יָד1604 H3027
Hand; by extension: side, power, portion, means; also tenon (joinery) and handle/armrest
The Hebrew yad (יָד) is far more than a body part. Occurring over 1,600 times, it is one of the most theologically and idiomatically loaded nouns in Scripture. It denotes the literal hand used to grasp, strike, and bless, but extends metaphorically into power ('the hand of the LORD was upon him'), agency ('by the hand of Moses'), spatial location ('at the side of'), and proportional capacity ('according to the hand of the king'). Technical uses in Exodus describe the tenons joining tabernacle boards, while Solomon's throne had armrests — both called yad.
2. side, bank, beside — A spatial extension meaning 'side, bank, beside.' Multilingual glosses shift from 'hand' to 'side' — Spanish al lado de, Hindi किनारे, Korean 곁/옆. Pharaoh's daughter stood 'at the side of' the Nile (Exod 2:5), and the Canaanites dwelt 'beside' the sea (Num 13:29). 8×
AR["بِ-جَانِبِ","بِجَانِبِ-","بِـ-جَانِبِ-","جَانِبِ","لِـ-جَانِبِ-"]·ben["কাছে-","ছিলেন","তীর","পাশে","পাশে-","পাশের"]·DE["Hand","Hand-von","bei-Seite-von","zu-Hand"]·EN["at-hand-of","at-hand-of-","at-side-of","beside","hand-of","the-bank-of"]·FR["main","main-de","zu-main","à-côté-de","à-main"]·heb["יד","ל-יד","ל-יד־"]·HI["किनड़ा","किनारे","पअस-","पास-","राह-के-किनारे","साथ-","हाथ-में"]·ID["(sungai)","Di-samping-","di-sisi","di-sisi-","sisi","tepi"]·IT["a-lato-di","a-mano","mano","mano-di","per-mano"]·jav["asta","ing-celak-","ing-sandhinging","ing-sisih-","ing-sisihipun","ing-sisihipun-","pinggir","tangan"]·KO["가에","겼에-","곁-에","그-강의","길-가-에","손-을","에-곁-"]·PT["Ao-lado-de","ao-lado-de","margem-de","margem-do","mão-de","para-mão-de","à-beira-do"]·RU["У-","берега","берегу","при-руке","при-руке-","у-","у-стороны-"]·ES["a-mano-de","al-lado-de","al-lado-de-","junto-a","junto-a-","lado-de","mano-de","orilla-de"]·SW["kando-ya","karibu-na","karibu-na-mkono","mkono","ukingo"]·TR["kenarının","kıyısında","yanında-"]·urd["پاس","پہلو-میں","کنارے","ہاتھ-میں"]
▼ 6 more senses below
Senses
1. physical hand (body part) — The literal hand as a body part, dominant at 1,596 occurrences. Arabic يَدٌّ, Aramaic יְדָא, and Ethiopic እድ preserve the shared Semitic root. Encompasses 'hand of God' (power), 'into the hand of' (custody), 'by the hand of' (agency). Functions as both concrete noun and base for dozens of Hebrew idioms (Gen 27:17, Gen 39:6). 1596×
AR["بِ-يَد","بِ-يَدِ","بِ-يَدِ-","بِـ-يَدِ","بِيَدِ","بِيَدِ-","في يَدِ-","في-يَدِ","فِي-يَدِ"]·ben["-হাতে","হাতে","হাতে-"]·DE["hinein-Hand-von","in-Hand-von","in-der-Hand","in-der-Hand-von","in-die-Hand"]·EN["in-hand-of","in-the-hand-of","into-hand-of","into-hand-of-","into-the-hand-of"]·FR["dans-la-main","dans-le-main-de","dans-main-de"]·heb["ב-יד","ב-יד-"]·HI["ब-हाथ","में-हाथ","हअथ-मेइन-","हमें","हाथ-में","हाथ-में-","हाथमें"]·ID["di-tangan","ke-dalam-tangan","ke-tangan","ke-tangan-"]·IT["dentro-il-mano-di","dentro-la-mano-di","dentro-mano-di","in-il-mano-di","in-mano-di","nella-mano"]·jav["dhateng-astanipun","ing-asta","ing-asta-","ing-astaning","ing-astanipun","ing-tangan","wonten-asta","wonten-asta-","wonten-ing-asta","wonten-ing-asta-"]·KO["손-에","손에","손에-","에-손","에-손-","에-손-에","에-손에","에-손에-"]·PT["em-mão-de","em-mão-de-","na-mão-de","na-mão-de-"]·RU["в-руке","в-руку","в-руку-"]·ES["en-la-mano-de","en-mano-de","en-mano-de-","en-mano-del"]·SW["Yosefa","katika-mkono","katika-mkono-wa","mikononi-mwa","mikononi-mwa-","mkono","mkononi-mwa","mkononi-mwa-"]·TR["-eline","-eline-","de-eline","de-eline-","elinde","eline","eline-"]·urd["-ہاتھ-میں","ہاتھ-میں","ہاتھ-میں-"]
Gen 27:17, Gen 30:35, Gen 32:16, Gen 39:6, Gen 39:22, Exod 34:29, Lev 25:28, Lev 26:25, Deut 1:27, Deut 19:12, Josh 7:7, Josh 10:30 (+38 more)
3. according to the means of — An idiomatic prepositional construction (כְּיַד) meaning 'according to the means/bounty/ability of.' Used almost exclusively in Ezra-Nehemiah for divine provision — 'according to the good hand of his God upon him' (Ezra 7:6, 7:9, 7:28, 8:18; Neh 2:8). The phrase metaphorically extends the hand's capacity to grasp into the idea of what one can provide or what God has made available. 7×
AR["كَ-يَد-","كَ-يَدِ","كَـ-يَدِ-"]·ben["-অনুসারে-হাত","-হাত-অনুসারে-","হাত-অনুসারে"]·DE["wie-Hand"]·EN["according-to-hand-of","according-to-hand-of-","according-to-the-hand-of"]·FR["wie-main"]·heb["כ-יד"]·HI["उदारता-के-अनुसार","हाथ-के-अनुसार","हाथ-के-द्वारा"]·ID["menurut-tangan","sesuai-dengan-tangan-","sesuai-tangan"]·IT["come-mano"]·jav["miturut-asta","miturut-asta-"]·KO["로-손-","손에-따라","에-손-","처럼-손"]·PT["conforme-a-mão-de-","conforme-mão-de"]·RU["как-рука","по-руке-"]·ES["conforme-a-la-mano-de","según-mano-de","según-mano-de-"]·SW["kama-mkono","kulingana-na-mkono","kwa-mkono-wa"]·TR["eline-gore-","eline-göre-","eliyle-"]·urd["کے-مطابق-ہاتھ","کے-ہاتھ-","کے-ہاتھ-کے-مطابق","ہاتھ-کے-موافق"]
4. tenon, peg (joinery) — A technical architectural term for the tenon or projecting peg used to join tabernacle boards. Confined to the tabernacle construction narratives (Exod 26:17-19, 36:22-24). Spanish espigas ('tenons'), Korean 촉들, and Hindi चूलें all confirm the specialized joinery meaning. The hand-shaped projection that slots into a mortise gives this sense its etymological logic. 6×
AR["اليَدَينِ","يَدانِ","يَدَيهِ"]·ben["খাঁজ","চূড়া","চূড়াগুলির-তার","তার-খাঁজগুলি"]·DE["sein-tenons","tenons"]·EN["its-tenons","tenons"]·FR["son-tenons","tenons"]·heb["ידות","ידותיו"]·HI["उसकी-चूलों","चूलें"]·ID["pasak-pasak","pasak-pasaknya","tanggam","tanggamnya"]·IT["suo-tenons","tenons"]·jav["cagak-cagak","cagak-cagak-ipun,","cagak-cagak-ipun.","purus","purusipun,","purusipun."]·KO["그-춰들에","그것의-촉들","촉들","춰들이"]·PT["espigas","espigas-dela","espigas-suas"]·RU["шипа","шипов-его"]·ES["espigas","sus-espigas"]·SW["ndimi","ndimi-zake","za-kuunganisha"]·TR["geçmeler","geçmelerinin","zıvana","zıvanalarının"]·urd["اُس-کی-چولیوں","چولیں"]
5. handle, armrest (of vessel/throne) — Handle of a vessel, axle-support, or armrest of a throne — extending the hand metaphor mechanically. Arabic مَقَابِض ('handles'), Spanish brazos/asas. Found in the bronze stands of Solomon's temple (1 Kgs 7:33-36) and armrests of his ivory throne (1 Kgs 10:19; 2 Chr 9:18). 6×
AR["ال-أَقْسَامِ","الذِّراعَينِ","مَقَابِضُهَا","مَقَابِضِهَا"]·ben["-ঐ ভাগগুলি","-হাতলের","তাদের-হাতল","তার-হাতল","হাতলের"]·DE["Hand","der-Arme","ihr-axles","sein-handles"]·EN["its-handles","the-armrests","the-arms","the-parts","their-axles"]·FR["le-bras","leur-axles","main","son-handles"]·heb["ה-יד","הַ-יָּדוֹת","ידות-ם","ידותי-ה"]·HI["धुरियाँ-उनकी","नौ-भाग","हत्थे-उसके","हत्थों","हत्थों-उसके","हत्थों-के"]·ID["bagian-bagian","pegangannya","poros-porosnya","sandaran-sandaran-tangan","sandaran-tangan"]·IT["il-braccia","loro-assi","mano","suo-handles"]·jav["bagean","tangan"]·KO["그-몫들은","그-팔걸이들","그-팔걸이들의","그것들의-축들과","그것의-축들은","그것의-축들의"]·PT["as-partes","eixos-seus","os-braços"]·RU["подлокотниками","подлокотников","ручек-её","ручки-её","ручки-их","частей"]·ES["asas-de-ella","ejes-de-ellas","las-partes","los-brazos"]·SW["mikono","na-paneli-zake","sehemu","shina-zake","za-vishikio-vyake"]·TR["aksları","kolların","kısım","tutamakları","tutamaklarının"]·urd["بازوؤں-کے","حصے","دستوں اُس کے","دستے اُس کے","دستے اُن کے","ہاتھوں-کے"]
6. sense 6 — Three ambiguous occurrences likely meaning 'place' or 'station.' At Num 2:17 ('every man in his place') the spatial-positional meaning emerges. At 2 Kgs 7:2 and 7:17 ('the captain on whose hand the king leaned'), French son lieu and German sein Ort support a 'station, assigned position' reading. 3×
AR["يَدِهِ"]·ben["তাঁর-হাতে","তার-জায়গায়"]·DE["sein-Hand","sein-Ort"]·EN["his-hand","his-place"]·FR["son-lieu","son-main"]·heb["יד","ידו"]·HI["अपने-स्थान","यादो"]·ID["-tangannya","tempatnya"]·IT["suo-luogo","suo-mano"]·jav["asta-nipun","panggenanipun"]·KO["그의-손에","그의-자리"]·PT["mão-dele"]·RU["место-своё","руку-его"]·ES["mano-de-él"]·SW["mkono-wake"]·TR["elinde","yerinde"]·urd["اُس-کے-ہاتھ","اپنے-ہاتھ"]
7. sense 7 — A single occurrence at Ps 63:10 (63:11 in English) where 'the hand of the sword' means 'the power of the sword.' English 'power,' Spanish manos, and German Hand all reflect the metaphorical extension of yad into the abstract sense of force or instrument. This military-destructive usage is a natural extension of the hand-as-power idiom. 1×
AR["السَّيفِ"]·ben["হাতে"]·DE["der-Hand-"]·EN["the-power-of-"]·FR["mains-de"]·heb["ידי-"]·HI["-हाथों-के"]·ID["tangan-"]·IT["mani-di"]·jav["tangan-tangan-"]·KO["손-들-에"]·PT["espada"]·RU["меча"]·ES["manos-de"]·SW["mkono"]·TR["elleri-"]·urd["ہاتھوں-"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
יָד1604 n.f. Gn 25:26 + often (m. †Ex 17:12 †v. Di; on יִרְפּוּ יָדַיִם 2 S 4:1 Zp 3:16 2 Ch 15:7 Ne 6:9, v. Ges§ 145. 7 a, R. 1) hand (NH id.; Aramaic יְדָא, ܐܻܝܕܳܐ; Zinj. יד DHMSendsch. Gloss.; Arabic يَدٌّ; Sab. יד DHMZMG 1883, 343 Mordt ib. 1879, 492; Ethiopic እድ (v. LagBN 22); Sam. ࠀࠃ; Assyrian idu, hand, strength COTGloss.; der. by most from √ ל״י, on ground of pl. and sf. forms in cogn.…