Mimaamakim: the meaning of Idan Raichel's 'From the Depths'
Mimaamakim (ממעמקים — 'from the depths') is the song that carried Israeli music to the world. Idan Raichel wrote it and released it with The Idan Raichel Project in 2005, weaving Hebrew poetry over Ethiopian, Arabic and Latin textures. Its first word is lifted straight from Psalm 130 — 'from the depths I called to you' — which makes it a rare bridge between the Hebrew of the synagogue and the Hebrew of the radio.
Where the title comes from
מִמַּעֲמַקִּים קְרָאתִיךָ — 'out of the depths I cried unto thee' — opens Psalm 130, one of the psalms of ascent recited in Jewish liturgy. Raichel keeps the biblical register in the title and then turns the rest of the song into intimate, modern love language, so the depths become emotional rather than theological.
For a diaspora learner this is the ideal first taste of layered Hebrew: you already know the phrase from prayer, and here it lands in a pop song.
What the song says
The speaker calls out from the lowest place and asks the beloved to come, to stay, to be the answer. The verbs are simple and repeated — to call, to come, to be, to wait — which is exactly why the song works as a listening exercise: you hear the same forms enough times to internalise them.
Hebrew you take from this song
- מַעֲמַקִּים ma'amakim — depths
- לִקְרֹא likro — to call / to read
- לָבוֹא lavo — to come
- לְחַכּוֹת lechakot — to wait
- לֵב lev — heart
- נְשָׁמָה neshama — soul
- אַהֲבָה ahava — love
Practise it on Shir-ly
Open Mimaamakim in the app: the lyrics run word by word with the recording, with nikud, transliteration and English translation, plus fill-the-blanks, word match, scrambled line and conjugation drills built from this song's own vocabulary.
Follow it with Ein Li Eretz Acheret and Hareut to hear how Hebrew poetry sounds across three different generations.
Frequently asked questions
What does Mimaamakim mean?
'From the depths.' The word opens Psalm 130 — 'out of the depths I called to you' — and Idan Raichel uses it as the opening of a modern love song.
Who sings Mimaamakim?
The Idan Raichel Project, written and composed by Idan Raichel, released in 2005 and later performed worldwide.
Is Mimaamakim from the Bible?
The opening phrase is biblical (Psalm 130); the rest of the lyrics are Raichel's own modern Hebrew.
Is it good for Hebrew beginners?
Yes — slow tempo, clear pronunciation and heavy repetition of core verbs make it one of the easiest Israeli songs to sing along with.