מַיִם (H4325) — Hebrew Lexicon

מַיִם

𐤌𐤉𐤌

mayim

H4325 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Primary meaning: water, the substance essential for life in liquid form. Used for natural bodies of water—such as rivers, springs, seas, rain—materials in or with water, or as an element in rituals. Secondarily, may serve as a metonym for abundance, chaos, or danger (e.g., 'waters' of the deep, flood, or destruction), and occasionally for bodily fluids in specific contexts (semen, urine). The term may stand for any potable or environmental water, from dew to ocean; its figurative usage points to aspects of fertility, life, and chaos.

Semantic Range

water (liquid), body of water (sea, river, spring), rain or dew, floodwaters, dangerous or chaotic waters, ritual water, bodily fluids (semen, urine), figurative for chaos or destruction, figurative of abundance or fertility

Root / Etymology

From the root מ-י-ם, though the root is rarely attested as a verb in Biblical Hebrew. The form is formally dual, reflecting the pair or expansiveness of water masses, but the word functions as a singular collective noun. It is used both in the absolute and construct states. The relation to other Semitic cognates (Akkadian 'mû', Ugaritic 'my') suggests a very ancient Semitic root denoting water in general.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, מַיִם is by far the standard term for all natural water, appearing from Genesis 1 (creation narrative) onward—'the waters' above and below the firmament. It is indispensable in narratives regarding creation, flood, miracles, and ritual (e.g., purity laws in Leviticus, ceremonial washing). Its collective dual form ('mayim') reflects water's nature as both a singular substance and plural in its many manifestations (streams, rivers, seas etc.). Occasionally used euphemistically or metonymically for bodily fluids in ritual or legal contexts (cf. semen, Leviticus 15; urine, 1 Samuel 25:22). Its scope is wider than most English translations ('water'), since it includes reference to destructive floodwaters or chaos ('the deep'), and is also used idiomatically for both positive (life, fertility) and negative (danger, destruction) imagery. In late biblical texts, the distinction between מַיִם and artificially directed waters (e.g., canals, aqueducts) becomes more pronounced, but the word itself remains the standard term. English translations nearly always render it as 'water,' but sometimes obscure the range of usages, particularly in poetic and metaphorical contexts.

Translation Consistency

primary "water" 50 occurrences

Primary and most natural English rendering for מַיִם is the substance 'water.' This single base word covers the full range of uses—liquid water, bodies of water (seas, rivers, springs), rain/dew, floodwaters, ritual water, and the common figurative senses (abundance, chaos, destruction). 'Water' is the natural uncountable form and can be rendered in context as 'waters' or specific phrases when needed, meeting the consistency requirement while fitting typical usage.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense); water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen; [phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).

Bantu Hebrew

Language	Bantu Word	Meaning
Bemba	Amenshi	water
Chichewa	madzi	water
Kikuyu	Mae	water
Kikuyu	mai	water
Kirundi	Amazi	water

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Root Family

מים (mayim) — to be abundant, to flow, water (as substance)

Root מים to be abundant, to flow, water (as substance)

Word Forms

38 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H4325-13`	מַ֔יִם	mayim	`HNcmpa`	water	waters	waters	244
`H4325-05`	הַ/מַּ֔יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters	96
`H4325-14`	מֵֽי	mey	`HNcmpc`	waters	waters of	waters of	54
`H4325-01`	בַּ/מַּיִם֒	bamayim	`HRd/Ncmpa`	in water	in the waters	in the waters	50
`H4325-27`	וּ/מַ֣יִם	umayim	`HC/Ncmpa`	and water	and waters	and waters	18
`H4325-06`	כַּ/מַּ֖יִם	kamayim	`HRd/Ncmpa`	like water	like water	like water	12
`H4325-35`	וָ/מָֽיִם	vamayim	`HC/Ncmpa`	and water	waters	and waters	11
`H4325-17`	מֵימֵ֣י	meymey	`HNcmpc`	waters of	waters of	waters of	8
`H4325-02`	בְּ/מַ֖יִם	bemayim	`HR/Ncmpa`	in waters	in water	in water	7
`H4325-16`	מֵימָ֔י/ו	meymayv	`HNcmpc/Sp3ms`	its waters	his waters	his waters	7
`H4325-36`	וְ/הַ/מַּ֥יִם	vehamayim	`HC/Td/Ncmpa`	and the waters	and the waters	and the waters	7
`H4325-08`	כַ֝/מַּ֗יִם	khamayim	`HRd/Ncmpa`	like water	like waters	like waters	6
`H4325-09`	לַ/מַּ֣יִם	lamayim	`HRd/Ncmpa`	to the waters	to the waters	to water	6
`H4325-11`	לְ/מֵֽי	lemey	`HR/Ncmpc`	for-waters	to waters of	to waters of	6
`H4325-33`	וּ/בַ/מַּ֔יִם	uvamayim	`HC/Rd/Ncmpa`	and with water	and in the waters	and in the waters	6
`H4325-22`	מִ/מַּ֥יִם	mimayim	`HR/Ncmpa`	from waters	from waters	from waters	5
`H4325-03`	בְּ/מֵֽי	bemey	`HR/Ncmpc`	at the waters of	in waters of	in waters of	4
`H4325-07`	כְּ/מַ֣יִם	kemayim	`HR/Ncmpa`	like waters	like waters	like waters	3
`H4325-19`	מֵימֵי/הֶ֖ם	meymeyhem	`HNcmpc/Sp3mp`	their waters	their waters	their waters	3
`H4325-20`	מֵימֶֽי/ךָ	meymeykha	`HNcmpc/Sp2ms`	your(sg)-waters	your waters	your waters	3
`H4325-34`	וּ/בְ/מַ֥יִם	uvemayim	`HC/R/Ncmpa`	and in water	and in waters	and in waters	3
`H4325-04`	הַ/מַּ֔יְמָ/ה	hamayemah	`HTd/Ncmpa/Sd`	to the water	the waters	to the waters	2
`H4325-12`	לְ/מֵימֵ֣י	lemeymey	`HR/Ncmpc`	the waters of	to waters of	the waters of	2
`H4325-18`	מֵימֶ֔י/הָ	meymeyha	`HNcmpc/Sp3fs`	her waters	her waters	her waters	2
`H4325-23`	מִ/מֵּ֣י	mimey	`HR/Ncmpc`	by the waters of	from waters of	from the waters of	2
`H4325-24`	מִ/מֵּימֵ֣י	mimeymey	`HR/Ncmpc`	from the water of	from waters of	from waters of	2
`H4325-28`	וּ/מֵ֣י	umey	`HC/Ncmpc`	and waters of	and waters of	and waters of	2
`H4325-10`	לְ/מָֽיִם	lemayim	`HR/Ncmpa`	like water	to waters	like waters	1
`H4325-15`	מֵימַ֔/י	meymay	`HNcmpc/Sp1cs`	water	my waters	my waters	1
`H4325-21`	מֵימֵ֨י/נוּ֙	meymeynu	`HNcmpc/Sp1cp`	our water	our waters	our water	1
`H4325-25`	מי	my	`HNcmpc`	who	waters of	who	1
`H4325-26`	מימֵ֥י	mymey	`HNcmpc`	of	waters of	waters of	1
`H4325-29`	וּ/מֵימַ֔/י	umeymay	`HC/Ncmpc/Sp1cs`	and-my-waters/me	and my waters	and my waters	1
`H4325-30`	וּ/מֵֽימֵי/הֶ֖ם	umeymeyhem	`HC/Ncmpc/Sp3mp`	and-from-waters-their	and their waters	and their waters	1
`H4325-31`	וּ/מֵימֶ֕י/ךָ	umeymeykha	`HC/Ncmpc/Sp2ms`	and your water	and your waters	and your waters	1
`H4325-32`	וּ/מִ/מֵּ֥י	umimey	`HC/R/Ncmpc`	and from the waters	and from waters of	and from waters of	1
`H4325-37`	וְ/כַ/מַּ֨יִם֙	vekhamayim	`HC/Rd/Ncmpa`	and like the waters	and like waters	and like the waters	1
`H4325-38`	בְ/מֵי	vemey	`HR/Ncmpc`	with waters of	in waters of	waters of	1

Occurrences in Scripture

582 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H4325-05`	Genesis 1:2	הַ/מָּֽיִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 1:6	הַ/מָּ֑יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-13`	Genesis 1:6	מַ֖יִם	mayim	`HNcmpa`	waters	waters	waters
`H4325-09`	Genesis 1:6	לָ/מָֽיִם	lamayim	`HR/Ncmpa`	from waters	to the waters	to water
`H4325-05`	Genesis 1:7	הַ/מַּ֨יִם֙	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 1:7	הַ/מַּ֔יִם	hamayim-2	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 1:9	הַ/מַּ֜יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 1:10	הַ/מַּ֖יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	of the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 1:20	הַ/מַּ֔יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 1:21	הַ/מַּ֜יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 1:22	הַ/מַּ֨יִם֙	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-13`	Genesis 6:17	מַ֨יִם֙	mayim	`HNcmpa`	of waters	waters	waters
`H4325-13`	Genesis 7:6	מַ֖יִם	mayim	`HNcmpa`	waters	waters	waters
`H4325-14`	Genesis 7:7	מֵ֥י	mey	`HNcmpc`	the waters	waters of	waters of
`H4325-28`	Genesis 7:10	וּ/מֵ֣י	umey	`HC/Ncmpc`	that the waters	and waters of	and waters of
`H4325-05`	Genesis 7:17	הַ/מַּ֗יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 7:18	הַ/מַּ֛יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 7:18	הַ/מָּֽיִם	hamayim-2	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-36`	Genesis 7:19	וְ/הַ/מַּ֗יִם	vehamayim	`HC/Td/Ncmpa`	And the waters	and the waters	and the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 7:20	הַ/מָּ֑יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 7:24	הַ/מַּ֖יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 8:1	הַ/מָּֽיִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 8:3	הַ/מַּ֛יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 8:3	הַ/מַּ֔יִם	hamayim-2	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-36`	Genesis 8:5	וְ/הַ/מַּ֗יִם	vehamayim	`HC/Td/Ncmpa`	and the waters	and the waters	and the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 8:7	הַ/מַּ֖יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 8:8	הַ/מַּ֔יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-13`	Genesis 8:9	מַ֖יִם	mayim	`HNcmpa`	waters	waters	waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 8:11	הַ/מַּ֖יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 8:13	הַ/מַּ֖יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-23`	Genesis 9:11	מִ/מֵּ֣י	mimey	`HR/Ncmpc`	by the waters of	from waters of	from waters of
`H4325-05`	Genesis 9:15	הַ/מַּ֨יִם֙	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the waters	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 16:7	הַ/מַּ֖יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	of water	the waters	the waters
`H4325-13`	Genesis 18:4	מַ֔יִם	mayim	`HNcmpa`	water	waters	water
`H4325-13`	Genesis 21:14	מַ֜יִם	mayim	`HNcmpa`	water	waters	water
`H4325-05`	Genesis 21:15	הַ/מַּ֖יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the water	the waters	the waters
`H4325-13`	Genesis 21:19	מָ֑יִם	mayim	`HNcmpa`	of water	waters	waters
`H4325-13`	Genesis 21:19	מַ֔יִם	mayim-2	`HNcmpa`	with water	waters	waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 21:25	הַ/מַּ֔יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	of water	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 24:11	הַ/מָּ֑יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	of water	the waters	the waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 24:13	הַ/מָּ֑יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the water	the waters	the waters
`H4325-13`	Genesis 24:13	מָֽיִם	mayim	`HNcmpa`	water	waters	waters
`H4325-13`	Genesis 24:17	מַ֖יִם	mayim	`HNcmpa`	water	waters	water
`H4325-27`	Genesis 24:32	וּ/מַ֨יִם֙	umayim	`HC/Ncmpa`	and water	and waters	and waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 24:43	הַ/מָּ֑יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	of water	the waters	the waters
`H4325-13`	Genesis 24:43	מַ֖יִם	mayim	`HNcmpa`	water	waters	water
`H4325-05`	Genesis 26:18	הַ/מַּ֗יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	of water	the waters	the waters
`H4325-13`	Genesis 26:19	מַ֥יִם	mayim	`HNcmpa`	of water	waters	waters
`H4325-05`	Genesis 26:20	הַ/מָּ֑יִם	hamayim	`HTd/Ncmpa`	the water	the waters	the waters
`H4325-13`	Genesis 26:32	מָֽיִם	mayim	`HNcmpa`	water	waters	water

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