Word Study for H524 (אֻמָּה) | Strong's Concordance

ʼummâh /oom-maw'/ Ask about this word

Root(Aramaic) corresponding to אֻמַּה

Meaning(a collection, i.e. community of persons)

KJV usagenation.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼummâh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Aramaic word ʼummâh, represented by H524, refers to a nation or a community of persons. It appears 8 times across 8 unique verses in the Bible, exclusively within the books of Daniel and Ezra. Its usage often highlights the scope of royal or divine authority over different groups of people.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, H524 is almost always used as part of the triad "people, nations, and languages" to describe the entirety of a kingdom's inhabitants. This phrase is used in the decrees of King Nebuchadnezzar Daniel 4:1 and King Darius Daniel 6:25 to address everyone dwelling in their vast empires. It is also used to describe the collective response of these groups, such as when they all fell down to worship the golden image set up by Nebuchadnezzar Daniel 3:7. The term is also used to identify specific communities, as when it refers to the nations that Asnappar brought over and settled in Samaria Ezra 4:10.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words appear alongside H524 to define the structure of empires and communities:

H5972 ʻam (people): This word refers to a people as a congregated unit and consistently appears with ʼummâh to encompass all groups within a king's realm Daniel 3:4.
H3961 lishshân (language): Often translated as languages or speech, this word completes the common phrase "people, nations, and languages," emphasizing the multicultural and multinational extent of the dominion being described Daniel 5:19.
H4430 melek (king): The context for the use of H524 is frequently a decree or action by a powerful king, such as Nebuchadnezzar Daniel 3:7 or Darius Daniel 6:25, who rules over these diverse nations.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H524 is demonstrated through its application in royal and divine contexts.

Scope of Earthly Empires: The term is used to establish the vast reach of earthly kings, whose decrees command the obedience of all nations under their rule Daniel 3:4. For a time, these rulers held power so great that all nations trembled and feared before them Daniel 5:19.
Subject of Divine Decrees: The authority of God is shown to extend over all nations. After the deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Nebuchadnezzar decrees that any nation that speaks against their God will be destroyed Daniel 3:29.
Constituents of the Eternal Kingdom: Ultimately, the term is used to describe the subjects of an everlasting kingdom. In Daniel's vision, dominion is given to one whom "all people, nations, and languages, should serve" in a kingdom that will not be destroyed Daniel 7:14.

Summary

In summary, ʼummâh H524 functions as a specific Aramaic term for nation, almost exclusively found within the formula "people, nations, and languages." While it initially defines the subjects of powerful earthly empires like Babylon, its most significant use points to a future reality where all nations on earth will be subjects of an everlasting divine dominion. It illustrates the transition from the scope of human authority to the all-encompassing nature of God's ultimate kingdom.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 8 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

אֻמַיָּ
אֻמָּה

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 8 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Daniel (7 verses); never once in the other 37.

Ezra

Daniel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.