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דָּם

𐤃𐤌

dâm

H1818 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

'Blood'—the vital fluid of humans and animals. Used concretely for physical blood in the body or shed in injury or sacrifice; also refers to life itself as represented by blood, bloodshed (especially as the taking of life or acts of violence), and metaphorically for guilt incurred by violence. In poetic or extended contexts, can signify the life force or mortality. In rare analogical usage, refers to grape juice as a symbol of blood, especially in ritual or poetic passages.

Semantic Range

physical blood (in humans or animals), the life or vitality of living beings, blood shed in violence, murder, bloodguilt, drops of blood, figurative for ‘life’ or ‘death’, grape juice as an analogical or metonymic expression, poetic for mortality or fate

Root / Etymology

From the root דָּם (dam), possibly related to the notion of 'redness' or 'color' (cf. אָדָם [ʼadam], 'human, person'), but etymology uncertain; not derived from דָּמַם ('to be silent, still'), despite superficial resemblance. The noun דָּם primarily refers to 'blood,' while other related terms focus on different nuances of life, mortality, or human origin.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Across biblical literature, דָּם has both literal and highly symbolic functions. In legal and ritual texts (e.g., Leviticus), blood signifies life—and thus is central to sacrificial laws and prohibitions on consuming blood. The shedding of blood denotes violence or homicide, and 'innocent blood' refers to the guilt of killing someone unjustly. The association with life underlies many purity laws. In poetic and prophetic books, דָּם expands to metaphorical uses, including 'bloodguilt' or vengeance. Later translation traditions sometimes render the term as 'bloodguilt' or even more generically as 'violence.' The Aramaic cognate and Ancient Near Eastern parallels confirm the centrality of blood as representing both literal substance and the essence of life. The usage does not always map directly to later theological meanings attached to 'blood'; the Hebrew context must guide interpretation.

Translation Consistency

primary "blood" 50 occurrences

דָּם is overwhelmingly and primarily the noun "blood" in Hebrew (physical blood, life, bloodshed, bloodguilt, poetic life/mortality, occasional grape-juice metaphor). In the P2 data the vast majority of occurrences are rendered "blood," so using the single base word "blood" is the most natural, consistent, and transparent choice for all forms under this Strong's number.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from דָּמַם (compare אָדַם); blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed (i.e. drops of blood); blood(-y, -guiltiness, (-thirsty), [phrase] innocent.

Bantu Hebrew

Language Bantu Word Transliteration Meaning
Kikuyu damu blood
Kinyarwanda damu blood
Kirundi damu blood
Lingala damu blood
Luganda damu blood

See all 6 languages →

Root Family

דם (dâm) — blood, to be red, to resemble the color red

Root דם blood, to be red, to resemble the color red

Word Forms

50 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1818-10 דָּ֤ם dam HNcmsa blood blood of blood of 76
H1818-25 הֲ/דַ֣ם hadam HTi/Ncmsc the blood the blood the blood 66
H1818-20 דָּמ֜/וֹ damo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his blood his blood his blood 24
H1818-19 דָּמִ֣ים damim HNcmpa blood bloods bloods 20
H1818-32 מִ/דַּ֣ם midam HR/Ncmsc some of the blood from blood from the blood 20
H1818-43 וְ/דַם vedam HC/Ncmsc and blood and blood-of and blood 14
H1818-03 בְּ/דָ֖ם bedam HR/Ncmsa in blood in blood in blood 12
H1818-21 דְּמֵֽי demey HNcmpc blood bloods of bloods of 12
H1818-29 לְ/דָם֮ ledam HR/Ncmsa to blood to blood to blood 11
H1818-01 בַּ/דָּ֖ם badam HRd/Ncmsa in the blood in the blood in the blood 8

Occurrences in Scripture

361 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1818-21 Genesis 4:10 דְּמֵ֣י demey HNcmpc of your bloods bloods of bloods of
H1818-21 Genesis 4:11 דְּמֵ֥י demey HNcmpc blood bloods of bloods of
H1818-20 Genesis 9:4 דָמ֖/וֹ damo HNcmsc/Sp3ms its blood his blood his blood
H1818-23 Genesis 9:5 דִּמְ/כֶ֤ם dimekhem HNcmsc/Sp2mp your blood your blood your blood
H1818-10 Genesis 9:6 דַּ֣ם dam HNcmsc blood blood of blood of
H1818-20 Genesis 9:6 דָּמ֣/וֹ damo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his blood his blood his blood
H1818-10 Genesis 37:22 דָם֒ dam HNcmsa blood blood of blood
H1818-20 Genesis 37:26 דָּמֽ/וֹ damo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his blood his blood his blood
H1818-01 Genesis 37:31 בַּ/דָּֽם badam HRd/Ncmsa in the blood in the blood in the blood
H1818-20 Genesis 42:22 דָּמ֖/וֹ damo HNcmsc/Sp3ms his blood his blood his blood
H1818-41 Genesis 49:11 וּ/בְ/דַם uvedam HC/R/Ncmsc and in the blood of and in blood of and in blood of
H1818-29 Exodus 4:9 לְ/דָ֖ם ledam HR/Ncmsa blood to blood to blood
H1818-19 Exodus 4:25 דָּמִ֛ים damim HNcmpa blood bloods bloods
H1818-19 Exodus 4:26 דָּמִ֖ים damim HNcmpa blood bloods bloods
H1818-29 Exodus 7:17 לְ/דָֽם ledam HR/Ncmsa to blood to blood to blood
H1818-10 Exodus 7:19 דָ֑ם dam HNcmsa blood blood of blood
H1818-10 Exodus 7:19 דָם֙ dam-2 HNcmsa blood blood of blood
H1818-29 Exodus 7:20 לְ/דָֽם ledam HR/Ncmsa to blood to blood to blood
H1818-25 Exodus 7:21 הַ/דָּ֖ם hadam HTd/Ncmsa the blood the blood the blood
H1818-25 Exodus 12:7 הַ/דָּ֔ם hadam HTd/Ncmsa the blood the blood the blood
H1818-25 Exodus 12:13 הַ/דָּ֨ם hadam HTd/Ncmsa the blood the blood the blood
H1818-25 Exodus 12:13 הַ/דָּ֔ם hadam-2 HTd/Ncmsa blood the blood the blood
H1818-01 Exodus 12:22 בַּ/דָּ֣ם badam HRd/Ncmsa in the blood in the blood in the blood
H1818-25 Exodus 12:22 הַ/דָּ֖ם hadam HTd/Ncmsa the blood the blood the blood
H1818-25 Exodus 12:23 הַ/דָּם֙ hadam HTd/Ncmsa the blood the blood the blood
H1818-19 Exodus 22:1 דָּמִֽים damim HNcmpa bloodguilt bloods bloods
H1818-19 Exodus 22:2 דָּמִ֣ים damim HNcmpa bloodguilt bloods bloods
H1818-10 Exodus 23:18 דַּם dam HNcmsc blood blood of blood of
H1818-25 Exodus 24:6 הַ/דָּ֔ם hadam HTd/Ncmsa of the blood the blood the blood
H1818-25 Exodus 24:6 הַ/דָּ֔ם hadam-2 HTd/Ncmsa of the blood the blood the blood
H1818-25 Exodus 24:8 הַ/דָּ֔ם hadam HTd/Ncmsa blood the blood the blood
H1818-10 Exodus 24:8 דַֽם dam HNcmsc blood blood of blood of
H1818-32 Exodus 29:12 מִ/דַּ֣ם midam HR/Ncmsc of the blood from blood from the blood
H1818-25 Exodus 29:12 הַ/דָּ֣ם hadam HTd/Ncmsa the blood the blood the blood
H1818-20 Exodus 29:16 דָּמ֔/וֹ damo HNcmsc/Sp3ms its blood his blood his blood
H1818-37 Exodus 29:20 מִ/דָּמ/וֹ֙ midamo HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms some of its blood from his blood from its blood
H1818-25 Exodus 29:20 הַ/דָּ֛ם hadam HTd/Ncmsa blood the blood the blood
H1818-25 Exodus 29:21 הַ/דָּ֨ם hadam HTd/Ncmsa the blood the blood the blood
H1818-32 Exodus 30:10 מִ/דַּ֞ם midam HR/Ncmsc with blood from blood from the blood
H1818-10 Exodus 34:25 דַּם dam HNcmsc blood blood of blood of
H1818-25 Leviticus 1:5 הַ/דָּ֔ם hadam HTd/Ncmsa blood the blood the blood
H1818-25 Leviticus 1:5 הַ/דָּ֤ם hadam-2 HTd/Ncmsa blood the blood the blood
H1818-20 Leviticus 1:11 דָּמ֛/וֹ damo HNcmsc/Sp3ms its blood his blood his blood
H1818-20 Leviticus 1:15 דָמ֔/וֹ damo HNcmsc/Sp3ms its blood his blood his blood
H1818-25 Leviticus 3:2 הַ/דָּ֛ם hadam HTd/Ncmsa the blood the blood the blood
H1818-20 Leviticus 3:8 דָּמ֛/וֹ damo HNcmsc/Sp3ms blood his blood his blood
H1818-20 Leviticus 3:13 דָּמ֛/וֹ damo HNcmsc/Sp3ms its blood his blood his blood
H1818-10 Leviticus 3:17 דָּ֖ם dam HNcmsa blood blood of blood of
H1818-32 Leviticus 4:5 מִ/דַּ֣ם midam HR/Ncmsc some of the blood from blood from blood
H1818-01 Leviticus 4:6 בַּ/דָּ֑ם badam HRd/Ncmsa in the blood in the blood in the blood
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