BIBLE HEBREW WORD STUDY
הֵם (hêm) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
הֵם (hêm) is an emphatic third-person plural pronoun used for “they,” “them,” “these,” or “those,” depending on grammatical context.
Meaning of the word
The lexicon defines הֵם (hêm) as “they,” noting that it is used only when emphatic. Its extended range includes “these,” “the same,” and “who,” so context determines whether it points to a group already under discussion or reinforces the pronoun.
In Genesis 3:7, הֵם refers to the man and woman as “they”; in Genesis 14:13, the same form means “these” when identifying Abram’s confederates. The word can therefore function as a plural subject, object, or demonstrative reference.
Usage in Scripture
Across the examples, הֵם most often identifies a plural group: Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:7, the sons of God and daughters of men in Genesis 6:4, or the animals entering the ark in Genesis 7:14. It can also refer to people indirectly, as in Joseph seeking his brothers in Genesis 37:16.
The form sometimes adds emphasis or deictic force, rendering “these,” “those,” or “them.” In Genesis 14:24 it functions as the object of “let them take,” while Genesis 25:16 uses it to introduce the descendants of Ishmael. These uses show that the surrounding sentence determines the exact English rendering.
The word in detail
- H1992 הֵם (hêm) is listed as an emphatic form of the plural pronoun “they.” Its contextual meanings include “they,” “them,” “these,” “those,” “the same,” and “who.”
Example verses
- Genesis 3:7 הֵם identifies the man and woman as “they”: their eyes were opened and they knew they were naked.
- Genesis 6:4 Here הֵם is rendered “those,” referring to the children born to the sons of God and daughters of men.
- Genesis 14:13 The pronoun is rendered “these,” pointing to Abram’s Amorite confederates.
- Genesis 14:24 Here הֵם is an object meaning “them,” following the request that Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their portion.
Common questions
What does הֵם (hêm) mean?
It primarily means “they” and is marked as an emphatic form. Context can also yield “them,” “these,” “those,” “the same,” or “who.”
Is הֵם only used for “they”?
No. It can function as a subject, object, or demonstrative reference, as shown by “they,” “them,” and “these” in the Genesis examples.
Why can one Hebrew form have several English meanings?
Pronouns take their precise role and reference from the sentence. The examples show that verb agreement, surrounding nouns, and the speaker’s point of view determine the translation.