Lexical Definition

‎עַם‎ ʻam (am) people ^H:N-M
from ‎עָמַם‎

folk, men, nation, people.

• a people (as a congregated unit)
• specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel)
• hence (collectively) troops or attendants
• figuratively, a flock

1) nation, people
1a) people, nation
1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men
2) kinsman, kindred

See Greek: ἀνήρ · ἄνθρωπος · γενεά · γένος · γῆ · δῆμος · δούλη · δοῦλον · δοῦλος · δύναμις · ἔθνος · ἡγέομαι · λαός · ὄχλος · παῖς · πλῆθος · συναγωγή · συναγωγή

Extended Information

• : people/nation

Brown-Driver-Briggs

Aramaic form: עַם
I. ‎עַם‎, ‎עָם‎₁₈₄₀ noun masculine^{Gen 11:6} (see below) people (Late Hebrew id., plebeian, common man; ᵑ7 ‎עַמָּא‎ people, plural peoples, tribes, etc.; Syriac ; Arabic see above; original meaning probably those united, connected, related, compare We^{GGN 1893, 480}); — absolute ‎עַם‎ Gen 11:6 +, ‎עָם‎ Judg 9:36 +, ‎הָעָם‎ Josh 8:11 +; construct ‎עַם‎ Num 21:29 +; suffix ‎עַמִּי‎ Exod 3:7 +, ‎עַמְּךָ‎ Exod 22:27* +, etc.; plural ‎עַמִּים‎ Isa 2:3 +, ‎עֲמָמִים‎ (compare Biblical Aramaic) Neh 9:22 construct ‎עַמֵּי‎ 1Kgs 8:43 +, ‎עַמְמֵי‎ Neh 9:24 plural with suffix see II. ‎עַם‎; — (Thes cites following as feminine ‎וְחָטָאת עַמֶּ֑ךָ‎ Exod 5:16 [but corrupt and unintellig.; read perhaps ‎׳‎‎וְחַטָאתָ לְע‎, so ᵐ5 ᵑ6 Di]; Judg 18:7 [but ‎ישֶׁבֶת‎ must agree with lost word city, or the like, see GFM]; Jer 8:5 [but read ‎שׁוֺבַב‎ for ‎שׁוֺבְבָה‎ Gie]); —

1. a people, nation (sometimes || ‎גּוֺי‎), collective noun (singular Exod 21:8; Josh 17:14; Josh 17:15; Josh 17:17; 2Sam 17:29 + often, or plural Exod 20:15; Exod 24:2; Jer 5:31 + often, or both in same clause Exod 1:20; 2Sam 13:24): ‎עַם אֶחָד‎ = all mankind Gen 11:6 (J); peoples in general Gen 27:29 (J; || ‎לְאֻמִּים‎), Exod 19:5 (E), Deut 2:25; Deut 4:6 + often Deuteronomy; Neh 13:24 + often; ‎קְהַל עַמִּים‎ Gen 28:3 (P) an assembly (multitude) of peoples, Gen 48:4 (P), Ezek 23:24; Ezek 32:3 (+ ‎רַבִּים‎); one's own people Jer 46:16; Ps 45:11*; Ruth 1:10; Ruth 1:15; Ruth 1:16 (twice in verse) + (on ‎עַמִּי נָדִיב‎ Song 6:12 see especially Bu); particular peoples, Egypt Gen 41:40 (E), Exod 1:22 (E), Neh 9:10 +; ‎עַםאֲֿרָם‎ Amos 1:5 ‎עַםכְּֿמוֺשׁ‎ (i.e. Moab) Num 21:29 (JE), Jer 48:46 but especially Israel Exod 1:20 (E) + often; ‎׳‎‎עַםבְּֿנֵי יִשׂ‎ vExod 1:9 (J); called ‎יהוה‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎ Num 11:29 (E), 1Sam 2:24 +, and (by ‎׳‎‎י‎) ‎עַמִּי‎ Exod 3:7; Exod 5:1 (J) + often (all periods); ‎קְהַל עַםהָֿאֱלֹהִים‎ Judg 20:2, ‎עַםהַֿקָּהָל‎ Lev 16:33 (P), ‎קְהַל עָם‎ Ps 107:32 especially ‎הָעָם הַזֶּה‎ (often in contempt or disgust) Num 11:1; Num 11:12; Num 11:13 +; figurative of ants Prov 30:25, the shaphan vProv 30:26, locusts Joel 2:2, compare ‎לְעַם לְצִיִּים‎ Ps 74:14 (where read ‎לְעַם צִיִּים‎ Hup-Now). — On Judg 1:16 see ‎עֲמָלֵקִי‎.

2. = smaller units, e.g.
a. inhabitants of a city Gen 19:4 (J), 1Sam 9:12; 1Sam 9:13; Jer 29:16; Jer 29:25; 2Chr 31:4 + (Jer 8:5 strike out ‎׳‎‎יְרוּוּשׁ‎ ᵐ5 Gie Co Rothst).
b. inhabitants of a locality Jer 37:12 [apparently not = tribe, Deut 33:3 read ‎עַמּוֺ‎ ᵐ5 Di Dr, Hos 10:14; Judg 5:8; Judg 5:14 read ‎בְּעָרֶיךָ‎ We Now; see below ‎ד‎].
c. retainers, followers Gen 14:16; Gen 32:8*; Gen 33:15; Gen 35:6; Judg 3:18; Judg 8:5; 2Sam 15:17; Jer 41:13; Jer 41:14 +.
d. people bearing arms 1Sam 11:11; 1Kgs 20:10 +; ‎כָּבֵד‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎ Num 20:20 (JE), i.e. a powerful force; ‎עַם הַצָּבָא‎ Num 31:32 (P), ‎הַמִּלְחָמָה‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎ Josh 8:1; Josh 8:3; Josh 8:11; Josh 10:7; Josh 11:7 (all J E); so probably Judg 5:8 a (fighting) band; perhaps also vJudg 5:14 (read singular ? see GFM Bu).

3. = common people Jer 21:7; Jer 22:4; Lev 4:27 (opposed to ruler vLev 4:22), Neh 5:1 (opposed to ‎יְהוּדִים‎), Neh 7:5 (opposed to rulers).

4. people in general, persons Gen 50:20 (E), so apparently ‎׳‎‎כָּלהָֿעָם אֲשֶׁר וגו‎ Exod 33:16 (J), Num 11:34 (J), Josh 5:5 (twice in verse) (D), Judg 9:36 (as singular), vJudg 9:37 (as plural), Jer 36:9 persons labouring 1Kgs 9:23 superior persons Job 12:2 (iron.); ‎עַם עוֺלָם‎ Ezek 26:30 people of long ago (now in Sh®°ôl).

5. phrases are:
a. (‎עַמָּהּ‎, ‎עַמִּי‎, ‎עַמְּךָ‎) ‎בְּנֵי עַמּוֺ‎ members of one's people, compatriots, fellow-countrymen, etc. Num 22:5 (E), Gen 23:11 (P) Lev 19:18 (H), Judg 14:16; Judg 14:17; Ezek 33:2; Ezek 33:12 +.
b. ‎בְּנֵי הָעָם‎ = common people (see 3) 2Kgs 23:6; Jer 26:23 +; people in general ‎שַׁעַר בְּנֵי הָעָם‎ Jer 17:19 i.e. public gate 2Chr 35:5; 2Chr 35:12.
c. ‎עַם הָאָרֶץ‎ the people at large, as a body 2Kgs 11:14; 2Kgs 11:18; 2Kgs 11:19; 2Kgs 11:20; 2Kgs 15:5; 2Kgs 16:15; 2Kgs 21:24 (twice in verse) +, Jer 37:2; Jer 44:21; Lev 20:2 (H), Gen 23:7; Gen 23:12; Gen 23:13 (P); common people Jer 34:19, compare ‎׳‎‎הא‎ ‎׳‎‎דַּלַּת ע‎ 2Kgs 24:14 distinguished from prince Ezek 45:22; Ezek 46:3; Ezek 46:9, from priests Hag 2:4; Zech 7:5 = Canaanites Num 14:9 (JE), compare ‎עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ‎ 1Chr 5:25 mixed post-exile population Ezra 4:4.
d. ‎עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ‎ usually peoples of the earth Josh 4:24 (D), 2Chr 32:19 +; of heathen peoples about and in Palestine after exile Ezra 10:2; Ezra 10:11 traders Neh 10:31* ‎עַמֵּי הָאֲרָצוֺת‎ Neh 9:30; Neh 10:29*; 2Chr 32:13.
e. ‎מִשְׁפְּחוֺת עַמִּים‎ Ps 96:7 = 1Chr 16:28 (compare Ps 22:28*). feminine ‎בַּתעַֿמִּי‎ = people personified Isa 22:4; Jer 4:11 + 7 t. Jeremiah + Jer 6:14 (van d. H.; omit ‎בַּת‎ Baer Gi), Lam 2:11; Lam 3:48; Lam 4:3; Lam 4:6; Lam 4:10 ‎בְּתוּלַת בַּתעַֿמִּי‎ Jer 14:17.
g. designations of Israel are: ‎עַםקָֿרוֺשׁ‎ Deut 7:6 + 3 t., ‎קְדוֺשִׁים‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎ Dan 8:24, ‎(ה)קֹדֶשׁ‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎ Isa 62:12; Isa 63:18; Dan 12:7 ‎סְגֻלָּה‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎ Deut 7:6; Deut 14:2; Deut 26:18.
h. of foreign (non-Israel) peoples: ‎׳‎‎ע‎ ‎נָכְרִי‎ Exod 21:8 (E), ‎אַחֵר‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎ Deut 28:32, and especially from language, ‎עִמְקֵי שָׂפָה‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎ Ezek 3:5 compare vEzek 3:6, ‎כִּלְשׁוֺן עַם וָעָם‎ Neh 13:24 compare Esth 1:22 (twice in verse); Esth 3:12, ‎לֹעֵג‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎ Ps 114:1.
i. ‎עַם‎ ‎עֶבְרָתִי‎ Isa 10:6, ‎חֶרְמִי‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎ Isa 34:11, ‎מִֿבְחָרָיו‎‎׳‎‎ע‎ Dan 11:15, ‎עַמֵּי‎ ‎תּוֺעֵבוֺת הָאֵלֶּה‎ Ezra 9:14 ‎לֹא עַם בִּינוֺת‎ Isa 27:11. — For ‎עַםעֿוֺלָם‎ Isa 44:7 read (‎אֹתִיּוֺת‎) ‎(מִי הִשְׁמִי)עַ מֵעוֺלָם‎ Oort Du Kit Che^Hpt compare Perles^{Anal. 40, 64}.

II. [‎עַם‎] noun [masculine] kinsman **later development of I. ‎עַם‎ RS^{K 58; 2nd ed. 72}. (on father's side) (Arabic paternal uncle, etc., see I. ‎עמם‎; compare perhaps Tel Amarna ammu, kinsmen (?); on Nabataean ‎עם‎ ancestor compare Lzb^{151, 499}; see also especially Nes^{Eg 187, ZAW xvi (1896), 322f.} Krenkel^{ib. viii (1888), 280-84}); — suffix ‎עַמִּי‎ in ‎בֶּןעַֿמִּי‎ (q. v.), and proper name following; elsewhere plural suffix ‎עַמֶּיךָ‎ Num 27:13; Num 31:2 (Lev 19:16 read ‎עַמְּךָ‎ ᵐ5 ⅏), + (possibly) ‎עֲמָָמֶיךָ‎ Judg 5:14 ‎עַמָּיו‎ Gen 25:8 + 15 t., ‎עַמֶּיהָ‎ Gen 17:14 + 3 t.; read ‎עַמֶּי‎ (for ᵑ0 ‎עַמִּי‎, I. ‎עַם‎; compare Krenkel^{l.c. 281}) Gen 49:29 and perhaps Judg 14:3 (compare Lev 21:14); according to Buhl Kit also 2Kgs 4:13 — father's kinsmen: ‎וַיֵּאָסֵף אֶלעַֿמָּיו‎ Gen 25:8 (of joining kinsmen in Sh®°ôl), so vGen 25:17; Gen 35:29; Gen 49:33; Num 20:24; Deut 32:50, compare Gen 49:29 (see above), Num 27:13; Num 31:2; Deut 32:50 (all P); ‎וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ מֵעַמֶּיהָ‎ Gen 17:4 (severed from living kinsmen), so Lev 7:20; Lev 7:21; Lev 7:23; Lev 7:27; Lev 19:8; Lev 23:29; Num 9:13, ‎מִקֶּרֶב עַמֶּיהָ‎ Exod 31:14, compare Exod 30:33; Exod 30:38; Lev 17:9 (all PH); ‎מֵעַמָּיו יִקַּח אִשָּׁה‎ Lev 21:14 (H), and perhaps Judg 14:3 (simile I. ‎עַם‎: [‎םָ֯‎, ‎הָּ֯‎] ‎מִקֶּרֶב עַמּוֺ‎ Lev 17:4; Lev 17:10; Lev 18:29+); other combinations Judg 5:14 (si vera lectio read perhaps ‎בְּעַמֶּ֑ךָ‎, see I. ‎עַם‎ 2 d ), Lev 21:1; Lev 21:4; Lev 21:15 (H), Ezek 18:18 and (perhaps) 2Kgs 4:13. — ‎בֶּןעַֿמִּי‎ perhaps = son of my kinsman; on proper name with ‎עַם‎ see Gray^{Prop. N. 41 ff}.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References