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 אֵם, אִימָּא, ) — ׳א absolute Genesis 32:12 +; construct Genesis 3:20 +; suffix אִמִּי Genesis 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; Genesis 32:12; Genesis 44:20; Exodus 2:8; Psalm 51:7; Psalm 113:9 ( opposed to עֲקֶרֶת) Jeremiah 15:8,10; Jeremiah 20:14; Jeremiah 22:26; Jeremiah 50:12; 1 Chronicles 4:9; Songs 6:9; Songs 8:5 +; hence of Eve אֵם כָּלחָֿ֑י Genesis 3:20; in poetry of birth, יָצָא מִבֶּטֶן אֵם Job 1:21; Ecclesiastes 5:14; יָצָא מֵרֶחֶם אֵם Numbers 12:12 compare Psalm 139:13 (Jeremiah 20:18 &) מִמְּעֵי אִמִּי גּוֺזִי Psalm 71:6 (subject ׳י, compare גחה Psalm 22:10; > גּוֺזִי = my benefactor from birth Thes Ew Hup Pe); also וַתְּהִי אִמִּי קִבְרִי Jeremiah 20:17; מִבֶּטֶן אֵם = from earliest existence Judges 16:17; Job 31:18; Psalm 22:11; so מִמְּעֵי אֵם Isaiah 49:1; as giving suck Songs 8:1 (שְׁדֵי אֵם) Psalm 22:10; compare Psalm 131:2 (see Exodus 2:9 compare Exodus 2:8); as exercising authority Genesis 21:21; Genesis 24:28; Genesis 27:11,13,14; Judges 17:2 f Ruth 1:8; Songs 3:4; Songs 8:2 etc.; especially of queen-mother as possessing dignity & influence 1 Kings 1:11; 1 Kings 2:13,19,20; 2Chronicles 22:2,3; Songs 3:11; Proverbs 31:1; compare names of mo-thers of kings of Judah 1 Kings 14:21,31; 1 Kings 15:2,10,13 +; as shewing love & care 1 Samuel 2:19; 1 Kings 3:27; 1 Kings 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 Genesis 27:29; Deuteronomy 13:7; Judges 8:19; Psalm 50:20; Psalm 69:9; Songs 1:6; compare Songs 8:1; so בַּתאִֿמּוֺ Leviticus 18:9; Leviticus 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 Genesis 37:10 (E) Judges 14:2 f, so in precept Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs 6:20; Proverbs 10:1; Proverbs 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; Deuteronomy 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 Deuteronomy 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 Joshua 2:18; Joshua 6:23. 1 Samuel 22:3; 1 Kings 19:20 compare 2 Samuel 19:38.

2 figurative of Deborah as caring for her people אֵם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל 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; Hosea 2:7; Hosea 4:5; compare Hosea 10:14; of Judah Isaiah 50:1 (twice in verse); of Hittite as mother of Jerusalem אָבִיךְ הָאֱמֹרִי וְאִמֵּךְ חִתִּית Ezekiel 16:3,45 compare Ezekiel 16:44; Ezekiel 16:45; also Ezekiel 19:2,10 & see Ezekiel 23:2.

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

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