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בְּהֵמָה

𐤁𐤄𐤌𐤄

bᵉhêmâh

H929 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בהמ non-human animal, beast (especially four-footed domesticated animal), cattle

Definition

A non-human land animal, primarily referring to domesticated large animals (such as cattle, oxen, sheep, goats, and sometimes horses or donkeys), but also used more broadly for beasts or animals in general, particularly terrestrial quadrupeds. The term is frequently collective, encompassing herds or groups of animals, and stands in contrast with wild animals or smaller creatures. In some contexts, behemâh may refer specifically to livestock or cattle raised for agricultural, transportation, or sacrificial purposes, but the term can also be used generically for 'beast' or 'animal' as distinct from humans.

Semantic Range

beast, domesticated animal, cattle, herd animal, animal (in general), quadruped, any large land animal, collective designation for livestock

Root / Etymology

בְּהֵמָה (behemâh) is often linked to an uncertain or unrecorded Hebrew root, with some suggesting a connection to a root meaning 'to be mute'—describing animals that do not speak. This root itself is not attested, making the etymology speculative. The form exhibits typical noun-formation patterns for animals but its precise derivation is unclear. Thus, 'etymology uncertain.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

בְּהֵמָה occurs throughout all periods of Biblical Hebrew. In the Pentateuch and historical books, it most often denotes domesticated herd or work animals, especially those kept by Israelites or neighboring groups for economic and ritual purposes, standing in contrast to חַיָּה (chayyah, 'wild animal'). In cultic and sacrificial contexts, it refers particularly to animals permissible as offerings, as distinct from non-kosher species or wild animals. In poetic and wisdom literature, behemâh includes a wider array of terrestrial animals and sometimes overlaps the meaning of chayyah, denoting any non-human animal. Notably, the plural בְּהֵמוֹת (behemoth) in Job 40 refers to a specific extraordinary animal, though in common usage, the singular behemâh functions as a collective noun. English translations like 'beast' or 'cattle' often do not capture the full range of possible referents, especially its broader or sometimes generic use for nonhuman terrestrial creatures.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root (probably meaning to be mute); properly, a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often collective); beast, cattle.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בהמ (b-h-m) — non-human animal, beast, cattle, large land animal

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H930 בְּהֵמוֹת mighty beast

Word Forms

43 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H929-15 הַ/בְּהֵמָה֙ habehemah HTd/Ncfsa the beast the beast 43
H929-03 בְּהֵמָ֥ה behemah HNcfsa beast land beast 38
H929-28 וּ/בְהֵמָה֙ uvehemah HC/Ncfsa and beast and land-beast 17
H929-27 וּ/בַ/בְּהֵמָה֙ uvabehemah HC/Rd/Ncfsa and on beast and in the beast 12
H929-26 וּ/לְ/בֶהֱמַ֣ת ulevehemat HC/R/Ncfsc and for beasts and for beast-of 7
H929-01 בַּ/בְּהֵמָ֛ה babehemah HRd/Ncfsa among beasts in the beast 6
H929-37 וְ/הַ/בְּהֵמָ֜ה vehabehemah HC/Td/Ncfsa and the livestock and the beast 5
H929-11 בְּהֵמוֹת֙ behemot HNcfpa of beasts herd animals 4
H929-14 בִּ/בְהֵמָ֣ה bivehemah HR/Ncfsa among livestock in a beast 4
H929-02 בַּהֲמ֣וֹת bahamot HNcfpc beasts beasts of 4

Occurrences in Scripture

190 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H929-03 Genesis 1:24 בְּהֵמָ֥ה behemah HNcfsa cattle land beast
H929-15 Genesis 1:25 הַ/בְּהֵמָה֙ habehemah HTd/Ncfsa the cattle the beast
H929-27 Genesis 1:26 וּ/בַ/בְּהֵמָה֙ uvabehemah HC/Rd/Ncfsa and over the livestock and in the beast
H929-15 Genesis 2:20 הַ/בְּהֵמָה֙ habehemah HTd/Ncfsa the livestock the beast
H929-15 Genesis 3:14 הַ/בְּהֵמָ֔ה habehemah HTd/Ncfsa livestock the beast
H929-03 Genesis 6:7 בְּהֵמָ֔ה behemah HNcfsa animals land beast
H929-15 Genesis 6:20 הַ/בְּהֵמָה֙ habehemah HTd/Ncfsa the cattle the beast
H929-15 Genesis 7:2 הַ/בְּהֵמָ֣ה habehemah HTd/Ncfsa animal the beast
H929-15 Genesis 7:2 הַ/בְּהֵמָ֡ה habehemah-2 HTd/Ncfsa the animal the beast
H929-15 Genesis 7:8 הַ/בְּהֵמָה֙ habehemah HTd/Ncfsa clean animals the beast
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