Lexical Summary
ummah: Nation, people, tribe
Original Word:אֻמַּה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:ummah
Pronunciation:oom-maw'
Phonetic Spelling:(oom-maw')
KJV: nation, people
NASB:people, peoples, tribes
Word Origin:[from the same asH517 (אֵם - mother)]
1. a collection, i.e. community of persons
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
nation, people
From the same as'em; a collection, i.e. Community of persons -- nation, people.
see HEBREW'em
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
emDefinitiona tribe, people
NASB Translationpeople (1), peoples (1), tribes (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (Arabic
; Assyrian
ummatu compare Jen
Kosmol. 336, Aramaic
, ) only plural
Numbers 25:15;
Psalm 117:1; suffix
Genesis 25:16; — of tribes of Ishmaelites
Genesis 25:16; of Midian ("" )
Numbers 25:15; ""
Psalm 117:1.
(Biblical Hebrewid., late); — absoluteDaniel 3:29; plural emphaticDaniel 3:4,7;Daniel 3:31;Daniel 5:19;Daniel 6:26;Daniel 7:14;Ezra 4:10.
Topical Lexicon
Concept and Semantic RangeThe Hebrew term אֻמָּה signifies a distinct people group, clan, or tribe that possesses shared descent, culture, and leadership. While it can overlap with other Hebrew words such as גּוֹי (“nation”) or עַם (“people”), אֻמָּה often highlights an identifiable subdivision within a broader ethnic reality, whether inside Israel or among surrounding peoples.
Occurrences in Scripture
1.Genesis 25:16 records the “twelve princes of their tribes,” underscoring the organized, clan-based structure of Ishmael’s descendants.
2.Numbers 25:15 names Cozbi as the daughter of Zur, “a tribal leader of a Midianite family,” revealing the authority invested in clan heads and the political alliances involved in Israel’s wilderness trials.
3.Psalm 117:1 extends a universal call: “Praise the LORD, all you nations! Extol Him, all you peoples!”. Here אֻמָּה embraces every human grouping, foreshadowing the gospel’s reach to every tribe and tongue.
Historical Context
In the patriarchal and monarchic periods, society in the Ancient Near East was woven from interlocking kinship circles. A clan (אֻמָּה) offered protection, land rights, and judicial recourse. Alliances or conflicts among such clans shaped trade routes, treaty obligations, and even marriage politics, as seen when Midianite and Moabite factions conspired to seduce Israel (Numbers 25). Understanding this framework clarifies why genealogies, boundary markers, and clan chiefs occupy so much narrative space in the Old Testament.
Theological Significance
1. Covenant Administration: By identifying clans within covenant histories (Ishmael, Midian, Israel), Scripture demonstrates that God’s sovereign purposes move through concrete social structures. The promise to Abraham that “all families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3) anticipates the ultimate gathering of every אֻמָּה under Messiah’s lordship.
2. Universal Praise:Psalm 117, the shortest psalm, situates אֻמָּה at the heart of doxology. Paul cites this verse inRomans 15:11 to validate Gentile inclusion in the redeemed community. The same word that once labeled Israel’s external rivals becomes a vessel for global worship.
3. Judgment and Mercy: Midian’s clan leadership enabled both organized seduction (Numbers 25:1-3) and subsequent judgment (Numbers 31). The episode reveals that collective accountability does not erase individual responsibility; rather, it illustrates how sin can permeate corporate identity.
Implications for Ministry and Mission
• Ethnolinguistic Focus: Modern mission strategy often speaks of “people groups.” The biblical precedent found in אֻמָּה supports pursuing gospel penetration to each distinct culture without assuming that political borders alone define missional finish lines (Matthew 28:19).
• Leadership Development: Zur’s role as “head of a people” highlights the influence of indigenous leaders. Effective ministry seeks to disciple and equip such leaders so that transformation occurs organically within every clan.
• Corporate Worship:Psalm 117 reminds congregations to sing with the nations in view. Praying for unreached peoples, translating Scripture, and welcoming immigrants into fellowship are tangible responses to the psalmist’s exhortation.
Contemporary Application
• Church Unity: Awareness of our shared identity in Christ supersedes ethnic divisions while honoring cultural distinctives. Local churches can model kingdom diversity by platforming multi-ethnic worship teams and teaching on God’s redemptive plan for all peoples.
• Social Ethics: Recognizing clan dynamics in ancient texts guards against reading Scripture through purely individualistic lenses. Biblical justice includes systems, families, and communities, calling believers to pursue righteousness at both personal and societal levels.
Conclusion
אֻמָּה threads through Scripture from Ishmael’s tents to the Midianite crisis and on to the universal summons ofPsalm 117. Each occurrence magnifies God’s sovereignty over human groupings and His intention to redeem worshipers from every tribe. As the church joins that eternal chorus, the word reminds believers that the gospel’s scope is as wide as the world’s countless peoples yet as intimate as each clan that bows before the Lamb.
Forms and Transliterations
אֻמּ֥וֹת אמות הָאֻמִּֽים׃ האמים׃ לְאֻמֹּתָֽם׃ לאמתם׃ ’um·mō·wṯ ’ummōwṯ hā’ummîm hā·’um·mîm haumMim lə’ummōṯām lə·’um·mō·ṯām leummoTam umMot
Links
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