H517. em

אֵם‎₂₂₁ noun feminine mother (Phoenician אם‎, Arabic , Ethiopic , Sabean אם‎ (only in proper names compare e. g. Bae^{Rel 118}) Assyrian ummu COT^Gloss; Aramaic אִימָּא אֵם,‎, ) — ׳א‎ absolute Genesis 32:12 +; construct 3:20 +; suffix אִמִּי‎ 20:12 + etc.; plural only suffix אִמֹּתֵנוּ‎ Lamentations 5:3; אִמֹּתָם‎ Jeremiah 16:3; Lamentations 2:12 (twice in verse); —

1 literal (human) mother, as parent Genesis 20:12; 32:12; 44:20; Exodus 2:8; Psalm 51:7; 113:9 ( opposed to עֲקֶרֶת‎) Jeremiah 15:8, 10; 20:14; 22:26; 50:12; 1 Chronicles 4:9; Song of Solomon 6:9; 8:5 +; hence of Eve כָּלחָֿ֑י אֵם‎ Genesis 3:20; in poetry of birth, אֵם מִבֶּטֶן יָצָא‎ Job 1:21; Ecclesiastes 5:14; אֵם מֵרֶחֶם יָצָא‎ Numbers 12:12 compare Psalm 139:13 (Jeremiah 20:18 &) גּוֺזִי אִמִּי מִמְּעֵי‎ Psalm 71:6 (subject ׳י‎, compare גחה‎ 22:10; > גּוֺזִי‎ = my benefactor from birth Thes Ew Hup Pe); also קִבְרִי אִמִּי וַתְּהִי‎ Jeremiah 20:17; אֵם מִבֶּטֶן‎ = from earliest existence Judges 16:17; Job 31:18; Psalm 22:11; so אֵם מִמְּעֵי‎ Isaiah 49:1; as giving suck Song of Solomon 8:1 (אֵם שְׁדֵי‎) Psalm 22:10; compare 131:2 (see Exodus 2:9 compare 2:8); as exercising authority Genesis 21:21; 24:28; 27:11, 13, 14; Judges 17:2 f Ruth 1:8; Song of Solomon 3:4; 8:2 etc.; especially of queen-mother as possessing dignity & influence 1 Kings 1:11; 2:13, 19, 20; 2 Chronicles 22:2-3, Song of Solomon 3:11; Proverbs 31:1; compare names of mo-thers of kings of Judah 1 Kings 14:21, 31; 15:2, 10, 13 +; as shewing love & care 1 Samuel 2:19; 1 Kings 3:27; 17:23; 2 Kings 4:30; Isaiah 66:13 (simile of ׳י‎s comforting his people; compare also Genesis 27:45); as beloved & lamented 1 Kings 19:20 ("" אָב‎) Genesis 24:67; Psalm 35:14; בֶּןאִֿמּוֺ‎ = own (uterine) brother Genesis 43:29; & "" אָח‎ 27:29; Deuteronomy 13:7; Judges 8:19; Psalm 50:20; 69:9; Song of Solomon 1:6; compare 8:1; so בַּתאִֿמּוֺ‎ Leviticus 18:9; 20:17; Deuteronomy 27:22 ("" בַּתאָֿבִיו‎) Genesis 20:12; often with אָב‎, as parentes Jeremiah 16:3; Zechariah 13:3 (twice in verse); Isaiah 8:4; as rightfully claiming honour, authority, etc., compare above, Genesis 28:7 (P) compare 37:10 (E) Judges 14:2 f, so in precept Proverbs 1:8; 6:20; 10:1; 15:20 etc. compare Ezekiel 22:7; laws enjoining these Exodus 20:12 = Deuteronomy 5:16; Leviticus 19:3 compare Deuteronomy 22:15; laws prohib. contrary Exodus 21:15, 17 (E) Leviticus 20:9 (twice in verse) (H) Deuteronomy 21:18-19, 27:16; laws as to mourning for Leviticus 21:2, 11 (H) Numbers 6:7 (P) compare Jeremiah 16:7; Ezekiel 44:25; left for wife Genesis 2:24; for mother-in-law Ruth 2:24; for husband Deuteronomy 21:13 (law for captive women); compare 33:9 (of devoted service of Levites); loving, caring for children Proverbs 4:3 (on the opposite compare Psalm 27:10); loved, cared for Joshua 2:13 compare 2:18; 6:23. 1 Samuel 22:3; 1 Kings 19:20 compare 2 Samuel 19:38.

2 figurative of Deborah as caring for her people בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אֵם‎ Judges 5:7 (compare אָב‎ Isaiah 22:21; Job 29:16); so of a city 2 Samuel 20:19 ('stock, race, community' RS^{K 28 compare Proph. iv. n 8}); of Israel Hosea 2:4; 2:7; 4:5; compare 10:14; of Judah Isaiah 50:1 (twice in verse); of Hittite as mother of Jerusalem חִתִּית וְאִמֵּךְ הָאֱמֹרִי אָבִיךְ‎ Ezekiel 16:3, 45 compare 16:44; 16:45; also 19:2, 10 & see 23:2.

3 of animals, dam Exodus 22:29 (of ox & sheep) Leviticus 22:27 (of bullock, sheep, or goat); Exodus 23:19 = 34:26 = Deuteronomy 14:21 (of kid); mother-bird 22:6 (twice in verse); 22:7; figurative Job 17:14 ׃ לָרִמָּֽה וַאֲחֹתִי אִמִּי אָ֑תָּה אָבִי קָרָאתִי לַשַּׁחַת‎.

4 = point of departure or division הַדֶּרֶךְ אֵם‎ Ezekiel 21:26. ("" הַדְּרָכִים שְׁנֵי ראֹשׁ‎).