 2:24; for mother-in-law Ruth 2:24; for husband Deuteronomy 21:13 (law for captive women); compare Deuteronomy 33:9 (of devoted service of Levites); loving, caring for children Proverbs 4:3 (on the opposite compare Psalm 27:10); loved, cared for Joshua 2:13 compare Joshua 2:18; Joshua 6:23. 1 Samuel 22:3; 1 Kings 19:20 compare 2 Samuel 19:38.

2 figurative of Deborah as caring for her people אֵם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל Judges 5:7 (compare אָב Isaiah 22:21; Job 29:16); so of a city 2 Samuel 20:19 ('stock, race, community' RS^{K 28 compare Proph. iv. n 8}); of Israel Hosea 2:4; Hosea 2:7; Hosea 4:5; compare Hosea 10:14; of Judah Isaiah 50:1 (twice in verse); of Hittite as mother of Jerusalem אָבִיךְ הָאֱמֹרִי וְאִמֵּךְ חִתִּית Ezekiel 16:3,45 compare Ezekiel 16:44; Ezekiel 16:45; also Ezekiel 19:2,10 & see Ezekiel 23:2.

3 of animals, dam Exodus 22:29 (of ox & sheep) Leviticus 22:27 (of bullock, sheep, or goat); Exodus 23:19 = Exodus 34:26 = Deuteronomy 14:21 (of kid); mother-bird Deuteronomy 22:6 (twice in verse); Deuteronomy 22:7; figurative Job 17:14 לַשַּׁחַת קָרָאתִי אָבִי אָ֑תָּה אִמִּי וַאֲחֹתִי לָרִמָּֽה ׃.

4 = point of departure or division אֵם הַדֶּרֶךְ Ezekiel 21:26. ("" ראֹשׁ שְׁנֵי הַדְּרָכִים).

Primary Meaning and Semantic Range

אָל traditionally signifies a biological mother, yet its semantic field extends to an “ancestress,” “nurturer,” or “source.” Several passages employ the term metaphorically for cities (2 Samuel 20:19), nations (Isaiah 50:1), and even animals (Leviticus 22:27), highlighting the concept of origin or protection.

Frequency and Distribution

Of roughly 220 Old Testament occurrences, Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Kings, and Proverbs contain the highest concentrations. Narrative, legal, poetic, and prophetic genres all employ the word, underscoring its theological breadth.

Roles and Symbolism

1. Biological Parent—First appears in Genesis 2:24 where the union of husband and wife supersedes original filial ties: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and be united to his wife.”
2. Educator and Disciplinarian—Proverbs recurrently pairs “mother” with “father” in exhortations: “My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching” (Proverbs 6:20).
3. Comforter—“As a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you” (Isaiah 66:13) lifts the mundane into a divine analogy.
4. Covenant Model—Moses’ appeal to honor one’s mother (Exodus 20:12) situates maternal reverence within covenantal obedience, attaching the blessing of longevity.
5. Boundary Marker—Law codes protect the dignity of motherhood: cursing (Leviticus 20:9), striking (Exodus 21:15), or sexual violation (Leviticus 18:7) invite severe penalties, revealing God’s guarded concern for family order.

Covenant and Lineage

Maternal lineage often secures covenant continuity. The offspring of Sarah (Genesis 17:19), Rebekah’s role in securing the blessing for Jacob (Genesis 27), and Bathsheba’s advocacy for Solomon (1 Kings 1:15-37) illustrate how mothers safeguard divine promises. In Judges 5:7 Deborah calls herself “a mother in Israel,” portraying covenant leadership through maternal imagery.

Wisdom Literature Insights

Proverbs and Job furnish reflection on mothers’ influence upon character. “He who robs his father and drives away his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace” (Proverbs 19:26). Likewise, the acrostic portrait of the virtuous wife in Proverbs 31 indirectly extols the future blessing of motherhood: “Her children rise up and call her blessed” (Proverbs 31:28).

Prophetic Usage

Prophets employ אֵם to dramatize Israel’s relationship with YHWH. Hosea’s indictments against the faithless “mother” (Hosea 2:2-5) parallel Israel’s covenant breach. Ezekiel 19 personifies Judah as a lioness whose cubs are deported—illustrating exile as maternal bereavement. The metaphor intensifies divine pathos and underscores the moral gravity of apostasy.

Messianic Foreshadowing

Several “mother” texts indirectly foreshadow the Messiah’s lineage: Genesis 3:15 promises a seed through the woman; Isaiah 7:14 presents a virgin mother bearing Immanuel; Micah 5:3 predicts a time when “she who is in labor gives birth,” after which the ruler shepherds Israel. Christian interpretation sees these maternal prophecies converging in Mary, though the Hebrew term appears in their immediate contexts for genealogical precision.

New Testament Echoes

While Greek μήτηρ replaces אֵם, apostolic teaching sustains the fifth commandment (Ephesians 6:2). Jesus’ own respect for Mary (John 19:26-27) models covenant honor. Paul’s comparison of the Jerusalem above as “our mother” (Galatians 4:26) mirrors Isaiah’s maternal Zion, showing biblical unity across covenants.

Practical and Ministerial Application

1. Family Ministry—Highlight maternal responsibility in shaping faith; encourage biblical literacy by studying Proverbs together.
2. Counseling—Isaiah 66:13 grounds pastoral comfort in God’s maternal compassion for the brokenhearted.
3. Apologetics—Showing harmony between Old and New Testament parental commands affirms Scripture’s coherence.
4. Leadership Training—Deborah and Bathsheba illustrate how maternal advocacy influences national direction; modern church leaders can affirm faithful women whose motherly roles advance kingdom purposes.

Conclusion

אֵם functions as a theological anchor for origin, nurture, and covenant fidelity. From Eden to Zion, Scripture exalts motherhood as a tangible channel of God’s redemptive work and a living metaphor for His sustaining grace.

אִ֝מְּךָ֗ אִ֝מִּ֗י אִ֝מּ֗וֹ אִ֠מֶּךָ אִ֠מּוֹ אִ֭מִּי אִמְּךָ֖ אִמְּךָ֙ אִמְּךָ֛ אִמְּךָ֣ אִמְּךָ֥ אִמְּכֶ֣ן אִמְּכֶֽם׃ אִמְּכֶם֙ אִמִּ֑י אִמִּ֔י אִמִּ֖י אִמִּ֗י אִמִּ֣י אִמִּ֥י אִמִּֽי׃ אִמִּי֙ אִמֵּ֜ךְ אִמֵּ֣ךְ אִמֶּ֑ךָ אִמֶּ֔ךָ אִמֶּֽךָ׃ אִמָּ֑הּ אִמָּ֔ם אִמָּ֖הּ אִמָּ֤הּ אִמֹּתֵ֖ינוּ אִמֹּתָ֞ם אִמֹּתָֽם׃ אִמּ֑וֹ אִמּ֔וֹ אִמּ֖וֹ אִמּ֗וֹ אִמּ֛וֹ אִמּ֜וֹ אִמּ֡וֹ אִמּ֤וֹ אִמּֽוֹ׃ אִמּוֹ֒ אִמּוֹ֙ אִמּוֹ֩ אֵ֑ם אֵ֖ם אֵ֛ם אֵ֝֗ם אֵ֣ם אֵ֣ם ׀ אֵ֥ם אֵֽם־ אֵם־ אם אם־ אמה אמו אמו׃ אמי אמי׃ אמך אמך׃ אמכם אמכם׃ אמכן אמם אמתינו אמתם אמתם׃ בְאִמְּכֶם֙ בְאִמָּ֔הּ באמה באמכם הָאֵ֔ם הָאֵ֖ם האם וְאִמְּךָ֣ וְאִמִּ֑י וְאִמִּ֣י וְאִמִּי֙ וְאִמֵּ֗ךְ וְאִמֵּ֥ךְ וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ וְאִמָּ֑הּ וְאִמָּ֔הּ וְאִמּ֑וֹ וְאִמּ֔וֹ וְאִמּ֖וֹ וְאִמּ֗וֹ וְאִמּ֛וֹ וְאִמּ֜וֹ וְאִמּ֤וֹ וְאֵם֙ וְהָאֵ֤ם וָאֵ֑ם וָאֵם֙ וּ֠לְאֵם וּכְאִמּ֑וֹ וּלְאִמִּ֔י וּלְאִמִּ֛י וּלְאִמָּֽהּ׃ וּלְאִמּ֔וֹ וּלְאִמּ֖וֹ וּלְאִמּ֗וֹ וּלְאִמּוֹ֙ ואם ואמה ואמו ואמי ואמך והאם וכאמו ולאם ולאמה׃ ולאמו ולאמי כְּאִמָּ֖ה כאמה לְאִמָּ֔הּ לְאִמֹּתָם֙ לְאִמּ֑וֹ לְאִמּ֖וֹ לְאִמּ֗וֹ לְאִמּ֡וֹ לְאִמּ֣וֹ לְאֵ֣ם לאם לאמה לאמו לאמתם ’êm ’êm- ’im·māh ’im·mām ’im·me·ḵā ’im·mə·ḵā ’im·mə·ḵem ’im·mə·ḵen ’im·mêḵ ’im·mî ’im·mō·ṯām ’im·mō·ṯê·nū ’im·mōw ’immāh ’immām ’immêḵ ’immeḵā ’imməḵā ’imməḵem ’imməḵen ’immî ’immōṯām ’immōṯênū ’immōw ḇə’immāh ḇə’imməḵem ḇə·’im·māh ḇə·’im·mə·ḵem em hā’êm hā·’êm haEm imMah imMam imMech imMecha immeChem immeChen imMi imMo immoTam immoTeinu kə’immāh kə·’im·māh keimMah lə’êm lə’immāh lə’immōṯām lə’immōw lə·’êm lə·’im·māh lə·’im·mō·ṯām lə·’im·mōw leEm leimMah leimMo leimmoTam ū·ḵə·’im·mōw ū·lə·’êm ū·lə·’im·māh ū·lə·’im·mî ū·lə·’im·mōw ucheimMo ūḵə’immōw ūlə’êm ūlə’immāh ūlə’immî ūlə’immōw Uleem uleimMah uleimMi uleimMo vaEm veEm vehaEm veimMah veimMech veimmeCha veimmeChem veimMi veimMo wā’êm wā·’êm wə’êm wə’immāh wə’immêḵ wə’immeḵā wə’imməḵā wə’immî wə’immōw wə·’êm wə·’im·māh wə·’im·me·ḵā wə·’im·mə·ḵā wə·’im·mêḵ wə·’im·mî wə·’im·mōw wə·hā·’êm wəhā’êmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts