BIBLE HEBREW WORD STUDY
Min (מִן) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
מִן (min) is a Hebrew preposition meaning 'from' or 'out of', used widely in the Old Testament to indicate source, separation, or origin.
Meaning of the word
The preposition מִן (min) literally means 'from' or 'out of'. Its core idea is that something comes out of or away from a source — whether a place, a group, or a material origin. The lexicon defines it as 'a part of', pointing to the idea that one thing is taken or separated from another.
In its basic usage, מִן marks where an action or object begins. For example, in Genesis 1:7 God 'divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above', using מִן to show separation between two groups. In Genesis 2:7, 'Jehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground', מִן points to the material out of which humanity was made.
The word is also flexible: the glosses in the example verses show 'from', 'out of', and even 'in', depending on context. This range means מִן should be translated by its relationship in each sentence rather than by a single rigid English word.
Usage in Scripture
מִן appears early in Genesis and shapes some of the foundational narratives. In Genesis 2:2–3, God 'rested on the seventh day from all his work', introducing the concept of cessation that undergirds the Sabbath. The same idea — stopping an activity — is conveyed through מִן marking the work that is being set aside.
The word is also tied to origins: water from the earth (Genesis 2:6), man from the dust (Genesis 2:7), trees from the ground (Genesis 2:9), and a river going out of Eden (Genesis 2:10). Each uses מִן to connect a created thing to its source, showing the writer's interest in where things come from rather than just where they are.
Across the 71 distinct verses with 108 total occurrences, מִן functions less as a standalone concept and more as a grammatical tool that ties clauses together. Readers should pay attention to what מִן is modifying, because it usually carries the key relationship in the sentence — source, separation, or material origin.
The word in detail
- H4480 Hebrew preposition מִן (min). The lexicon defines it as 'properly, a part of; hence from or out of in many senses.' In the example verses it is glossed variously as 'from', 'out of', and 'in', showing that the English equivalent depends on context. With 108 occurrences in 71 verses, it is one of the most frequent and versatile prepositions in the Hebrew Bible.
Example verses
- Genesis 1:7 מִן separates the waters above from the waters below the firmament, expressing the division at the heart of the second day of creation.
- Genesis 2:7 מִן marks the material origin of humanity — man formed 'from the dust of the ground' — a key statement of human creatureliness.
- Genesis 2:9 מִן ('out of the ground') indicates the source from which every pleasant tree grew, linking vegetation to its created origin.
- Genesis 2:10 מִן describes the river flowing 'out of Eden', showing that Eden itself is the source of the waters that water the garden.
Common questions
Why does מִן sometimes translate as 'in'?
Although מִן fundamentally means 'from' or 'out of', a few contexts produce an English sense closer to 'in' or 'within', such as Genesis 2:8 where the garden is located 'in' Eden. The Hebrew sense still involves being within a larger whole.
Is מִן used outside of Genesis?
Yes. With 108 total occurrences across 71 verses, מִן is a general Hebrew preposition used throughout the Old Testament, not only in Genesis.
How should I read מִן when it appears before a noun?
Look at what follows it: מִן usually signals source ('from the dust'), separation ('from the waters above'), or material origin ('out of the ground'). The noun right after it is the key to its meaning.