כֶם (khem)
khem
you
Op2mQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 476 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- Op2m
Word Overview
The suffix kem serves as the second-person masculine plural object marker in Hebrew, translating to "you" when addressing a group of men or a mixed-gender community. With nearly five hundred occurrences across the Old Testament, it appears frequently in legal and prophetic texts such as Leviticus, Numbers, and Jeremiah, where God addresses the nation collectively.
As a clitic attached to verbs or prepositions, kem shifts the action or direction of speech toward the listeners. For example, in commands like "keep my statutes," the suffix attaches to the verb to specify that the obligation falls on the people as a whole rather than an individual. This grammatical feature underscores the corporate nature of Israel’s covenant responsibilities.
Its usage highlights the communal identity central to biblical theology. When prophets invoke this form, they are not speaking to isolated individuals but to the body of believers together. The consistent attachment to divine speech emphasizes that obedience and judgment are shared experiences for the community of faith.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word khem is a simple suffix meaning "you" when addressing a group. It appears hundreds of times in the Old Testament, often attached to verbs or prepositions. This grammatical feature highlights that God frequently speaks to His people as a community rather than as isolated individuals.
In passages like Genesis 17:10, this form emphasizes shared covenant responsibilities. The obligation to keep God's statutes falls on the collective body of believers. This reminds us that our faith journey is intertwined with others, and our obedience or disobedience affects the whole group.
When reading these texts, notice how often God addresses the nation together. It encourages a sense of unity and shared purpose. We are not alone in our spiritual walk but are part of a larger story of faith and covenant love.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 476 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to <the>/ you165×
- for <the>/ you53×
- to/ you49×
- for <the>/ yourselves46×
- for/ you34×
- of/ you31×
- on <the>/ you10×
- for/ yourselves10×
- among/ you10×
- from/ you9×
- from <the>/ you9×
- <for>/ yourselves9×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לָ/כֶ֖ם87×
- לָ/כֶ֔ם52×
- לָ/כֶם֙49×
- לָ/כֶֽם\׃49×
- לָ/כֶ֑ם41×
- לָ/כֶ֛ם40×
- לָ/כֶ֜ם22×
- לָ/כֶ֥ם18×
- לָ/כֶ֗ם14×
- לָ/כֶֽם\׃\ \ס12×
- לָ/כֶ֣ם10×
- לָ/כֶ֤ם9×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 17:10
This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised.
The suffix attaches to "keep" to show that the covenant obligation is a shared duty for the entire community of males.
-
Genesis 1:29
God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food.
God uses this form to declare His provision for the whole human race, establishing a communal foundation for life.
-
Genesis 45:7
God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance.
Joseph explains that God sent him to save the entire family group, highlighting divine care for the collective remnant.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word kem mean?
How is kem different from singular forms of "you"?
Where does this word appear most frequently?
Every Occurrence (476 verses across 29 books)
Genesis 25 verses
God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree,…
Genesis 9:3Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you.
Genesis 17:10This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you. Every male among you shall…
Genesis 17:12He who is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the…
Genesis 22:5Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there. We will worship, and come…
Genesis 34:9Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.
Genesis 34:15Only on this condition will we consent to you. If you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised,
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 41:55When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians,…
Genesis 42:16Send one of you, and let him get your brother, and you shall be bound, that your words may be tested, whether there is…
Genesis 42:34Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. So I will…
Genesis 43:6Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly, telling the man that you had another brother?”
Genesis 43:7They said, “The man asked directly concerning ourselves, and concerning our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still…
Genesis 43:14May God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release to you your other brother and Benjamin. If I am…
Genesis 43:23He said, “Peace be to you. Don’t be afraid. Your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks.…
Genesis 44:19My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’
Genesis 45:7God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance.
Genesis 45:18Take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and you will…
Genesis 45:19Now you are commanded to do this: Take wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and…
Genesis 45:20Also, don’t concern yourselves about your belongings, for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.”
Genesis 46:33It will happen, when Pharaoh summons you, and will say, ‘What is your occupation?’
Genesis 47:16Joseph said, “Give me your livestock; and I will give you food for your livestock, if your money is gone.”
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 47:24It will happen at the harvests, that you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four parts will be your own, for seed of…
Genesis 49:1Jacob called to his sons, and said: “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in…