עַם (am)
am
people; kinsman; Ammi; People's (Gate); (Ibleam)-am; Amaw
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1,448 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun am refers to a group of people bound together by shared identity, whether as a nation, a clan, or a family line. It appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often describing Israel as God’s chosen people or referring to neighboring nations. The word captures both the collective body and the individual members within it, serving as a fundamental term for social and ethnic grouping in ancient Near Eastern contexts.
Beyond its general sense of "nation," am carries a specific meaning of kinsman or relative on the father’s side. This narrower usage highlights the importance of lineage and tribal connection in Hebrew culture. For instance, the name Ibleam combines this root to mean "people of Ibleam," illustrating how personal and communal identities were often intertwined through naming conventions.
Translators typically render am as "people" or "nation," depending on whether the context emphasizes a large political entity or a close-kin group. Its widespread occurrence, particularly in books like Exodus and Jeremiah, underscores its centrality to biblical narratives about covenant, community, and divine relationship with human societies.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word am describes a group of people bound by shared identity, whether as a nation, a clan, or a family line. It appears frequently in Scripture to describe Israel as God’s chosen people or to refer to neighboring nations. This term captures both the collective body and the individual members within it, highlighting how personal and communal identities were intertwined in ancient culture.
Beyond its general sense of nation, am carries a specific meaning of kinsman or relative on the father’s side. This narrower usage underscores the importance of lineage and tribal connection in Hebrew society. For instance, Genesis 14:16 records Abraham rescuing his relative Lot, illustrating how close-kin groups functioned as vital support systems.
Understanding this word helps us see how God relates to human communities. Whether referring to a large political entity or a close-knit family, am reminds us that we are never isolated. We belong to a story larger than ourselves, connected by covenant and kinship to those who share our faith and history.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1,448 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ people695×
- people/ my122×
- people/ his90×
- [the] people of74×
- a people61×
- people/ your57×
- the/ peoples56×
- peoples47×
- and/ the/ people39×
- to the/ people23×
- <into>/ a people17×
- [the] people15×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הָ/עָ֖ם131×
- הָ/עָ֔ם118×
- הָ/עָם֙74×
- הָ/עָ֑ם59×
- עַם\־54×
- הָ/עָ֣ם54×
- הָ/עָֽם\׃40×
- הָ/עָ֛ם37×
- הָ/עָ֗ם37×
- הָ/עָ֥ם33×
- עַ֣ם32×
- הָ/עָ֜ם32×
Key Verses
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Genesis 14:16
He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot and his goods, and the women also, and the other people.
This verse uses am in its narrower sense of kinsman, showing Abraham rescuing his relative Lot and highlighting the importance of familial loyalty.
-
Genesis 17:14
The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”
Here the word describes Israel as a covenant community, warning that breaking the covenant results in being cut off from the people.
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Genesis 25:8
Abraham gave up his spirit, and died at a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
The phrase 'gathered to his people' uses am to describe death and burial within one's ancestral group, emphasizing tribal continuity.
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Genesis 11:6
Yahweh said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do.
This occurrence highlights the collective power of a unified people who share one language and purpose, prompting God’s response at Babel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word am mean?
How is am different from goy?
Where does am appear most frequently?
Every Occurrence (1,448 verses across 37 books)
Genesis 32 verses
Yahweh said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now…
Genesis 14:16He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot and his goods, and the women also, and the other…
Genesis 17:14The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people.…
Genesis 17:16I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of…
Genesis 19:4But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the…
Genesis 23:7Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, to the children of Heth.
Genesis 23:11“No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the children of…
Genesis 23:12Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.
Genesis 23:13He spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, “But if you will, please hear me. I will give the…
Genesis 25:8Abraham gave up his spirit, and died at a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
Genesis 25:17These are the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred thirty-seven years. He gave up his spirit and died, and was…
Genesis 26:10Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you…
Genesis 26:11Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”
Genesis 27:29Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers. Let your mother’s sons bow down to you.…
Genesis 28:3May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples,
Genesis 33:15Esau said, “Let me now leave with you some of the people who are with me.” He said, “Why? Let me find favor in the…
Genesis 34:16then will we give our daughters to you; and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will…
Genesis 34:22Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people, if every male among us is…
Genesis 35:6So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.
Genesis 35:29Isaac gave up the spirit and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. Esau and Jacob, his sons,…
Genesis 41:40You shall be over my house. All my people will be ruled according to your word. Only in the throne I will be greater…
Genesis 41:55When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians,…
Genesis 42:6Joseph was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph’s brothers came, and…
Genesis 47:21As for the people, he moved them to the cities from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end of it.
Genesis 47:23Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh. Behold, here is seed for…
Genesis 48:4and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and…
Genesis 48:19His father refused, and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great.…
Genesis 49:10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs.…
Genesis 49:16“Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
Genesis 49:29He instructed them, and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in…
Genesis 49:33When Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, breathed his last breath, and was gathered…
Genesis 50:20As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive, as is happening today.