יְסוֹד (ye.sod)
ye.sod
(Gate of the) Foundation
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 17 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun yesod refers to a foundation or base, describing the solid ground upon which something stands. With seventeen occurrences in Scripture, it appears prominently in poetic books like Job and Psalms, as well as in Leviticus. The word captures the physical reality of a bottom layer that supports structure, whether that be the earth itself or the footing of a building.
Its meaning is straightforward but vital for understanding ancient imagery. In Job 38:6, God asks who laid its foundations when the earth was created, using yesod to describe the deep, stable base of the world. This usage emphasizes stability and permanence, contrasting with the chaos that might surround it. The term does not imply a decorative element but rather the essential support that allows existence to continue.
Translators typically render yesod as "foundation" or "base," keeping the focus on its structural role. It serves as a metaphor for reliability and order in biblical thought. When used in descriptions of creation or temple construction, it highlights the care taken to establish something secure. The word reminds readers that what is built rests on what was laid first.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word yesod points to the hidden work that makes visible stability possible. In ancient construction, the foundation lay beneath the ground, unseen but essential for holding the walls upright. When Scripture uses this term, it reminds us that true security comes from what is laid first by God, not from the surface appearance of our circumstances.
This reality offers comfort when life feels unstable. Whether describing the earth’s creation or the blood poured at the altar’s base, yesod emphasizes that God establishes order out of chaos. The rituals in Leviticus show how atonement was grounded in a specific, solid place, pointing to a faith built on reliable promises rather than shifting emotions.
We can rest in the knowledge that our spiritual life rests on a foundation God Himself prepared. Just as the earth stands firm because of its deep roots, believers find peace knowing their hope is anchored in something permanent and unshakable.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 17 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] base of9×
- the/ foundation2×
- foundation/ their2×
- foundations/ its1×
- foundation[s]1×
- and/ foundations/ its1×
- [is] a foundation of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יְס֖וֹד5×
- יְס֣וֹד3×
- יְסוֹד֙2×
- יְסוֹדֹתֶֽי/הָ\׃\ \ס1×
- יְסוֹדָֽ/ם\׃1×
- יְסוֹדָ֑/ם1×
- יְס֥וֹד1×
- וִ/יסֹדֶ֖י/הָ1×
- הַ/יְס֥וֹד1×
- הַ/יְס֑וֹד1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 4:7
The priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before Yahweh, which is in the Tent of Meeting; and he shall pour out the rest of the blood of the bull at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
The blood poured at the base signifies that cleansing and atonement are grounded in a specific, divinely appointed place.
-
Psalms 137:7
Remember, Yahweh, against the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem, who said, “Raze it! Raze it even to its foundation!”
Here the word describes the total destruction of Jerusalem, showing how removing the foundation leads to complete ruin.