הַ/מָּ֑יִם
𐤄/𐤌𐤉𐤌
mayim
of water
Primary meaning: water, the substance essential for life in liquid form. Used for natural bodies of water—such as rivers, springs, seas, rain—materials in or with water, or as an element in rituals. Secondarily, may serve as a metonym for abundance, chaos, or danger (e.g., 'waters' of the deep, flood, or destruction), and occasionally for bodily fluids in specific contexts (semen, urine). The term may stand for any potable or environmental water, from dew to ocean; its figurative usage points to aspects of fertility, life, and chaos.
Amenshi "water" (Bemba) · Mezi "Water" (Lozi) · Amanzi "water" (Zulu)Genesis 24:43 · Word #6
Lexicon H4325
| Lemma | מַיִם |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤌𐤉𐤌 |
| Transliteration | mayim |
| Strong's | H4325 |
| Definition | Primary meaning: water, the substance essential for life in liquid form. Used for natural bodies of water—such as rivers, springs, seas, rain—materials in or with water, or as an element in rituals. Secondarily, may serve as a metonym for abundance, chaos, or danger (e.g., 'waters' of the deep, flood, or destruction), and occasionally for bodily fluids in specific contexts (semen, urine). The term may stand for any potable or environmental water, from dew to ocean; its figurative usage points to aspects of fertility, life, and chaos. |
Morphology HTd/Ncmpa
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | p — Plural — Plural |
| State | a — Absolute — The noun stands independently |
Common Translation
| Phrase | of water |
SIBI-P1 Translation H4325-05
the waters
| Morphological Notes | Noun, masculine plural (formally dual), absolute state, with definite article; functions as a collective noun. |
| Rendering Rationale | The definite article הַ marks the noun as definite (“the”), and the form מַיִם is morphologically plural (formally dual) masculine absolute. Rendering it as “the waters” preserves both the definiteness and the plural/expansive form while reflecting the root sense of flowing, abundant water. |
View full lexicon entry for H4325 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
the waters
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | Standardized from "of water". The Hebrew phrase is עַל־עֵין־הַמָּיִם with the definite article on מָיִם, so the literal and consistent rendering is “the waters.” The current “of water” omits the article and departs from the chosen standard without a contextual need for a different translation. |
Bantu Hebrew
הַ/מָּ֑יִם (mayim) — Primary meaning: water, the substance essential for life in liquid form. Used for natural bodies of water—such as rivers, springs, seas, rain—materials in or with water, or as an element in rituals. Secondarily, may serve as a metonym for abundance, chaos, or danger (e.g., 'waters' of the deep, flood, or destruction), and occasionally for bodily fluids in specific contexts (semen, urine). The term may stand for any potable or environmental water, from dew to ocean; its figurative usage points to aspects of fertility, life, and chaos.