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אֲמָם

𐤀𐤌𐤌

Amam

H538 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אם to be a mother, to nurture

Definition

A proper place name, denoting a geographic site in the southern region of Judah, referenced primarily in territorial boundary lists. Its lexical sense is not a common noun but a toponym. The semantic range of the word is restricted to this locational reference, with no wider attested meaning in Biblical Hebrew outside the naming of the site.

Semantic Range

proper place name (site in southern Judah); no attested common noun usage; geographic designation

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root אֵם (ʾēm, 'mother'), though the connection between the root meaning and the place name is unclear. The formation is typical of geographic names which may employ common roots or words, sometimes reflecting physical characteristics or local tradition. Etymology uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

אֲמָם appears only in Joshua 15:26, in the listing of towns belonging to the southern territory allocated to the tribe of Judah (Judahites) after the conquest. The site is otherwise unattested and there are no additional biblical or extrabiblical references to its history, inhabitants, or significance, making its precise location and cultural context unknown. The inclusion within the Judahite territory likely reflects political geography at the time of the traditions preserved or edited in the book of Joshua. Later translations frequently leave the name untranslated or render it as 'Amam,' and there is no evidence the term was reused in post-biblical literature or developed additional meanings. Historic English glosses sometimes append 'in Palestine' for geographic orientation, but this does not reflect ancient usage and should be understood as referencing the region known in antiquity as the southern hill country of Judah. The connection to the root for 'mother' is speculative and does not dictate the meaning of the toponym itself.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אֵם; gathering-spot; Amam, a place in Palestine; Amam.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אם (ʾ-m) — motherhood, nurturing, source-origin

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H517 אֵם mother of
H518 אִם whether?
H521 אַמָּה forearm-measure
H523 אֻמַּה the people-groups
H5973 עִם and if

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H538-01 אֲמָ֥ם amam HNp Amam Amam 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H538-01 Joshua 15:26 אֲמָ֥ם amam HNp Amam Amam
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