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רָמַשׂ

𐤓𐤌𐤔

râmas

H7430 verb

SILEX Entry

Root רמש to crawl, to creep, to move along the ground

Definition

To move along the ground in a gliding, crawling, or creeping manner; to move stealthily or with a low, close-to-the-ground motion. In the Hebrew Bible, this verb generally describes the locomotion of animals that do not walk upright—including insects, reptiles, and other small creatures—and, by extension, signifies general movement along the ground in a variety of settings.

Semantic Range

to creep, to crawl, to move stealthily or closely along the ground, to swarm, to move about (of various small creatures or animals); by extension, to move in a low or gliding manner

Root / Etymology

The root רמש derives from the idea of gliding or crawling. While its core root meaning centers on 'moving low to the ground' or 'creeping,' the derived noun רֶמֶשׂ (remes) commonly refers collectively to 'small creatures'—especially those that move on or near the ground, such as insects and reptiles. The verb thus develops its meaning from physical movement to include a broader swarming or clustered motion.

Historical & Contextual Notes

רָמַשׂ is used in multiple genres across the Hebrew Bible, most often in priestly, legal, and narrative texts describing categories of fauna, especially in creation accounts (e.g., Genesis 1:21, 1:24, 1:25, 1:26, 1:28, 1:30) and purity laws (e.g., Leviticus 11, where various 'creeping things' are listed). In these contexts, it distinguishes between animal locomotion types, contrasting with verbs for walking, flying, or swimming. English translations often render רָמַשׂ and the related noun רֶמֶשׂ as 'creep' or 'move about,' but this can obscure the technical classification of ancient Israelite taxonomy, where the term grouped many amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates. Over time, the meaning remained largely consistent, but in poetic texts the term can encompass a broader category of 'teeming life.' Later translations, including Greek (LXX 'herpeton') and Latin (Vulgate 'reptile'), helped shape the legacy of 'creeping things' in post-biblical interpretation. The verb is distinct from דָּרַךְ (darakh, 'to tread, walk') and זָחַל (zachal, 'to slither, crawl'), with some semantic overlap.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to glide swiftly, i.e. to crawl or move with short steps; by analogy to swarm; creep, move.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רמש (r-m-ś) — to crawl, to creep, to move along the ground

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7431 רֶמֶשׂ the crawling creature

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7430-01 הָֽ/רֹמֵ֥שׂ haromes HTd/Vqrmsa that creeps the crawling one 6
H7430-03 רוֹמֵ֣שׂ romes HVqrmsa that creeps crawling one 5
H7430-04 תִּרְמֹ֧שׂ tiremos HVqi3fs creeps she will crawl 3
H7430-02 הָֽ/רֹמֶ֡שֶׂת haromeset HTd/Vqrfsa in the waters the creeping one 3

Occurrences in Scripture

17 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7430-02 Genesis 1:21 הָֽ/רֹמֶ֡שֶׂת haromeset HTd/Vqrfsa that moves the creeping one
H7430-01 Genesis 1:26 הָֽ/רֹמֵ֥שׂ haromes HTd/Vqrmsa that creeps the crawling one
H7430-02 Genesis 1:28 הָֽ/רֹמֶ֥שֶׂת haromeset HTd/Vqrfsa that creeps the creeping one
H7430-03 Genesis 1:30 רוֹמֵ֣שׂ romes HVqrmsa creature that moves crawling one
H7430-03 Genesis 7:8 רֹמֵ֖שׂ romes HVqrmsa creeps crawling one
H7430-01 Genesis 7:14 הָ/רֹמֵ֥שׂ haromes HTd/Vqrmsa that creeps the crawling one
H7430-01 Genesis 7:21 הָ/רֹמֵ֣שׂ haromes HTd/Vqrmsa that moved the crawling one
H7430-01 Genesis 8:17 הָ/רֹמֵ֥שׂ haromes HTd/Vqrmsa that creeps the crawling one
H7430-03 Genesis 8:19 רוֹמֵ֣שׂ romes HVqrmsa that creeps crawling one
H7430-04 Genesis 9:2 תִּרְמֹ֧שׂ tiremos HVqi3fs creeps she will crawl
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