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יָרַד (ya.rad)

ya.rad

to go down

H3381 · Hebrew · Old Testament · 300 verses

H:V

Quick Reference

Language
Biblical Hebrew
Testament
Old Testament
Occurrences
300 verses
Root
—
Part of speech
H:V

Word Overview

The Hebrew verb yārad describes the physical act of descending, whether a person walking from a mountain into a valley or water sinking into the earth. It appears roughly three hundred times in the Old Testament, serving as the standard term for moving from a higher elevation to a lower one. This basic motion extends naturally to abstract concepts, such as the mind "sinking" into despair or tears flowing downward.

Its usage is remarkably concrete, often anchoring narrative geography. For instance, Jacob’s family travels down to Egypt during famine (Genesis 42:3), and Moses descends from Mount Sinai with tablets of stone (Exodus 34:29). The word also carries a sense of decline or subduing, as when armies march down into battle or when God sends rain to water the land.

Translators typically render yārad as "go down" or "come down," preserving the literal directionality that defines the Hebrew worldview. This emphasis on vertical movement reflects a cultural understanding of space where height often signifies strength or proximity to the divine, while descent implies entering the realm of human activity or mortality.

Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).

What This Word Means for Your Faith

The Hebrew verb yārad describes the physical act of moving from a higher place to a lower one. It appears roughly three hundred times in the Old Testament, serving as the standard term for descending. This basic motion extends naturally to abstract concepts, such as the mind sinking into despair or tears flowing downward. Its usage is remarkably concrete, often anchoring narrative geography.

For instance, Jacob’s family travels down to Egypt during famine (Genesis 42:3), and Moses descends from Mount Sinai with tablets of stone (Exodus 34:29). The word also carries a sense of decline or subduing, as when armies march down into battle or when God sends rain to water the land. Translators typically render yārad as go down or come down, preserving the literal directionality that defines the Hebrew worldview.

This emphasis on vertical movement reflects a cultural understanding of space where height often signifies strength or proximity to the divine, while descent implies entering the realm of human activity or mortality. When you read about going down in Scripture, remember it is not merely a change in elevation but a shift into the tangible world where God meets us in our daily lives.

How it's translated

How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 300 verses where it appears, by frequency.

  • and/ he went down33×
  • and/ they went down17×
  • go down15×
  • and/ it goes down10×
  • they went down8×
  • he went down8×
  • and/ he came down8×
  • to/ go down7×
  • he will come down5×
  • come down5×
  • you will come down4×
  • it has come down4×

Forms in the text

The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.

  • וַ/יֵּ֥רֶד8×
  • וַ/יֵּ֤רֶד8×
  • יָרְד֥וּ6×
  • וַ/יֵּ֨רֶד6×
  • וַ/יֵּ֧רֶד5×
  • וַ/יֵּ֣רֶד5×
  • וַ/יֵּרְד֥וּ4×
  • וַ/יֵּרְד֣וּ4×
  • וַ/יֵּ֖רֶד4×
  • תֵרֵ֥ד3×
  • רֵ֣ד3×
  • לָ/רֶ֣דֶת3×

Key Verses

  • Genesis 11:5
    Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.

    God comes down to see the city and tower, showing His active engagement with human history.

  • Genesis 42:3
    Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

    Joseph’s brothers go down to Egypt for grain, illustrating how descent often precedes provision or testing.

  • Genesis 28:12
    He dreamed and saw a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

    Angels ascend and descend on Jacob’s ladder, linking heaven and earth through this vertical motion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does yārad mean in the Old Testament?

Yārad means to go down or descend. It is used for physical movement from high to low places, like Jacob’s family going down to Egypt (Genesis 42:3). It also describes abstract concepts, such as despair sinking into the heart.

How is yārad different from other Hebrew verbs for moving?

While other verbs might mean walk or travel generally, yārad specifically emphasizes vertical descent. For example, angels ascending and descending on Jacob’s ladder (Genesis 28:12) highlight this unique directional focus.

Where does yārad appear most often?

It appears in about 300 verses, frequently in Genesis and Exodus. You see it when Moses descends from Sinai or when Joseph’s brothers go down to Egypt for grain.

Every Occurrence (300 verses across 31 books)

Genesis 35 verses
Genesis 11:5

Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.

Genesis 11:7

Come, let’s go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

Genesis 12:10

There was a famine in the land. Abram went down into Egypt to live as a foreigner there, for the famine was severe in…

Genesis 15:11

The birds of prey came down on the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

Genesis 18:21

I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.”

Genesis 24:16

The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin. No man had known her. She went down to the spring, filled her…

Genesis 24:18

She said, “Drink, my lord.” She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him a drink.

Genesis 24:45

Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to…

Genesis 24:46

She hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.’ So…

Genesis 26:2

Yahweh appeared to him, and said, “Don’t go down into Egypt. Live in the land I will tell you about.

Genesis 28:12

He dreamed and saw a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God were…

Genesis 37:25

They sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from…

Genesis 37:35

All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “For I will go down…

Genesis 38:1

At that time, Judah went down from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

Genesis 39:1

Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him…

Genesis 42:2

He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy for us from there, so that we may…

Genesis 42:3

Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

Genesis 42:38

He said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him along…

Genesis 43:4

If you’ll send our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy you food;

Genesis 43:5

but if you don’t send him, we won’t go down, for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face, unless your brother is…

Genesis 43:7

They said, “The man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still…

Genesis 43:11

Their father, Israel, said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take from the choice fruits of the land in your…

Genesis 43:15

The men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and got up, went down to Egypt, and…

Genesis 43:20

and said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food.

Genesis 43:22

We have brought down other money in our hand to buy food. We don’t know who put our money in our sacks.”

Genesis 44:11

Then they hurried, and each man took his sack down to the ground, and each man opened his sack.

Genesis 44:21

You said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’

Genesis 44:23

You said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will see my face no more.’

Genesis 44:26

We said, ‘We can’t go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down: for we may not see the man’s…

Genesis 44:29

If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.’

Genesis 44:31

it will happen, when he sees that the boy is no more, that he will die. Your servants will bring down the gray hairs of…

Genesis 45:9

Hurry, and go up to my father, and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, “God has made me lord of all Egypt.…

Genesis 45:13

You shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. You shall hurry and bring my father…

Genesis 46:3

He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go down into Egypt, for there I will make of you a great…

Genesis 46:4

I will go down with you into Egypt. I will also surely bring you up again. Joseph’s hand will close your eyes.”

Exodus 19 verses
Leviticus 1 verse
Numbers 14 verses
Deuteronomy 12 verses
Joshua 16 verses
Judges 29 verses
Ruth 2 verses
I Samuel 34 verses
II Samuel 13 verses
I Kings 13 verses
II Kings 22 verses
I Chronicles 4 verses
II Chronicles 6 verses
Nehemiah 3 verses
Job 3 verses
Psalms 12 verses
Proverbs 7 verses
Ecclesiastes 1 verse
Song of Solomon 2 verses
Isaiah 21 verses
Jeremiah 12 verses
Lamentations 5 verses
Hosea 1 verse
Joel 1 verse
Amos 3 verses
Obadiah 2 verses
Jonah 2 verses
Micah 2 verses
Haggai 1 verse
Zechariah 2 verses