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1 Chronicles 12:24 — Word Study

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WLCבְּנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה נֹשְׂאֵ֥י צִנָּ֖ה וָרֹ֑מַח שֵׁ֧שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֛ים וּשְׁמוֹנֶ֥ה מֵא֖וֹת חֲלוּצֵ֥י צָבָֽא׃ ס

BSAarmedchâlats troopstsâbâʼ [bearing shield and spear, armed for war]

Word
Listen & take away1 Chronicles 12
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 24 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (tza.Va') — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
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1 Chronicles 12:24quick helps
In a sentenceThis verse lists the troops from Judah who were ready for battle.
Who is speakingThe chronicler, recounting the numbers of armed men.
Where we areThe context is the preparation of David's army as he assumes kingship.
The hard wordחֲלוּצֵ֥י
Take awayJudah's contribution to David's forces is significant.
6 commentators on this verse Jamieson, Poole, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them › clause verbמִסְפָּר The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — 1 Chronicles 12:24

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — David's Army at Hebrongenerated

23Now these are the numbers of men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, in accordance with the word of the LORD:
24From Judah: 6,800 armed troops bearing shields and spears.
25From Simeon: 7,100 mighty men of valor, ready for battle.
26From Levi: 4,600,

1 Chronicles 12:24 details the numbers of troops from various tribes who joined David at Hebron. This verse specifically highlights the 6,800 armed men from Judah who were equipped for battle, showcasing the support David received as he transitioned to kingship. The preceding and following verses provide a broader picture of the military strength gathered to support him.


Cross References


The Key Word חֲלוּצֵ֥י, cha.lu.Tzeigenerated

The word חֲלוּצֵ֥י (chalutzei) is a participle form of the verb חָלַץ (chalats), which means to arm or equip for war. This indicates that the men from Judah were not just present but were actively prepared for combat.

As a passive participle, it suggests that these men were equipped by someone or something, highlighting their readiness and the support they received. This word emphasizes the military readiness of the troops, essential for the context of David's rise to power.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb structure is implied in the noun phrases, with the subject being בְּנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה (the descendants of Judah) and the predicate detailing their attributes and numbers. The sentence structure emphasizes the specific contributions of the tribe of Judah to David's army.

The order of the words places emphasis on the number of troops and their readiness, creating a clear picture of Judah's military strength at this pivotal moment.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates חֲלוּצֵ֥י as ξεβρων, which suggests a focus on the action of being equipped or prepared. This choice may indicate an interpretation that emphasizes the readiness of the troops for battle rather than merely their presence.

This rendering highlights the active role of the men from Judah, aligning with the military context of the verse.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Chronicles 12:24 tells us that from the tribe of Judah, there were 6,800 armed troops ready for battle, equipped with shields and spears. This verse highlights the military strength that Judah contributed to David as he became king.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that these troops were 'armed'?

It means they were equipped and ready for combat, indicating their preparedness to support David.

Why is the number of troops significant?

The number signifies the strength and support David received from Judah, which was crucial for establishing his kingship.

What does 'bearing shields and spears' imply?

It implies that the troops were not only present but actively equipped for battle, ready to engage in warfare.

How does this verse fit into the larger narrative of David's rise?

This verse illustrates the military backing David had from Judah, which was essential for his transition from fugitive to king.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does it mean to be prepared for battle in my own life?
  2. How can I support leaders in my community like the troops supported David?
  3. In what ways can I equip myself for challenges I face?
  4. How does understanding the strength of Judah's troops impact my view of teamwork and support?

Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Chronicles 12:24 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

The children of Judah that bare shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, ready armed to the war. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Chronicles 12 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Who came hither in the name of all their brethren; for that whole tribe stuck to David at his very first coming to Hebron.

Read Matthew Poole on 1 Chronicles 12 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Chronicles 12:24 The children of Judah that bare shield and spear [were] six thousand and eight hundred, ready armed to the war.Ver. 24. That bare shield and year,] i.e., Weapons defensive and offensive; so must the Christian soldier.

Read John Trapp on 1 Chronicles 12 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(24) The sons of Judah.—The following list proceeds from south to north, and then passes over to the trans-Jordanic tribes. That bare shield and spear.—Comp. 1 Chronicles 12:8. Ready armed to the war.—Equipped for war fare. The tribe of Judah, which had acknowledged the sovereignty of David for the last seven years, had no need to appear in full force on the occasion of his recognition by the other tribes.

Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Chronicles 12 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

24. The children of Judah, etc.] The list which follows suggests two questions, (1) Whence did the Chronicler derive it? (2) Are the statements of numbers contained in it trustworthy? In answer to the first question it may be confidently said that the list as it stands is the composition of the Chronicler himself, for the syntax and vocabulary of the passage are his. Its statements may, however, be based on those of some ancient document. As to the second question it must be confessed that the numbers given to the Northern tribes, especially the trans-Jordanic tribes, are surprisingly large, especially when compared with those of the Southern; thus while the totals of Judah, Simeon, Levi…

Read Cambridge on 1 Chronicles 12 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

24. Judah… six thousand and eight hundred — It has been thought strange that David’s own tribe should have had so small a representation in comparison with remote tribes like Zebulun, Naphtali, and Asher.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on 1 Chronicles 12 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

From Judah: 6,800 armed troops bearing shields and spears.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

The children of Judah who bore shield and spear were six thousand eight hundred, armed for war.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

From Judah: 6,800 armed troops bearing shields and spears.

NETBNew English Translation2006

From Judah came 6,800 trained warriors carrying shields and spears.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

The children of Judah that bare shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, ready armed to the war.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

The children of Judah that bare shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, armed for war.

RVARevised Version, American1894

The children of Judah that bare shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, armed for war.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

The children of Judah that bore shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, ready armed for war.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The children of Iudah that bare shield and speare, were sixe thousand and eight hundreth armed to the warre.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

The children of Judah that bore shield and spear were six thousand eight hundred, equipped for military service.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

The sons of Judah, bearing target and spear, [are] six thousand and eight hundred, armed ones of the host.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

The sons of Judah, carrying buckler and spear, [are] six thousand and eight hundred, armed ones of the host.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

The children of Judah that bore shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, ready armed for the host.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

From Judah those who carried shield and spear were 6,800, armed for war.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

The sons of Juda bearing shield and spear, six thousand eight hundred well appointed to war.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

From the tribe of Judah, 6,800 warriors carrying shields and spears.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

There were six thousand, eight hundred spearmen of the children of Judah, armed for war;

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clausenoun phrase · subjectnoun phraseבְּנֵ֣יthe.descendantsיְהוּדָ֔הof.Judahnoun phraseנֹשְׂאֵ֥י[who].borenoun phraseצִנָּ֖ה(of).shieldוָandרֹ֑מַחspearnoun phrase · predicatenumeral phrasenumeral phraseשֵׁ֧שֶׁת[were].sixאֲלָפִ֛יםthousand(s)וּandnumeral phraseשְׁמוֹנֶ֥הeightמֵא֖וֹתhundred(s)noun phraseחֲלוּצֵ֥י[men].equippedצָבָֽאof.war

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree on the content of this verse, with 9 of the 11 words matched. The differences in word order and specific articles reflect the translation choices rather than any significant variation in meaning.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

בְּנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה נֹשְׂאֵ֥י צִנָּ֖ה וָרֹ֑מַח שֵׁ֧שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֛ים וּשְׁמוֹנֶ֥ה מֵא֖וֹת חֲלוּצֵ֥י צָבָֽא׃ ס

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
בְּנֵ֣יκαὶיְהוּדָ֔הταῦταצִנָּ֖הἀρξόντωνשֵׁ֧שֶׁתτῆςאֲלָפִ֛יםστρατιᾶςוּשְׁמוֹנֶ֥הπρὸςמֵא֖וֹתδαυιδחֲלוּצֵ֥יεἰςצָבָֽא׃ סξεβρων

9 of the 11 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

1 Chronicles 12:24בֵּן[the] desce[the] descendanבֵּןיְהוּדָהJudahJudahיְהוּדָהנָשָׂאbearers ofbearers ofנָשָׂאצִנָּהshieldshieldצִנָּהרֹ֫מַחand spearand spearרֹ֫מַחשֵׁשׁsixsixשֵׁשׁאֶ֫לֶףthousandthousandאֶ֫לֶףשְׁמֹנֶהand eightand eightשְׁמֹנֶהמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהחָלַץ[men] equip[men] equipped חָלַץצָבָאwarwarצָבָאבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהיָדָהto give thto give thanksיָדָהשָׁמֵןrichrichשָׁמֵןצָבָאto serveto serveצָבָאאֵבfruitfruitאֵבאָבַדto perishto perishאָבַדצֵןthornthornצֵןשׂוּשׂto rejoiceto rejoiceשׂוּשׂאֶ֫לֶףcattlecattleאֶ֫לֶףמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהאֶ֫לֶףthousandthousandאֶ֫לֶףעַמּוֹןAmmonAmmonעַמּוֹןרְאוּבֵןReubenReubenרְאוּבֵןצִדְקִיָּ֫הוּZedekiahZedekiahצִדְקִיָּ֫הוּבֵּיתBethlehemBethlehemבֵּיתכְּלִמָּהshameshameכְּלִמָּהמָשָׁלproverbproverbמָשָׁלשָׁחַטbeatenbeatenשָׁחַט
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in 1 Chronicles 12:24

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

[the] descendants of Judah bearers of shield and spear six thousand and eight hundred [men] equipped of war
בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei [the] descendants of H1121 Noun common · masculine plural construct
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmpc — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

[the] descendants of Judah bearers of shield and spear six thousand and eight hundred [men] equipped of war
יְהוּדָ֔הye.hu.Dah Judah H3063 Noun proper masculine
820× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Judah is the name of the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob. It is also the name of the region where the tribe lived. The name means 'praised' and is first mentioned in Genesis.
Tyndale gloss
(Baalah of)Judah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהוּדָה (yehudah) means 'Judah' and is derived from a root meaning 'praised.' It refers to the son of Jacob and Leah, the tribe descended from him, and the territory they occupied. The term also encompasses the southern kingdom of Judah, which included the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Additionally, it identifies various individuals, including Levites and overseers during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יְהוּדָה 820 n.pr.m. et terr. Judah

n.pr.m.

son of Jacob and Leah

tribe descended from Judah

nation, of southern kingdom under dynasty of David, as distinguished from northern kingdom of Ephraim or Israel

Levite, Ezra’s time

an overseer of Jerus.

Levite musician

priest

n.pr.terr. land of Judah

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3063 יְהוּדָה Judah

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3063 Yhuwdah yeh-hoo-daw'

from 3034; celebrated; Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five

Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of

its territory:--Judah.

see HEBREW for 03034

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהוּדָה (ye.hu.dah) — Judah.

A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.35;

son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812);

brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);

half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); married to Bath-shua (H1323I) and Tamar (H8559);

father of: Er (H6147), Onan (H0209), Shelah (H7956), Perez (H6557) and Zerah (H2226I)

§ Judah = "praised"

1) the son of Jacob by Leah

2) the tribe descended from Judah the son of Jacob

3) the territory occupied by the tribe of Judah

4) the kingdom comprised of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin which occupied the southern part of Canaan after the nation split upon the death of Solomon

5) a Levite in Ezra's time

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpm — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Judah

Praise, the fourth son of Jacob by Leah. The name originated in Leah’s words of praise to the Lord on account of his birth: “Now will I praise [Heb. odeh] Jehovah, and she called his name Yehudah” (Gen. 29:35).

It was Judah that interposed in behalf of Joseph, so that his life was spared (Gen. 37:26, 27). He took a lead in the affairs of the family, and “prevailed above his brethren” (Gen. 43:3-10; 44:14, 16-34; 46:28; 1 Chr. 5:2).

Soon after the sale of Joseph to the Ishmaelites, Judah went to reside at Adullam, where he married a woman of Canaan. (See ONAN; TAMAR.) After the death of his wife Shuah, he returned to his father’s house, and there exercised much…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(praised, celebrated), the fourth son of Jacob and the fourth of Leah. (B.C. after 1753.) Of Judah’s personal character more traits are preserved than of any other of the patriarchs, with the exception of Joseph, whose life he in conjunction with Reuben saved. (Genesis 37:26-28) During the second visit to Egypt for corn it was Judah who understood to be responsible for the safety of Benjamin, ch. (Genesis 43:3-10) and when, through Joseph’s artifice, the brothers were brought back to the palace, he is again the leader and spokesman of the band. So too it is Judah who is sent before Jacob to smooth the way for him in the land of Goshen. ch. (Genesis 46:28) This ascendancy over his brethren is reflected in the last words…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The fourth son of Jacob and Leah, born in Mesopotamia, B. C. 1755, Ge 29:35. His name appears honorably in the history of Joseph, Ge 37:26,27 44:16-34; but disgracefully in that of Tamar his daughter-in-law, Ge 38:1-30. The dying benediction of Jacob foretells the superior power and prosperity of the family of Judah, and their continuance as chief of the Jewish race until the time of Christ, Ge 49:8-12. Though not the firstborn, Judah soon came to be considered as the chief of Jacob’s children, and his tribe was the most powerful and numerous. The southeastern part of Palestine fell to their lot. See JUDEA. On the border of their territory was Jerusalem, the seat of the…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

the praise of the Lord; confession

[the] descendants of Judah bearers of shield and spear six thousand and eight hundred [men] equipped of war
נֹשְׂאֵ֥יno.se.'Ei bearers of H5375 Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine plural common
656× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to lift or raise something, and it's used in many ways, like lifting a burden or raising someone's status. It appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah, often talking about God lifting people up. It's about supporting or carrying something or someone.
Tyndale gloss
to lift: raise
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נָשָׂא (nasa') means to lift, carry, or take, encompassing a wide range of applications both literal and figurative. It can refer to actions like bearing burdens, taking away, or being exalted. The entries indicate various forms and uses, including the ability to lift oneself up or cause others to bear iniquity. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָשָׂא 656 vb. lift, carry, take

Qal

lift, lift up

Bear, carry

Take, take away

Niph.

be lifted up

refl. lift oneself up = rise up, of י׳, to display power in judgment

be borne, carried

be taken away, carried off

Pi.

lift up = exalt

fig. = desire, long

carry, bear continuously

take, take away

Hithp. lift oneself up

Hiph.

cause one to bear iniquity

appar. cause to bring, have brought

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5375 נָשָׂא lift, carry, take .. lift, lift up

. Bear, carry

. Take, take away

. . be lifted up

. refl. lift oneself up = rise up, of י׳, to display power in judgment

. be borne, carried

. be taken away, carried off

. . lift up = exalt

. fig. = desire, long

. carry, bear continuously

. take, take away

. lift oneself up

. . cause one to bear iniquity

. appar. cause to bring, have brought

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5375 nasa' naw-saw'

or nacah (Psalm 4 : 6 (7)) {naw-saw'}; a primitive root; to

lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and

figurative, absol. and rel. (as follows):--accept, advance,

arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring

(forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease,

exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further,

give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable (+ man), lade,

lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, X needs, obtain,

pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare,

stir up, + swear, take (away, up), X utterly, wear, yield.

see HEBREW for 04

see HEBREW for 06

see HEBREW for 07

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָשָׂא (na.sa) — to lift: raise.

: raise/take_up

1) to lift, bear up, carry, take

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to lift, lift up

1a2) to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure

1a3) to take, take away, carry off, forgive

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be lifted up, be exalted

1b2) to lift oneself up, rise up

1b3) to be borne, be carried

1b4) to be taken away, be carried off, be swept away

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to lift up, exalt, support, aid, assist

1c2) to desire, long (fig.)

1c3) to carry, bear continuously

1c4) to take, take away

1d) (Hithpael) to lift oneself up, exalt oneself

1e) (Hiphil)

1e1) to cause one to bear (iniquity)

1e2) to cause to bring, have brought

נָשָׂא (na.sa) — to lift: bear.

: look/lift(eyes)

1) to lift, bear up, carry, take

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to lift, lift up

1a2) to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure

1a3) to take, take away, carry off, forgive

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be lifted up, be exalted

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqrmpc — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine plural common
HVqrmpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

[the] descendants of Judah bearers of shield and spear six thousand and eight hundred [men] equipped of war
צִנָּ֖הtzi.Nah shield H6793 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
22× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word for shield refers to a protective device used in battle, like a buckler. It appears in the Bible as a symbol of God's protection, as in Psalm 5:12. The word also means cold, as in piercing or biting.
Tyndale gloss
hook
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word צִנָּה (*tsinnah*) has meanings related to a hook or barb, coolness, and a large shield. It is derived from a root meaning 'to prick' and can refer to something piercing or protective. The entries highlight its use in contexts like Amos 4:2 for a hook and Proverbs 25:13 for coolness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[צִנָּה] n.f. appar. hook, or barb (of fishing-spear?);—pl. Am 4:2

ref

[צִנָּה] n.f. coolness;—cstr. Pr 25:13

ref

צִנָּה n.f. large shield (covering whole body)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6793a צִנָּה appar. hook, or barb (of fishing-spear?) H6793b צִנָּה coolness H6793c צִנָּה large shield (covering whole body)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6793 tsinnah tsin-naw'

feminine of 6791; a hook (as pointed); also a (large) shield

(as if guarding by prickliness); also cold (as piercing):--

buckler, cold, hook, shield, target.

see HEBREW for 06791

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צִנָּה (tsin.nah) — hook.

1) something piercing, hook, barb

1a) meaning uncertain

צִנָּה (tsin.nah) — coolness.

coolness, cold (of snow)

צִנָּה (tsin.nah) — shield.

1) shield, large shield, buckler

1a) shield

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sheld.

See ARMOR, IV, 1.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Shield

Used in defensive warfare, varying at different times and under different circumstances in size, form, and material (1 Sam. 17:7; 2 Sam. 1:21; 1 Kings 10:17; 1 Chr. 12:8, 24, 34; Isa. 22:6; Ezek. 39:9; Nahum 2:3).

Used figuratively of God and of earthly princes as the defenders of their people (Gen. 15:1; Deut. 33:29; Ps. 33:20; 84:11). Faith is…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The ordinary shield consisted of a framework of wood covered with leather; it thus admitted of being burnt. (Ezekiel 39:9) It was frequently cased with metal, either brass or copper; its appearance in this case resembled gold when the sun shone on it, 1 Macc. 6:39 and to this, rather than to the practice of smearing blood on the shield we may refer the redness noticed by. Nahum. (Nahum 2:3) The surface of the shield was kept bright by the application of oil as implied in (Isaiah 21:5) The shield was worn on the left arm, to which it was attached by a strap. Shields of state were covered with beaten gold. Shields were suspended about public buildings for ornamental purposes. (1 Kings 10:17) In the metaphorical language of the…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A piece of defensive armor. God is often called the shield of his people, Ge 15:1 Ps 5:12 84:11, as are also princes and great men, 2Sa 1:21 Ps 47:9. See ARMOR.

[the] descendants of Judah bearers of shield and spear six thousand and eight hundred [men] equipped of war
וָרֹ֑מַחva.Ro.mach and spear H7420 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absolute
15× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a spear or lance, especially the iron point. It is translated as buckler, javelin, lancet, or spear in the KJV Bible.
Tyndale gloss
spear
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֹ֫מַח (romach) refers to a spear or lance, derived from a root meaning to hurl. The entries consistently describe it as a weapon, particularly highlighting its iron point. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meaning.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֹ֫מַח n.[m.] spear, lance

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7420 רֹ֫מַח

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7420 romach ro'-makh

from an unused root meaning to hurl; a lance (as thrown);

especially the iron point:--buckler, javelin, lancet, spear.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֹ֫מַח (ro.mach) — spear.

spear, lance

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Ncmsa — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absolute
HC/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Smith's Bible Dictionary

[ARMS, ARMOR]

Nave's Topical Bible

→ (An implement of war)

→ (Spears and javelins differed in weight and size, but had similar uses)

→ Goliath' s 1Sa 17:7

→ Saul' s 1Sa 18:10,11

→ Stored in the tabernacle 2Ch 23:9

→ Changed into pruning-hooks Isa 2:4; Mic 4:3

→ Pruning-hooks beat into Joe 3:10

→ Plunged into Jesus' side Joh 19:34; 20:27; Zec 12:10; Re 1:7

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- An offensive weapon

2Sa 23:8,18

- First mention of, in Scripture

Jos 8:18

- PARTS OF MENTIONED

. The staff of wood

1Sa 17:7

. The head of iron or brass

1Sa 17:7; 2Sa 21:16

- Probably pointed at both ends

2Sa 2:23

- Called the glittering spear

Job 39:23; Hab 3:11

- DIFFERENT KINDS OF

. Lances

Jer 50:42

. Javelins

[the] descendants of Judah bearers of shield and spear six thousand and eight hundred [men] equipped of war
שֵׁ֧שֶׁתShe.shet six H8337 Noun common · both singular construct
216× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means the number six, and is often used in the Bible to describe measurements, like the six days of creation in Genesis 1.
Tyndale gloss
six
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שֵׁשׁ, transliterated as shesh, means 'six' and can function as both a cardinal and ordinal number, indicating the sixth position. It is a primitive number that signifies an excess beyond five, as noted in the entries. The Aramaic equivalent is שֵׁת (shet).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֵׁשׁ, שִׁשָּׁה 216 n.m. et f. six

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8337 שֵׁשׁ, שִׁשָּׁה six

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8337 shesh shaysh

masculine shishshah {shish-shaw'}; a primitive number; six

(as an overplus (see 7797) beyond five or the fingers of the

hand); as ord. sixth:--six((-teen, -teenth)), sixth.

see HEBREW for 07797

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֵׁשׁ (shesh) — six.

1) six

1a) six (cardinal number)

1b) sixth (ordinal number)

1c) in combination with other numbers

Aramaic equivalent: shet (שֵׁת "six" H8353)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcbsc — Noun common · both singular construct
HNcbsc
[the] descendants of Judah bearers of shield and spear six thousand and eight hundred [men] equipped of war
אֲלָפִ֛ים'a.la.Fim thousand H505 Noun common · both plural absolute
506× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A thousand, as in Exodus 20:6 where God shows love to thousands of people. It represents a large number or a company of people under one leader, like an army or a group of soldiers.
Tyndale gloss
thousand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶ֫לֶף (eleph) means 'thousand' in Hebrew. It can refer to the numeral itself or denote a company or clan, particularly a group of men under one leader. The word is built from the concept of a thousand, and it is associated with the ox's head, which is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫לֶף n.m. thousand

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H505 אֶ֫לֶף thousand

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

505 'eleph eh'-lef

prop, the same as 504; hence (the ox's head being the first

letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral)

a thousand:--thousand.

see HEBREW for 0504

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand.

: thousand

1) a thousand

1a) as numeral

2) a thousand, company

2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops

אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand: clan.

: clan

1) a thousand

1a) as numeral

2) a thousand, company

2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcbpa — Noun common · both plural absolute
HNcbpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

thou'-zand ('eleph; chilioi).

See NUMBER.

[the] descendants of Judah bearers of shield and spear six thousand and eight hundred [men] equipped of war
וּשְׁמוֹנֶ֥הu.she.mo.Neh and eight H8083 Conjunction · noun common both singular absolute
109× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for the number eight, which was considered a special number in biblical times. It is used to describe quantities, such as eight days or eight years, and also appears in ordinal forms, like eighth or eighth day.
Tyndale gloss
eight
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׁמֹנֶה (shmoneh) means 'eight' and can also denote 'eighth' as an ordinal number. It is derived from the idea of plumpness, suggesting a surplus beyond seven, which is considered a perfect number. The term appears in various contexts, including combinations with other numbers.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׁמֹנֶה, (less oft. שְׁמוֹנֶה), שְׁמֹנָה 109 n.m. et f. eight

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8083 שְׁמֹנֶה, (less oft. שְׁמוֹנֶה), שְׁמֹנָה eight

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8083 shmoneh shem-o-neh'

or shmowneh {shem-o-neh'}; feminine shmonah {shem-o-naw'}; or

shmownah {shem-o-naw'}; apparently from 8082 through the idea

of plumpness; a cardinal number, eight (as if a surplus above

the "perfect" seven); also (as ordinal)

eighth:--eight((-een, -eenth)), eighth.

see HEBREW for 08082

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁמֹנֶה (she.mo.neh) — eight.

1) eight, eighth

1a) eight (as cardinal number)

1b) eighth (as ordinal number)

1c) in combination with other numbers

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Ncbsa — Conjunction · noun common both singular absolute
HC/Ncbsa
[the] descendants of Judah bearers of shield and spear six thousand and eight hundred [men] equipped of war
מֵא֖וֹתme.'ot hundred H3967 Noun common · feminine plural absolute
581× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means a hundred, used as a simple number or part of a larger number in the Bible. It appears in various forms, including fractions like one one-hundredth. Found in books like Genesis and Psalms.
Tyndale gloss
hundred
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מֵאָה (me'ah) means 'hundred' in Hebrew. It can refer to a simple number, a component of a larger number, or a fraction representing one one-hundredth. The entries consistently describe its use as a numeral without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֵאָה 583 n.f. hundred

as simple number

as part of larger number

a hundredth part

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3967 מֵאָה hundred . as simple number

. as part of larger number

. a hundredth part

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3967 me'ah may-aw'

or metyah {may-yaw'}; properly, a primitive numeral; a

hundred; also as a multiplicative and a

fraction:--hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֵאָה (me.ah) — hundred.

1) hundred

1a) as simple number

1b) as part of larger number

1c) as a fraction-one one-hundredth (1/100)

Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְאָה "hundred" H3969)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfpa — Noun common · feminine plural absolute
HNcfpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).

See NUMBER.

[the] descendants of Judah bearers of shield and spear six thousand and eight hundred [men] equipped of war
חֲלוּצֵ֥יcha.lu.Tzei [men] equipped of H2502 Verb · Qal · participle (passive) masculine plural common
44× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To arm or equip for war is the meaning of this verb, used to describe preparing for battle. It is translated as arm, deliver, or strengthen in the KJV Bible.
Tyndale gloss
to rescue
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָלַץ (chalats) is a Hebrew verb that encompasses a range of meanings related to drawing out or withdrawing, as well as rescuing or delivering. It can also imply equipping for war or strengthening. The entries indicate that it can be used in various forms, including to arm oneself or to be delivered. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָלַץ vb. draw off or out, withdraw

Qal

draw, draw off

intrans. withdraw

Niph. be delivered

Pi.

pull out, tear out

rescue, deliver

base

[חָלַץ] vb. equip for war

Qal only Pt. pass.—equipped

as adj.

as subst. sg. coll.

Niph. be or go equipped

Hiph. will brace up, invigorate, thy bones

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2502a חָלַץ draw off or out, withdraw .. draw, draw off

. intrans. withdraw

. be delivered

. . pull out, tear out

. rescue, deliver

H2502b חָלַץ equip for war .only Pt. pass.—equipped . as adj.

. as subst. sq. coll.

. be or go equipped

. will brace up, invigorate, thy bones

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2502 chalats khaw-lats'

a primitive root; to pull off; hence (intensively) to strip,

(reflex.) to depart; by implication, to deliver, equip (for

fight); present, strengthen:--arm (self), (go, ready) armed (X

man, soldier), deliver, draw out, make fat, loose, (ready)

prepared, put off, take away, withdraw self.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָלַץ (cha.lats) — to rescue.

1) to draw off or out, withdraw

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to draw, draw off

1a2) to withdraw

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be delivered

1b2) to be saved

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to pull out, tear out

1c2) to rescue, deliver, set free

1c3) to take away, plunder

חָלַץ (cha.lats) — to arm.

1) to equip (for war), arm for war, rescue, be rescued

1a) (Qal) equipped (participle)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be equipped

1b2) to go equipped

1b3) to be armed

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to make strong, brace up

1c2) to invigorate

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | V-Qal-Inf-c — Verb · Qal · participle (passive) masculine plural common
HVqsmpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

[the] descendants of Judah bearers of shield and spear six thousand and eight hundred [men] equipped of war
צָבָֽא׃ סtza.Va' war H6635 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
485× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a large group of people or things, often referring to an army or a campaign, and is also used to describe the Lord's hosts. It appears in the Bible as a name for God, emphasizing His power and authority. In the KJV, it's translated as 'host' or 'army'.
Amplified meaning
bearing shield and spear, armed for war
Tyndale gloss
army
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word צָבָא (*tsaba'*) primarily means 'army' or 'warfare,' encompassing organized groups for battle, divine hosts, and even celestial bodies. It can also refer to service or duty in a military context. The term appears in various forms, including צְבָאוֹת (*tsaba'ot*), which denotes the 'hosts' of the Lord, particularly in relation to God's role in warfare.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צָבָא 485 n.m. army, war, warfare

army, host

war, warfare, service

service

צְבָאוֹת, in name of י׳ as God of war, prob. first in time of warlike David (some connect with sacred ark, but ark older)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6635a צָבָא army, war, warfare . army, host

. war, warfare, service

. service

H6635b צְבָאוֹת army, war, warfare . army, host

. war, warfare, service

. service

. צְבָאוֹת, in name of י׳ as God of war, prob. first in time of warlike David (some connect with sacred ark, but ark older)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6635 tsaba' tsaw-baw'

or (feminine) tsbadah {tseb-aw-aw'}; from 6633; a mass of

persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized

for war (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or

figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship):--appointed

time, (+) army, (+) battle, company, host, service, soldiers,

waiting upon, war(-fare).

see HEBREW for 06633

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צָבָא (tsa.va) — army.

: army

1) that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host

1a) army, host

1a1) host (of organised army)

1a2) host (of angels)

1a3) of sun, moon, and stars

1a4) of whole creation

1b) war, warfare, service, go out to war

1c) service

צָבָא (tsa.va) — Hosts.

The Hosts (of the Lord)

Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

צָבָא (tsa.va) — army: war.

: war

1) that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host

1a) army, host

1a1) host (of organised army)

1a2) host (of angels)

1a3) of sun, moon, and stars

1a4) of whole creation

1b) war, warfare, service, go out to war

1c) service

צָבָא (tsa.va) — army: duty.

: duty

1) that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host

1a) army, host

1a1) host (of organised army)

1a2) host (of angels)

1a3) of sun, moon, and stars

1a4) of whole creation

1b) war, warfare, service, go out to war

1c) service

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

War

The Israelites had to take possession of the Promised Land by conquest. They had to engage in a long and bloody war before the Canaanitish tribes were finally subdued. Except in the case of Jericho and Ai, the war did not become aggressive till after the death of Joshua. Till then the attack was always first made by the Canaanites. Now the measure of the iniquity of the Canaanites was full, and Israel was employed by God to sweep them away from off the face of the earth. In entering on this new stage of the war, the tribe of Judah, according to divine direction, took the lead.

In the days of Saul and David the people of Israel engaged in many wars with the nations around, and after the division of the kingdom into two they often warred with each other. They had to defend themselves also against the inroads of the Egyptians, the Assyrians, and the Babylonians. The whole history of…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The most important topic in connection with war is the formation of the army which is destined to carry it on. [ARMY] In (1 Kings 9:22) at a period (Solomon’s reign) when the organization of the army was complete, we have apparently a list of the various gradations of rank in the service, as follows: "Men of war" = privates ; "servants," the lowest rank of officers --lieutenants ; "princes" = captains ; "captains," perhaps = staff officers ; "rulers of the chariots and his horsemen" = cavalry officers . Formal proclamations of war were not interchanged between the belligerents. Before entering the enemy’s district spies were seat to ascertain the character of the country and the preparations of its inhabitants for resistance. (Numbers 13:17;

One of the evil fruits of the fall, and an appalling manifestation of the depravity of mankind, Ge 6:11-13 Isa 9:5 Jas 4:1-2, often rendered apparently inevitable by the assaults of enemies, or commanded by God for their punishment. See AMALEKITES and CANAAN.

By this scourge, subsequently to the conquest of Canaan, God chastised both his own rebellious people and the corrupt and oppressive idolaters around them. In many cases, moreover, the issue was distinctly made between the true God and idols; as with the Philistines, 1Sa 17:43-47; the Syrians, 1Ki 20:23-30; the Assyrians,

→ Averted Jos 22:11-34

→ Enemy harangued by the general of the opposing side 2Ki 18:19-36; 2Ch 13:4-12

→ Of extermination Nu 31:7-17; De 2:33,34; 3:6; 20:13-18;

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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