לִמֻּד (lim.mud)
lim.mud
disciple
H:NQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N
Word Overview
The Hebrew adjective limmud describes someone who has been thoroughly taught or trained. It is a passive form, indicating that the person’s character or behavior has been shaped by instruction. Rather than simply knowing facts, it implies a state of being formed by a teacher, similar to how a student becomes accustomed to a specific way of life through repeated guidance.
This word appears only five times in the Hebrew Bible, primarily in the prophetic books of Isaiah and Jeremiah. In these contexts, it often contrasts those who have received divine instruction with those who have not. For instance, Isaiah uses it to describe people who are so accustomed to false teaching that they reject true correction (Isaiah 30:9). The term highlights how deeply ingrained habits of mind can become when a community is led astray by persistent error.
The root of the word relates to learning and discipline. It suggests that identity is formed through what one absorbs from authority figures. In ancient Israel, this concept underlined the importance of parents and prophets as guides who shape the next generation’s understanding of God’s ways. The adjective serves as a reminder that how we think is often determined by who has taught us.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word limmud describes a person shaped by instruction. It is not merely about knowing information but becoming someone through consistent teaching. In ancient Israel, this meant identity was formed by absorbing the ways of God from trusted guides like parents and prophets.
Isaiah 50:4 shows how this training equips us to speak gently to weary souls. When we are taught by the Lord, our words become a source of strength for others. This process takes time, but it transforms our character deeply.
We all carry the habits formed by those who taught us. By seeking wisdom from Scripture, we allow God to shape our minds and hearts, leading to a life marked by peace and understanding.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- like <the>/ disciples1×
- disciples1×
- among/ disciples/ my1×
- accustomed to1×
- [will be] taught of1×
- O [those] trained1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לִמּוּדֵ֣י1×
- לִמּוּדִ֔ים1×
- לִמֻּדֵ֖י1×
- לִמֻּ֣ד1×
- כַּ/לִּמּוּדִֽים\׃1×
- בְּ/לִמֻּדָֽ/י\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 50:4
The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary. He awakens morning by morning, he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.
This verse describes the servant receiving a tongue of the taught to sustain weary people, showing how divine instruction enables compassionate speech.
-
Isaiah 54:13
All your children will be taught by Yahweh, and your children’s peace will be great.
Here God promises that all children will be taught by Him directly, linking this deep formation to great peace in their lives.
-
Jeremiah 2:24
a wild donkey used to the wilderness, that sniffs the wind in her craving. When she is in heat, who can turn her away? All those who seek her will not weary themselves. In her month, they will find her.
The wild donkey is described as accustomed to the wilderness, illustrating how repeated behavior creates a fixed state of being that is hard to change.