What does יָנַק mean in the Bible?
יָנַק is a Hebrew word meaning "to suck ; causatively, to give milk".
Hebrew · H3243
יָנַק
To suck ; causatively, to give milk
Reading a lexicon entry
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יָנַק H3243
What does יָנַק mean in the Bible?
יָנַק is a Hebrew word meaning "to suck ; causatively, to give milk".
Full entry for יָנַק (H3243) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3243?
The BSB source-word alignment has 32 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include to nurse (3), and infants (2), infants (2), the infant (2), [She put] him and his nurse (1).
Where does יָנַק appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 21:7. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (6), Genesis (4), 1 Samuel (3), Deuteronomy (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 to nurse 3× Exodus 2:7, 1 Kings 3:21, Lamentations 4:3
and infants 2× Psalms 8:2, Lamentations 2:11
infants 2× 1 Samuel 15:3, 1 Samuel 22:19
the infant 2× Deuteronomy 32:25, Isaiah 11:8
[She put] him and his nurse 1× 2 Kings 11:2
along with her nurse 1× Genesis 24:59
an infant 1× Numbers 11:12
and his nurse 1× 2 Chronicles 22:11
and infant 1× Jeremiah 44:7
and nurse 1× Isaiah 60:16
and nurse him 1× Exodus 2:9
and nursed 1× 1 Samuel 1:23
even those nursing 1× Joel 2:16
He nourished him 1× Deuteronomy 32:13
He will suck 1× Job 20:16
I should be nursed 1× Job 3:12
milk 1× Genesis 32:15
nurse 1× Genesis 35:8
The nursing infant’s 1× Lamentations 4:4
they will feast on 1× Deuteronomy 33:19
who nursed 1× Song Of Solomon 8:1
would nurse 1× Genesis 21:7
you may nurse 1× Isaiah 66:11
You will drink 1× Isaiah 60:16
you will nurse 1× Isaiah 66:12
your nursing mothers 1× Isaiah 49:23
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 21:7 הֵינִ֥יקָה to would nurse Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person feminine singular Genesis 24:59 מֵנִקְתָּ֑הּ to along with her nurse Verb - Hifil - Participle - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular Genesis 32:15 מֵינִיק֛וֹת to milk Verb - Hifil - Participle - feminine plural Genesis 35:8 מֵינֶ֣קֶת to nurse Verb - Hifil - Participle - feminine singular construct Exodus 2:7 מֵינֶ֔קֶת to Verb - Hifil - Participle - feminine singular Exodus 2:7 וְתֵינִ֥ק to to nurse Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular Exodus 2:9 וְהֵינִקִ֣הוּ to and nurse him Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - feminine singular | third person masculine singular Numbers 11:12 הַיֹּנֵ֔ק to an infant Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Deuteronomy 32:13 וַיֵּנִקֵ֤הֽוּ to He nourished him Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular Deuteronomy 32:25 יוֹנֵ֖ק to the infant Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 21:7
Aligned rows 32
Books represented 15
Genesis 4 Exodus 3 Numbers 1 Deuteronomy 3 1 Samuel 3 1 Kings 1 2 Kings 1 2 Chronicles 1 Job 2 Psalms 1 Song Of Solomon 1 Isaiah 6 Jeremiah 1 Lamentations 3 Joel 1
Source forms
יוֹנֵ֖ק 3x yō·w·nêq Deuteronomy 32:25, Song Of Solomon 8:1, Isaiah 11:8
אִינָֽק׃ 1x ’î·nāq Job 3:12
הֵינִ֥יקָה 1x hê·nî·qāh Genesis 21:7
הֵינִ֖יקוּ 1x hê·nî·qū Lamentations 4:3
הַיֹּנֵ֔ק 1x hay·yō·nêq Numbers 11:12
וְהֵינִקִ֣הוּ 1x wə·hê·ni·qi·hū Exodus 2:9
וְיוֹנֵ֖ק 1x wə·yō·w·nêq Jeremiah 44:7
וְיוֹנֵ֔ק 1x wə·yō·w·nêq Lamentations 2:11
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 6x Deuteronomy 32:25, 1 Samuel 15:3, 1 Samuel 22:19, Song Of Solomon 8:1
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 2x Jeremiah 44:7, Lamentations 2:11
Verb - Hifil - Participle - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 2x 2 Kings 11:2, 2 Chronicles 22:11
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 1x Numbers 11:12
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular 1x Exodus 2:7
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular 1x 1 Samuel 1:23
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular 1x Deuteronomy 32:13
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - feminine singular | third person masculine singular 1x Exodus 2:9
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. to suck ; causatively, to give milk
Source Gloss
to suck ; causatively, to give milk
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
to suck; causatively, to give milk BDB: suck Usage: milch, nurse(-ing mother), (give, make to) suck(-ing child, -ling).
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 16
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 11×
Participle active 1Sam 15:3 · 1Sam 22:19 · Deut 32:25 · Isa 11:8 · Lam 4:4 · Song 8:1 6×
Imperfect Deut 33:19 · Isa 60:16 · Isa 66:11 · Job 3:12 · Job 20:16 5×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 3×
Perfect Gen 21:7 · Lam 4:3 2×
Participle active Gen 32:16 1×
Word Origins
יָנַק is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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