H3045 — יָדַע (yâdaʻ)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: H3045
Original: יָדַע
Transliteration: yâdaʻ
Pronunciation: yaw-dah
Part of Speech: Verb (primitive root)
Occurrences: 873 unique verses (1,099 tokens) across 35 books
First Occurrence: Gen 3:5 — "For God doth know (yada) that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened…"
Hapax Legomenon: No (one of the most frequent verbs in the Hebrew Bible)

Lexicon Definition¶

A primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses — figuratively, literally, euphemistically, and inferentially — including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc. KJV glosses include: acknowledge, acquaintance, advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can/cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to let/make) know, knowledge, (be/make) known, be learned, lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, tell, understand, wist, wit, wot.

Verb Stem Distribution¶

Tallied from 943 parsed verb forms (ETCBC/BHSA):

Stem	Count	%	Typical Force
Qal	819	86.9%	know, perceive, be acquainted with; also "know" sexually
Hiphil	71	7.5%	causative — make known, inform, teach, declare
Niphal	41	4.3%	passive/reflexive — be known, become known, make oneself known
Pual	6	0.6%	intensive passive — be (well) known, be acquainted
Hophal	3	0.3%	causative passive — be made known
Hithpael	2	0.2%	reflexive — make oneself known
Piel	1	0.1%	rare — cause to know

The verb is overwhelmingly Qal. The Hiphil ("make known") drives most revelatory speech ("I will make known my ways"). The Niphal is the standard form of the refrain "and they shall be known" / "I made myself known."

Translation Distribution (KJV, top renderings)¶

Total unique verses: 873. The distribution is heavily fragmented across hundreds of English phrases reflecting tense, person, and idiom.

Translation (cluster)	Verses	%
know / Know / ye shall know / they shall know / etc. ("know" family)	~600	~69%
knew / knewest / had known	~70	~8%
known / is known / be known / make known	~60	~7%
knowest / thou knowest	~55	~6%
knoweth	~55	~6%
perceive / perceived	~10	~1%
knowledge / have knowledge	~15	~2%
acknowledge / acknowledged	~5	~1%
cunning / skilful / skill	~8	~1%
teach / instruct / learned	~8	~1%
discern / consider / mark / regard	~10	~1%
feel / felt / aware / privy	~6	~1%
wist / wot / to wit (archaic "know")	~10	~1%
sexual euphemism ("knew her," "that hath lain," "familiar friend")	~15	~2%
prognosticator, familiar friend, kinsfolk, acquaintance (nominalized ptcpl.)	~10	~1%

Distribution by Book¶

Sorted by density (occurrences per 100 verses). Total count shown in parentheses.

Book	Count	Per 100v
Ecclesiastes	30	13.5
Jonah	6	12.5
Ezekiel	97	7.6
Hosea	14	7.1
Job	69	6.4
1 Samuel	51	6.3
Isaiah	65	5.0
Deuteronomy	43	4.5
Jeremiah	62	4.5
Zechariah	9	4.3
Nahum	2	4.3
Esther	7	4.2
Joel	3	4.1
2 Samuel	28	4.0
Psalms	91	3.7
1 Kings	29	3.6
Proverbs	33	3.6
Habakkuk	2	3.6
Exodus	43	3.5
Genesis	52	3.4
Judges	21	3.4
Micah	3	2.9
Amos	4	2.7
Joshua	15	2.3
Nehemiah	9	2.2
2 Kings	16	2.2
2 Chronicles	17	2.1
Daniel	7	2.0
Zephaniah	1	1.9
Malachi	1	1.8
Numbers	17	1.3
Leviticus	9	1.0
1 Chronicles	8	0.8

Patterns: Highest density in wisdom/reflective literature (Ecclesiastes, Job) and in prophets driven by the "recognition formula" — Ezekiel (97x) is by far the raw-count leader, reflecting his repeated refrain "and they shall know that I am the LORD" (~65x). Ritual books (Leviticus, Numbers, Chronicles) are sparsest; yada is a covenant-relational word, not a cultic one.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Cognitive Knowing — factual awareness, information¶

Gen 3:5 — "God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof…"
Gen 4:9 — "I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?"
Job 19:25 — "For I know that my redeemer liveth"
Ecc 9:5 — "the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing"

2. Experiential / Relational Knowing — knowing persons, not just facts¶

Gen 18:19 — "For I know him, that he will command his children…" (God "knows" Abraham = chosen covenant partner)
Exo 33:17 — "I know thee by name"
Amos 3:2 — "You only have I known of all the families of the earth" (election sense)
Jer 1:5 — "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee"

3. Covenantal Recognition Formula — "they shall know that I am the LORD"¶

Ezekiel's signature phrase; also prominent in Exodus plague narratives and later prophets. - Exo 7:5 — "And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD" - Eze 6:7 — "and ye shall know that I am the LORD" (one of ~65 in Ezekiel) - Joe 3:17 — "So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion" - Zec 2:11 — "thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me"

4. Sexual Knowing (Euphemism) — consummation of union¶

Gen 4:1 — "And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived"
Gen 4:17, 25 — "Cain knew his wife"; "Adam knew his wife again"
Gen 19:5, 8 — Sodom: "bring them out unto us, that we may know them"; Lot: "[daughters] which have not known man"
Gen 24:16; 38:26 — "neither had any man known her"; "[Judah] knew her again no more"
Num 31:17-18, 35 — "every woman that hath known man by lying with him"; "that had not known a man"
Jdg 11:39; 19:25; 21:11-12 — Jephthah's daughter "knew no man"; Gibeah outrage; wives for Benjamin
1Ki 1:4 — "the king knew her not"

Total sexual-euphemism uses ~15 verses. The euphemism is always Qal, typically perfect, with a personal object; context (marriage, virginity, rape, offspring) disambiguates from cognitive senses.

5. Causative Revelation — "make known, declare, teach" (Hiphil)¶

Psa 25:4 — "Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths"
Psa 103:7 — "He made known his ways unto Moses"
Pro 1:23 — "I will make known my words unto you"
Dan 2:28 — "But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known…"

6. Skill / Expertise — practical competence¶

Gen 25:27 — "Esau was a cunning (yodea) hunter" (lit. "one knowing of hunting")
1Sa 16:18 — "cunning in playing" (of David)
2Ch 2:7, 12-14 — "a man cunning to work in gold"
Isa 29:11-12 — "one that is learned"

7. Perception / Discernment — noticing, considering, marking¶

Gen 19:33, 35 — Lot "perceived not" his daughters' actions
1Sa 3:7 — "Samuel did not yet know the LORD"
Psa 139:23 — "Search me, O God, and know my heart"
Pro 27:23 — "Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks"

Common Collocations¶

Top 20 content-word co-occurrences (same-verse counts from 873 verses):

Word	Strong's	Co-occ	Typical Pattern
לֹא (loʼ) "not"	H3808	338x (39%)	"know not" / "they shall know that…" negation-focus
יְהֹוָה (YHWH)	H3068	303x (35%)	"know that I am the LORD" — signature formula
אֲשֶׁר (ʼăsher) "which/that"	H834	218x (25%)	embedded content clauses introducing what is known
אָמַר (ʼamar) "say"	H559	203x (23%)	speech frame around knowledge claims
כֹּל (kol) "all"	H3605	178x (20%)	"all Israel shall know" / "all the earth shall know"
עָשָׂה (ʻasah) "do/make"	H6213	136x (16%)	"know what the LORD hath done"
אֱלֹהִים (ʼelohim) "God"	H430	133x (15%)	theological-knowledge contexts
אֶרֶץ (ʼerets) "earth/land"	H776	114x (13%)	"all the earth shall know" universalizing refrain
אִישׁ (ʼish) "man"	H376	104x (12%)	"no man knew" / sexual-euphemism contexts
יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʼel)	H3478	104x (12%)	covenantal-recognition contexts
יוֹם (yom) "day"	H3117	92x (11%)	"in that day ye shall know" eschatological marker
עַם (ʻam) "people"	H5971	88x (10%)	"my people shall know my name"
נָתַן (nathan) "give"	H5414	85x (10%)	"I have given… that thou mayest know"
רָאָה (raʼah) "see"	H7200	66x (8%)	see-and-know pair (empirical knowledge)
יָד (yad) "hand"	H3027	60x (7%)	"know the hand of the LORD" / by (his) hand

Word Family / Cognates¶

H1843 דֵּעַ (deaʻ) — knowledge (masc. noun from root)
H1844 דֵּעָה (deʻah) — knowledge (fem. noun)
H1847 דַּעַת (daʻath) — knowledge, the standard noun (90+ uses; see TR-daath-gnosis.md)
H3046 יְדַע (yedaʻ) — Aramaic cognate, same root (Daniel, Ezra)
H4093 מַדָּע (maddaʻ) — knowledge, thought
H3045 participle forms used substantively: "one who knows" → acquaintance, familiar friend, prognosticator

Synonyms¶

H995 בִּין (biyn) — closest overlap in the knowledge/discernment field; biyn stresses analytical discernment, while yada is broader knowing.
H1540 גָּלָה (galah) — overlaps on the "make known / reveal" edge of the root.
H2094 זָהַר (zahar) — warning/instruction term that search_relationships.py groups with yada's teaching/awareness field.
H2142 זָכַר (zakar) — reflective remembering tied to retained knowledge.
A263 חֲוָה (chavah) — Aramaic "declare / show," overlapping the causative "make known" side of ידע.
H3289 יָעַץ (yaats) — counsel/advice language adjacent to informed knowledge.
H3384 יָרָה (yarah) — instruct/teach, especially where Hiphil yada means "make known."
H3925 לָמַד (lamad) — learn/teach, a close neighbor in the instruction-to-knowledge domain.
H157 אָהַב (ahav) — relational familiarity and covenant affection overlap with person-centered knowing contexts.
H7452 רֵעַ (rea) — companion/friend term surfaced by search_relationships.py from the relational-familiarity field.
H5647 עָבַד (avad) — service language sometimes paired with covenantal knowing.
קָרָא בְּשֵׁם — explicit naming/recognition formula adjacent to identification and acknowledgment.
H2450 חָכָם (chakam) — wisdom/skill term overlapping the "know how" and "be skilful" usages.

Antonyms¶

No antonym entries were returned by search_relationships.py for H3045.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared KJV	Key Difference
נָכַר (nakar)	H5234	"know / discern / perceive"	Nakar = recognize/distinguish via scrutiny, often of strangers or disguise; yada = know by relationship or observation
בִּין (biyn)	H995	"perceive / consider / discern"	Biyn = to separate mentally, discriminate, understand; yada = to know a thing/person in itself
שָׁמַע (shamaʻ)	H8085	"know / perceive" indirectly	Shamaʻ = hear/obey; often paired with yada (hear → know)
רָאָה (raʼah)	H7200	"perceive / consider"	Raʼah = see (perceptual); yada = know (cognitive/relational); see-then-know is the canonical pair
חָכַם (chakam)	H2449	"teach / cunning / skilful"	Chakam = be wise (moral/practical wisdom); yada = have knowledge (factual or relational)
זָכַר (zakar)	H2142	"thou hast (known)"	Zakar = remember; functionally close where knowledge entails remembrance
H3046 יְדַע (Aramaic)	H3046	identical translations	Aramaic cognate, same semantic range, restricted to Daniel/Ezra

LXX Overlap (Hebrew words mapped to same Greek)¶

Because G1097 γινώσκω also covers biyn, nakar, and shamaʻ in LXX, these Hebrew verbs blur together in Greek translation.

Semantic Domains¶

UBS / Relationship Domains¶

[002004002007] Know — the core field for factual, relational, and covenantal knowing.
[002001001001] Able — covers the "know how / be skilful" edge of the verb.
[002003002002] Associate — reflects acquaintance, familiarity, and relational knowledge.
[002003001004] Copulate — marks the euphemistic sexual sense ("Adam knew Eve," etc.).
[002003003011] Engage — experiential involvement rather than detached awareness.
[001002007003] Friends — captures acquaintance / familiar-friend usage.
[002003003019] Safe — peripheral overlap where knowledge carries guarded familiarity or trusted care.
[002003002009] Dissociate — negative relationship-space where one is unknown or cut off.
[002003002022] Serve — covenantal "know the LORD" language adjacent to service and allegiance.
[002004002013] Think — perception, awareness, and mental consideration.
[002001002029] Wise — practical insight, expertise, and skilled knowledge.

LXX Mapping¶

Ranked by PMI-weighted Hebrew→Greek alignment:

Greek	Word	Co-occ	PMI	Score	Notes
G1097	γινώσκω (ginōskō)	478	4.53	27.95	Primary bridge — standard LXX rendering; NT "know" spectrum inherits yada's breadth including relational/covenantal/sexual senses
G1921	ἐπιγινώσκω (epiginōskō)	52	3.93	15.60	Intensified "recognize, acknowledge"
G1987	ἐπίσταμαι (epistamai)	45	3.67	14.06	Know expertly, be acquainted with
G1107	γνωρίζω (gnōrizō)	34	3.90	13.87	Causative — make known (parallels Hiphil)
G1492	εἴδω (eidō)	9	4.72	10.87	Know by sight/perception
G1110	γνωστός (gnōstos)	12	4.14	10.61	Adjectival — known, well-known
G1213	δηλόω (dēloō)	7	3.72	7.74	Make plain, declare (Hiphil-type)