מִין (min)
min
kind
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 17 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun min refers to a distinct kind or species, appearing seventeen times in the Old Testament with a strong focus on the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. It serves as a categorical term that separates living things into specific groups, most frequently animals but also plants and other created orders.
Its usage establishes clear boundaries within creation. In Genesis 1, God commands the earth to bring forth vegetation and creatures according to their min, highlighting an inherent order in nature. This concept of distinct categories reappears in Leviticus regarding dietary laws, where Israel is instructed not to mix different kinds of animals or fabrics, reinforcing a worldview defined by separation and specific design.
Translators typically render min as "kind" rather than the modern biological term "species," which carries technical evolutionary implications. The biblical text uses this word to emphasize that created things remain within their designated boundaries, preserving the integrity of each group as established at creation.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word min appears frequently in Genesis to describe how God organized creation. He did not leave the world as a chaotic mix but established distinct categories for plants, animals, and birds. This clarity helps us see that God values order and specific design in everything He makes.
In Leviticus and Deuteronomy, this same word guides Israel’s dietary laws. By separating clean from unclean animals, God taught His people to live with intentionality. These boundaries were not arbitrary restrictions but ways to help the community reflect holiness in their daily routines.
For your faith today, this concept reminds us that God brings structure to our lives. Just as creation has its proper place, we find peace when we align ourselves with His design. Trusting in His order helps us navigate a complex world with confidence and gratitude.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 17 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to/ kind/ its29×
- to/ kind/ their1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לְ/מִינֵ֑/הוּ5×
- לְ/מִינָ֔/הּ4×
- לְ/מִינֵֽ/הוּ\׃4×
- לְ/מִינֵ֔/הוּ4×
- לְ/מִינָ֑/הּ3×
- לְ/מִינֽ/וֹ\׃2×
- לְ/מִינָֽ/הּ\׃2×
- לְ/מִינָ֗/הּ2×
- לְ/מִינ֔/וֹ2×
- לְ/מִינֵ֗/הוּ1×
- לְ/מִֽינֵ/הֶ֗ם1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 1:11
God said, “Let the earth yield grass, herbs yielding seeds, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with their seeds in it, on the earth;” and it was so.
This verse establishes the foundational principle that vegetation reproduces according to specific kinds, showing God's intentional design in nature.
-
Genesis 1:24
God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures after their kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind;” and it was so.
Here the command extends to land animals, emphasizing that every creature has a designated category within the created order.
-
Leviticus 11:22
Even of these you may eat: any kind of locust, any kind of katydid, any kind of cricket, and any kind of grasshopper.
This passage lists specific insects permitted for food, illustrating how the concept of kind applies even to small creatures in dietary regulations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word min mean?
Where does this word appear most often?
How is min different from modern biological terms?
Every Occurrence (17 verses across 3 books)
Genesis 7 verses
God said, “Let the earth yield grass, herbs yielding seeds, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with their…
Genesis 1:12The earth yielded grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with their seeds in it, after…
Genesis 1:21God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their…
Genesis 1:24God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures after their kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the…
Genesis 1:25God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on…
Genesis 6:20Of the birds after their kind, of the livestock after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind,…
Genesis 7:14they, and every animal after its kind, all the livestock after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the…