---
title: יוֹנָה — dove · The Tanakh dictionary
description: יוֹנָה (3123), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 32 times: dove. BDB 1906: n.f. dove. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# יוֹנָה

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«יוֹנָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **dove** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 32 times · **Key:** 3123 · **BDB:** יוֹנָה

### Glosses

dove (9); of.a.dove (9); a.dove (3)

### Meaning (OSHB)

dove [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1497/3123/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. dove [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1497/3123/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. dove (NH id.; Aramaic id., ܝܰܘܢܳܐ )—abs. יוֹנָה Gn 8:8 + 20 times; cstr. יוֹנַת ψ 56:1; sf. יוֹנָתִי Ct 2:14 + 2 times; pl. יוֹנִים Na 2:8 + 6 times; cstr. יוֹנֵי Ez 7:16 (v. infr.);—dove Gn 8:9, 10, 11, 12 (all J); often of offerings, בֶּן־יוֹנָה Lv 12:6 (P; an individual of the species; ‖ תֹּר); בְּנֵי (ה)יונה (‖ תֹּרִים) 1:14; 5:7, 11; 12:3; 14:22, 30; 15:14, 29 Nu 6:10 (all P); חֲרֵי יוֹנִים dove’s dung 2 K 6:25 (Kt, yet v. GeiUrschrift 409); in various similes: Ephr. is כְּיוֹנָה פּוֹתָה like a silly dove Ho 7:11 (allowing itself to be snared); sim. of retun of exiles, like eager flight of doves 11:11, of ships with white outspread sails Is 60:8; אֵבֶר כַּיּוֹנָה ψ 55:7; v. also כַּנְפֵי יוֹנָה 68:14; sim. of fugitive Moab Je 48:28; also כְּיוֹנֵי הַגֵּאָיוֹת Ez 7:16 like the doves of the valleys (but on txt v. Co, who emends כיונים הוֹגִיּוֹת, but regards phr. as gloss); sim. of mourning כְּקוֹל יוֹנִים Na 2:8; without קוֹל, הגה כיונים Is 38:14; 59:11 (from mournful note); fig. of beauty (only Ct): עֵינַיִךְ יוֹנִים thine eyes are (those of) doves Ct 1:15; 4:1, v. also v 12; term of endearment, יוֹנָתִי my dove Ct 2:14; 5:2; 6:9. Elsewhere only ψ 56:1 (title) יוֹנַח אֵלֶם רְחֹקִים (עַל) prob. name of melody: To ‘the dove of distant terebinths’ (read אֵלִים for אֵלֶם; v. אֵלֶם supr. p. 48, and Baeψψ, p. xvii).—On sanctity of dove among Semites, v. RSSem.i. 202, 275.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 31 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (16 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (11 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «יוֹנָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1497/3123/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Song of Songs 1:15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/SNG.1.15/)

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הִנָּ֤ךְ יָפָה֙ רַעְיָתִ֔י הִנָּ֥ךְ יָפָ֖ה עֵינַ֥יִךְ יוֹנִֽים׃

*Word for word:* here you \[are\].beautiful my.friend my here you \[are\].beautiful eyes your \[are\].doves

*JPS 1917:* Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thine eyes are as doves.

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[Hosea 7:11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/HOS.7.11/)

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וַיְהִ֣י אֶפְרַ֔יִם כְּיוֹנָ֥ה פוֹתָ֖ה אֵ֣ין לֵ֑ב מִצְרַ֥יִם קָרָ֖אוּ אַשּׁ֥וּר הָלָֽכוּ׃

*Word for word:* and he.has.become Ephraim like a.dove silly there.\[is\].not heart Egypt they.have.called Assyria they.have.gone

*JPS 1917:* And Ephraim is become like a silly dove, without understanding; they call unto Egypt, they go to Assyria.

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