H3123 H3123
Dove or pigeon; the literal bird used in sacrifice and simile, or a tender term of endearment for a beloved.
A common noun for the dove or pigeon, one of the gentlest birds in the ancient Near East. In narrative it appears as Noah's messenger returning with the olive branch (Gen 8:8-12) and throughout Leviticus as a sacrificial offering paired with turtledoves. The prophets use it in vivid similes — Ephraim is a 'silly dove' easily snared (Hos 7:11), and exiles return like doves to their windows (Isa 60:8). In Song of Solomon it becomes a whispered endearment: 'my dove, my perfect one' (Song 5:2; 6:9), where Spanish renders the intimate 'paloma mía' and French 'ma colombe.'
Senses
1. dove, pigeon (literal bird) — The literal bird (Columba livia or related species), appearing as Noah's scout returning with the olive branch (Gen 8:8-12), as a sacrificial offering paired with turtledoves throughout Leviticus (Lev 1:14; 12:6), and in prophetic similes describing moaning, flight, or naïveté — Hosea's 'silly dove' (7:11). Translations uniformly use 'paloma,' 'colombe,' 'Taube,' confirming a single zoological referent across 29 occurrences. 29×
AR["-الحَمَامِ", "الْ-حَمَامَةَ", "الْ-حَمَامَةُ", "الْيَمَامِ", "حَمامَةٍ", "حَمَامٍ", "حَمَامَةٍ", "كَحَمامَةٍ", "كَحَمَامَةٍ", "وَ-كَ-الْحَمَامِ", "يَمَامٍ", "يَمَامَةٍ"]·ben["-এবং-পায়রার-মতো", "কপোতের-মতো-", "কবুতরের", "ঘুঘুর", "ঘুঘুর-মত", "পায়রার", "পায়রার-মতো", "সেই-পায়রা", "সেই-পায়রার"]·DE["[וכיונים]", "[כיונה]", "der-dove", "die-Taube", "dove", "ein-Taube", "ein-dove", "wie-Jona"]·EN["a-dove", "and-like-doves", "dove", "like-a-dove", "like-dove", "the-dove"]·FR["[וכיונים]", "[כיונה]", "colombe", "comme-Jonas", "le-colombe", "une-colombe"]·heb["ה-יונה", "ו-כ-יונים", "יונה", "כ-ה-יונה", "כ-יונה"]·HI["और-कबूतरोंकी-तरह", "और-चूजा", "कबूतर", "कबूतर-के", "कबूतर-जैसे", "कबूतरी-की-तरह", "कबोओतर", "कबोओतर-को", "कबोओतर-ने", "जैसे-कबूतर", "पहुँचती"]·ID["dan-seperti-merpati-merpati", "merpati", "merpati-itu", "seperti-merpati"]·IT["[וכיונים]", "[כיונה]", "colomba", "il-colomba", "un-colomba"]·jav["dara", "ing-manuk-dara", "kados-dara", "kados-manuk-dara", "lan-kados-perkutut", "manuk-merpati", "merpati", "nggresah-kawula"]·KO["같으니라-비둘기에", "그-비둘기", "그-비둘기-가", "그-비둡기", "그-비둡기-가", "그-집비둘기-의", "그리고-비둘기들같이-", "비둘기", "비둘기-의", "비둘기를", "비둘기에", "비둘기의", "비둘기처럼-", "처럼-비둘기"]·PT["a-pomba", "como-a-pomba", "como-pomba", "e-como-as-pombas", "pomba"]·RU["голубиных", "голубица", "голубицу", "голубки", "голубя", "и-как-голуби", "как-голубь"]·ES["como-paloma", "la-paloma", "paloma", "y-como-palomas"]·SW["Iunh", "kama-njiwa", "na-kama-njiwa", "njiwa", "njiwa-wa", "wa-njiwa", "ya-njiwa"]·TR["-gibi-güvercin", "-güvercin", "-güvercini", "guvercin-gibi", "güvercin", "güvercin-gibi", "güvercinin", "ve-guvercinler-gibi"]·urd["اور-کبوتروں-کی-طرح", "جیسے-فاختہ", "فاختہ-کی-طرح", "کبوتر", "کبوتر-اس", "کبوتر-اُس", "کبوتر-اُس-نے", "کبوتر-کا", "کبوتر-کی-طرح", "کبوتر-کے"]
2. dove (term of endearment) — A figurative term of endearment addressed to a beloved, restricted to Song of Solomon with the possessive suffix 'my dove' (Song 2:14; 5:2; 6:9). The intimate register is confirmed across languages: Spanish 'paloma mía,' French 'ma colombe,' German 'meine Taube' — all marking the shift from zoological noun to affectionate address within love poetry. 3×
AR["يُونَتِي"]·ben["আমার-কপোত", "হে-আমার-কপোত"]·DE["meine-Taube"]·EN["my-dove"]·FR["Ma-colombe,", "ma-colombe,"]·heb["יונתי"]·HI["मेरी-कबूतरी"]·ID["Merpati-ku", "merpatiku"]·IT["colomba-mio"]·jav["Manuk-dara-kula", "manuk-dara-kula"]·KO["내-비둘기", "내-비둘기여"]·PT["Minha-pomba", "minha-pomba"]·RU["Голубка-моя", "голубка-моя"]·ES["Paloma-mía", "mi-paloma", "paloma-mía"]·SW["njiwa-wangu"]·TR["guvercinim"]·urd["میری-کبوتری"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)G2309 1. want, desire (166×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. יוֹנָה 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…