ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA HEBREA
Mayim (מַיִם) — Water in the Bible
Mayim (מַיִם) is the common Hebrew noun for 'water,' used literally for seas, rain, and floods, and occasionally by extension for other fluids.
Significado de la palabra
Mayim is the standard Hebrew word for water. Although it appears in the singular form in writing, it is grammatically treated as a dual noun and is almost always translated as the plural 'waters' in English Bibles.
The lexicon defines mayim literally as water, and figuratively as juice or other fluids. By euphemism it can also refer to urine or semen, though such usages are rare. The KJV usage list includes phrases such as 'water,' 'watercourse,' 'waterspring,' and 'waterflood.'
Uso en las Escrituras
Mayim dominates the opening chapters of Genesis, where it shapes the theology of creation. In Genesis 1:2 the Spirit of God hovers over the face of the waters; in 1:6–7 God separates waters above from waters below by a firmament; in 1:9–10 the waters are gathered into seas so that dry land appears; and in 1:20–22 the waters are commanded to swarm with living creatures.
Mayim also functions as an instrument of judgment. Genesis 6:17 announces the flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh. Across the Old Testament the word recurs in contexts of cleansing, thirst, rainfall, ritual washing, and crossing bodies of water, making it one of the most theologically loaded everyday terms in the Hebrew Bible.
La palabra en detalle
- H4325 Mayim (מַיִם) is a grammatically dual noun that looks singular but is usually rendered in the plural. Its basic sense is water, with rare figurative extensions to juice and, by euphemism, urine or semen.
Versículos de ejemplo
- Genesis 1:2 Mayim here describes the primordial waters covering the dark, formless earth, setting the stage for God's creative ordering.
- Genesis 1:6 God commands a firmament to divide the waters from the waters, introducing separation as a key creative act.
- Genesis 1:9 The waters under heaven are gathered into one place so that dry land can appear, a foundational image for the created order.
- Genesis 6:17 Mayim becomes the agent of the flood judgment, showing how the same element that gave life becomes a means of destruction.
Preguntas frecuentes
Why is mayim treated as plural even though it looks singular?
Mayim is a Hebrew dual noun, a grammatical category between singular and plural. Because water naturally occurs in bodies and expanses, Hebrew treats it as dual, and English Bibles almost always render it as 'waters.'
Does mayim ever mean something other than literal water?
Yes. The lexicon notes that mayim can figuratively refer to juice, and by euphemism to urine or semen, though these usages are uncommon compared with literal water.
How often does mayim appear in the Hebrew Bible?
Mayim occurs 335 times across 304 distinct verses, making it one of the most frequent nouns in the Old Testament.