יָחַם
ya.cham
to conceive
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew word 'ya.cham' (H3179) is found six times throughout the Bible and means to conceive or become pregnant. This verb primarily falls under the semantic domain of Kinship & Family, indicating its relevance to the biological and emotional aspects of human relationships. As a transitive verb, 'ya.cham' involves an agent (the woman) and an object (the fertilized egg), describing the physical act of conception. Its usage in various contexts likely highlights the significance of this life-altering event, which transforms the lives of parents and their families. The fact that this word appears only six times in the Bible might suggest its relatively limited scope in Jewish culture and literature, but its focus on intimate relationships between partners and the emergence of new life underscores its importance in the ancient Jewish worldview.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences across the text
Behold, I was born in iniquity. My mother conceived me in sin.
Genesis 30:38He set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. They conceived when they came to drink.
Genesis 30:39The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks produced streaked, speckled, and spotted.
Genesis 30:41Whenever the stronger of the flock conceived, Jacob laid the rods in front of the eyes of the flock in the watering troughs, that they might conceive among the rods;
Genesis 30:41Whenever the stronger of the flock conceived, Jacob laid the rods in front of the eyes of the flock in the watering troughs, that they might conceive among the rods;
Genesis 31:10During mating season, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled.