---
title: אָלַם — bind · The Tanakh dictionary
description: אָלַם (481), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 8 times: bind. BDB 1906: vb. bind be dumb. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# אָלַם

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«אָלַם» in the Tanakh dictionary: **bind** — 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:** 8 times · **Key:** 481 · **BDB:** אָלַם

### Glosses

I.was.dumb (3); you.will.be.dumb (2); I.am.dumb (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

bind [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/481/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. bind be dumb [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/481/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. bind (perhaps cf. Assyrian \[alāmu\], alamattu, fortress Dl in ZimBP 114 \& in BD Ezek.xi; Arabic أَلِمَ be in pain, Aramaic ܐܶܠܰܡ retain anger). (be bound =) be dumb, Pf. 3 fs. נֶאֱלָמָ֑ה Is 53:7; וְנֶאֱלַמְתָּ֫ Ez 3:26, etc.; Impf. 2 ms. תֵּאָלֵם Ez 24:27; 3 fpl. תֵּאָלַמְנָה ψ 31:19.— be dumb, i.e. silent ψ 39:3 נ׳ דוּמִיָּה (‖ הֶחֱשֵׁיתִי); cf. v 10 (‖ לֹא אֶפְתַּח־פִּי); sim. of sheep Is 53:7 (‖ id.); be dumb, i.e. unable to speak Ez 3:26 (result of וּלְשׁוֹנְךָ אַדְבִּיק אֶל־חִכֶּ֑ךָ) cf. 24:27 יִפָּתַח פִּיךָ … וּתְדַבֵּר וְלֹא תֵאָלֵם עוֹד; 33:22 וַיִּפָּתַח פִּי וְלֹא נֶאֱלַמְתִּי עוֹד; also Dn 10:15 (cf. v 16). be made dumb subj. שִׂפְתֵי שָׁ֑קֶר lying lips ψ 31:19 (‖ יִדְּמוּ לִשְׁאוֹל v 18). Pt. bind Gn 37:7(×4) (E) מְאַלְּמִים אֲלֻמִּים binding sheaves.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 8 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (11 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (8 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «אָלַם» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/481/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 39:10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.39.10/)

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נֶ֭אֱלַמְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶפְתַּח־פִּ֑י כִּ֖י אַתָּ֣ה עָשִֽׂיתָ׃

*Word for word:* I.am.dumb not I.open mouth my (dm) you you.have.acted

*JPS 1917:* I am dumb, I open not my mouth; because Thou hast done it.

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[Psalms 39:3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.39.3/)

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נֶאֱלַ֣מְתִּי ד֭וּמִיָּה הֶחֱשֵׁ֣יתִי מִטּ֑וֹב וּכְאֵבִ֥י נֶעְכָּֽר׃

*Word for word:* I.was.dumb silence I.was.silent from good and pain my it.was.stirred.up

*JPS 1917:* I was dumb with silence; I held my peace, had no comfort; and my pain was held in check.

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