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).
H3220. yam
יָם390 noun masculineExodus 14:27 sea (Phoenician ים; Arabic ; Palmyrene בימא on the sea, VogNo. 79; on Assyrian iâmu, (¹mu), sea, see DlHWB 307 M-ACD 52 HptBAS i. 171 n.) — absolute יָם 1 Samuel 13:5 +; יָ֫מָּה Genesis 28:14 +; construct יָם 14:3 23t., also סוּף יָ֫מָּה Exodus 10:19, but always יַםסֿוּף 13:18 22t.; suffix יַמָּהּ Jeremiah 51:36; plural יַמִּים Judges 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 הַיָּם Numbers 34:6-7, Joshua 15:12, 47; Ezekiel 48:28 +, compare ׳הַיּ ׳גּ יָדַיִם וּרְחַב Psalm 104:25; הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ חַגּ ׳הַיָּם מְבוֺא Joshua 1:4; 23:4 (see Assyrian name of Mediterranean tiamtu rabitu ša sulmu šamši, etc., SchrNamender Meere. 171 ff.); ׳הַיּ ׳הַגּ הַלְּבָנוֺן אֶלמֿוּל 9:1; ׳הַיּ הָאַחֲרוֺן the 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 יָם Exodus 23:31 (JE); יָפוֺ יָם2 Chronicles 2:15 = יָפוֺא יָם Ezra 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 הַיָּם Exodus 14:2 (twice in verse); 14:9; Isaiah 51:10 (twice in verse); 63:11 +; probably also יָםמִֿצְרַיִם 11:15; '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 יָם sea of salt Genesis 14:3; Numbers 34:3, 12; Deuteronomy 3:17; Joshua 3:16; 12:3; 15:2, 5; 18:19; הָעֲרָבָה יָם Deuteronomy 3:17; 4:49; Joshua 3:16; 12:3; 2 Kings 14:25; ׳הַי הַקַּדְמֹנִי Ezekiel 47:18; Zechariah 14:8; Joel 2:29 (see above); simply יָם Isaiah 16:8; Jeremiah 48:32; — in יַעְזֵר יָם 48:32 יָם is textual error, strike out with Gf Gr Che Gie.
4 Sea of Galilee כִּנֶּרֶת יָם Numbers 34:11; Joshua 13:27; כִּנְּרוֺת יָם 12:3; simply יָם Deuteronomy 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 עָלָה Jeremiah 51:42.
6 of a mighty river, the Nile Nahum 3:8 (twice in verse); Isaiah 19:5 ("" נָהָר); compare בַּיָּם אֲשֶׁר הַתַּנִּין 27:1 and בַּיַּמִּים כַּתַּנִּים Ezekiel 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 וַיַּעַשׂ 1 Kings 7:23 2 Chronicles 4:2; הַנְּחשֶׁת יָם 2 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 שְׂפַת Joshua 11:4; 1 Kings 5:9, and in simile Genesis 22:17; Judges 7:12; 1 Samuel 13:5; הַי ׳חוֺף Joshua 9:1; Ezekiel 25:16; יַמִּים חוֺף Genesis 49:13; Judges 5:17; compare הַיָּם חֶבֶל Zephaniah 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 חוֺל Jeremiah 5:22.
c. הַיָּם לְשׁוֺן tongue (arm or gulf) of sea Joshua 15:5; 18:19; Isaiah 11:5.
d. עַדיָֿם מִיָּם Amos 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 וּמִיָּמִן from the south, Hu Pe Bi Che); opposed to east Joshua 11:2; 16:6 16t. Ezekiel 48; west alone Genesis 12:8 (J); יָם רוּהַ Ezekiel 10:19 (J) west wind; לְ מִיָּם westward Joshua 8:9, 12, 13 +; יָ֫מָּה westward, 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 גְּבוּל western border Numbers 34:6 (twice in verse); Joshua 15:2; מְּאַתיָֿם west side Exodus 27:12; 38:12; Numbers 35:5; Joshua 18:14; הים דרך מְּאַת Ezekiel 41:12 (see further פאה).
[יַם] noun masculine sea (ᵑ7 Syriac; see B יָם, √ ימם); — emphatic יַמָּא Daniel 7:2-3,.