הֵם
𐤄𐤌
hêm
H1991 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal pronoun, third person plural, typically meaning 'they' or 'those ones'. In some contexts, can function as a substantive meaning 'those people', 'they themselves', or (rarely) refer to possessions by idiom. Usage sometimes emphasizes distinction or contrast, or is used for clarity in narrative discourse. In poetry and elevated style, may appear emphatically.
Semantic Range
they (as subject pronoun), those (deictic sense), those ones (substantive), they themselves (emphatic or contrastive usage)
Root / Etymology
Root: המם (hmm), though the precise derivation is debated. Some scholars suggest an original pronominal base potentially related to the root meaning 'to be tumultuous' or 'murmur', which in several Semitic languages gives rise to third-person pronouns (cf. Ugaritic, Aramaic). The form הֵם is the independent masculine plural pronoun. It is linguistically related to Aramaic הִנּוּן, Ugaritic hm, and Arabic hum.
Historical & Contextual Notes
הֵם functions as the primary third-person masculine plural independent pronoun in Biblical Hebrew. It is used both for groups of people and, less often, for groups of masculine-gender objects. Feminine plural counterpart is הֵנָּה (hēnnāh). In late biblical Hebrew and post-biblical texts, the form may shift in function and frequency. In some rare poetic instances, the word can take on a slightly deictic or emphatic role (corresponding to 'those ones' or 'they themselves'). English translations generally render הֵם as 'they', but this can obscure marked usages where the pronoun carries contrast or emphasis. The connection to 'abundance, wealth' found in Strong's is likely an error or confusion with similar roots, and is not relevant to the pronominal use.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from הָמָה; abundance, i.e. wealth; any of theirs.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
המם (h-m-m) — they (masc. pl.), those ones, they themselves
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1950 | הוֹמָם | and the Tumultuous One |
| H1967 | הֵימָם | Hêymâm |
| H1995 | הָמוֹן | your tumultuous multitude |
| H1997 | הֲמוֹנָה | her teeming mass |
| H2000 | הָמַם | he threw them into panic |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1991-01 |
מֶ/הֱמֵ/הֶ֖ם | mehemehem | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp |
of their wealth | from them | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1991-01 |
Ezekiel 7:11 | מֶ/הֱמֵ/הֶ֖ם | mehemehem | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp |
of their wealth | from them |