Biblica Analytica
H9038 Hebrew

הֶם

hem

them

Lexicon Entry

Definition
them
Transliteration
hem
Strong's Number
H9038
Occurrences
1,125

Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

What Original Readers Understood

Supported

# Analysis of הֶם (hem) The Hebrew word הֶם (hem) is a third-person masculine plural pronoun meaning "them." With 1,125 occurrences throughout the Hebrew Bible, it ranks among the most frequently used words in biblical Hebrew, reflecting its essential function as a basic grammatical element for referring to plural male subjects or mixed-gender groups. Like pronouns in English, it serves to identify or reference persons or objects already mentioned or contextually understood, allowing biblical authors to maintain narrative continuity without constant repetition of proper nouns or full noun phrases. The sheer frequency of this pronoun across 1,125 instances underscores its foundational role in biblical discourse across all literary genres—historical narratives, legal codes, prophetic utterances, and wisdom literature. Its ubiquity indicates that Hebrew biblical texts consistently employ standard pronoun reference systems to construct coherent extended passages. The pronoun's grammatical gender (masculine plural) reflects Hebrew's grammatical structure, where masculine forms often function as default or unmarked plural references, encompassing both exclusively male groups and mixed-gender collectives. Understanding הֶם as a central grammatical element helps readers recognize that biblical Hebrew, like all natural languages, relies on systematic pronoun reference to build coherent discourse. The word's frequency demonstrates that the biblical authors were concerned with clear communication through established linguistic conventions rather than constantly restating subjects.

Source data & methodology
Strong's
H9038
Lemma
הֶם
Transliteration
hem
Definition
them
Occurrences
1,125
Model
claude-haiku-4-5-20251001
Prompt version
1

AI synthesis uses only the lexicon data above as context — never training knowledge.

Occurrences in Scripture

1,125 total occurrences across the text — showing 50

2 Chronicles 20:10

Now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned away from them, and didn’t destroy them;

2 Chronicles 20:12

Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us. We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

2 Chronicles 20:25

When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their plunder, they found among them in abundance both riches and dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away. They took plunder for three days, it was so much.

2 Chronicles 20:25

When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their plunder, they found among them in abundance both riches and dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away. They took plunder for three days, it was so much.

2 Chronicles 21:3

Their father gave them great gifts of silver, of gold, and of precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.

2 Chronicles 23:3

All the assembly made a covenant with the king in God’s house. He said to them, “Behold, the king’s son must reign, as Yahweh has spoken concerning the sons of David.

2 Chronicles 24:5

He gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather money to repair the house of your God from all Israel from year to year. See that you expedite this matter.” However the Levites didn’t do it right away.

2 Chronicles 24:19

Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again to Yahweh, and they testified against them; but they would not listen.

2 Chronicles 24:19

Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again to Yahweh, and they testified against them; but they would not listen.

2 Chronicles 24:20

The Spirit of God came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people, and said to them, “God says, ‘Why do you disobey Yahweh’s commandments, so that you can’t prosper? Because you have forsaken Yahweh, he has also forsaken you.’ ”

Nehemiah 4:7

But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, they were very angry;

2 Chronicles 25:13

But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell on the cities of Judah, from Samaria even to Beth Horon, and struck of them three thousand, and took much plunder.

2 Chronicles 25:14

Now after Amaziah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense to them.

2 Chronicles 26:14

Uzziah prepared for them, even for all the army, shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and stones for slinging.

2 Chronicles 28:8

The children of Israel carried away captive of their brothers two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters, and also took away much plunder from them, and brought the plunder to Samaria.

2 Chronicles 28:9

But a prophet of Yahweh was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria, and said to them, “Behold, because Yahweh, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has reached up to heaven.

2 Chronicles 28:9

But a prophet of Yahweh was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria, and said to them, “Behold, because Yahweh, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has reached up to heaven.

2 Chronicles 28:13

and said to them, “You must not bring in the captives here, for you intend that which will bring on us a trespass against Yahweh, to add to our sins and to our guilt; for our guilt is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.”

2 Chronicles 28:23

For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which struck him. He said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, so I will sacrifice to them, that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

2 Chronicles 29:5

and said to them, “Listen to me, you Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify Yahweh, the God of your fathers’ house, and carry the filthiness out of the holy place.

2 Chronicles 30:10

So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun, but people ridiculed them and mocked them.

2 Chronicles 30:12

Also the hand of God came on Judah to give them one heart, to do the commandment of the king and of the princes by Yahweh’s word.

2 Chronicles 33:19

His prayer also, and how God was entreated of him, and all his sin and his trespass, and the places in which he built high places, and set up the Asherah poles and the engraved images, before he humbled himself: behold, they are written in the history of Hozai.

2 Chronicles 34:4

They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence; and he cut down the incense altars that were on high above them. He broke the Asherah poles, the engraved images, and the molten images in pieces, made dust of them, and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.

Nehemiah 13:21

Then I testified against them, and said to them, “Why do you stay around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on, they didn’t come on the Sabbath.

2 Chronicles 34:23

She said to them, “Yahweh, the God of Israel says: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me,

2 Chronicles 35:14

Afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests the sons of Aaron were busy with offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night. Therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests the sons of Aaron.

2 Chronicles 35:14

Afterward they prepared for themselves and for the priests, because the priests the sons of Aaron were busy with offering the burnt offerings and the fat until night. Therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests the sons of Aaron.

2 Chronicles 35:15

The singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers were at every gate. They didn’t need to depart from their service, because their brothers the Levites prepared for them.

2 Chronicles 35:15

The singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers were at every gate. They didn’t need to depart from their service, because their brothers the Levites prepared for them.

Ezra 2:63

The governor told them that they should not eat of the most holy things until a priest stood up to serve with Urim and with Thummim.

Ezra 2:65

in addition to their male servants and their female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven; and they had two hundred singing men and singing women.

Ezra 4:2

they came near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as you do; and we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”

Ezra 4:3

But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel, said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to Yahweh, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”

Ezra 4:20

There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all the country beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll, was paid to them.

Ezra 5:2

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build God’s house which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.

Ezra 5:3

At the same time Tattenai, the governor beyond the River came to them, with Shetharbozenai, and their companions, and asked them, “Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?”

Ezra 5:4

They also asked for the names of the men were who were making this building.

Ezra 5:9

Then we asked those elders, and said to them thus, “Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?”

Ezra 5:10

We asked them their names also, to inform you that we might write the names of the men who were at their head.

Ezra 6:9

That which they have need of, including young bulls, rams, and lambs, for burnt offerings to the God of heaven; also wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests who are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail;

Ezra 6:20

Because the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together, all of them were pure. They killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.

Ezra 8:25

and weighed to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our God, which the king, his counselors, his princes, and all Israel there present, had offered.

Ezra 9:2

For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy offspring have mixed themselves with the peoples of the lands. Yes, the hand of the princes and rulers has been chief in this trespass.”

Ezra 10:3

Now therefore let’s make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and those who are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the law.

Ezra 10:44

All these had taken foreign wives; and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

Nehemiah 2:9

Then I came to the governors beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.

Nehemiah 2:10

When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, because a man had come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

Nehemiah 2:18

I told them of the hand of my God which was good on me, as also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. They said, “Let’s rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.

Nehemiah 2:20

Then I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven will prosper us. Therefore we, his servants, will arise and build; but you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.”