עם הארץ

Hebrew

Noun

עַם הָאָרֶץ • (am ha'árets) m (plural indefinite עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ or עַמֵּי הָאֲרָצוֹת)

1. (biblical, collectively) commoners, laymen
   • Tanach, Leviticus 4:27, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וְאִם־נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת תֶּחֱטָא בִשְׁגָגָה מֵעַם הָאָרֶץ בַּעֲשֹׂתָהּ אַחַת מִמִּצְו‍ֹת יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תֵעָשֶׂינָה וְאָשֵׁם׃

     v'im-néfesh akhát tekhetá vish'gagá me'ám ha'árets ba'asotáh akhát mimitsv‍ót YHVH ashér lo-te'aséna v'ashém.
     wəʾim-nép̄eš ʾaḥaṯ teḥĕṭā ḇišəḡāḡā mēʿam hāʾā́reṣ baʿăśōṯāh ʾaḥaṯ mimmiṣw‍ōṯ YHWH ʾăšer lō-ṯēʿāśénā wəʾāšēm.

     And if any one of the common people sin through error, in doing any of the things which the LORD hath commanded not to be done, and be guilty:

2. (biblical, collectively) members of the non-Israelite nations living in the Land of Israel
   • Tanach, Genesis 23:7, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיָּקָם אַבְרָהָם וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לְעַם־הָאָרֶץ לִבְנֵי־חֵת׃

     vayákom avrahám vayishtákhu l'am-ha'árets liv'ne-khét.
     wayyā́qom ʾaḇrāhām wayyištáḥū ləʿam-hāʾā́reṣ liḇənē-ḥēṯ.

     And Abraham rose up, and bowed down to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

3. simple uneducated person, ignorant person
   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Avot 2:5:

     הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר אֵין בּוּר יְרֵא חֵטְא וְלֹא עַם הָאָרֶץ חָסִיד וְלֹא הַבַּיְשָׁן לָמֵד וְלֹא הַקַּפְּדָן מְלַמֵּד וְלֹא כָל הַמַּרְבֶּה בִּסְחוֹרָה מַחְכִּים וּבְמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין אֲנָשִׁים הִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִהְיוֹת אִישׁ׃

     hú hayá omér én búr y'ré khét v'ló ám ha'árets khasíd v'ló habáyshan laméd v'ló hakáp'dan m'laméd v'ló khol hamarbé bis'khorá makhkím uv'makóm she'én anashím hishtadél lihyót ísh.
     hū hāyā ʾōmēr ʾēn būr yərē ḥēṭ wəlō ʿam hāʾā́reṣ ḥāsīḏ wəlō habbayšān lāmēḏ wəlō haqqappəḏān məlammēḏ wəlō ḵol hammarbe bisḥōrā maḥkīm ūḇəmāqōm šeʾēn ʾănāšīm hištaddēl lihyōṯ ʾīš.

     He used to say: A fool cannot fear sin, an ignorant person cannot be pious, a shy person cannot be learned, an impatient person cannot teach, not anyone who gets much business is wise, and in a place where there are no people, strive to be a person.

Descendants

• → English: am ha'aretz

Yiddish

Noun

עם הארץ • (amorets) m, plural עם הארצים (ameratsim)

1. (nonstandard) Unpointed form of עם־האָרץ (amorets).