← H3204 H3206 →

יָלַד

𐤉𐤋𐤃

yâlad

H3205 verb

SILEX Entry

Root ילד to bear, beget, bring forth offspring

Definition

To give birth, bring forth or beget offspring. In human contexts, it refers to the physical act of childbirth by a woman or of fathering children by a man, as well as the broader process of producing a descendant. In specialized contexts, it covers the technical act of midwifery, the record of genealogy or lineage, and metaphorical uses for origin or production.

Semantic Range

to give birth (of a woman), to father/beget (of a man), to bring forth offspring (human or animal), to act as midwife, to experience childbirth, to declare or record lineage, to describe genealogical descent, to originate (figuratively, e.g., of nations or peoples)

Root / Etymology

From the root י-ל-ד (yalad), whose core meaning is 'to bring forth, to be born.' The verb is a core term for human and, less often, animal procreation in the Hebrew Bible. Derived nouns include ילד (yeled, child/boy), ילדה (yaldah, girl), and תולדות (toledot, generations/descendants/history).

Historical & Contextual Notes

יָלַד is central for describing biological descent and family continuity across the Hebrew Bible, featuring prominently in genealogical lists and narratives (Genesis 5, 10). In narrative texts, it is used in both literal sense of bearing or fathering children (e.g., Eve bears Cain, Adam begets sons) and figuratively (origin of nations, peoples). In some passages, it denotes the act of acting as a midwife or the experience of labor. The participle and noun forms are regularly used in birth notices and genealogical formulas. In later periods, and especially in post-exilic genealogies, the verb increasingly indicates formal recording or declaring genealogical descent. In English translations, 'bear,' 'beget,' 'bring forth,' and 'give birth' variously render the term, though none fully capture its range, especially its figurative and legal usages. Distinct from terms indicating mere creation or making (e.g., עשה), יָלַד specifically conveys biological or genealogical origination.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage; bear, beget, birth(-day), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

ילד (y-l-d) — to bear, beget, bring forth offspring

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2056 וָלָד male-born child
H3206 יֶלֶד the boy
H3207 יַלְדָּה the female child
H3208 יַלְדוּת in your childhood-years
H3209 יִלּוֹד the one born

Word Forms

113 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3205-21 הוֹלִ֣יד holid HVhp3ms begat he fathered 95
H3205-51 וַ/תֵּ֣לֶד vateled HC/Vqw3fs and she bore and she bore 62
H3205-56 וַ/יּ֥וֹלֶד vayoled HC/Vhw3ms and he fathered and he begot 45
H3205-82 יָֽלְדָה֙ yaledah HVqp3fs bore she bore offspring 38
H3205-76 יָלַ֖ד yalad HVqp3ms fathered he begot 20
H3205-22 הוֹלִיד֣/וֹ holido HVhc/Sp3ms he fathered his begetting 17
H3205-107 יֻלַּד yulad HVPp3ms were born was brought forth 17
H3205-40 נוֹלָ֤ד nolad HVNrmsa were born the one born 10
H3205-26 כַּ/יּוֹלֵדָ֖ה kayoledah HRd/Vqrfsa like a woman in childbirth like a bearing-woman 10
H3205-80 יָלַ֥דְתִּי yaladeti HVqp1cs I have borne I brought forth offspring 7

Occurrences in Scripture

500 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3205-44 Genesis 3:16 תֵּֽלְדִ֣י teledi HVqi2fs you will bring forth / you shall bear you will bear offspring
H3205-51 Genesis 4:1 וַ/תֵּ֣לֶד vateled HC/Vqw3fs and she bore and she bore
H3205-28 Genesis 4:2 לָ/לֶ֔דֶת laledet HR/Vqc to bear to bear offspring
H3205-51 Genesis 4:17 וַ/תֵּ֣לֶד vateled HC/Vqw3fs and bore and she bore
H3205-54 Genesis 4:18 וַ/יִּוָּלֵ֤ד vayivaled HC/VNw3ms was born and he was born
H3205-76 Genesis 4:18 יָלַ֖ד yalad HVqp3ms fathered he begot
H3205-76 Genesis 4:18 יָלַד֙ yalad-2 HVqp3ms fathered he begot
H3205-76 Genesis 4:18 יָלַ֥ד yalad-3 HVqp3ms fathered he begot
H3205-51 Genesis 4:20 וַ/תֵּ֥לֶד vateled HC/Vqw3fs gave birth to and she bore
H3205-82 Genesis 4:22 יָֽלְדָה֙ yaledah HVqp3fs gave birth to she bore offspring
← H3204 Hebrew Lexicon H3206 →