הֵ֫מָּה H1992
They, them, those; 3rd-person plural pronoun with prepositional forms (to/for/from/like/in them)
The third-person masculine plural pronoun hemmah (or hem) serves as one of Hebrew's fundamental discourse building blocks, pointing back to previously mentioned groups of people or things. Beyond its independent subject use ('they'), it combines with prepositions to express a full range of relationships — dative ('to them'), separative ('from them'), comparative ('like them'), and locative ('in them'). With the article it becomes the demonstrative 'those,' especially in the formulaic phrase 'in those days.' An occasional archaic feminine singular variant survives in poetic texts like Job and Psalms.
5. for themselves (reflexive) — Lamed plus the pronoun in reflexive or self-benefactive sense: 'for themselves.' Josh 8:27 and 11:14 describe Israel taking spoil 'for themselves,' while 1 Kgs 14:23 condemns those who built high places 'for themselves.' French 'pour eux-mêmes' and German 'für sich selbst' explicitly mark the reflexive, whereas Spanish 'para sí' uses the dedicated reflexive pronoun, highlighting how languages differ in marking self-reference. 16×
AR["لَ-هُمْ","لَهُم","لَهُمْ","لِ-أَنْفُسِهِمْ","لِأَنفُسِهِم","لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ","لِـ-أَنْفُسِهِم","وَ-لِ-أَنْفُسِهِم"]·ben["-তাদের","আর-তাদের-জন্য","তাদের-জন্য","তাদেরকে","নিজেদের-জন্য"]·DE["fuer-sich-selbst","ihnen","und-zu-sie","zu-sie"]·EN["and-for-themselves","for-themselves","to-themselves"]·FR["et-zu-ils","pour-eux-mêmes","zu-ils","à-eux","à-eux-eux"]·heb["ו-הם-ם","ל-הם","להם"]·HI["अपने-लिए","उनके-लिए","और-अपने-लिए"]·ID["bagi-diri-mereka","bagi-mereka","dan-untuk-diri-mereka","untuk-mereka","untuk-mereka-sendiri"]·IT["a-essi","a-loro","e-a-essi","per-essi","per-se-stessi","per-sé-stessi"]·jav["dhateng-piyambakipun","kangge-piyambakipun","kangge-piyambakipun-sadaya","kangge-piyambakipun-sedaya","kanggé-piyambak","kanggé-piyambak-ipun","kanggé-piyambakipun","lan-kangge-piyambakipun"]·KO["-에게-그들","그-들-을-위해","그들-에게","그들-을-위하여","그들에게서","그들을-위하여","그들을-위해","그들이","그리고-위해-자신들","앶5-그들","에-그들을-위하여","에게-그들","자기들을-위하여","자신들-에게"]·PT["a-eles","e-para-si-mesmos","para-eles","para-si"]·RU["для-них","для-себя","и-для-себя","им","себе","себе,"]·ES["para-ellos","para-sí","sobre-ellos","y-para-ellos-mismos"]·SW["kwa-wao","kwa-wenyewe","kwao","lahem","na-kwa-wao-wenyewe","wenyewe"]·TR["-e-kendilerine","-kendilerine","kendileri-için","kendilerine","kendilerine-","ve-kendilerine"]·urd["اور-لے-اپنے","اُن-کے-لیے","اُنہوں-نے","اپنے-آپ-کو","اپنے-لیے"]
Josh 8:27, Josh 11:14, 1 Sam 3:13, 1 Kgs 14:23, 2 Chr 35:14, 2 Chr 35:14, Ezra 6:20, Ezra 9:2, Neh 8:16, Neh 12:29, Prov 1:22, Isa 3:9 (+4 more)
▼ 7 more senses below
Senses
1. they (independent pronoun) — The independent pronoun functioning as subject or predicate: 'they' or 'they are.' With 497 occurrences, this is the unmarked default. All target languages render it with their standard third-plural pronoun — Spanish 'ellos,' French 'ils,' German 'sie.' Gen 3:7 ('and they knew') and Gen 6:4 ('they were the mighty ones') typify narrative subject use. The form alternates freely between hemmah and hem with no semantic difference, only rhythmic preference. 497×
AR["هُمَا","هُمْ","هِيَ"]·ben["তারা","সেগুলো"]·DE["gehören","gehören-sie","sie","sie-waren","sind-sie"]·EN["are-they","they"]·FR["ils","sont-ils"]·heb["הם"]·HI["वह","वे","हैं"]·ID["Mereka","adalah","itulah","mereka"]·IT["essi","sono-essi"]·jav["Piyambakipun-sami","piyambakipun","piyambakipun-sadaya","piyambakipun-sami","punika"]·KO["그것들은","그들-은","그들은","그들이","그들이다"]·PT["Eles","eles","estes"]·RU["Они","они","это"]·ES["ellos"]·SW["Wao","kumbe","na-baba-yao","ndio","ni","walikunua","wao","yeye"]·TR["Onlar","onlar"]·urd["وہ","ہیں","ہیں-وہ"]
2. to/for them (dative) — Combined with lamed to express the dative or benefactive: 'to them,' 'for them,' 'belonging to them.' At 146 occurrences this is the most common prepositional form. Spanish 'a ellos' and 'para ellos,' French 'à eux,' and German 'zu ihnen' all preserve the directional-benefactive range. Lev 4:20 and Deut 7:5 illustrate commands directed toward or on behalf of groups. 146×
AR["-","بِهِمْ","لَهَا","لَهُم","لَهُمَا","لَهُمْ"]·ben["-তাদের-জন্য","-তাদেরকে","তাদের","তাদের-কাছে","তাদের-কে","তাদের-জন্য","তাদের-প্রতি","তাদেরকে"]·DE["zu-ihnen","zu-sie"]·EN["for-them","to-them"]·FR["zu-ils","à-eux"]·heb["ל-הם","להם"]·HI["उन-से","उनकी","उनके","उनके-लिए","उनको","उनको।","उनसे","उन्हें","बातें","लाहेम"]·ID["bagi-mereka","kepada-mereka","mereka","milik-mereka","untuk-mereka"]·IT["a-essi","a-loro"]·jav["dhateng","dhateng-piyambakipun","dhateng-piyambakipun-sadaya","dhateng-tiyang-punika","dhumateng-piyambakipun","dhumateng-tiyang-punika","kanggé-piyambakipun","kanggé-tiyang-punika","piyambakipun","tumrap-piyambakipun"]·KO["그들-에게","그들에게","에게-그들"]·PT["a-eles","para-eles"]·RU["им","их","у-них"]·ES["a-ellos","con-ellos","para-ellos"]·SW["kwao","wao"]·TR["-e-onlara","onlara","onları","onların"]·urd["ان-کے-ساتھ","انہیں","انہیں-کو","اُن-سے","اُن-کو","اُن-کی","اُن-کے","اُن-کے-لیے","اُنہیں","کو-اُن","کے-لیے-اُن"]
Lev 4:20, Num 18:24, Num 26:62, Deut 3:20, Deut 7:5, Deut 30:20, Josh 21:11, Josh 23:16, 2 Sam 21:2, 2 Kgs 7:10, 1 Chr 6:54, 1 Chr 6:55 (+38 more)
3. from/of them (separative) — With min expressing source, separation, or partitive meaning: 'from them,' 'of them,' 'some of them.' French 'd'eux' and Spanish 'de ellos' capture both the ablative and partitive senses. Lev 11:22 ('of them you may eat') shows the partitive, while Gen 11:6 ('nothing will be withheld from them') shows separative force. The 99 occurrences span legal, narrative, and prophetic registers. 99×
AR["عَنْهُمْ","مِنْهَا","مِنْهُ","مِنْهُمْ"]·ben["তা-থেকে","তাদের-কাছ-থেকে","তাদের-থেকে","তাদের-থেকে,","তাদের-থেকে;","তাদের-মধ্য-থেকে"]·DE["durch-ihnen","für-sie","von-ihnen"]·EN["by-them","from-them","of-them"]·FR["d'eux","de-eux","par-eux"]·heb["מ-הם","מ-להם","מהם"]·HI["उन-से","उनमें-से","उनसे","तुम खाओगे","से-उन","से-उनमें"]·ID["dan-ia-akan-menikmati","dan-mereka","dari-mereka","darinya","kepada-mereka"]·IT["da-loro","di-loro"]·jav["saking","saking-piyambak-ipun-sadaya","saking-piyambakipun","saking-piyambakipun-sadaya","saking-piyambakipun-sedaya","saking-punika"]·KO["그것들에서","그들-에게서","그들-에서","그들-을","그들-중에","그들로부터","그들에게서","그들에서","에서-그것들","에서-그들"]·PT["deles","por-eles"]·RU["из-них","ими","их","от-них"]·ES["de-ellos"]·SW["kutoka-hizo","kutoka-kwao","kwao","miongoni-mwao","wao"]·TR["-onlardan","ondan","onlardan","onlardan-"]·urd["ان-میں-سے","اُن-سے","اُن-میں-سے","سے-اُن"]
4. those (demonstrative) — With the definite article functioning as a demonstrative: 'those.' Especially common in the temporal formula bayyamim hahem ('in those days'), which appears scores of times across Kings, Jeremiah, and Zechariah. Spanish 'aquellos,' French 'ces,' and German 'jene' all shift to their demonstrative forms. Gen 6:4 and Exod 2:11 show this pointing function anchoring narrative time references. 58×
AR["أُولٰئِكَ","تِلْكَ","هَؤُلَاءِ"]·ben["-সেই","সেই","সেইগুলি","সেইসব"]·DE["der-jene","jenen"]·EN["the-those"]·FR["le-ces"]·heb["ה-הם","ה-להם"]·HI["उन","उन्हीं","वे।"]·ID["itu"]·IT["il-quelli"]·jav["punika"]·KO["그","그-","그-그것들에","그것들","그들"]·PT["aquelas","aqueles","as-aquelas","os-aqueles","os-esses"]·RU["-те","-тех","те","тех"]·ES["aquellas","aquellos","esos","las-esas","los-aquellos","los-esos"]·SW["hao","hawa","hayo","hizo","wale","yale","zile"]·TR["o","onlar"]·urd["ان","اُن","وہ"]
6. like/as them (comparative) — With kaph expressing comparison: 'like them,' 'as them.' Only 6 occurrences, but contextually vivid. The doubled reference in 2 Sam 24:3 / 1 Chr 21:3 ('a hundred times as many as them') and Eccl 9:12 ('like them' caught in a net) use comparison to intensify. Spanish 'como ellos,' French 'comme eux,' and German 'wie sie' all deploy their standard comparative particles, showing cross-linguistic regularity. 6×
AR["كَهؤُلاءِ","كَّهِم","مِثلَها","مِثْلَهُمْ","مِثْلُهَا","وَكَهؤُلاءِ"]·ben["এবং-তাদের-মত","তাদের-মত","তাদের-মতন","তাদের-মতো"]·DE["und-wie-ihnen","wie-ihnen","wie-sie"]·EN["and-as-them","as-them","like-them"]·FR["comme-eux","comme-eux-eux","comme-ils","et-comme-eux","wie-ils"]·heb["ו-כ-הם","כ-הם","כ-המה"]·HI["उनके-जैसे","उनके-समान","और-जितने-हैं","जितने-हैं"]·ID["dan-seperti-mereka","seperti-mereka","sepertinya"]·IT["come-essi","come-loro","e-come-loro"]·jav["kados-makaten","kados-piyambakipun","kados-punika","lan-kados-piyambakipun"]·KO["같은-그들","같이-그들","그것들-같은","그것들과-같은","그들처럼","그리고-그들처럼"]·PT["como-elas","como-eles","e-como-eles"]·RU["и-как-их","как-их","как-они","подобных-им","так-они"]·ES["como-ellas","como-ellos","y-como-ellos"]·SW["hivyo","kama-hao","kama-hayo","kama-hizo","kama-wao","na-kama-hao"]·TR["bunlar-kadar","gibi-onlar","onlar-gibi","ve-bunlar-kadar"]·urd["اور-اُن-جیسے","اُن-جیسے","اُن-کے-برابر","ایسی","ایسے-ہی","جیسے-وہ-ہیں"]
7. in/with them (locative-instrumental) — With beth expressing location, instrument, or means: 'in them,' 'with them,' 'by them.' The rarest prepositional combination at just 3 occurrences. Exod 30:4 (rings 'in them' for carrying poles) is locative, while Exod 36:1 (skilled 'by them') is instrumental. German distinguishes 'in ihnen' from 'mit ihnen,' Spanish uses 'en ellos' vs. 'con ellas,' reflecting how each language parses the beth's semantic load differently. 3×
AR["بِهِما","فيهِما"]·ben["এদের-দ্বারা","তাদের-মধ্যে","দিয়ে-তাদের"]·DE["Vieh","in-ihnen","mit-ihnen"]·EN["by-them","in-them","with-them"]·FR["avec-eux","en-eux","ils"]·heb["ב-הם","ב-המה"]·HI["उनके-द्वारा","उनमें","उनसे"]·ID["dengannya","di-dalamnya"]·IT["con-loro","in-essi","in-loro"]·jav["ing-piyambakipun-sedaya,","kaliyan-pikulan-punika","sarana-punika"]·KO["그것들-로","그것들로","그들에게"]·PT["neles","por-elas","por-eles"]·RU["в-них","ими","через-них"]·ES["con-ellas","en-ellos","por-ellas"]·SW["kwa-hiyo","kwa-hizo","ndani-yao"]·TR["onlarda","onlarla"]·urd["اُن-سے","اُن-میں","اِن-سے"]
8. it/she (3fs variant) — An archaic or scribal variant where the masculine plural form stands for feminine singular 'she' or 'it.' Job 31:11 and Ps 73:16 preserve this anomaly, possibly reflecting dialectal or early orthographic convention. Spanish renders '(ella)' and German 'sie' (ambiguous for gender), while the ketiv-qere apparatus flags the discrepancy. This marginal use illuminates the fluid boundaries of Hebrew pronominal gender in poetic texts. 2×
AR["(هِيَ)","[هِيَ]"]·ben["[ছিল]","সে"]·DE["sie"]·EN["(she)","[ketiv:it-was]"]·FR["eux-elle","ils"]·heb["[היא]","היא"]·HI["था","वह"]·ID["(itu)","itu"]·IT["essi"]·jav["(punika)","punika"]·KO["(그것은)","이것-이다"]·PT["ela","é"]·RU["(это)","это"]·ES["(ella)","[es]"]·SW["[ilikuwa]","hiyo"]·TR["[idi]","o"]·urd["[یہ]","وہ"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
הֵ֫מָּה and הֵם (without appreciable distinction in usage, except prob. in so far as the longer or shorter form was better adapted to the rhythm of particular sentences: on the whole הֵמָּה (alone) is somewhat more freq. than הֵם, הָהֵם on the contrary is said regularly, הָהֵמָּה occurring only 12 times, viz. Nu 9:7 (P), Je 14:15 Zc 14:15, and in the phr. בַּ(הַ)יָּמִים הָהֵמָּה 2 K 18:4 Je 3:16,…