The Hebrew verb yalad (יָלַד) means to bear (of women), to beget (of men), to give birth, or to be born. It is one of the most frequent verbs in the Old Testament, underlying the genealogies of Genesis and appearing throughout Scripture.
The act of bearing and begetting is theologically loaded in Scripture. The genealogies using yalad trace the line of promise from Adam through Abraham, David, and ultimately to the Messiah. Isaiah 7:14 uses it of the promised virgin birth. The virginal conception of Christ is the apex. Spiritual rebirth echoes this physical vocabulary — believers are born again, born of the Spirit (John 3:3–7).