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×)H1818 1. blood (physical substance) (327×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H1320 1. body, physical being (207×)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×)G4561 1. flesh, physical body (150×)
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…