What does אָתוֹן mean in the Bible?
אָתוֹן is a Hebrew word meaning "a female donkey (from its docility)".
Hebrew · H860
אָתוֹן
A female donkey (from its docility)
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אָתוֹן H860
What does אָתוֹן mean in the Bible?
אָתוֹן is a Hebrew word meaning "a female donkey (from its docility)".
Full entry for אָתוֹן (H860) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H860?
The BSB source-word alignment has 34 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the donkeys (7), female donkeys (4), the donkey (4), . . . (2), his donkey (2).
Where does אָתוֹן appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 12:16. Its strongest book concentrations include Numbers (14), 1 Samuel (8), Genesis (4), Job (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 the donkeys 7× 1 Samuel 9:3, 1 Samuel 9:5, 1 Samuel 10:2, 1 Samuel 10:14
female donkeys 4× Genesis 32:15, Genesis 45:23, Job 1:3, Job 42:12
the donkey 4× Numbers 22:29, Numbers 22:30, Numbers 22:33, 2 Kings 4:24
. . . 2× Genesis 12:16, Genesis 49:11
his donkey 2× Numbers 22:21, Numbers 22:22
When the donkey 2× Numbers 22:23, Numbers 22:27
[her] 1× Numbers 22:27
And the donkey 1× Numbers 22:25
and the donkeys 1× Job 1:14
As for the donkeys 1× 1 Samuel 9:20
But the donkey 1× Numbers 22:30
donkeys 1× Judges 5:10
her 1× Numbers 22:23
of a donkey 1× Zechariah 9:9
of the donkeys 1× 2 Kings 4:22
One day the donkeys 1× 1 Samuel 9:3
she 1× Numbers 22:23
the donkey’s 1× Numbers 22:28
your donkey 1× Numbers 22:32
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 12:16 וַאֲתֹנֹ֖ת to . . . Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural Genesis 32:15 אֲתֹנֹ֣ת to female donkeys Noun - feminine plural Genesis 45:23 אֲתֹנֹ֡ת to female donkeys Noun - feminine plural Genesis 49:11 אֲתֹנ֑וֹ to . . . Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular Numbers 22:21 אֲתֹנ֑וֹ to his donkey Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular Numbers 22:22 אֲתֹנ֔וֹ to his donkey Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular Numbers 22:23 הָאָתוֹן֩ to When the donkey Article | Noun - feminine singular Numbers 22:23 הָֽאָתוֹן֙ to she Article | Noun - feminine singular Numbers 22:23 הָ֣אָת֔וֹן to her Article | Noun - feminine singular Numbers 22:25 הָאָת֜וֹן to And the donkey Article | Noun - feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 12:16
Aligned rows 34
Books represented 8
Genesis 4 Numbers 14 Judges 1 1 Samuel 8 2 Kings 2 1 Chronicles 1 Job 3 Zechariah 1
Source forms
אֲתֹנ֑וֹ 2x ’ă·ṯō·nōw Genesis 49:11, Numbers 22:21
הָֽאָתוֹן֙ 2x hā·’ā·ṯō·wn Numbers 22:23, Numbers 22:27
הָאָת֜וֹן 2x hā·’ā·ṯō·wn Numbers 22:25, Numbers 22:30
הָֽאָת֔וֹן 2x hā·’ā·ṯō·wn Numbers 22:33, 2 Kings 4:24
הָאֲתֹנ֔וֹת 2x hā·’ă·ṯō·nō·wṯ 1 Samuel 9:3, 1 Samuel 10:2
הָ֣אֲתֹנ֔וֹת 2x hā·’ă·ṯō·nō·wṯ 1 Samuel 10:14, 1 Chronicles 27:30
הָאֲתֹנ֑וֹת 2x hā·’ă·ṯō·nō·wṯ 1 Samuel 10:16, 2 Kings 4:22
אֲתוֹנ֔וֹת 1x ’ă·ṯō·w·nō·wṯ Job 1:3
Parsing patterns
Article | Noun - feminine singular 10x Numbers 22:23, Numbers 22:25, Numbers 22:27, Numbers 22:28
Article | Noun - feminine plural 9x 1 Samuel 9:3, 1 Samuel 9:5, 1 Samuel 10:2, 1 Samuel 10:14
Noun - feminine plural 6x Genesis 32:15, Genesis 45:23, Judges 5:10, Job 1:3
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 3x Genesis 49:11, Numbers 22:21, Numbers 22:22
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular 2x Numbers 22:30, Numbers 22:32
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural 1x Genesis 12:16
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine plural 1x Job 1:14
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine plural 1x 1 Samuel 9:20
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. a female donkey (from its docility)
Source Gloss
a female donkey (from its docility)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
a female donkey (from its docility) BDB: she-ass Usage: (she) ass.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
אָתוֹן is built from this root:
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