Hebrew word · H3351

יְקוּם

haykum

existence

Literally 'that which rises up / stands', from qûm 'to rise, stand'. In use it means every living being that stands and moves on the land, the whole living population. It occurs only three times (Gen 7:4; 7:23; Deut 11:6).

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

living substance, that which stands or exists, existence, substance

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Genesis 7:4

Range of meaning

Literally 'that which rises up / stands', from qûm 'to rise, stand'. In use it means every living being that stands and moves on the land, the whole living population. It occurs only three times (Gen 7:4; 7:23; Deut 11:6).

Against the English

KJV 'every living substance', YLT 'all the substance', BSB/WEB/ESV/NASB 'every living thing', NIV 'every living creature'. The modern versions are accurate; the KJV's 'substance' now sounds like material or matter.

How it drifted

The KJV follows the Latin Vulgate 'substantiam'. In 1611 'substance' could mean 'that which exists or stands under', and also a person's possessions. Today it suggests physical matter, chemicals or drugs.

Used elsewhere in the period

Deut 11:6 uses it for 'every living thing that followed' Dathan and Abiram, swallowed by the earth: their whole household and living property. The Greek Old Testament renders it here as exanastasis, 'a rising up', a literal reflection of the root, and in 7:23 as anastēma, 'that which stands up'.

From the study of Genesis 7:23

Range of meaning

Literally 'that which stands up', from qûm ('to rise, stand'). It means whatever exists or stands on the land, especially living creatures. It occurs only three times: Gen 7:4, here, and Deut 11:6, where the earth swallowed Dathan and Abiram 'and every yĕqûm at their feet', probably meaning their living dependents and animals, perhaps their goods as well.

Against the English

KJV 'every living substance'; YLT 'all the substance'; BSB, WEB and ESV 'every living thing'. The modern versions give the right sense. KJV's 'substance' now misleads.

How it drifted

KJV follows the Latin Vulgate's substantia. In 1611 English, 'substance' could mean existence, a being, or possessions. Today it suggests a material or chemical.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Septuagint renders it anastēma, 'that which rises up', a close match to the Hebrew root. BDB gives 'substance, existence'; HALOT 'existence, living being'.

Where it appears

Genesis · 2

  1. Genesis 7:4 הַיְקוּם֙ the existence

    For seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living thing I have made.”

    Here: A rare noun from the verb 'to rise, stand': 'whatever stands up / exists', i.e. every living being that moves on the land. It occurs only here, in 7:23 and in Deut 11:6.

  2. Genesis 7:23 הַיְק֣וּם׀ the existence

    And every living thing on the face of the earth was destroyed—man and livestock, crawling creatures and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth, and only Noah and those with him in the ark remained.

    Here: 'The standing thing.' A rare word from the verb 'to stand up' (qûm): everything that rose up and stood on the land, every living being that existed there.

Deuteronomy · 1

  1. Deuteronomy 11:6 הַיְקוּם֙ the substance

    and what He did in the midst of all the Israelites to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their households, their tents, and every living thing that belonged to them.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.