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יַרְדֵּן

𐤉𐤓𐤃𐤍

Yareden

H3383 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Proper name: The Jordan, a major river running north-south through the Levant, serving as a significant geographic, cultural, and symbolic boundary in the Hebrew Bible. In narrative, poetic, and legal texts, 'Yarden' typically refers to the river itself but may occasionally denote the adjoining region.

Semantic Range

The Jordan River, boundary or crossing point, sometimes the region adjacent to the river; rarely extended metaphorically to transition or crossing points in narrative.

Root / Etymology

From the verb יָרַד (yarad, 'to descend'), with the -ֵן (en) ending forming a noun. Thus, יַרְדֵּן (Yarden) probably means 'the descender,' referencing the river's steep gradient from its sources in the north to its terminus at the Dead Sea. The name is structurally a toponym derived from the action of descending.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, יַרְדֵּן (Yarden) consistently refers to the river as the eastern boundary of the land settled by the Israelite tribes. It serves as a physical and symbolic barrier, most prominently in the narratives of crossing into the land (Joshua, Judges) and in demarcations of tribal inheritances. Closely associated with themes of transition, liminality, and territorial claims. The term rarely, if ever, extends to residents or lands adjacent to the river; these are instead described with other terms (e.g., עֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן, 'across the Jordan'). Later Greek and Latin traditions transliterated it as Iordanes/Iordan, and English translations as 'Jordan.' Rabbinic and postbiblical sources increasingly use the name as a regional marker. The etymology as 'descender' fits both its root and its topographic profile. Standard English translation as 'Jordan' reflects a proper name but does not convey the original descriptive sense of 'the descender.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from יָרַד; a descender; Jarden, the principal river of Palestine; Jordan.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

ירד (Yered) — to descend, go down

Root ירד to descend, go down
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3382 יֶרֶד Descent

Word Forms

9 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3383-02 הַ/יַּרְדֵּן֒ hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden 145
H3383-04 לַ֠/יַּרְדֵּן layareden HRd/Np the Jordan to the Descender to Yareden 9
H3383-09 יַרְדֵּ֣ן yareden HNp Jordan Descender Yareden 9
H3383-01 בַּ/יַּרְדֵּ֔ן bayareden HRd/Np in the Jordan in the Descender in Yareden 6
H3383-05 לְ/יַרְדֵּ֣ן leyareden HR/Np the Jordan to Yarden the Descender to Yareden 5
H3383-03 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֔נָ/ה hayaredenah HTd/Np/Sd to the Jordan toward the Descender the Yareden 4
H3383-07 וְ/הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֣ן vehayareden HC/Td/Np and the Jordan and the Descender and the Yareden 3
H3383-06 מִ/יַּרְדֵּ֣ן miyareden HR/Np from Jordan from the Descender from Yareden 1
H3383-08 ב/ירדן vyrdn HR/Np the Jordan in the Descender in Yareden 1

Occurrences in Scripture

183 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3383-02 Genesis 13:10 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֔ן hayareden HTd/Np of the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Genesis 13:11 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֔ן hayareden HTd/Np of the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Genesis 32:11 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֣ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Genesis 50:10 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֔ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Genesis 50:11 הַ/יַּרְדֵּֽן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Numbers 13:29 הַ/יַּרְדֵּֽן hayareden HTd/Np of the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-05 Numbers 22:1 לְ/יַרְדֵּ֥ן leyareden HR/Np the Jordan to Yarden the Descender to Yareden
H3383-09 Numbers 26:3 יַרְדֵּ֥ן yareden HNp the Jordan Descender Yareden
H3383-09 Numbers 26:63 יַרְדֵּ֥ן yareden HNp Jordan Descender Yareden
H3383-09 Numbers 31:12 יַרְדֵּ֥ן yareden HNp Jordan Descender Yareden
H3383-02 Numbers 32:5 הַ/יַּרְדֵּֽן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-04 Numbers 32:19 לַ/יַּרְדֵּ֖ן layareden HRd/Np the-Jordan to the Descender to Yareden
H3383-02 Numbers 32:19 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֖ן hayareden HTd/Np the-Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Numbers 32:21 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֖ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Numbers 32:29 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֞ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-04 Numbers 32:32 לַ/יַּרְדֵּֽן layareden HRd/Np the Jordan to the Descender to Yareden
H3383-09 Numbers 33:48 יַרְדֵּ֥ן yareden HNp Jordan Descender Yareden
H3383-02 Numbers 33:49 הַ/יַּרְדֵּן֙ hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-09 Numbers 33:50 יַרְדֵּ֥ן yareden HNp the Jordan Descender Yareden
H3383-02 Numbers 33:51 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֖ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-03 Numbers 34:12 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֔נָ/ה hayaredenah HTd/Np/Sd to the Jordan toward the Descender the Yareden
H3383-05 Numbers 34:15 לְ/יַרְדֵּ֥ן leyareden HR/Np the-Jordan to Yarden the Descender to Yareden
H3383-09 Numbers 35:1 יַרְדֵּ֥ן yareden HNp Jordan Descender Yareden
H3383-02 Numbers 35:10 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֖ן hayareden HTd/Np the-Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-04 Numbers 35:14 לַ/יַּרְדֵּ֔ן layareden HRd/Np the Jordan to the Descender to Yareden
H3383-09 Numbers 36:13 יַרְדֵּ֥ן yareden HNp the Jordan Descender Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 1:1 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֑ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 1:5 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֖ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 2:29 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֔ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 3:8 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֑ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-07 Deuteronomy 3:17 וְ/הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֣ן vehayareden HC/Td/Np and the Jordan and the Descender and the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 3:20 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֑ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 3:25 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֑ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 3:27 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֥ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 4:21 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֔ן hayareden HTd/Np Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 4:22 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֑ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 4:26 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֛ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 4:41 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֑ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 4:46 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֜ן hayareden HTd/Np of the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 4:47 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֑ן hayareden HTd/Np of the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 4:49 הַ/יַּרְדֵּן֙ hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 9:1 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֔ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 11:30 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֗ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 11:31 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֔ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 12:10 הַ/יַּרְדֵּן֒ hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 27:2 הַ/יַּרְדֵּן֒ hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 27:4 הַ/יַּרְדֵּן֒ hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 27:12 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֑ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 30:18 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֔ן hayareden HTd/Np Jordan the Descender the Yareden
H3383-02 Deuteronomy 31:2 הַ/יַּרְדֵּ֥ן hayareden HTd/Np the Jordan the Descender the Yareden
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