H5997 H5997
Fellow, neighbor, associate; one to whom ethical and relational obligations are owed
Always appearing with a possessive suffix, this noun designates a person bound to another by communal or covenantal relationship. In Leviticus it serves as the key legal term for the 'neighbor' toward whom the Israelite owes honesty, fairness, and fidelity (Lev 19:11, 15, 17). German Nachbar, Spanish prójimo, and French prochain all converge on this sense of a fellow community member. The word's single occurrence outside Leviticus—in Zechariah 13:7, where God calls the smitten shepherd 'my companion'—reveals a striking personal intimacy absent from the legal contexts, suggesting a depth of association beyond civic duty.
2. Companion / associate (personal relationship) — A personal-relational sense meaning 'companion' or 'close associate,' appearing in Zechariah 13:7 where God refers to the shepherd as 'the man who is my companion' (גבר עמיתי). Spanish compañero and French compagnon both convey an intimacy and fellowship that transcends the juridical obligations of Leviticus. The first-person possessive suffix intensifies the relationship: this is not merely a fellow citizen but one who stands alongside God himself, making this messianic passage especially striking. 1×
AR["رَفِيقِي"]·ben["আমার-সঙ্গীর"]·DE["[עמיתי]"]·EN["my-companion"]·FR["compagnon"]·heb["עמיתי"]·HI["साथी-मेरे"]·ID["teman-dekat-Ku"]·IT["[עמיתי]"]·jav["kanca-Kawula"]·KO["나의-동료"]·PT["companheiro-meu"]·RU["ближнего-Моего"]·ES["mi-compañero"]·SW["mwenzangu"]·TR["arkadaşımın"]·urd["میرے-ساتھی"]
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
1. Neighbor / fellow (legal-ethical associate) — The legal-ethical sense of 'neighbor' or 'fellow citizen,' used exclusively in Levitical legislation to define the person toward whom one bears moral obligations: do not steal from your neighbor (Lev 19:11), do not oppress your neighbor (Lev 25:17), judge your neighbor justly (Lev 19:15). German Nachbar-dein and Spanish a-su-prójimo both highlight the possessive, relational quality—this is always someone's neighbor, never abstract. The term anchors Israel's social ethics in concrete interpersonal responsibility. 11×
AR["بِ-قَرِيبِهِ","عَلَى-قَرِيبِهِ","قَرِيبَكَ","قَرِيبَهُ","قَرِيبِكَ","لِ-قَرِيبِكَ"]·ben["তার-প্রতিবেশীকে","তার-প্রতিবেশীকে,","তার-প্রতিবেশীর-কাছে","তার-প্রতিবেশীর-সাথে","তোমার-প্রতিবেশী","তোমার-প্রতিবেশীকে","তোমার-প্রতিবেশীকে,","তোমার-প্রতিবেশীর","তোমার-প্রতিবেশীর,","তোমার-প্রতিবেশীর;"]·DE["Nachbar-dein","dein-Nachbar","gegen-Nachbar-sein","in-sein-Nachbar","sein-Nachbar","zu-dein-Nachbar"]·EN["against-neighbor-his","his-neighbor","in-his-neighbor","neighbor-your","to-your-neighbor","your-neighbor"]·FR["contre-prochain-son","dans-son-prochain","prochain-ton","son-prochain","ton-prochain","à-ton-prochain"]·heb["ב-עמית","ב-עמיתו","ל-עמית","עמית","עמיתו"]·HI["अपने-पड़ोसी","अपने-पड़ोसी-का","अपने-पड़ोसी-की","अपने-पड़ोसी-के","अपने-पड़ोसी-को","अपने-पड़ोसी-में","अपने-पड़ोसी-से","पड़ोसी-अपने","पड़ोसी-अपने-से"]·ID["kepada-sesamamu","kepada-sesamanya","pada-sesamanya","sesamamu","sesamanya"]·IT["a-tuo-prossimo","contro-prossimo-suo","in-suo-prossimo","prossimo-tuo","suo-prossimo","tuo-prossimo"]·jav["dhateng-sesaminipun","dhateng-tangganipun","dhateng-tanggi-ira","sesaminipun","tangganipun","tanggi-ira","tanggi-ira;","wonten-tanggane;"]·KO["그-이웃-에게","그-이웃을","그의-이웃에게","그의-이웃을","너의-이웃","네-이웃에게","네-이웃의","에-그의-이웃"]·PT["a-seu-próximo","a-teu-próximo","em-seu-próximo","seu-próximo","teu-próximo"]·RU["ближнего-его","ближнего-своего","ближнего-твоего","ближнему-своему","ближнему-твоему","перед-ближним-его"]·ES["a-prójimo-suyo","a-su-prójimo","a-tu-prójimo","prójimo-suyo","su-prójimo","tu-prójimo"]·SW["jirani-yake","jirani-yako","kwa-jirani-yake","kwa-jirani-yako"]·TR["-de-komşusunda","-e-komşun","komşundan","komşunu","komşunun","komşusuna","komşusunu"]·urd["اپنے-پڑوسی","اپنے-پڑوسی-سے","اپنے-پڑوسی-کا","اپنے-پڑوسی-کو","اپنے-پڑوسی-کی","پڑوسی-اپنے","پڑوسی-سے-اپنے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [עָמִית] n.m. Lv 19:17; 25:15 associate, fellow, relation (perhaps orig. f. abstr. association, cf. פֶּחָה);—always sf.: גֶּבֶר עֲמִיתִי Zc 13:7 a man (who is) my fellow; elsewhere only Lv: עֲמִיתוֹ 5:21(×2); recipr. אִישׁ בַּעֲמִיתוֹ 19:11; 24:19, cf. 25:17; עֲמִיתְךָ 18:20, עֲמִיתֶ֑ךָ 19:15, 17; 25:14(×2), 15.