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עֵמֶק

𐤏𐤌𐤒

ʻêmeq

H6010 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A low-lying stretch of land, often broad and enclosed by higher terrain, typically referring to valleys distinguished by their fertile, cultivated nature. The term is generally used to denote larger, more expansive valleys as opposed to narrow gorges. In various contexts, עֵמֶק appears both as a common noun and as part of proper place names signifying fertile, inhabited regions distinguished from uplands or arid ravines.

Semantic Range

broad valley, cultivated lowland, vale, depression of land, component of place names

Root / Etymology

Root ע-מ-ק (עמק), meaning 'to be deep, make deep, deepen.' The noun עֵמֶק derives from this root and refers specifically to a deeply set, low-lying area — a valley. The root emphasizes spatial depth or the act of making something deep, but the noun's lexical meaning is restricted to a geographic depression or valley.

Historical & Contextual Notes

During the patriarchal period and in later Israelite settlement, עֵמֶק denotes specific, agriculturally significant valleys (e.g. עֵמֶק הַשָּׁבָה, the Valley of Shaveh; עֵמֶק יִזְרְעֶאל, the Jezreel Valley). These regions often served as sites for settlement, agriculture, and warfare. In contrast to נַחַל (a wadi or seasonal stream bed, sometimes translated as 'valley'), עֵמֶק emphasizes breadth and depth, typically describing larger, fertile alluvial plains. In post-exilic usage and Second Temple literature, the term retained its geographical and topographical sense, sometimes functioning in symbolic passages to denote places of significance. Standard English translations ('valley,' 'vale') are generally accurate but may fail to convey the term's typical association with cultivation and settlement. The use of עֵמֶק within toponyms reflects the regional character of Palestine's landscape and broader Ancient Near Eastern settlement patterns.

Translation Consistency

primary "valley" 49 occurrences

“Valley” is the natural, common English word that best covers the typical uses of עֵמֶק — a broad, low-lying, often fertile depression of land and its use in place names. It matches the dominant translation pattern in the corpus, reads naturally in sing./plur. forms (valley/valleys), and preserves the intended geographic and cultivated connotations better than alternatives like “plain” or the adjectival senses (e.g., “deep”).

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"plain" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from עָמַק; a vale (i.e. broad depression); dale, vale, valley (often used as a part of proper names). See also בֵּית הָעֵמֶק.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

עמק (Amoq) — to be deep, to be profound

Root עמק to be deep, to deepen, to hollow out
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4615 מַעֲמָק in depths of
H5987 עָמוֹק deep
H5994 עֲמִיק the deep things
H6009 עָמַק they became deep
H6011 עֹמֶק to depth

Word Forms

19 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6010-05 בְּ/עֵ֥מֶק beemeq HR/Ncmsc in the valley in a deep valley in a deep valley 19
H6010-06 עֵ֥מֶק emeq HNcmsc valley deep-set valley of deep-set valley of 10
H6010-04 בָּ/עֵ֨מֶק֙ baemeq HRd/Ncmsa in the valley in the broad valley in the broad valley 9
H6010-08 הָ/עֵ֜מֶק haemeq HTd/Ncmsa of the valley the deep valley the deep valley 8
H6010-18 וְ/עֵ֣מֶק veemeq HC/Ncmsc and the valley and deep-set valley of and valley of 5
H6010-02 עֲמָקִ֖ים amaqim HNcmpa the valleys deep valleys deep valleys 2
H6010-03 בָּֽ/עֲמָקִ֔ים baamaqim HRd/Ncmpa in the valleys in the deep valleys in the deep valleys 2
H6010-07 הָ֣/עֲמָקִ֔ים haamaqim HTd/Ncmpa of the valleys the deep valleys the deep valleys 2
H6010-14 מֵ/עֵ֣מֶק meemeq HR/Ncmsc from the valley from a deep valley from a deep valley 2
H6010-01 עֲמָקַ֖יִ/ךְ amaqayikhe HNcmpc/Sp2fs valleys your deep valleys your valleys 1

Occurrences in Scripture

69 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6010-06 Genesis 14:3 עֵ֖מֶק emeq HNcmsc valley deep-set valley of deep-set valley of
H6010-05 Genesis 14:8 בְּ/עֵ֖מֶק beemeq HR/Ncmsc in the valley in a deep valley in the valley
H6010-18 Genesis 14:10 וְ/עֵ֣מֶק veemeq HC/Ncmsc valley and deep-set valley of and valley of
H6010-06 Genesis 14:17 עֵ֣מֶק emeq HNcmsc Valley deep-set valley of deep-set valley of
H6010-06 Genesis 14:17 עֵ֥מֶק emeq-2 HNcmsc Valley deep-set valley of deep-set valley of
H6010-14 Genesis 37:14 מֵ/עֵ֣מֶק meemeq HR/Ncmsc from the valley from a deep valley from a deep valley
H6010-04 Numbers 14:25 בָּ/עֵ֑מֶק baemeq HRd/Ncmsa in-the-valley in the broad valley in the broad valley
H6010-06 Joshua 7:24 עֵ֥מֶק emeq HNcmsc valley deep-set valley of deep-set valley of
H6010-06 Joshua 7:26 עֵ֣מֶק emeq HNcmsc Valley deep-set valley of deep-set valley of
H6010-08 Joshua 8:13 הָ/עֵֽמֶק haemeq HTd/Ncmsa of the valley the deep valley the deep valley
H6010-05 Joshua 10:12 בְּ/עֵ֥מֶק beemeq HR/Ncmsc in-valley in a deep valley in the valley of
H6010-08 Joshua 13:19 הָ/עֵֽמֶק haemeq HTd/Ncmsa of the valley the deep valley the deep valley
H6010-15 Joshua 13:27 וּ/בָ/עֵ֡מֶק uvaemeq HC/Rd/Ncmsa and in the valley and in the deep valley and in the valley
H6010-14 Joshua 15:7 מֵ/עֵ֣מֶק meemeq HR/Ncmsc from-valley from a deep valley from a deep valley
H6010-06 Joshua 15:8 עֵֽמֶק emeq HNcmsc valley of deep-set valley of deep-set valley of
H6010-08 Joshua 17:16 הָ/עֵ֔מֶק haemeq HTd/Ncmsa of the valley the deep valley the deep valley
H6010-05 Joshua 17:16 בְּ/עֵ֥מֶק beemeq HR/Ncmsc in the valley in a deep valley in a deep valley
H6010-05 Joshua 18:16 בְּ/עֵ֥מֶק beemeq HR/Ncmsc in the valley of in a deep valley in a deep valley
H6010-18 Joshua 18:21 וְ/עֵ֥מֶק veemeq HC/Ncmsc and the valley and deep-set valley of and valley of
H6010-08 Judges 1:19 הָ/עֵ֔מֶק haemeq HTd/Ncmsa of the plain the deep valley the plain
H6010-12 Judges 1:34 לָ/עֵֽמֶק laemeq HRd/Ncmsa to the valley to a deep valley to the valley
H6010-04 Judges 5:15 בָּ/עֵ֖מֶק baemeq HRd/Ncmsa in-the-valley in the broad valley in the broad valley
H6010-05 Judges 6:33 בְּ/עֵ֥מֶק beemeq HR/Ncmsc in the valley of in a deep valley in the valley
H6010-04 Judges 7:1 בָּ/עֵֽמֶק baemeq HRd/Ncmsa in-the-valley in the broad valley in the broad valley
H6010-04 Judges 7:8 בָּ/עֵֽמֶק baemeq HRd/Ncmsa in the valley in the broad valley in the broad valley
H6010-04 Judges 7:12 בָּ/עֵ֔מֶק baemeq HRd/Ncmsa in the valley in the broad valley in the broad valley
H6010-04 Judges 18:28 בָּ/עֵ֖מֶק baemeq HRd/Ncmsa in the valley in the broad valley in the broad valley
H6010-04 1 Samuel 6:13 בָּ/עֵ֑מֶק baemeq HRd/Ncmsa in the valley in the broad valley in the broad valley
H6010-05 1 Samuel 17:2 בְּ/עֵ֣מֶק beemeq HR/Ncmsc in the valley in a deep valley in the valley
H6010-05 1 Samuel 17:19 בְּ/עֵ֖מֶק beemeq HR/Ncmsc in the valley in a deep valley in the valley
H6010-05 1 Samuel 21:10 בְּ/עֵ֣מֶק beemeq HR/Ncmsc in the Valley in a deep valley in a deep valley
H6010-08 1 Samuel 31:7 הָ/עֵ֜מֶק haemeq HTd/Ncmsa the valley the deep valley the deep valley
H6010-05 2 Samuel 5:18 בְּ/עֵ֥מֶק beemeq HR/Ncmsc in-valley-of in a deep valley in a deep valley
H6010-05 2 Samuel 5:22 בְּ/עֵ֥מֶק beemeq HR/Ncmsc in the valley in a deep valley in a deep valley
H6010-05 2 Samuel 18:18 בְּ/עֵֽמֶק beemeq HR/Ncmsc in the valley in a deep valley in a deep valley
H6010-05 2 Samuel 23:13 בְּ/עֵ֥מֶק beemeq HR/Ncmsc in the valley of in a deep valley in the valley of
H6010-02 1 Kings 20:28 עֲמָקִ֖ים amaqim HNcmpa the valleys deep valleys deep valleys
H6010-05 Isaiah 17:5 בְּ/עֵ֥מֶק beemeq HR/Ncmsc in the valley in a deep valley in a deep valley
H6010-01 Isaiah 22:7 עֲמָקַ֖יִ/ךְ amaqayikhe HNcmpc/Sp2fs valleys your deep valleys your valleys
H6010-11 Isaiah 28:21 כְּ/עֵ֖מֶק keemeq HR/Ncmsa as valley like a deep valley as a valley
H6010-18 Isaiah 65:10 וְ/עֵ֥מֶק veemeq HC/Ncmsc and the valley and deep-set valley of and valley of
H6010-08 Jeremiah 21:13 הָ/עֵ֛מֶק haemeq HTd/Ncmsa of the valley the deep valley the deep valley
H6010-08 Jeremiah 31:40 הָ/עֵ֣מֶק haemeq HTd/Ncmsa the valley the deep valley the deep valley
H6010-09 Jeremiah 47:5 עִמְקָ֑/ם imeqam HNcmsc/Sp3mp of their valley their deep valley their valley
H6010-08 Jeremiah 48:8 הָ/עֵ֖מֶק haemeq HTd/Ncmsa the-valley the deep valley the deep valley
H6010-03 Jeremiah 49:4 בָּֽ/עֲמָקִ֔ים baamaqim HRd/Ncmpa in the valleys in the deep valleys in the deep valleys
H6010-10 Jeremiah 49:4 עִמְקֵ֔/ךְ imeqekhe HNcmsc/Sp2fs your valley your deep valley your deep valley
H6010-05 Hosea 1:5 בְּ/עֵ֖מֶק beemeq HR/Ncmsc in the valley in a deep valley in the valley
H6010-06 Hosea 2:17 עֵ֥מֶק emeq HNcmsc valley deep-set valley of deep-set valley of
H6010-06 Joel 4:2 עֵ֖מֶק emeq HNcmsc valley deep-set valley of deep-set valley of
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