What does יוֹנָה (yonah) mean in the Bible?
יוֹנָה (yonah): Symbol of innocence and purity in covenant contexts; also represents vulnerability and gentleness
Hebrew · H3123
יוֹנָה
A dove (apparently from the warmth of their mating)
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יוֹנָה H3123
Pronunciation yonah
What does יוֹנָה (yonah) mean in the Bible?
יוֹנָה (yonah): Symbol of innocence and purity in covenant contexts; also represents vulnerability and gentleness
Full entry for יוֹנָה (H3123) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3123?
The BSB source-word alignment has 31 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include pigeons (8), like a dove (3), like doves (3), are [like] doves (2), pigeon (2).
Where does יוֹנָה (yonah) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 8:8. Its strongest book concentrations include Leviticus (9), Song Of Solomon (6), Genesis (5), Isaiah (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It pigeons 8× Leviticus 5:7, Leviticus 5:11, Leviticus 12:8, Leviticus 14:22
like a dove 3× Psalms 55:6, Isaiah 38:14, Jeremiah 48:28
like doves 3× Isaiah 59:11, Isaiah 60:8, Ezekiel 7:16
are [like] doves 2× Song Of Solomon 1:15, Song Of Solomon 4:1
pigeon 2× Leviticus 1:14, Leviticus 12:6
the dove 2× Genesis 8:10, Genesis 8:11
a dove 1× Genesis 8:8
and like doves 1× Hosea 11:11
are like doves 1× Song Of Solomon 5:12
but my dove 1× Song Of Solomon 6:9
But the dove 1× Genesis 8:9
dove 1× Hosea 7:11
doves 1× Nahum 2:7
my dove 1× Song Of Solomon 5:2
O my dove 1× Song Of Solomon 2:14
of the dove 1× Psalms 68:13
the dove {again} 1× Genesis 8:12
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 8:8 הַיּוֹנָ֖ה to a dove Article | Noun - feminine singular Genesis 8:9 הַיּוֹנָ֨ה to But the dove Article | Noun - feminine singular Genesis 8:10 הַיּוֹנָ֖ה to the dove Article | Noun - feminine singular Genesis 8:11 הַיּוֹנָה֙ to the dove Article | Noun - feminine singular Genesis 8:12 הַיּוֹנָ֔ה to the dove {again} Article | Noun - feminine singular Leviticus 1:14 הַיּוֹנָ֖ה to pigeon Article | Noun - feminine singular Leviticus 5:7 יוֹנָ֖ה to pigeons Noun - feminine singular Leviticus 5:11 יוֹנָה֒ to pigeons Noun - feminine singular Leviticus 12:6 יוֹנָ֥ה to pigeon Noun - feminine singular Leviticus 12:8 יוֹנָ֔ה to pigeons Noun - feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 8:8
Aligned rows 31
Books represented 10
Genesis 5 Leviticus 9 Numbers 1 Psalms 2 Song Of Solomon 6 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 1 Ezekiel 1 Hosea 2 Nahum 1
Source forms
הַיּוֹנָ֖ה 3x hay·yō·w·nāh Genesis 8:8, Genesis 8:10, Leviticus 1:14
יוֹנָ֑ה 3x yō·w·nāh Leviticus 15:14, Leviticus 15:29, Numbers 6:10
וְכַיּוֹנִ֖ים 2x wə·ḵay·yō·w·nîm Isaiah 59:11, Isaiah 60:8
יוֹנָ֔ה 2x yō·w·nāh Leviticus 12:8, Leviticus 14:22
יוֹנִ֔ים 2x yō·w·nîm Song Of Solomon 4:1, Nahum 2:7
יוֹנָתִ֣י 2x yō·w·nā·ṯî Song Of Solomon 5:2, Song Of Solomon 6:9
הַיּוֹנָ֨ה 1x hay·yō·w·nāh Genesis 8:9
הַיּוֹנָה֙ 1x hay·yō·w·nāh Genesis 8:11
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular 9x Leviticus 5:7, Leviticus 5:11, Leviticus 12:6, Leviticus 12:8
Article | Noun - feminine singular 7x Genesis 8:8, Genesis 8:9, Genesis 8:10, Genesis 8:11
Noun - feminine plural 3x Song Of Solomon 1:15, Song Of Solomon 4:1, Nahum 2:7
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular 3x Song Of Solomon 2:14, Song Of Solomon 5:2, Song Of Solomon 6:9
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Article | Noun - feminine plural 2x Isaiah 59:11, Isaiah 60:8
Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular 2x Jeremiah 48:28, Hosea 7:11
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - feminine singular 2x Psalms 55:6, Isaiah 38:14
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular 1x Hosea 11:11
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Symbol of innocence and purity in covenant contexts; also represents vulnerability and gentleness
Source Gloss
a dove (apparently from the warmth of their mating)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Symbol of innocence and purity in covenant contexts; also represents vulnerability and gentleness
a dove (apparently from the warmth of their mating) BDB: dove Usage: dove, pigeon.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
dove
Showing 1 selected witness from 33 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
יוֹנָה is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Represents naïve and unstable diplomacy. Hosea 7:8-16
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain