em denotes a human mother, also a bird’s mother, and once a city called a mother in Israel.

The term most often identifies a human mother, whether named in a royal notice, addressed by her child, or described in relation to childbirth and care. It also denotes the mother bird with her young and occurs once in the expression “a city and a mother in Israel.”

1. Human mother in family and royal relationships · dominant

   The singular construct form identifies a person through her child or names a ruler’s mother: in 1 Kings 14:21 the APB renders the clause, “The name of his mother was Naamah,” and in 1 Kings 3:27 it identifies the woman to whom the living child belongs. It also occurs in direct family interaction, as Solomon calls Bathsheba “my mother” in 1 Kings 2:20, and in maternal care, where Samuel’s mother makes and brings him a robe in 1 Samuel 2:19.

   1 Kings 14:211 Kings 3:271 Kings 2:201 Samuel 2:192 Chronicles 22:3Jeremiah 16:3
2. Mother bird with young or eggs · rare

   In Deuteronomy 22:6 the singular absolute form names the bird sitting on young or eggs, and the instruction distinguishes taking the young from taking her with them. In Deuteronomy 22:7 the APB renders the instruction, “send away the mother,” while the young may be taken.

   Deuteronomy 22:6Deuteronomy 22:7
3. A city called a mother in Israel · rare

   In 2 Samuel 20:19, the singular absolute form occurs in the speaker’s question about putting to death “a city and a mother in Israel.” The clause applies the term to the city in that expression rather than identifying an individual woman.

   2 Samuel 20:19

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across the human and bird contexts, the APB regularly presents the term with “mother,” including “his mother,” “my mother,” and “the mother.” In 2 Samuel 20:19 it preserves the expression “a city and a mother in Israel”.