יֶ֫לֶד

From the study of Isaiah 9:6

Range of meaning

Yeled is a child, especially a boy. Yullad means 'has been born' (passive, completed action). Ben means 'son', with the ideas of heir and successor. Nittan means 'has been given' (passive, completed action).

Against the English

KJV's 'is born… is given' reflects the completed form fairly well. YLT's 'hath been born… hath been given' is the most exact. BSB and WEB keep the present tense for these two verbs but then switch to the future ('will be upon', 'will be called'). The Hebrew keeps the completed form all the way through.

Used elsewhere in the period

Birth announcements: Jer 20:15 ('a son has been born to you'); Ruth 4:17 ('a son has been born to Naomi'); Job 3:3. Royal 'sonship': 2 Sam 7:14 ('he will be my son'); Ps 2:7 ('You are my son; today I have begotten you', said on the king's coronation day); Ps 89:26–27.

From the study of Joel 3:3

Range of meaning

Both words come from the verb 'to give birth'. Yeled covers a newborn (Exod 2:6), a young child (2 Sam 12:15) and sometimes a young man (1 Kgs 12:8, the king's peers). Yaldah is the rare feminine: a girl, a young woman of marriageable age (Gen 34:4), or girls playing (Zech 8:5).

Against the English

KJV 'boy' and 'girl' fit. YLT's 'young man... young woman' makes them sound older than the most likely picture. The point is minors, the most vulnerable captives.

Used elsewhere in the period

Zech 8:5 pairs the same two words ('boys and girls playing in its streets') as a picture of restored, safe city life, the opposite of this scene.

From the study of Isaiah 29:23

Range of meaning

Yeled means a child, someone born (from yālad, to bear or beget). It is used of young children, youths, and descendants.

Against the English

All versions say 'children'. NIV, as I understand it, makes it plural ('their children', 'they see'), which loses the picture of the single patriarch Jacob looking at his family.

Used elsewhere in the period

Used throughout the Hebrew Bible for offspring (Genesis 33:5, where Jacob himself presents 'the children God has graciously given'). Isaiah 49:20–21 and 54:1 picture bereaved Zion amazed by children she never expected.