יָבַם yâbam — to marry a (deceased) brother's widow
Translated in the KJV as perform the duty of a husband's brother, marry.
a primitive root of doubtful meaning; used only as a denominative from H2993; to marry a (deceased) brother's widow.
yâbam in each stem
Pi'el
Imperative 1Sequential perfect (weqatal) 1Infinitive construct 1
And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.
If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her.
And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother.
What the stems mean
A Hebrew verb is its root letters set into a pattern. The pattern — the binyan — is the grammar's way of saying three things at once: whether the action is simple, intensive or causative, and whether its subject is active, passive or reflexive. That is why one Hebrew word can need six English ones. All seven binyanim, explained ›