STRONGS NUMBER H3220


Word Summary
yam: sea
Original Word: יָם
Transliteration: yam
Phonetic Spelling: (yawm)
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Short Definition: sea
Meaning: a sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin
Strong's Concordance
a sea, the Mediterranean Sea;

From an unused root meaning to roar; a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the south -- sea (X -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern, side, -ward).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

H3220. yam

יָם390 noun masculineExodus 14:27 sea (Phoenician ים‎; Arabic ; Palmyrene בימאon the sea, VogNo. 79; on Assyrian iâmu, (¹mu), sea, see DlHWB 307 M-ACD 52 HptBAS i. 171 n.) — absolute יָם1 Samuel 13:5 +; יָ֫מָּהGenesis 28:14 +; construct יָם14:3 23t., also סוּף יָ֫מָּהExodus 10:19, but always יַםסֿוּף13:18 22t.; suffix יַמָּהּJeremiah 51:36; plural יַמִּיםJudges 5:17 29t.; — sea: especially

1 Mediterranean Numbers 13:29 (E), 34:5 (P), Deuteronomy 1:7; Joshua 5:1; 1 Kings 5:23 (twice in verse); Jonah 1:4 (twice in verse) + often; the Mediterranean is called also הַגָּדוֺל הַיָּםNumbers 34:6-7, Joshua 15:12, 47; Ezekiel 48:28 +, compare ׳הַיּ ׳גּ יָדַיִם וּרְחַבPsalm 104:25; הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ חַגּ ׳הַיָּם מְבוֺאJoshua 1:4; 23:4 (see Assyrian name of Mediterranean tiamtu rabitu ša sulmu šamši, etc., SchrNamender Meere. 171 ff.); ׳הַיּ ׳הַגּ הַלְּבָנוֺן אֶלמֿוּל9:1; ׳הַיּ הָאַחֲרוֺןthe hinder sea Deuteronomy 11:24; 34:2; Zechariah 14:8; Joel 2:20 (in the last two opposed to ׳הַיּ הַקַּדְמֹנִי‎, see below); of Mediterranean in particular part מְּלִשְׁתִּים יָםExodus 23:31 (JE); יָפוֺ יָם2 Chronicles 2:15 = יָפוֺא יָםEzra 3:7. **Of Mediterranean in plural Daniel 11:45 [compare 8 d] Hi Ke Meinh Bev Dr (world-encircling seas Behrm).

2 יַםסֿוּף'Red Sea' (see סוּף‎) Exodus 13:18 (compare 10:19), 15:4; Numbers 14:25; Deuteronomy 1:40; Joshua 2:10; Judges 11:16 + often; also הַיָּםExodus 14:2 (twice in verse); 14:9; Isaiah 51:10 (twice in verse); 63:11 +; probably also יָםמִֿצְרַיִם11:15; 'Red Sea' named or referred to approximately 66 t.; יִםסֿוּף‎ clearly of lanitic Gulf 1 Kings 9:26 (compare 2 Chronicles 8:17).

3 Dead Sea, מֶלַח יָםsea of salt Genesis 14:3; Numbers 34:3, 12; Deuteronomy 3:17; Joshua 3:16; 12:3; 15:2, 5; 18:19; הָעֲרָבָה יָםDeuteronomy 3:17; 4:49; Joshua 3:16; 12:3; 2 Kings 14:25; ׳הַי הַקַּדְמֹנִיEzekiel 47:18; Zechariah 14:8; Joel 2:29 (see above); simply יָםIsaiah 16:8; Jeremiah 48:32; — in יַעְזֵר יָם48:32 יָם‎ is textual error, strike out with Gf Gr Che Gie.

4 Sea of Galilee כִּנֶּרֶת יָםNumbers 34:11; Joshua 13:27; כִּנְּרוֺת יָם12:3; simply יָםDeuteronomy 33:23.

5 more Generally sea, opposed to earth and (or) sky Genesis 1:26, 28; 9:2 (P), Exodus 20:11 (E), Haggai 2:6 +? Job, Psalms, Isa2 etc.; Amos 6:12 read יָם בַּבָּקָר‎ for בקרים‎ (see בָּקָר‎); sea as under earth Psalm 24:2 (compare Genesis 1:10; 6:11; Exodus 20:5 = Deuteronomy 5:3); figurative of flood of invaders, הַיָּם עַלבָּֿבֶל עָלָהJeremiah 51:42.

6 of a mighty river, the Nile Nahum 3:8 (twice in verse); Isaiah 19:5 ("" נָהָר‎); compare בַּיָּם אֲשֶׁר הַתַּנִּין27:1 and בַּיַּמִּים כַּתַּנִּיםEzekiel 32:2 (simile of Pharaoh); of Euphrates Isaiah 21:1; Jeremiah 51:36 (according to Che Gf and others; Isaiah 21:1 perhaps better of Persian Gulf, see Di).

7 the great basin in temple-court, called the sea: מוּצָק אֶתהַֿיָּם וַיַּעַשׂ1 Kings 7:23 2 Chronicles 4:2; הַנְּחשֶׁת יָם2 Kings 25:13; 1 Chronicles 18:8; Jeremiah 52:17; הַיָּם‎ alone 1 Kings 7:24-25, 10t. Kings Chronicles + Jeremiah 52:20.

8 combinations are:

a. shore of sea, sea-shore הַיָּם שְׂפַתJoshua 11:4; 1 Kings 5:9, and in simile Genesis 22:17; Judges 7:12; 1 Samuel 13:5; הַי ׳חוֺףJoshua 9:1; Ezekiel 25:16; יַמִּים חוֺףGenesis 49:13; Judges 5:17; compare הַיָּם חֶבֶלZephaniah 2:5 region by the sea; so 2:6 but dubious, see I. חֶבֶל

3. b. sand of the sea (shore) הַיָּם חוֺל‎ (in simile) Genesis 32:13; 41:49; Hosea 2:1; Isaiah 10:22 + often (see חוֺל‎); לַיָּם גְּבוּל חוֺלJeremiah 5:22.

c. הַיָּם לְשׁוֺןtongue (arm or gulf) of sea Joshua 15:5; 18:19; Isaiah 11:5.

d. עַדיָֿם מִיָּםAmos 8:12; Zechariah 9:10; Psalm 72:8, compare Micah 7:12; Zechariah 14:8 (twice in verse); Joel 2:20 (twice in verse); Daniel 11:45.

9 = (west, west-word (originally sea-ward, from position of Mediterranean with reference to Palestine, and this sense still often perceptible): with other three points of compass Genesis 13:14; 28:14 (J), Numbers 2:18; 35:5 (P), Deuteronomy 3:27; 1 Kings 7:25; 1 Chronicles 9:24; 2 Chronicles 4:4; Ezekiel 42:19 6t. Ezekiel; Zechariah 14:4; Daniel 8:4; Psalm 107:3 (וּמִיָּם מִצָּפוֺן וּמִמַּעֲרָב מִמִּזְרָח‎; but read perhaps וּמִיָּמִןfrom the south, Hu Pe Bi Che); opposed to east Joshua 11:2; 16:6 16t. Ezekiel 48; west alone Genesis 12:8 (J); יָם רוּהַEzekiel 10:19 (J) west wind; לְ מִיָּםwestward Joshua 8:9, 12, 13 +; יָ֫מָּהwestward, often of tabernacle Exodus 26:22, 27; Numbers 3:23 +? Joshua 5:1; 15:8, 10 etc., + often Ezekiel; הַיָּם דֶּרֶךְ‎ = westward Ezekiel 41:12; יָם גְּבוּלwestern border Numbers 34:6 (twice in verse); Joshua 15:2; מְּאַתיָֿםwest side Exodus 27:12; 38:12; Numbers 35:5; Joshua 18:14; הים דרך מְּאַתEzekiel 41:12 (see further פאה‎).

[יַם‎] noun masculine sea (ᵑ7‎ Syriac; see B יָם‎, √ ימם‎); — emphatic יַמָּאDaniel 7:2-3,.