eRhema Explore
Word

דָּם

dâm · H1818 · Hebrew · 360 occurrences

See all 360 in Search

Meanings

  1. blood

    The red liquid that circulates in the arteries and veins of humans and animals, used in rituals such as sacrifices, purification and covenant ceremonies, never to be eaten, regarded as the seat of life, and polluting the body and land when human blood flows out

    Examples

    Genesis 4:10 Then He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground.

    Genesis 4:11 “Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

    Genesis 9:4 “But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.

  2. blood > wine

    Red liquid, compared to blood because of its color

    Examples

    Genesis 49:11 “He ties his foal to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes.

    Deuteronomy 32:14 Curds of the herd, and milk of the flock, With fat of lambs And rams, the breed of Bashan, and of goats, With the best of the wheat; And you drank wine of the blood of grapes.

  3. blood > person

    Literally: blood; hence: living human being, defined by the blood flowing through their veins

    Examples

    Deuteronomy 27:25 ‘Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to attack an innocent person.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

    1 Samuel 19:5 “For he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great victory for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. Why then would you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death for no reason?”

  4. blood > bloodshed

    Causative action by which humans kill other humans in a violent way, usually involving the shedding of blood, which brings guilt upon the people committing these acts

    Examples

    Genesis 9:5 “I certainly will require your lifeblood; from every animal I will require it. And from every person, from every man as his brother I will require the life of a person.

    Genesis 9:6 “Whoever sheds human blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made mankind.

    Genesis 37:22 Then Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—so that later he might rescue him out of their hands, to return him to his father.

How it’s used In 10 roles

Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.

the word studied the word it goes with

Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive

167 occurrences in 48 groups

Words describing itAdjectives, demonstratives, participles

29 occurrences in 9 groups

Named alongside itApposition

7 occurrences in 5 groups

What it doesIt is the subject

33 occurrences in 16 groups

What is done to itIt is the object

136 occurrences in 42 groups

Second object ofSecond object

1 occurrences in 1 groups

What it is said to bePredicate

15 occurrences in 6 groups

What is said to be itIt is the predicate

5 occurrences in 4 groups

After prepositionsPrepositional phrases

116 occurrences in 7 groups

In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive

40 occurrences in 13 groups

When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.

MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

In the other Testament 1 word
αἷμα haîma · G129 · blood, death, violent death
Greek αἷμα is the direct translation equivalent of Hebrew דָּם across literal physical blood, bloodshed and violence, and cultic or sacrificial usage.
Semantic domains 3 entries
Liquids001002005007
דָּם most directly names blood, the physical liquid substance of life, as in the prohibition against eating flesh with its blood still in it.
People001001003
דָּם is used of a person's own bloodshed or bloodguilt, as Abel's blood cries out from the ground, tying the word to the human victim behind the shed blood.
Dead002001001018
דָּם carries the strong sense of violent death or bloodguilt throughout legal and narrative texts, the shedding of blood being inseparable from killing and its consequences.
Word family 8 words

Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.

דָּמָה dâmâh · H1820 · to cease, to perish, to be no more · 16×דָּםdâm · H1818דָּמַם dâmam · H1826 · to stand still, to be still, to wait · 30×דּוּמִיָּה dûwmîyâh · H1747 · silence · 4×דְּמִי dᵉmîy · H1824 · to be silent, to keep silent · 4×דּוּמָם dûwmâm · H1748 · silently, in silence, dumb · 3×דְּמָמָה dᵉmâmâh · H1827 · silence, whisper · 3×דֻּמָּה dummâh · H1822 · perished, no more · 1×
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H1818. dam דָּם360 noun masculineGen 9:6 blood (Late Hebrew id., Arabic , Ethiopic…
H1818. dam
דָּם360 noun masculineGen 9:6 blood (Late Hebrew id., Arabic , Ethiopic Assyrian damu Nor239 ZimBP 72, 76; Aramaic דְּמָא דַּם, , ) — absolute ׳ד Gen 37:22 154t.; construct דַּם Gen 9:6 62t.; suffix דָּמִי 1Sa 26:20 1Sa 26:3t.; דָּֽמְךָ 2Sa 1:16 (Qr; Kt דמיך) + 4 t.; דָּמֵךְ Eze 16:22 Eze 16:3t.; דָּמוֺ Gen 9:4 30t.; דָּמָהּ Lev 4:30 (twice in verse) + 11 t.; דִּמְכֶם Gen 9:5; דָּמָם Lev 16:27 Lev 16:11t.; plural דָּמִים Exo 4:25 35t.; construct דְּמֵי Gen 4:10 Gen 4:18t.; suffix דָּמֶיךָ 2Sa 1:16 Kt (Qr דָּֽמְךָ); דָּמַיִךְ Eze 16:6 (3 t. in verse); Eze 16:9; דָּמָיו Lev 20:9 Lev 20:3t.; דָּמֶיהָ Lev 12:7 Lev 12:2t.; דְּמֵיהֶם Lev 20:11 Lev 20:5t.; —
1 blood of man or animal, = the life (נֶפֶשׁ) Gen 9:4 (P) Deu 12:23; Lev 17:14 (twice in verse) (H); compare הִוא בַּדָּם הַבָּשָׂר נֶפֶשׁ Lev 17:11 (H) & לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם דִּמְכֶם Gen 9:5 (P); see also Psa 72:14 בְּעֵינָיו דָּמָם וְיֵיקַר; hence blood of animals not to be eaten Lev 3:17; Lev 7:26-27,(all P) Lev 17:10 (twice in verse); Lev 17:12 (twice in verse); Lev 17:14; Lev 19:26 (all H) Deu 12:16, Deu 12:23; Deu 15:23; 1Sa 14:32-33, 1Sa 14:34; Eze 33:25 (compare RSK 310), but to be poured out & covered with dust Lev 17:13 (compare RSSemitic i. 216 f.).
2 usually blood become visible,
a. as from a wound ׳ד הַמַּכָּה 1Ki 22:35 (compare דָּמִים חֲתַן Exo 4:25-26, see below h); licked by dogs 1Ki 21:19 (twice in verse); 1Ki 22:38; Eze 32:6; from the nose Pro 30:33; bloody issue of a woman Lev 15:19 compare Lev 15:25; plural טָֽהֳרָה דְּמֵי Lev 12:4-5, & דָּמֶיהָ מְקֹר Lev 12:7 (all P) Lev 20:18 (H); blood in which child welters Eze 16:6 (twice in verse); Eze 16:22 + Eze 16:6 (strike out A B Co and others); of goat Gen 37:31 (JE); of slain bird Lev 14:6, Lev 14:51, Lev 14:52.
b. often object of שָׁפַךְ, spill, shed Gen 9:6 (P) Gen 37:22 (E) Num 35:33 (P) Lev 17:4 (H) Deu 21:7; 1Sa 25:31; 1Ki 18:28; 2Ki 21:16; 2Ki 24:4; 1Ch 22:8; Eze 16:38; Eze 22:4, Eze 22:6, Eze 22:9, Eze 22:12, Eze 22:27; Eze 23:45; Eze 33:25; Eze 36:18 (strike out B Co) Pro 1:16 also Psa 79:3 כַּמַּיִם דָמָם שָֽׁפְכוּ; דָּם שֹׁפֵךְ a blood-shedder Eze 18:10; דָּם שֹׁפֶכֶת עִיר Eze 22:3 compare Eze 22:4 (also 1Ki 2:31; Jer 22:3, Jer 22:17; 1Ch 22:8; 1Ch 28:3; Pro 6:17; Lam 4:13); less often subject of passive נִשְׁמָּךְ שָׁפוּךְ,, etc. Gen 9:6; Num 35:33 (both P) Deu 19:10; Zep 1:17; Psa 79:10.
c. חָלָל דַּם Deu 32:42 (song) blood of slain; ׳ד חֲלָלִים 2Sa 1:22 so Num 23:24 (JE), object of שָׁתָה, of Israel under figure of lion; compare also Eze 39:17-18, Eze 39:19, & 2Sa 23:17 = 1Ch 11:19 (הָאֲנָשִׁים דַּם hyperbole for imperilled life); as food of young eagles Job 39:30.
d. often of innocent blood, i.e. blood shed with injustice & cruelty, נָקִי דָּם Deu 21:8-9, 1Sa 19:5; 2Ki 21:16; 2Ki 24:4; Psa 94:21; Psa 106:38 compare Psalm 94:38; Pro 6:17; Isa 59:7; Jer 7:6; Jer 22:3 (also Jer 26:15); נָקִיא דָּם Joel 4:19; Jon 1:14; also in construct נָקִי דַּם Deu 19:10; compare Deu 27:25 ׳ד ׳נ נֶפֶשׁ לְהַכּוֺת; הַנָּקִי דַּם Deu 19:13; Jer 22:17; 2Ki 24:4; נְקִיִּים דַּם Jer 19:4; נְקִיִּים אֶבְיוֺנִים נַפְשׁוֺת דַּם Jer 2:34; further צַדִּיקִים דַּם Lam 4:13; חִנָּם דְּמֵי 1Ki 2:31; in Psa 31:10 דָּמִי = my death (|| אֶלשַֿׁחַת רִדְתִּי).
e. evenger of blood הַדָּם גֹּאֵל Num 35:19, Num 35:21, Num 35:24, Num 35:25, Num 35:27 (twice in verse) (all P); Deu 19:6, Deu 19:12; Jos 20:3, Jos 20:5, Jos 20:9; 2Sa 14:11.
f. plural דָּמִים of abundance, blood in quantity, hence sometimes of blood shed by rude violence, and of blood-stains; — Gen 4:10-11,(J) as crying from the ground for vengeance (compare RSSemitic i. 397), compare also 2Sa 3:28; 2Sa 16:8; 2Ki 9:26 (twice in verse); Isa 1:15; Isa 9:4; Isa 26:21; Eze 16:6 (3 t. in verse); Eze 16:9, Eze 16:36 (on text of Eze 16:6 see above) Zec 9:7; 2Ch 24:25; אָדָם דְּמֵי Hab 2:8, Hab 2:17, and in other connections; but interchangeably with singular 2Sa 3:27; 2Sa 20:12; 2Ki 9:33; Isa 34:3, Isa 34:6 (twice in verse); Isa 34:7; Ezekiel 21:37; Eze 22:13 (plural Co) Eze 24:8 (twice in verse) and elsewhere; see especially דָמִי אַלתְּֿכַסִּי אֶרֶץ Job 16:18; ירושׁלם דְּמֵי blood-stains of Jerusalem Isa 4:4; = slaughter, singular Gen 37:26 (J) Jer 48:10; Eze 5:17; Eze 28:23 (|| דֶּבֶר) Eze 38:22 (|| id.); דַּםעֲֿבָדָיו Deu 32:43 (song: compare Psa 79:10); plural עֲבָדַי דְּמֵי 2Ki 9:7 (twice in verse); יִזְרְעֶאל דְּמֵי Hos 1:4; bloodshed at Jezreel; compare נָגָ֑עוּ בְּדָמִים דָּמִים Hos 4:2; מִלְחָמָה דְּמֵי 1Ki 2:5 (twice in verse); in Eze 9:9 חָמָס הָאָרֶץ וַתִּמָּלֵא (Baer) read דָּמִים for חָמָס see d. H. Vrss Co Comm.; לְדָם אָרַב lie in wait for blood Pro 1:11 compare Pro 1:18; Pro 12:6; Mic 7:2; דָּמִים of a plan of murder Isa 33:15 (object of שׁמע); דָּמִים מִשְׁמַּט Eze 7:23 bloody crime; as symbol of oppression, violence Mic 3:10 (|| עַוְלָה), Hab 2:12 (|| id.)
g. דָּמִים = guilt of bloodshed, blood-guiltiness Exo 22:1, then more Generally, mortal sin (RSOTJC 417, 2nd ed. 441, compare Eze 18:13) Psa 51:16 (compare Hosea 12:15); also בְדָמִים בּוֺא 1Sa 25:26, 1Sa 25:33.
h. plural also in pharses: דָּמִים חֲתַן bloody bridegroom Exo 4:25-26, also those denoting character, chiefly in poetry, דָּמִים אִישׁ bloody man (sanguinary) 2Sa 16:8; Psa 5:7 הַדָּמִים אִישׁ 2Sa 16:7; דָּמִים אַנְשֵׁי, Psa 26:9; Psalm 55:24; Psa 59:3; Psa 139:19; Pro 29:10; הַדָּמִים ואלבֵּֿית bloody house 2Sa 21:1 but read with ᵐ5 We Dr דמים בֵּיתֹה ואל, & on his house is blood; דָּמִים עִיר Nah 3:1; הַדָּמִים עִיר Eze 22:2; Eze 24:6 + Eze 24:9 (strike out B Co).
i. בּוֺ דָּמָיו his blood is in (upon) him, he is responsible for his own death Lev 20:9 compare Lev 20:11; Lev 20:12; Lev 20:13; Lev 20:16; Lev 20:27 (all H), Eze 18:13 ( + יִהְיֶה); בּוֺ דָּמוֺ Eze 33:5; בְּראֹשׁוֺ דָּמוֺ Jos 2:19 (twice in verse); so with שָׁבוּ 1Ki 2:33, יִהְיֶה 1Ki 2:37; Eze 33:4; ראֹשֶׁ֑ךָ עַל דָּֽמְ֯יךָ 2Sa 1:16, and י ׳הֵשִׁיב עַלרֿאֹשׁוֺ אֶתדָּֿמוֺ 1Ki 2:32; also בְּבֵיתְךָ דָּמִים תָשִׂים לֹא Deu 22:8; and אֲבִימֶלֶךְ עַל לָשׂוּם דָּמָם Jdg 9:24; (אלׅ על דָּם נָתַן Jer 26:15; Jon 1:14; דָּמִים עָלָיךָ וְהָיָה Deu 19:10, see 2Sa 21:1 above; also singular Eze 22:4 אָשַׁמְתְּ בְּדָמֵךְ, and as subject of לְ יֵחָשֵׁב shall be imputed to Lev 17:4 (H); דָמִים לוֺ אֵין Exo 22:1 compare Exo 22:2 (both J E) & (singular) Num 35:27 (P).
j. of judicial process in case of bloodshed לְדָם בֵּיןדָּֿם לַמִּשְׁמָּט דָּבָר Deu 17:8 compare 2Ch 19:10; רֵעֶ֑ךָ עַלדַּֿם תַּעֲמֹד לֹא Lev 19:16 (H).
k. in phrase require blood at the hand of, exact vengeance (for it) from, מִיַּד דָּמוֺ דָּרַשׁ Eze 33:6; Gen 9:5; נִדְרָשׁ דָּמוֺ Gen 42:22 (E); absolute דמים דֹּרשׁ Psa 9:13; מִיֶּדְכֶם אֶתדָּֿמוֺ אֲבַקֵּשׁ 2Sa 4:11 compare Eze 3:18, Eze 3:20; Eze 33:8; ד ׳מָּקַד עַלֿ Hos 1:4; ד ׳וְנִקֵּיתִי Joel 4:21; Eze 35:6 (4 t. in verse); compare on the other hand י מְּנֵי מִנֶּגֶד אַרְצָה דָּמִי ׳אַליִֿמֹּל 1Sa 26:20 i.e. let it not de unavenged.
l. of blood as defiling a land Num 35:33 (P) compare Psa 106:38 (plural בדמים); מִדָּם עֲקֻבָּה Hos 6:8 of a city foot-printed (VB) with blood; defiling hands Isa 1:15; Isa 59:3; Lam 4:14 compare Eze 23:37, Eze 23:45; further, of blood as oppressing one who has shed it נֶפֶשׁ בְּדַם עָשֻׁק Pro 28:17.
m. atonement for blood-guilt is expressed by הַדָּם לָהֶם וְנִכַּמֵּר Deu 21:8 (on form of verb compare Ges§ 55, 9 & Di).
n. blood (-shedding) as connected with divine wrath בְּדָם עָלָיהָ חֲמָתִי וְשָׁפַכְתִּ֫י Eze 14:19; וְקִנְאָה חֵמָה דַּם Eze 16:38; see further מִדָּם חִצַּי אַשְׁכִּיר Deu 32:42, compare Jer 46:10; compare also of human vengeance by divine help הָרָשָׁע בְּדַם יִרְחַץ Psa 58:11; בְּדָם רַגְלְךָ תִּמֲחַץ Psa 68:24; note further Isa 49:26; Eze 39:19 (in both figurative of being drunk with blood); then of simple human vengeance שְׁאוֺל בְּדָם אֶתשֵֿׂיבָתוֺ וְהוֺרַדְתָּ֫ 1Ki 2:9.
o. of water turned into blood (singular) in Egypt, by divine power Exo 4:9 (J) Exo 7:17, Exo 7:20 (JE) Exo 7:19; Exo 7:19; Exo 7:21 (P) Psa 78:44; Psa 105:29; compare Isa 15:9 & Eze 32:6; further, of appearance of blood in sky Joe 3:3, & of colour of moon Joe 2:4; specifically of red colour of water כַּדָּם אֲדֻמִּים 2Ki 3:22 compare 2Ki 3:23.
3 blood used with religious significance,
a. blood of passover-lamb Exo 12:7, Exo 12:13 (twice in verse) (all P) Exo 12:22; Exo 12:22; Exo 12:23 (all J E); note also הַבְּרִית דַּם, i.e. blood by which covenant was ratified Exo 24:8 (JE) Zec 9:11.
b. blood used in ritual, Lev 17:11 יְכַמֵּר בַּנֶּפֶשׁ הוּא הַדָּם (H); compare 2Ch 29:24; also Eze 44:7, Eze 44:15 (both || חֵלָב); further Lev 1:5; Isa 1:11; Psa 50:13; thrown on altar, verb זָרַק usually with עַל Exo 24:6 (JE) Exo 29:16, Exo 29:20; Lev 1:5, Lev 1:11; Lev 3:2, Lev 3:8, Lev 3:13; Lev 7:2, Lev 7:14; Lev 8:19, Lev 8:24; Lev 9:12, Lev 9:18 (all P) Lev 17:6 (H) Num 18:17 (P) Eze 43:18; 2Ki 16:13, 2Ki 16:15 (twice in verse); 2Ch 29:22 (3 t. in verse); compare 2Ch 30:16; sprinkled, verb הִזָּה Lev 5:9; Lev 16:19 (both P); sprinkled toward tent of meeting (verb הִזָּה) Num 19:4 (twice in verse) (P); brought into tent of meeting Lev 4:5, Lev 4:16; Lev 6:23; compare Lev 10:18 (all P); sprinkled toward the holy of holies (verb הִזָּה) Lev 4:6 (twice in verse); Lev 4:17; Lev 16:14 (twice in verse) (all P); brought within the veil on day of atonement Lev 16:15 (3 t. in verse) (compare Lev 16:14) Lev 16:27 (all P); thrown on people Exo 24:8 (J E; זָרַק); sprinkled on priests (הִזָּה) Exo 29:21; Lev 8:30 (both P); on garment (in sanctuary, הִזָּה) Lev 6:20 (P); applied with finger to horns of altar Exo 29:12; Lev 4:7, Lev 4:18, Lev 4:25, Lev 4:30, Lev 4:34; Lev 8:15; Lev 9:9 (3 t. in verse); Lev 16:18 (twice in verse) (all P; also Eze 45:19) Eze 43:20; applied to tip of right ear of priest Exo 29:20; Lev 8:23-24, (all P; also Lev 14:14, Lev 14:25 P); poured out at base of altar (אֶלֿ שָׁפַךְ) Exo 29:12; Lev 4:7, Lev 4:18, Lev 4:25, Lev 4:30, Lev 4:34 (all P); compare with מָצָה (Niph`al) Lev 1:15; Lev 5:9; with יָצַק Lev 8:15 (all P); half of blood put in basons Exo 24:6 (JE); blood poured out on altar Deu 12:27 (twice in verse); blood of red heifer burned Num 19:5 (P); see further such terms as זִבְחִי דַּם Exo 23:18; Exo 34:25 (both J E) (compare Deu 12:27; 2Ki 16:15); הַשְּׁלָמִים דַּם Lev 7:33 (P; compare Lev 7:14); הַכִּמֻּרִים חַטָּאת דַּם Exo 30:10 (P) compare <ref>Eze

Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain

Topical studies with this word 3 entries
People3 occurrencesLiquids2 occurrencesDead149 occurrences

Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Sources

eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org.