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יְרִיעָה

𐤉𐤓𐤉𐤏𐤄

yᵉrîyʻâh

H3407 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ירע to spread out, stretch, cover (root uncertain)

Definition

A large piece of fabric, often woven or embroidered, used as a covering, screen, or curtain. Most commonly, the term refers to the textile panels comprising the tabernacle in the wilderness, serving both a functional and symbolic role as partitions or coverings. The word can also describe tent panels or sheets of cloth, especially those that comprise structures or enclosures.

Semantic Range

panel of fabric (tabernacle curtain), tent sheet, large woven covering, architectural partition, sail (rare, poetic)

Root / Etymology

The root is ירע (y-r-ʻ), but the original meaning of the root and its connection to יְרִיעָה remain uncertain. The word appears to be an ancient Northwest Semitic term for a piece of fabric used for screening or covering. Its formation fits nominal patterns for tools or objects, but the precise etymological meaning is debated.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, יְרִיעָה almost exclusively designates the woven panels used for the tabernacle's structure (Exodus 26, 36), constituting both the inner sanctuary and the screening of the entire enclosure. Occasionally, the term refers to sheets or panels used in tent construction (Isaiah 54:2), emphasizing flexibility and expansiveness. While often rendered 'curtain' or 'hanging' in English translations, this may understate its scale and structural function, which in context resembles a tent wall or section of fabric serving as an architectural partition. Unlike מִסְכָּן (misḵān, 'dwelling, tabernacle') or פָּרֹכֶת (parokhet, 'veil'), יְרִיעָה refers specifically to the fabric panels themselves, not the sacred space or the special veil. Over time, the term became less common, largely restricted to cultic or poetic texts, but it retained the nuance of significant fabric structure, and was not simply a decorative drapery. In later Hebrew, similar terms are used for sails or large cloths, providing a semantic link beyond cultic furniture. Standard English translations may obscure the large, architectural connotation of the term in its ancient context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from יָרַע; a hanging (as tremulous); curtain.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ירע (y-r-ʿ) — spread out, stretch, cover

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3408 יְרִיעוֹת woven covering panels
H3415 יָרַע she shattered in dread

Word Forms

10 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3407-03 הַ/יְרִיעָ֣ה hayeriah HTd/Ncfsa of the curtain the woven covering-panel 21
H3407-08 יְרִיעֹ֑ת yeriot HNcfpa curtains woven covering panels 14
H3407-04 הַ/יְרִיעֹֽת hayeriot HTd/Ncfpa the curtains the fabric panels 10
H3407-01 בַּ/יְרִיעָ֣ה bayeriah HRd/Ncfsa on the curtain in the fabric panel 2
H3407-09 יְרִיעֹתָֽ/י yeriotay HNcfpc/Sp1cs my curtains my fabric panels 2
H3407-02 בִּ/ירִיעֹ֖ת biriot HR/Ncfpc of the curtains fabric-panels of 1
H3407-06 כִּ/ירִיע֖וֹת kiriot HR/Ncfpc like the curtains of fabric panels of 1
H3407-05 כַּ/יְרִיעָֽה kayeriah HRd/Ncfsa like a curtain like a covering panel 1
H3407-07 וִ/ירִיע֧וֹת viriot HC/Ncfpc and the curtains and the covering-panels of 1
H3407-10 יְרִיעוֹתֵי/הֶ֧ם yerioteyhem HNcfpc/Sp3mp their curtains their covering panels 1

Occurrences in Scripture

54 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3407-08 Exodus 26:1 יְרִיעֹ֑ת yeriot HNcfpa curtains woven covering panels
H3407-03 Exodus 26:2 הַ/יְרִיעָ֣ה hayeriah HTd/Ncfsa of the curtain the woven covering-panel
H3407-03 Exodus 26:2 הַ/יְרִיעָ֖ה hayeriah-2 HTd/Ncfsa the curtain the woven covering-panel
H3407-04 Exodus 26:2 הַ/יְרִיעֹֽת hayeriot HTd/Ncfpa the curtains the fabric panels
H3407-04 Exodus 26:3 הַ/יְרִיעֹ֗ת hayeriot HTd/Ncfpa curtains the fabric panels
H3407-08 Exodus 26:3 יְרִיעֹת֙ yeriot HNcfpa curtains woven covering panels
H3407-03 Exodus 26:4 הַ/יְרִיעָה֙ hayeriah HTd/Ncfsa of the curtain the woven covering-panel
H3407-03 Exodus 26:4 הַ/יְרִיעָ֔ה hayeriah-2 HTd/Ncfsa of the curtain the woven covering-panel
H3407-01 Exodus 26:5 בַּ/יְרִיעָ֣ה bayeriah HRd/Ncfsa on the one curtain in the fabric panel
H3407-03 Exodus 26:5 הַ/יְרִיעָ֔ה hayeriah HTd/Ncfsa of the curtain the woven covering-panel
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