יָרוֹק
𐤉𐤓𐤅𐤒
yârôwq
H3387 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Green; something green, especially green vegetation or an herb, but not limited to cultivated plants. Refers generally to any green growth or plant life, with emphasis on its vitality or freshness, and sometimes serves as a designation for edible, living plant matter or herbage in the context of food for humans and animals.
Semantic Range
green (color), green plant, green vegetation, herbage; anything green and fresh, especially in reference to plant life or food
Root / Etymology
From the root יָרַק, which means 'to be green' or refers to plant life. The word יָרוֹק is an adjective and substantivized adjective form derived from this root. The root itself conveys the concept of greenness or verdancy, and the adjective יָרוֹק describes that which possesses that quality.
Historical & Contextual Notes
יָרוֹק occurs rarely in biblical Hebrew, notably in Ezekiel 17:4, where it refers to the 'top of a tender young shoot' and in Isaiah 15:6, describing the withering of green grass or vegetation. The term is generally used for the greenness of plants, not as a fixed species or botanical technicality, but as a poetic or descriptive term for living, fresh plant matter. It could encompass wild or cultivated vegetation depending on the context. In later Hebrew and Rabbinic usage, derivatives of the root acquire more technical meanings for specific vegetables, but in biblical usage, it denotes freshness and living greenery more broadly. The English term "herb" sometimes used in translation can be misleadingly narrow, implying only edible or garden plants, whereas יָרוֹק can refer to wild vegetation. Compared to related terms such as דֶּשֶׁא (deshe', 'grass' or 'new growth') and עֵשֶׂב (esev, 'herb' or 'grass'), יָרוֹק is less botanical and more focused on color and freshness as an attribute of plant life. Its use is often associated with imagery of prosperity or, negatively, of its loss through drought or destruction.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from יָרָק; green, i.e. an herb; green thing.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ירק (y-r-q) — to be green, to grow green, to sprout
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3417 | יָרָק | and she spat |
| H3418 | יֶרֶק | like green vegetation |
| H3419 | יָרָק | the green produce |
| H3420 | יֵרָקוֹן | to greenish-pallor |
| H3422 | יְרַקְרַק | sickly yellow-green |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3387-01 |
יָר֣וֹק | yaroq | HNcmsa |
green thing | he will grow green | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3387-01 |
Job 39:8 | יָר֣וֹק | yaroq | HNcmsa |
green thing | he will grow green |