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כֶּבֶשׂ

𐤊𐤁𐤔

kebes

H3532 noun

SILEX Entry

Root כ-ב-ש uncertain, possibly to subdue, to dominate (proposed for the verb)

Definition

Young male sheep, specifically a lamb, often designated for ritual use or sacrifice; in some contexts refers more generally to sheep used in sacrificial contexts rather than simply any young sheep. The term frequently denotes a male lamb of the first year in sacrificial law, but can also function more generally for a young sheep.

Semantic Range

young male sheep, male lamb (especially of the first year), sheep (in sacrificial or cultic contexts); never a fully grown ram, never female

Root / Etymology

Root/etymology uncertain. The form כֶּבֶשׂ (kebes) does not transparently derive from a clearly attested Hebrew root. Some propose a link with a root meaning 'to subdue' based on later verbal forms (כָּבַשׁ), but this semantic connection is speculative and not supported by direct evidence in the Hebrew Bible. Thus, the etymology of כֶּבֶשׂ is uncertain and probably pre-Hebrew or non-Semitic in origin.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, כֶּבֶשׂ occurs most frequently in the context of ritual prescriptions, especially in priestly law where a 'male lamb' of the first year is required for offerings at festivals, regular sacrifices, personal purification, and other cultic events (e.g., Exodus 12, Leviticus 3–4, Numbers 6, Ezekiel 45–46). It is closely associated with other sacrificial animals such as עֵ֫גֶל (calf) and אֵיל (fully grown ram). Unlike טָלֶה (taleh), which is the general term for 'lamb', כֶּבֶשׂ is often reserved for male lambs and carries a sacrificial nuance. In later Hebrew and Aramaic, the term survives primarily in ritual or liturgical language. English translations most often use 'lamb', particularly in sacrificial contexts, but this sometimes obscures the specific age and sacrificial appropriateness implied by the Hebrew.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root meaning to dominate; a ram (just old enough to butt); lamb, sheep.

Bantu Hebrew

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

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Root Family

כבש (k-b-ś) — young male sheep; possibly related to subduing (etymology uncertain)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3533 כָּבַשׁ subduers
H3534 כֶּבֶשׁ and tread-ramp

Word Forms

13 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3532-05 כְּבָשִׂ֧ים kevasim HNcmpa lambs young male lambs 36
H3532-06 כֶּ֛בֶשׂ keves HNcmsa lamb young male lamb 21
H3532-13 וְ/לַ/כְּבָשִׂ֛ים velakevasim HC/Rd/Ncmpa and for the lambs and for the male lambs 10
H3532-08 לַ/כֶּ֖בֶשׂ lakeves HRd/Ncmsa for-the-lamb for the young male lamb 10
H3532-02 הַ/כֶּ֥בֶשׂ hakeves HTd/Ncmsa the lamb the male lamb 9
H3532-07 כְבָשִׂים֙ khevasim HNcmpa lambs young male lambs 7
H3532-01 הַ/כְּבָשִׂ֥ים hakevasim HTd/Ncmpa lambs the male lambs 6
H3532-03 כְּ/כֶ֥בֶשׂ kekheves HR/Ncmsa like a lamb male lamb 2
H3532-09 וּ/כְבָשִׂ֛ים ukhevasim HC/Ncmpa and lambs and young male lambs 2
H3532-12 וְ/כֶ֨בֶשׂ vekheves HC/Ncmsa and-a-lamb young male lamb 1

Occurrences in Scripture

107 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3532-01 Exodus 12:5 הַ/כְּבָשִׂ֥ים hakevasim HTd/Ncmpa the sheep the male lambs
H3532-05 Exodus 29:38 כְּבָשִׂ֧ים kevasim HNcmpa lambs young male lambs
H3532-02 Exodus 29:39 הַ/כֶּ֥בֶשׂ hakeves HTd/Ncmsa the lamb the male lamb
H3532-02 Exodus 29:39 הַ/כֶּ֣בֶשׂ hakeves-2 HTd/Ncmsa the lamb the male lamb
H3532-08 Exodus 29:40 לַ/כֶּ֖בֶשׂ lakeves HRd/Ncmsa for-the-lamb for the young male lamb
H3532-02 Exodus 29:41 הַ/כֶּ֣בֶשׂ hakeves HTd/Ncmsa lamb the male lamb
H3532-06 Leviticus 4:32 כֶּ֛בֶשׂ keves HNcmsa a lamb young male lamb
H3532-11 Leviticus 9:3 וָ/כֶ֧בֶשׂ vakheves HC/Ncmsa and a lamb male lamb
H3532-06 Leviticus 12:6 כֶּ֤בֶשׂ keves HNcmsa a-lamb young male lamb
H3532-07 Leviticus 14:10 כְבָשִׂים֙ khevasim HNcmpa male lambs young male lambs
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