H5895 H5895
A young male donkey, colt, or foal; also a homograph meaning town or city (in Judges 10:4).
Primarily a noun for a young, vigorous male donkey. It appears in patriarchal narratives (Gen 32:15, ten donkey colts among Jacob's gift), messianic prophecy (Zech 9:9, 'riding on a donkey, on a colt'), and poetic imagery (Gen 49:11, binding his foal to the vine). The plural form describes donkeys used for riding by judges' sons (Judg 10:4; 12:14) and for carrying burdens (Isa 30:24). One occurrence in Judges 10:4 is a well-known homograph: the 'thirty towns' of Jair, a wordplay on the thirty colts his sons rode.
Senses
1. young donkey, colt, foal — A young male donkey, colt, or foal -- vigorous and useful for riding or carrying loads. Genesis 32:15 lists ten colts among Jacob's lavish gift to Esau. The messianic prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 famously pairs 'donkey' with 'colt, foal of a she-donkey,' fulfilled in Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. In Genesis 49:11, the royal figure 'binds his foal to the vine,' an image of superabundant blessing. Judges 10:4 and 12:14 use the plural for donkeys ridden by judges' sons, signaling status. Spanish 'pollino/asnos' and English 'colt' consistently render the animal sense. 9×
AR["[ketiv]", "الْحَمِيرِ", "جَحشًا", "جَحْشٍ", "جَحْشَهُ", "وَ-الْحَمِيرُ", "وَ-جِحاشًا", "وَجَحْشُ"]·ben["এবং-গাধা-ছানা", "এবং-গাধার-বাচ্চা", "ও-গাধারা", "গাধা", "গাধা-শাবক", "গাধাদের-এর", "তার-গাধার-বাচ্চাকে", "বাছুর"]·DE["Esel", "Stadt", "[והעירים]", "[עירים]", "sein-Füllen", "und-Eselsfohlen", "und-Stadt"]·EN["-", "a-colt", "and-colt-of", "and-foals", "and-the-donkeys", "donkeys", "foal-his", "of-donkeys"]·FR["-", "[והעירים]", "[עירים]", "et-foals", "et-ועיר", "foal-son", "ville", "ânes"]·heb["(עירו)-ו", "[עירה]-ו", "ו-ה-עיירים", "ו-עיר", "ו-עירם", "עיירים", "עיר"]·HI["और-गदहे-के-बच्चे", "और-गधे", "और-बच्चा", "गधे-को-अपने", "गधों", "गधों-के", "बछेड़े"]·ID["(keledai-mudanya)", "anak-keledai", "dan-anak", "dan-keledai-jantan", "dan-keledai-keledai-muda", "keledai", "keledai-keledai-muda", "keledai-muda", "keledai-mudanya"]·IT["-", "[והעירים]", "[עירים]", "asini", "città", "e-e-colt-of", "e-foals", "foal-suo"]·jav["[K]", "belo", "kuldi", "kuldi-nipun", "lan-anak", "lan-kuldi", "lan-kuldi-nem"]·KO["그리고-그-나귀들이", "그리고-나귀-의-새끼-가", "그리고-망아지", "그의-나귀", "그의-나귀를", "나귀", "나귀들", "나귀들의", "어린-나귀"]·PT["(seu-jumentinho)", "[seu-jumentinho]", "e-cria-de", "e-jumentinhos-delas", "e-os-jumentos", "jumentinho", "jumentos"]·RU["[ослёнка-его]", "и-детёныш", "и-ослы", "и-ослят-их", "молодом-осле", "ослах", "ослов", "ослёнка-своего"]·ES["asnos", "cuando-un-pollino-de", "pollino", "pollinos", "su-asno", "su-pollino", "y-los-asnos", "y-pollinos"]·SW["akamruka-kwa-mizabibu-yake", "mwana-punda", "mwana-yake", "na-mwana-wa", "na-punda", "na-wana-punda", "punda", "ya-punda"]·TR["eseklerin", "eşeğini", "sipa", "sıpa", "sıpaya-", "ve-esekler", "ve-sıpaları", "ve-yavrusu"]·urd["اور-بچھڑا", "اور-گدھے", "اور-گدھے-کے-بچے", "بچھ", "گدھوں", "گدھوں-کے", "گدھے-اپنے", "گدھے-اپنے-کو"]
2. town, city (homograph) — A homograph meaning 'town' or 'city,' a distinct lexeme sharing only the consonantal form with the donkey word. In Judges 10:4, Jair's thirty sons rode thirty colts and had thirty towns (ayarim) -- a deliberate wordplay exploiting the homophony. English 'towns,' Spanish 'ciudades,' and German 'Staedte' all render this as a settlement, confirming its separation from the animal sense. 1×
AR["مَدينَةً"]·ben["শহর"]·DE["Staedte"]·EN["towns"]·FR["towns"]·heb["עיירים"]·HI["नगर"]·ID["kota"]·IT["towns"]·jav["kitha"]·KO["성읍들이"]·PT["cidades"]·RU["городов"]·ES["ciudades"]·SW["miji"]·TR["şehir"]·urd["شہر"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† עַ֫יִר n.m. Gn 32:16 male ass (young and vigorous);—pl. וַעְיָרִם Gn 32:16 (E); sf. עִירֹה 49:11 (poem; ‖ בְּנִי אֲתֹנוֹ); cstr. עַיִר פֶּרֶא (Ges§ 131 c N. 2; or appos. KöSynt.§ 333 s Di al.) Jb 11:12 wild ass’s colt; pl. עֲיָרִים, for riding Ju 10:4a (v 4 b see ii. עִיר), עֲיָרִם 12:14, sg. abs. עַיִר Zc 9:9; עֲיָרִים for carrying Is 30:6 Qr (Kt עורים), עֲיָרִם for tillage v 24.