---
title: אִלֵּם — dumb · The Tanakh dictionary
description: אִלֵּם (483), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 6 times: dumb. BDB 1906: adj. dumb. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# אִלֵּם

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«אִלֵּם» in the Tanakh dictionary: **dumb** — 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:** 6 times · **Key:** 483 · **BDB:** אִלֵּם

### Glosses

dumb (4); a.dumb.\[person\] (1); of.a.dumb.\[person\] (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

dumb [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/483/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

adj. dumb [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/483/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** adj. dumb, unable to speak; Ex 4:11 מִי שָׂם פֶּה לָֽאָדָם אוֹ מִי יָשׂוּם אִלֵּם; Is 56:10 כְּלָבִים אִלְּמִים fig. of false proph.; of idols אֱלִילִים א׳ Hb 2:18; as subst. Pr 31:8 ψ 38:14 Is 35:6.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 6 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, 1 with the glosses (8 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «אִלֵּם» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/483/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Proverbs 31:8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.31.8/)

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פְּתַח־פִּ֥יךָ לְאִלֵּ֑ם אֶל־דִּ֝֗ין כָּל־בְּנֵ֥י חֲלֽוֹף׃

*Word for word:* open mouth your for.\[the\] dumb to \[the\].cause of.all \[the\].sons of.passing.away

*JPS 1917:* Open thy mouth for the dumb, in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.

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[Psalms 38:14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.38.14/)

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וַאֲנִ֣י כְ֭חֵרֵשׁ לֹ֣א אֶשְׁמָ֑ע וּ֝כְאִלֵּ֗ם לֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּֽיו׃

*Word for word:* and I \[am\].like a.deaf.\[person\] not I.hear and like a.dumb.\[person\] \[who\].not he.opens mouth his

*JPS 1917:* But I am as a deaf man, I hear not; and I am as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.

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