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1 Kings 2:22 — Word Study

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WLCוַיַּעַן֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֜ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְאִמּ֗וֹ וְלָמָה֩ אַ֨תְּ שֹׁאֶ֜לֶת אֶת־ אֲבִישַׁ֤ג הַשֻּׁנַמִּית֙ לַאֲדֹ֣נִיָּ֔הוּ וְשַֽׁאֲלִי־ לוֹ֙ אֶת־ הַמְּלוּכָ֔ה כִּ֛י ה֥וּא אָחִ֖י הַגָּד֣וֹל מִמֶּ֑נִּי וְלוֹ֙ וּלְאֶבְיָתָ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וּלְיוֹאָ֖ב בֶּן־ צְרוּיָֽה׃ פ

BSAKingmelek SolomonShᵉlômôh [the peaceful ruler] answeredʻânâh his motherʼêm Whymâh do youʼattâh requestshâʼal [ask for, seek] AbishagʼĂbîyshag [a young woman, a Shunammite] the ShunammiteShûwnammîyth [a woman from Shunem] for AdonijahʼĂdônîyâh [my older brother, a son of David] Sincekîy hehûwʼ is my oldergâdôwl brotherʼâch [my elder, a sibling] you might as well requestshâʼal [ask for, demand] the kingdommᵉlûwkâh [the kingship, royal authority] and for AbiatharʼEbyâthâr [the high priest, a spiritual leader] the priestkôhên [one who serves God, a mediator] and for JoabYôwʼâb [a military leader, David's nephew] sonbên of ZeruiahTsᵉrûwyâh [a woman of noble character, David's sister]

Word
Listen & take away1 Kings 2
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 22 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 (tze.ru.Yah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Kings 2:22quick helps
In a sentenceKing Solomon responds to his mother with a rhetorical question about her request for Abishag.
Who is speakingKing Solomon, addressing his mother.
Where we areIn a conversation about royal succession and familial relationships.
The hard wordשֹׁאֶ֜לֶת
Take awaySolomon's response highlights the implications of his brother's request.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectאַתְּ verbעָנָה 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 Kings 2:22

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 — The Succession of Solomongenerated

21So Bathsheba said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as his wife.”
22King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my older brother, you might as well request the kingdom for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”
23Then King Solomon swore by the LORD: “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if Adonijah has not made this request at the expense of his life.
24And now, as surely as the LORD lives—the One who established me, who set me on the throne of my father David, and who founded for me a dynasty as He promised—surely Adonijah shall be put to death today!”

1 Kings 2:22 presents a dialogue between King Solomon and his mother Bathsheba regarding a request made for Abishag, a young woman who cared for David. Solomon's answer reveals his awareness of the political implications of such a request, as it could suggest a claim to the throne by his brother Adonijah. This moment is critical in the narrative of Solomon's rise to power and the tensions within the royal family, as seen in the preceding and following verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Matthew 20:22“You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” the brothers answered.
2Mark 10:38“You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I will drink, or be baptized with the baptism I will undergo?”
3James 4:3And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.
41 Kings 1:5–7At that time Adonijah, David’s son by Haggith, began to exalt himself, saying, “I will be king!” And he acquired chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run ahead of him.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

the kingdom1 Kings 1:5–7

The Key Word שֹׁאֶ֜לֶת, sho.'E.letgenerated

The Hebrew word שֹׁאֶ֜לֶת (*sho'eleth*) is a feminine singular participle derived from the root שָׁאַל (*sha'al*), which means to ask or inquire. This form emphasizes the action of asking, often in a context of seeking something specific, such as a favor or request.

In this verse, it conveys Bathsheba's act of requesting Abishag for Adonijah, highlighting the familial and political dynamics at play. The participial form indicates an ongoing action, suggesting that this is not a one-time request but part of a larger conversation about power and relationships.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations generally agree on the meaning of שֹׁאֶ֜לֶת, using terms like request (BSB) and asking (KJV, ASV).


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is וַיַּעַן (*vai.ya'an*), and he answered, which governs the entire sentence. Solomon's response is structured around a rhetorical question, emphasizing the implications of his mother’s request.

The sentence is complex, with multiple clauses: the main clause expresses Solomon's answer, while subordinate clauses elaborate on the request and its implications for royal succession.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates שֹׁאֶ֜לֶת as ᾔτησαι (*aiteisai*), which means 'to ask' or 'to request.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning but may carry a slightly more formal connotation.

This translation choice reflects the translators' understanding of the request's significance in the context of royal authority and familial relationships.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Kings 2:22 shows King Solomon responding to his mother Bathsheba, questioning her request for Abishag for his brother Adonijah. He highlights that if she is asking for Abishag, she might as well ask for the kingship for him as well, indicating the serious implications of her request.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Solomon imply by questioning his mother's request?

Solomon implies that asking for Abishag for Adonijah could be seen as a claim to the throne, highlighting the political tensions in the royal family.

Who is Abishag?

Abishag is a young woman from Shunem who cared for King David in his old age, and her role in this context is significant due to the implications of her being requested for Adonijah.

What does this verse reveal about Solomon's character?

This verse reveals Solomon's awareness of political maneuvering and his protective stance over his kingship, indicating his wisdom and caution in handling family matters.

How does this verse connect to the larger narrative of Solomon's reign?

This verse connects to the larger narrative by illustrating the immediate challenges Solomon faced in securing his throne and the familial conflicts that arose during his ascent to power.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What can we learn about the importance of communication in family dynamics from this verse?
  2. How do the political implications of requests in our lives affect our relationships?
  3. In what ways can we navigate sensitive conversations with wisdom, as Solomon did?
  4. What role does understanding context play in interpreting requests and responses in our interactions?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Kings 2:22 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And King Solomon answered and said unto his mother,.... With as much gentleness and mildness as he could, but inwardly fired at her request, and amazed at it, and could not forbear using some degree

Read John Gill on 1 Kings 2 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah?

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Kings 2 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ask for him the kingdom also: his design is not upon Abishag, but upon the kingdom; which, by this means, he thinks to recover; partly because she was the last king’ s wife, or concubine, which might strengthen his pretence to the crown; see 12:8 16:21; and partly because by her eminent beauty, and near relation to David, she had a powerful interest in the court. Quest. Was not this too harsh a censure, and the following punishment of it too severe? Answ. 1. That Adonijah had such a design is very probable, both from his temper, for he was an aspiring and designing man, and highly discontented with Solomon’ s government, and desirous of a change; and from the nature of the thing, because he…

Read Matthew Poole on 1 Kings 2 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Kings 2:22 And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he [is] mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.Ver. 22. Ask for him the kingdom also.] For that is it he gapes after, and seeks to strengthen his cracked title by marrying the late king’ s concubine, who was likely grown very gracious with the great ones, and as potent at court, as was once here Dame Alice Pierce, King Edward III’ s concubine, who did whatsoever she pleased. And for Abiathar the priest and for Joab.] Who are his counsellors, and fellow conspirators. This he knew…

Read John Trapp on 1 Kings 2 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(22) And why dost thou ask?—In Solomon’s answer there is a certain bitterness, venting itself in irony, which seems to argue the mingling with kingly dignity and policy of some passionate feeling, not unlike the bursts of passion in his father, as in the case of Nabal (1 Samuel 25:21-22). It certainly gives some probability to the conjecture (see Note on 1:3) that Abishag was the “fair Shulamite” of the Song of Solomon, already loved by the youthful king. In his wrath he infers, rightly or wrongly, that the hand of the conspirators is seen in this petition, and executes vengeance accordingly, summarily and without giving them any trial or opportunity of excusing themselves.

Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Kings 2 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

22. and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah] These two having aided Adonijah in his attempt on the throne, would naturally have been his chief ministers and advisers had he succeeded. So Solomon includes them with him, and thus Bath-sheba may see whither the design of Adonijah is tending. The Vulgate renders the clause ‘even for him’ (literally and for him) in a different sense, ‘et habet Abiathar, &c.’ making the words imply that Adonijah is already equipped with advisers for the kingdom at which he is aiming. The LXX. has ‘And he has Abiathar and Joab the son of Zeruiah, the chief captain as his friend’ (ἑταῖρος). The last word of the Hebrew text is φψειδ. It would…

Read Cambridge on 1 Kings 2 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ask for him the kingdom also - Bath-sheba had not seen anything dangerous or suspicious in Adonijah’s request. Solomon, on the contrary, takes alarm at once. To ask for Abishag was to ask for the kingdom.

Read Albert Barnes on 1 Kings 2 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

22. Ask for him the kingdom also — To marry Abishag, who was virtually a concubine of the deceased king, (see note on chap. 1 Kings 1:3,) was ostensibly to invade the royal harem, and thus assume royal prerogatives.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on 1 Kings 2 →

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

King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my older brother, you might as well request the kingdom for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”

WEBWorld English Bible2000

King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.”

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my older brother, you might as well request the kingdom for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”

NETBNew English Translation2006

King Solomon answered his mother, “Why just request Abishag the Shunammite for him? Since he is my older brother, you should also request the kingdom for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And king Solomon answered and said to his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunamite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is my elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

But King Salomon answered and sayd vnto his mother, And why doest thou aske Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? aske for him the kingdome also: for he is mine elder brother, and hath for him both Abiathar the Priest, and Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And king Solomon answered and said to his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And king Solomon answereth and saith to his mother, 'And why art thou asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? also ask for him the kingdom — for he [is] mine elder brother — even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah.'

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And King Solomon answers and says to his mother, “And why are you asking [for] Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Also ask [for] the kingdom for him—for he [is] my elder brother—even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah.”

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adoniyah? rather ask for him the kingdom; for he is my elder brother;— even for him, and for Ebyathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruyah.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “Why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Why do you not ask the kingdom for him also, for he is my elder brother—for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah?”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And king Solomon answered, and said to his mother: Why dost thou ask Abisag the Sunamitess for Adonias? ask for him also the kingdom: for he is my elder brother, and hath Abiathar the priest, and Joab the son of Sarvia.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

King Solomon answered his mother, “Why on earth are you asking me to give Abishag to Adonijah? You might as well ask me to give my brother the kingdom! He is my older brother, and Abiathar the priest and Joab, son of Zeruiah, are on his side!”

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Then King Solomon made answer and said to his mother, Why are you requesting me to give Abishag the Shunammite to Adonijah? Take the kingdom for him in addition, for he is my older brother, and Abiathar the priest and Joab, the son of Zeruiah, are on his side.

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.

וַandclauseverbיַּעַן֩he.answerednoun phrase · subjectnoun phraseהַtheמֶּ֨לֶךְkingשְׁלֹמֹ֜הSolomonוַandclauseverbיֹּ֣אמֶרhe.saidprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtonoun phraseאִמּ֗motherוֹhisוְandclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָמָה֩why?subjectאַ֨תְּ[are].youverbשֹׁאֶ֜לֶתaskingnoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseאֲבִישַׁ֤גAbishagnoun phraseהַtheשֻּׁנַמִּית֙Shunammiteprepositional phrase · prepositionalלַforאֲדֹ֣נִיָּ֔הוּAdonijahוְandclauseclauseverbשַֽׁאֲלִיaskprepositional phrase · prepositionalלforוֹ֙himnoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseהַtheמְּלוּכָ֔הkingshipclauseכִּ֛י(dm)clausesubjectה֥וּאhenoun phrase · predicatenoun phraseאָחִ֖brotherי[is].myadjective phraseהַ(the)adjective phraseגָּד֣וֹלoldprepositional phraseמִמֶּ֑moreנִּיthan.meוְandclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalprepositional phraseלforוֹ֙himוּandprepositional phraseלְfornoun phraseאֶבְיָתָ֣רAbiatharnoun phraseהַtheכֹּהֵ֔ןpriestוּandprepositional phraseלְfornoun phraseיוֹאָ֖בJoabnoun phraseבֶּןthe.sonצְרוּיָֽהof.Zeruiah

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 in their rendering of this verse, with a close correspondence in wording, indicating a consistent understanding of the text across these traditions.

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

וַיַּעַן֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֜ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְאִמּ֗וֹ וְלָמָה֩ אַ֨תְּ שֹׁאֶ֜לֶת אֶת־ אֲבִישַׁ֤ג הַשֻּׁנַמִּית֙ לַאֲדֹ֣נִיָּ֔הוּ וְשַֽׁאֲלִי־ לוֹ֙ אֶת־ הַמְּלוּכָ֔ה כִּ֛י ה֥וּא אָחִ֖י הַגָּד֣וֹל מִמֶּ֑נִּי וְלוֹ֙ וּלְאֶבְיָתָ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וּלְיוֹאָ֖ב בֶּן־ צְרוּיָֽה׃ פ

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיַּעַן֩ἀπεκρίθηהַמֶּ֨לֶךְσαλωμωνוַיֹּ֣אמֶרεἶπενלְאִמּ֗וֹαὐτοῦוְלָמָה֩τίשֹׁאֶ֜לֶתᾔτησαιאֲבִישַׁ֤גαβισακלַאֲדֹ֣נִיָּ֔הוּαδωνιαוְשַֽׁאֲלִי־αἴτησαιלוֹ֙αὐτῷהַמְּלוּכָ֔הβασιλείανכִּ֛יὅτιה֥וּאοὗτοςאָחִ֖יμουהַגָּד֣וֹלμέγαςמִמֶּ֑נִּיἐμέוְלוֹ֙αὐτῷוּלְאֶבְיָתָ֣רαβιαθαρהַכֹּהֵ֔ןἱερεὺςוּלְיוֹאָ֖בιωαβבֶּן־υἱὸςצְרוּיָֽה׃ פσαρουιας

22 of the 27 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 Kings 2:22עוּןand he answand he answeredעוּןמֶ֫לֶךְthe kingthe kingמֶ֫לֶךְשְׁלֹמֹהSolomonSolomonשְׁלֹמֹהאָמַרand he saidand he saidאָמַראֵםto mother hto mother hisאֵםמָהand why?and why?מָהאַתָּ֫ה[are] you[are] youאַתָּ֫השָׁאַלaskingaskingשָׁאַלאֵתthe object the object markאֵתאֲבִישַׁגAbishagAbishagאֲבִישַׁגשׁוּנַמִּיתthe Shunammthe Shunammiteשׁוּנַמִּיתאֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּfor Adonijafor Adonijahאֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּשָׁאַלand askand askשָׁאַלוֹfor himfor himוֹאֵתthe object the object markאֵתמְלוּכָהthe kingshithe kingshipמְלוּכָהכִּיforforכִּיהוּאheheהוּאאָח[is] brothe[is] brother myאָחגָּדוֹלoldoldגָּדוֹלמִן־more than mmore than meמִן־וֹand for himand for himוֹאֶבְיָתָרand for Abiand for Abiathaאֶבְיָתָרכֹּהֵןthe priestthe priestכֹּהֵןיוֹאָבand for Joaand for Joabיוֹאָבבֵּן[the] son o[the] son ofבֵּןצְרוּיָהZeruiahZeruiahצְרוּיָהאָבfatherfatherאָבמָלַךְto reignto reignמָלַךְאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתעָנָהbe occupiebe occupiedעָנָהשָׁלוֹםPeacePeaceשָׁלוֹםשׁוּנֵםShunemShunemשׁוּנֵםאָדוֹןlordlordאָדוֹןגָּדַלto magnifyto magnifyגָּדַליהוהThe LordThe Lordיהוהבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהמֵןstringstringמֵןכָּהַןto ministeto ministerכָּהַןצֳרִיbalsambalsamצֳרִישְׁאֵלָהpetitionpetitionשְׁאֵלָהמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁאֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּAdonijahAdonijahאֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּאִיּוֹבJobJobאִיּוֹבשָׁוַעto cryto cryשָׁוַע
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 Kings 2:22

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.

and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
וַיַּעַן֩vai.ya.'An and he answered H6030 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
332× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to sing or make music, but also to respond or give an answer. In the Bible, it is used to describe praising God in song or responding to a question. The KJV translates it as 'sing' or 'answer'.
Tyndale gloss
to dwell
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עָנָה (*anah*) is built from a primitive root meaning to heed or pay attention, covering a range of meanings including to answer, respond, testify, and sing. It appears in contexts where one responds to speech or circumstances, and can also refer to singing. The lexicons indicate that it can imply both verbal responses and musical expression.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[עוּן] vb. dwell

base

עָנָה 316 vb. answer, respond

Qal

answer, respond to sthg. said, actual or implied

respond to an occasion, speak in view of circumstances

money meets all demands

specif. respond as a witness, testify

less oft. make response as one accused (respondent)

Niph.

make answer

be answered

Hiph. wholly dub.; causes all things to respond in the joy of his heart

base

עָנָה vb. sing

Qal sing, utter tunefully

Pi. sing sweetly of it

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6030a עוּן dwell H6030b עָנָה answer, respond .. answer, respond to sthg. said, actual or implied

. . respond to an occasion, speak in view of circumstances

. money meets all demands

. . specif. respond as a witness, testify

. less oft. make response as one accused (respondent)

. . make answer

. be answered

. wholly dub.; causes all things to respond in the joy of his heart

H6030c עָנָה sing

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6030 `anah aw-naw'

a primitive root; properly, to eye or (generally) to heed,

i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extens. to

begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify,

announce:--give account, afflict (by mistake for 6031),

(cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for 6031), cry,

hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, X scholar, (give a) shout, sing

(together by course), speak, testify, utter, (bear) witness.

See also 1042, 1043.

see HEBREW for 06031

see HEBREW for 06031

see HEBREW for 01042

see HEBREW for 01043

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עוּן (un) — to dwell.

(Qal) to dwell

עָנָה (a.nah) — to answer.

1) to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to answer, respond to

1a2) to testify, respond as a witness

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to make answer

1b2) to be answered, receive answer

Aramaic equivalent: a.nah (עֲנָה "to answer" H6032)

עָנָה (a.nah) — to sing.

(Qal) to sing, utter tunefully

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
הַמֶּ֨לֶךְha.Me.lekh the king H4428 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
2,526× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a king or royal person, like King David or King Saul. It can also describe something related to a king, like the King's Valley in Genesis. The Bible often uses this word to talk about the rulers of Israel.
Tyndale gloss
King's
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מֶ֫לֶךְ (*melek*) means 'king.' It is derived from a root that suggests royalty. The term appears in various contexts, including references to specific kings and locations, such as the 'King's Highway' in Numbers 20:17 and the 'King's Valley' in Genesis 14:17. The lexicons note its Aramaic equivalent and mention its use in the context of individuals like Hammelech in Jeremiah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4428 מֶ֫לֶךְ king

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4428 melek meh'-lek

from 4427; a king:--king, royal.

see HEBREW for 04427

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — king.

1) king

Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

הַמֶּלֶךְ (me.lekh) — `the king`.

'the king' or a name, Hammelech in KJV of Jer.36.26; 38.6- a man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

§ A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Highway) (Num.20.17)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

Another name of she.lach (שֶׁ֫לַח "Shelah" H7975A)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — Milcom.

Another name of mo.lekh (מֹ֫לֶךְ "Molech" H4432)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Valley) (Gen.14.17)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

King

Is in Scripture very generally used to denote one invested with authority, whether extensive or limited. There were thirty-one kings in Canaan (Josh. 12:9, 24), whom Joshua subdued. Adonibezek subdued seventy kings (Judg. 1:7). In the New Testament the Roman emperor is spoken of as a king (1 Pet. 2:13, 17); and Herod Antipas, who was only a tetrarch, is also called a king (Matt. 14:9; Mark 6:22).

This title is applied to God (1 Tim. 1:17), and to Christ, the Son of God (1 Tim. 6:15, 16;

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Called KING OF KINGS Ezr 7:12; Eze 26:7; Da 2:37

→ Divinely authorized De 17:15; 1Sa 9:16,17; 16:12; 1Ch 22:10; 2Ch 2:11,12; Pr 8:15; Da 2:21,37; 4:17; 5:20; Ho 8:4; 13:11

→ How chosen

By divine appointment, Saul 1Sa 10:1

and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
שְׁלֹמֹ֜הshe.lo.Moh Solomon H8010 Noun proper masculine
293× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Shelomoh, or Solomon, was a king of Judah and successor of his father David, first mentioned in 2 Samuel 5:14 and known for his wisdom.
Amplified meaning
the peaceful ruler
Tyndale gloss
Solomon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׁלֹמֹה (Shlomoh) refers to Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba, known as a king of Judah. The name means 'peaceful' and he is recognized as the third king of Israel, credited with authorship of Proverbs and Song of Songs. He is first mentioned in 2 Samuel 5:14.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׁלֹמֹה 293 n.pr.m. Solomon

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8010 שְׁלֹמֹה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8010 Shlomoh shel-o-mo'

from 7965; peaceful; Shelomah, David's successor:--Solomon.

see HEBREW for 07965

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁלֹמֹה (she.lo.moh) — Solomon.

A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.5.14;

son of: David (H1732) and Bathsheba (H1339);

brother of: Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727) and Nathan (H5416);

half-brother of: Amnon (H0550), Chileab (H3609), Absalom (H0053), Adonijah (H0138), Shephatiah (H8203), Ithream (H3507), Ibhar (H2984), Elishua (H0474), Nepheg (H5298H), Japhia (H3309I), Elishama (H0476H), Eliada (H0450), Eliphelet (H0467), Tamar (H8559H), Elpelet (H0467I), Nogah (H5052) and Jerimoth (H3406N); married to daughter_of_Pharaoh (H6547P) and Naamah (H5279A);

father of: Taphath (H2955), Basemath (H1315) and Rehoboam (H7346); also called Jedidiah at 2Sa.12.25;

§ Solomon = "peace"

son of David by Bathsheba and 3rd king of Israel; author of Proverbs and Song of Songs

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sol'-o-mun (shelomoh; New Testament Solomon):

I. EARLY LIFE

1. Name and Meaning

2. Sources

3. Birth and Upbringing

4. His Accession

5. Closing Days of David

II. REIGN OF SOLOMON

1. His Vision

2. His Policy

3. Its Results

4. Alliance with Tyre

5. Alliance with Egypt

6. Domestic Troubles

III. HIS BUILDINGS

1. The Temple

2. The Palace

3. Other Buildings

4. The Corvee

IV. HIS CHARACTER

1. Personal Qualities

2. His Wisdom

3. His Learning

4. Trade and Commerce

5. Officers of State

6. Wives

7. Revenues

8. Literary Works

LITERATURE

I. Early Life.

Solomon was the son of David and Bath-sheba, and became the 3rd king of Israel.

1. Name and Meaning:

He was so named by his mother (2Sa 12:24, Qere; see TEXT AND MANUSCRIPTS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT; TEXT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT), but by the prophet Nathan, or by his father (Vulgate), he was called Jedidiah--"loved of Yahweh." The name…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Solomon

Peaceful, (Heb. Shelomoh), David’s second son by Bathsheba, i.e., the first after their legal marriage (2 Sam. 12). He was probably born about B.C. 1035 (1 Chr. 22:5; 29:1). He succeeded his father on the throne in early manhood, probably about sixteen or eighteen years of age. Nathan, to whom his education was intrusted, called him Jedidiah, i.e., “beloved of the Lord” (2 Sam. 12:24, 25). He was the first king of Israel “born in the purple.” His father chose him as his successor, passing over the claims of his elder sons: “Assuredly Solomon my son shall reign after me.” His history is recorded in 1 Kings 1-11 and 2 Chr. 1-9. His elevation to the throne took place before his father’s death, and was hastened on mainly by Nathan and Bathsheba, in consequence of the rebellion…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(peaceful). I. Early life and occasion to the throne . --Solomon was the child of David’s old age, the last born of all his sons. (1 Chronicles 3:5) The yearnings of the "man of war" led him to give to the new-horn infant the name of Solomon (Shelomoth, the peaceful one). Nathan, with a marked reference to the meaning of the king’s own name (David, the darling, the beloved one), calls the infant Jedidiah (Jedid’yah), that is, the darling of the Lord. (2 Samuel 11:24,25) He was placed under the care of Nathan from his earliest infancy. At first, apparently, there was no distinct purpose to make him the heir. Absalom was still the king’s favorite son, (2 Samuel 13:37; 18:33) and was looked on by the people as the destined…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Peaceful, the son and successor of David, born of Bathsheba, B. C. 1033. The prophet Nathan called him Jedidiah, "beloved of the Lord," 2Sa 12:25 and he was a child of promise, 1Ch 22:9,10. At the age of eighteen he received from David the throne which his brother Adonijah had endeavored to usurp. Scripture records his earnest and pious petition for wisdom from above, that he might govern that great people well; and the bestowal of the wisdom, with numerous other blessings in its train, Mt 6:33. His unequalled learning and sagacity soon became renowned throughout the East, and continue so even to this day. In every kind of temporal prosperity he was preeminently favored. His unquestioned dominion extended from the Euphrates to…

and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.mer and he said H559 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Hc/Vqw3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
לְאִמּ֗וֹle.'i.Mo to mother his H517 Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
220× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'mother' is used in the Bible to describe a female parent or a maternal figure. It can also refer to the source or origin of something, such as a river or a family. In some cases, it is used figuratively to describe a person's relationship to others.
Tyndale gloss
mother
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֵם (em) means 'mother' and can refer to a human mother, an animal's dam, or even a figurative sense, such as Deborah's nurturing role for her people. It also conveys the idea of a point of departure or division. This word is built from a primitive root and encompasses both literal and figurative meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵם 221 n.f. mother

lit. (human) mother

fig. of Deborah as caring for her people

of animals, dam

= point of departure or division

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H517 אֵם mother . lit. (human) mother

. fig. of Deborah as caring for her people

. of animals, dam

. = point of departure or division

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

517 'em ame

a primitive word; a mother (as the bond of the family); in a

wide sense (both literally and figuratively (like 1):--dam,

mother, X parting.

see HEBREW for 01

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵם (em) — mother.

1) mother

1a) of humans

1b) of Deborah's relationship to the people (fig.)

1c) of animals

2) point of departure or division

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fs | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
וְלָמָה֩ve.la.Mah and why? H4100 Conjunction · preposition · pronoun
753× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means what or how, often used to ask questions or express surprise, like in Genesis when God asks Adam what he has done. It can also mean why or when, and is used in various ways throughout the Old Testament. It appears in many KJV translations, including how or what.
Tyndale gloss
what?
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָה (mah) is a Hebrew word primarily used as an interrogative particle meaning 'what?' or 'how?'. It can also function as an indefinite pronoun, encompassing meanings like 'anything' or 'whatever'. The word is versatile, appearing in various adverbial forms and often used with prefixes to express different nuances, such as reason or manner.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַה‍ּ, מֶה, מַ‍ּ, מָ—pron.interrog. and indef. what? how? aught

interrog. what?

Used adverbially

Indef. pron.

With preps.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4100 מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַה‍ּ, מֶה, מַ‍ּ, מָ—pron. interrog. and indef. what? how? aught . interrog. what?

. Used adverbially

. Indef. pron.

. With preps.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4100 mah maw

or mah {mah}; or ma {maw}; or ma {mah}; also meh {meh}; a

primitive particle; properly, interrogative what? (including

how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including

how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even

relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various

adverbial or conjunctive senses:--how (long, oft, (-

soever)), (no-)thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing),

whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָה (mah) — what?.

interr pron

1) what, how, of what kind

1a) (interrogative)

1a1) what?

1a2) of what kind

1a3) what? (rhetorical)

1a4) whatsoever, whatever, what

1b) (adverb)

1b1) how, how now

1b2) why

1b3) how! (exclamation)

1c) (with prep)

1c1) wherein?, whereby?, wherewith?, by what means?

1c2) because of what?

1c3) the like of what?

1c3a) how much?, how many?, how often?

1c3b) for how long?

1c4) for what reason?, why?, to what purpose?

1c5) until when?, how long?, upon what?, wherefore?

indef pron

2) anything, aught, what may

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Prep | Part — Conjunction · preposition · pronoun
HC/R/Pi
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
אַ֨תְּ'at [are] you H859 Pronoun
1,094× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
You is the translation of a Hebrew word used to address someone directly, like when God says you to someone in the Bible. It can be singular or plural, and is often translated as thee, thou, or ye.
Tyndale gloss
you(m.s.)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַתָּ֫ה (attah) is a second-person pronoun in Hebrew, used to address someone directly. It has masculine and feminine forms: אַתָּה for singular masculine, אַתְּ for singular feminine, אַתֶּם for plural masculine, and אַתֵּן for plural feminine. The entries indicate variations in form and usage, reflecting the pronoun's grammatical complexity.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַתָּ֫ה, אָ֑תָּה pron. 2 s. m. thou

base

אתי, i.e. אתִּי, the older & more original form of אַתְּ thou (fem.)

base

אַתְּ, אָ֑תְּ pron. 2 s. f. thou (fem.)

base

אַתֶּם pron. 2 m. pl. you (masc.)

base

אַתֵּן pron. 2 f. pl. you (fem.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H859a אַתָּ֫ה, אָ֑תָּה pron. 2 s. m. thou H859b אתי, i.e. אתִּי, the older & more original form of אַתְּ thou (fem.) H859c אַתְּ, אָ֑תְּ pron. 2 s. f. thou (fem.) H859d אַתֶּם pron. 2 m. pl. you (masc.) H859e אַתֵּן pron. 2 f. pl. you (fem.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

859 'attah at-taw'

or (shortened); aatta {at-taw'}; or wath {ath}; feminine

(irregular) sometimes nattiy {at-tee'}; plural masculine attem

{at- tem'}; feminine atten {at-ten'}; or oattenah

{at-tay'naw}; or fattennah {at-tane'-naw}; a primitive pronoun

of the second person; thou and thee, or (plural) ye and

you:--thee, thou, ye, you.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַתָּ֫ה (at.tah) — you(m.s.).

you (second pers. sing. masc.)

אתִּי (ti) — you(f.s.).

you (second pers. sing. fem.)

A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)

אַתְּ (at.te) — you(f.s.).

you (second pers. sing. fem.)

A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)

אַתֶּם (at.tem) — you(m.p.).

you (second pers. pl. masc.)

Aramaic equivalent: an.tun (אַנְתּוּן "you" H0608)

אַתֵּן (at.ten) — you(f.p.).

you (second pers. pl. fem.)

A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp2fs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
שֹׁאֶ֜לֶתsho.'E.let asking H7592 Verb · Qal · participle (active) feminine singular
171× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To ask or inquire, this Hebrew word is used in the Bible to describe seeking information or requesting something. It can also mean to beg or borrow, and is used in many different contexts throughout the Old Testament. The KJV translates it as ask, beg, or borrow.
Amplified meaning
ask for, seek
Tyndale gloss
to ask
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁאַל (sha'al) means to ask or inquire, often in the context of requesting a favor or borrowing. It covers a range of uses, including seeking counsel, consulting deities, and even begging. The verb can appear in different forms, such as asking for oneself or granting requests. There is a noted Aramaic equivalent, שְׁאֵל (she.el), meaning 'to ask'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁאַל 170 vb. ask, inquire

Qal

ask, ask for

specif. ask as a fovour, for temporary use, i.e. borrow

in weakened sense, seek, desire (late)

inquire of

inquire of, consult, deity, oracle, etc.

in weakened sense, seek, desire (late)

Niph. ask for oneself

Pi.

inquire carefully

beg, practise beggary

Hiph. (prop. let one ask [successfully], give, or lend, on request, then) grant, make over to (as a favour, with or without request)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7592 שָׁאַל ask, inquire .. . ask, ask for

. specif. ask as a fovour, for temporary use, i.e. borrow

. in weakened sense, seek, desire (late)

. . inquire of

. inquire of, consult, deity, oracle, etc.

. in weakened sense, seek, desire (late)

. ask for oneself

. . inquire carefully

. beg, practise beggary

. (prop. let one ask [successfully], give, or lend, on request, then) grant, make over to (as a favour, with or without request)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7592 sha'al shaw-al'

or shael {shaw-ale'}; a primitive root; to inquire; by

implication, to request; by extension, to demand:--ask

(counsel, on), beg, borrow, lay to charge, consult, demand,

desire, X earnestly, enquire, + greet, obtain leave, lend,

pray, request, require, + salute, X straitly, X surely, wish.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁאַל (sha.al) — to ask.

1) to ask, enquire, borrow, beg

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to ask, ask for

1a2) to ask (as a favour), borrow

1a3) to enquire, enquire of

1a4) to enquire of, consult (of deity, oracle)

1a5) to seek

1b) (Niphal) to ask for oneself, ask leave of absence

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to enquire, enquire carefully

1c2) to beg, practise beggary

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to be given on request

1d2) to grant, make over to, let (one) ask (successfully) or give or lend on request (then) grant or make over to

Aramaic equivalent: she.el (שְׁאֵל "to ask" H7593)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) feminine singular
HVqrfsa
and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
אֲבִישַׁ֤ג'a.vi.Shag Abishag H49 Noun proper feminine
5× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Abishag was a young woman who took care of King David in his old age. Her name means my father is a wanderer, and she is mentioned in 1 Kings 1:3 as a beautiful nurse. Abishag played an important role in David's life.
Amplified meaning
a young woman, a Shunammite
Tyndale gloss
Abishag
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֲבִישַׁג (Abiyshag) refers to a woman mentioned in the Old Testament, specifically as a concubine of King David. The name is interpreted to mean 'my father is a wanderer.' The entries indicate that the name is built from elements meaning 'father' and 'error' or 'blundering,' though the exact derivation is not clear.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲבִישַׁג n.pr.f. (my father is a wanderer (שׁגג) ?) a handmaid of David

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H49 אֲבִישַׁג

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

49 'Abiyshag ab-ee-shag'

from 1 and 7686; father of error (i.e. blundering); Abishag,

a concubine of David:--Abishag.

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 07686

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲבִישַׁג (a.vi.shag) — Abishag.

A woman living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.1.3

§ Abishag = "my father is a wanderer"

David's beautiful young nurse

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper feminine
HNpf
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ab'-i-shag, a-bi'-shag ('abhishagh, apparently, "father of wandering," that is, "cause of wandering," or "my father wanders"): The Shunammite woman who became nurse to King David (1Ki 1-4,15; 2:17,21,22). She was chosen for the service with great care on account of her youth and beauty and physical vigor. She ministered to the king, that is, waited on him as personal attendant and nurse. She also "cherished" him in his feebleness--gave to him through physical contact the advantage of her superabundant vitality. This was a mode of medical treatment recommended by the servants of the king, and it appears to have been not wholly unsuccessful. She had an intimate knowledge of the condition of David, and was present at the interview of Bathsheba with David which resulted in the placing of Solomon on the throne. If that act had been questioned she would have been a most important witness. By…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Abishag

Father of (i.e., “given to”) error, a young woman of Shunem, distinguished for her beauty. She was chosen to minister to David in his old age. She became his wife (1 Kings 1:3,4,15). After David’s death Adonijah persuaded Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, to entreat the king to permit him to marry Abishag. Solomon suspected in this request an aspiration to the throne, and therefore caused him to be put to death (1 Kings 2:17-25).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

a beautiful Shunammite (from Shunem, in the tribe of Issachar), taken into David’s harem to comfort him in his extreme old age. (1 Kings 1:1-4)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A beautiful virgin of Shunem, in Issachar, chosen to marry David in his old age and cherish him. After his death, Adonijah sought her hand to promote his treasonable aspirations, and was punished by death, 1Ki 1:1-2:46.

and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
הַשֻּׁנַמִּית֙ha.shu.na.Mit the Shunammite H7767 Particle · noun gentilic feminine singular absolute
8× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A Shunammitess was a woman from the city of Shunem, a place in Issachar. The Shunammite is first mentioned in 1 Kings 1:3, referring to a female inhabitant of this city.
Amplified meaning
a woman from Shunem
Tyndale gloss
Shunammites
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שׁוּנַמִּית (Shuwnammiyth) refers to a female inhabitant of Shunem, known as a Shunamite. It is derived from the root word for Shunem, which means 'double resting place.' The term is used in the context of people descended from Shunam, first mentioned in 1 Kings 1:3.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שׁוּנַמִּית adj.gent. f. of foregoing [v.bu.ah]

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7767 שׁוּנַמִּית

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7767 Shuwnammiyth shoo-nam-meeth'

patrial from 7766; a Shunammitess, or female inhabitant of

Shunem:--Shunamite.

see HEBREW for 07766

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שׁוּנַמִּית (shu.nam.mit) — Shunammites.

People descended from Shunam(?), first mentioned at 1Ki.1.3

§ Shunammite, of Shunen "double resting place"

an inhabitant of Shunem

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | Ngfsa — Particle · noun gentilic feminine singular absolute
HTd/Ngfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

shoo'-na-mit (shunammith, shunammith; Codex Vaticanus Somaneitis; Codex Alexandrinus Soumanites): Applied to natives of Shunem.

(1) Abishag, who was brought to minister to the aged king David, love for whom led Adonijah to his doom (1Ki 1:3,15; 2:17, etc.).

(2) The woman, name unknown, whose son Elisha raised from the dead (2Ki 4:12, etc.). Later when apparently she had become a widow, after seven years' absence on account of famine, in the land of the Philistines, she returned to find her property in the hands of others. Elisha's intervention secured its restoration (2Ki 8:1-6).

(3) The Shulammite (So 6:13). In this name there is the exchange of "l" for "n" which is common.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Shunammite

A person of Shunem (1 Kings 1:3; 2 Kings 4:12). The Syr. and Arab. read “Sulamite.”

Nave's Topical Bible

1. A person from the city of Shunem

Abishag, the girl who took care of David 1Ki 1:3

Desired by Adonijah as wife 1Ki 2:13-25

2. A woman who gave hospitality to Elisha, and whose son he raised to life 2Ki 4:8-37

Thompson Chain Reference topics

an inhabitant of Shunem

2Ki 4:8,12,16,20,27,36

and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
לַאֲדֹ֣נִיָּ֔הוּla.'a.Do.ni.Ya.hu for Adonijah H138 Preposition · noun proper masculine
26× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Adonijah was a name given to several Israelites, including a son of David who tried to take the throne from Solomon. The name means 'my lord is Jehovah'. Adonijah is mentioned in the books of Nehemiah and Kings.
Amplified meaning
my older brother, a son of David
Tyndale gloss
Adonijah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּ (Adoniyah) means "my lord is Jehovah" and refers to a name associated with three Israelites, including David's fourth son who sought the throne. The entries note his roles as a Levite and a chief during different periods, including the United Monarchy and the Exile and Return.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּ (אֲדֹיִּנָה) n.pr.m. (my Lord is Yahweh)

fourth son of David

a Levite

a chief of the people

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H138 אֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּ, אֲדֹיִּנָה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

138 'Adoniyah ad-o-nee-yaw'

original (prolonged) dAdoniyahuw {ad-o-nee- yaw'-hoo}; from

113 and 3050; lord (i.e. worshipper) of Jah; Adonijah, the

name of three Israelites:--Adonijah.

see HEBREW for 0113

see HEBREW for 03050

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּ (a.do.niy.yah) — Adonijah.

A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.3.4;

son of: David (H1732) and Haggith (H2294);

half-brother of: Amnon (H0550), Chileab (H3609), Absalom (H0053), Shephatiah (H8203), Ithream (H3507), Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727), Nathan (H5416), Solomon (H8010), Ibhar (H2984), Elishua (H0474), Nepheg (H5298H), Japhia (H3309I), Elishama (H0476H), Eliada (H0450), Eliphelet (H0467), Tamar (H8559H), Elpelet (H0467I), Nogah (H5052) and Jerimoth (H3406N)

§ Adonijah = "my lord is Jehovah"

1) fourth son of David and Solomon's rival for the throne

2) Levite sent by Jehoshaphat to teach the Law

3) a chief of the people who co-operated with Nehemiah

אֲדֹנִיָּ֫הוּ (a.do.niy.yah) — Adonijah.

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 2Ch.17.8

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper masculine
HR/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ad-o-ni'-ja ('adhoniyahu or 'adhoniyah, "my lord is Yahweh"):

(1) The son of David and Haggith, the forth of David's sons, born in Hebron after David became king of Judah, principally known for his attempt to become king instead of Solomon (2Sa 3:4; 1Ch 3:2; 1Ki 1,2). The record gives no details concerning Chileab, the son of David and Abigail. Leaving him out, Adonijah was the oldest living son of David, after the death of Amnon and Absalom.

In treating the record it has been needlessly obscured by neglecting or distorting the time data. It says that the rebellion of Absalom broke out "at an end of forty years" (2Sa 15:7). The natural meaning is not forty years after the last-mentioned preceding date, but at the close of the…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Adonijah

My Lord is Jehovah. (1.) The fourth son of David (2 Sam. 3:4). After the death of his elder brothers, Amnon and Absalom, he became heir-apparent to the throne. But Solomon, a younger brother, was preferred to him. Adonijah, however, when his father was dying, caused himself to be proclaimed king. But Nathan and Bathsheba induced David to give orders that Solomon should at once be proclaimed and admitted to the throne. Adonijah fled and took refuge at the altar, and received pardon for his conduct from Solomon on the condition that he showed himself “a worthy man” (1 Kings 1:5-53). He afterwards made a second attempt to gain the throne, but was seized and put to death (1 Kings 2:13-25).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(my Lord is Jehovah). The fourth son of David by Haggith, born at Hebron while his father was king of Judah. (2 Samuel 3:4) (B.C. about 1050.) After the death of his three brothers, Amnon, Chileab and Absalom, he became eldest son; and when his father’s strength was visibly declining, put forward his pretensions to the crown. Adonijah’s cause was espoused by Abiathar and by Joab the famous commander of David’s army. [JOAB] His name and influence secured a large number of followers among the captains of the royal army belonging to the tribe of Judah, comp. (1 Kings 1:5) and these, together with all the princes except Solomon, were entertained by Adonijah at the great sacrificial feast held "by the stone Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel." [EN-ROGEL] Apprised of these proceedings, David…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The fourth son of David, by Haggith, 2Sa 3:4. After the death of Amnon and Absalom, he aspired to the throne, although it was promised to Solomon, his younger brother. Having gained over Joab and Abiathar and other adherents, he at length openly revolted and claimed the crown while David was yet living. The news of this revolt being brought to the king at once; upon which the friends of Adonijah dispersed, and he took refuge at the horns of the altar. Solomon dismissed him with only an admonition. But soon after the death of David, he applied for the hand of Abishag, thus renewing his pretensions to the throne, for which he was put to death, 1Ki 1:1-2:46.

and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
וְשַֽׁאֲלִי־ve.sha.'a.li- and ask H7592 Conjunction · verb qal imperative second person feminine singular
171× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To ask or inquire, this Hebrew word is used in the Bible to describe seeking information or requesting something. It can also mean to beg or borrow, and is used in many different contexts throughout the Old Testament. The KJV translates it as ask, beg, or borrow.
Amplified meaning
ask for, demand
Tyndale gloss
to ask
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁאַל (sha'al) means to ask or inquire, often in the context of requesting a favor or borrowing. It covers a range of uses, including seeking counsel, consulting deities, and even begging. The verb can appear in different forms, such as asking for oneself or granting requests. There is a noted Aramaic equivalent, שְׁאֵל (she.el), meaning 'to ask'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁאַל 170 vb. ask, inquire

Qal

ask, ask for

specif. ask as a fovour, for temporary use, i.e. borrow

in weakened sense, seek, desire (late)

inquire of

inquire of, consult, deity, oracle, etc.

in weakened sense, seek, desire (late)

Niph. ask for oneself

Pi.

inquire carefully

beg, practise beggary

Hiph. (prop. let one ask [successfully], give, or lend, on request, then) grant, make over to (as a favour, with or without request)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7592 שָׁאַל ask, inquire .. . ask, ask for

. specif. ask as a fovour, for temporary use, i.e. borrow

. in weakened sense, seek, desire (late)

. . inquire of

. inquire of, consult, deity, oracle, etc.

. in weakened sense, seek, desire (late)

. ask for oneself

. . inquire carefully

. beg, practise beggary

. (prop. let one ask [successfully], give, or lend, on request, then) grant, make over to (as a favour, with or without request)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7592 sha'al shaw-al'

or shael {shaw-ale'}; a primitive root; to inquire; by

implication, to request; by extension, to demand:--ask

(counsel, on), beg, borrow, lay to charge, consult, demand,

desire, X earnestly, enquire, + greet, obtain leave, lend,

pray, request, require, + salute, X straitly, X surely, wish.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁאַל (sha.al) — to ask.

1) to ask, enquire, borrow, beg

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to ask, ask for

1a2) to ask (as a favour), borrow

1a3) to enquire, enquire of

1a4) to enquire of, consult (of deity, oracle)

1a5) to seek

1b) (Niphal) to ask for oneself, ask leave of absence

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to enquire, enquire carefully

1c2) to beg, practise beggary

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to be given on request

1d2) to grant, make over to, let (one) ask (successfully) or give or lend on request (then) grant or make over to

Aramaic equivalent: she.el (שְׁאֵל "to ask" H7593)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-Impv-2fs — Conjunction · verb qal imperative second person feminine singular
HC/Vqv2fs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ask (sha'al "to inquire," "to seek for counsel," "to demand"): It is the word commonly used in the Old Testament and is equivalent to eperotao, "to request," used in the New Testament. It does not imply any inferiority on the part of the person asking (Ps 2:8). It is the Son who is bidden to ask, and therefore the word expresses the request of an equal. It has also the meaning "to inquire": "Wherefore .... ask after my name?" (Ge 32:29) signifying, "Surely you must know who I am." "Ye shall ask me no question" (Joh 16:23), i.e. "about the true meaning of My words, for all will then be clear to you" (Dummelow). aiteo, is the word commonly used with reference to prayer. It means "to ask," "to implore," and presents the…

and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
לוֹ֙lo for him H9033 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

וֹ (o) — him.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp3ms
and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
הַמְּלוּכָ֔הha.me.lu.Khah the kingship H4410 Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
24× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Melukah refers to a kingdom or realm, describing a king's domain or territory. It is related to the concept of royalty and kingship in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
the kingship, royal authority
Tyndale gloss
kingship
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְלוּכָה (mluḵāh) refers to kingship or royalty and is derived from a feminine passive participle of the root word for ruling. It encompasses concepts related to a realm or kingly office, as noted in various lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מְלוּכָה n.f. kingship, royalty

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4410 מְלוּכָה kingship, royalty

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4410 mluwkah mel-oo-kaw'

feminine passive participle of 4427; something ruled, i.e. a

realm:--kingsom, king's, X royal.

see HEBREW for 04427

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְלוּכָה (me.lu.khah) — kingship.

kingship, royalty, kingly office

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
HTd/Ncfsa
and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
כִּ֛יki for H3588 Particle
4,483× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Tyndale gloss
for
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כִּי (ki) is a conjunction primarily meaning 'that,' 'for,' or 'when.' It indicates causal relationships and can express conditions like 'if' or 'though.' The word is versatile, appearing in various contexts to convey certainty, exception, or concession. Notably, it can combine with other particles to modify its meaning, such as in the phrase כִּי אם־ (ki im), meaning 'that if.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי conj. that, for, when

that

Of time, when, of the past

elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

Because, since

base

כִּי אם־

each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

that if

for if

(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

limiting the prec. clause, except

the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

after an oath, surely

base

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3588a כִּי that, for, when . that

. . Of time, when, of the past

. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

. Because, since

H3588b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if

. for if

. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except

. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

. after an oath, surely

H3588c כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3588 kiy kee

a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional

prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent

or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative

conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by

other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch,

where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else,

even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, +

nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then,

therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when,

whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כִּי (ki) — for.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if

1f) but rather, but

1g) except that

1h) only, nevertheless

1i) surely

1j) that is

1k) but if

1l) for though

1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

כִּי [אם] (ki im) — that if: except.

1) except if

1a) but if

1b) even though

כִּי [עַל כֵּן] (ki [al ken]) — for as that: since.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj — Particle
HTc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

for (ki (conjunction), le, from 'el (preposition), and various other words. In the New Testament also the words are various, chiefly gar, kai gar, hoti (conjunctions); anti apo eis dia (accusative), epi (dative and accusative), peri (genitive), pros (genitive and accusative), huper (genitive) (prepositions)): the English Revised Version and the American Standard Revised Version give in many cases more literal or more accurate renderings than those in the King James Version.

In the New Testament the most important preps. from a doctrinal point of view are anti, "face to face," "over against," "instead," "on behalf of," peri, "around," "about," "concerning," huper, "over," "on behalf of." The first has been claimed as stating the substitutionary nature of Christ's sacrifice as contrasted with huper and peri, more frequently used of it. But, although anti in the New Testament often means…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
ה֥וּאhu' he H1931 Pronoun
1,879× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is a pronoun meaning 'he', 'she', or 'it', used to refer to a person or thing. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a subject or make it clear who is being talked about.
Tyndale gloss
he/she/it
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הוּא (hu) is a third-person singular pronoun meaning he, she, or it, used for emphasis or when no verb is present. It can also refer to oneself or serve as a demonstrative pronoun. The word has various nuances, including resuming the subject with emphasis or expressing it unobtrusively. It can indicate 'that' or 'those' when used with the definite article.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it

an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

It resumes the subj. with emph.

Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

As an emph. predicate, of God

In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1931 הוּא, הִיא he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it . an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

. It resumes the subj. with emph.

. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

. As an emph. predicate, of God

. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1931 huw' hoo

of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a

primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or

it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also

(intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same;

sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally

(instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self),

it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they,

this, those, which (is), who.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.

pron 3p s

1) he, she, it

1a) himself (with emphasis)

1b) resuming subj with emphasis

1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)

1d) (anticipating subj)

1e) (emphasising predicate)

1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron

2) that (with article)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ha: The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; transliterated in this Encyclopedia as "h." It came also to be used for the number 5. For name, etc., see ALPHABET.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
אָחִ֖י'a.Chi [is] brother my H251 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
630× 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 a brother or male sibling, but it can also refer to a close relative, friend, or someone with a similar relationship. It is used to describe the bond between brothers, like the relationship between Cain and Abel in Genesis.
Amplified meaning
my elder, a sibling
Tyndale gloss
brother: male-sibling
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָח (ach) means 'brother' and encompasses a broad range of relationships, including literal siblings, half-brothers, and metaphorical kinship. It can refer to any male relative or compatriot, and it may also imply resemblance or reciprocal relationships. The term is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, highlighting both familial and figurative connections.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָח 630 n.m. brother

brother, born of same mother (& father)

indef. = relative

fig. of resemblance

in phr. one … another

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H251 אָח brother

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

251 'ach awkh

a primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of

literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance

(like 1)):--another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other.

Compare also the proper names beginning with "Ah-" or "Ahi-".

see HEBREW for 01

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָח (ach) — brother: male-sibling.

: male-sibling

1) brother

1a) brother of same parents

1b) half-brother (same father)

1c) relative, kinship, same tribe

1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)

1e) (fig.) of resemblance

אָח (ach) — brother: male-relative.

: male-relative

1) brother

1a) brother of same parents

1b) half-brother (same father)

1c) relative, kinship, same tribe

1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)

1e) (fig.) of resemblance

אָח (ach) — brother: compatriot.

: compatriot

1) brother

1a) brother of same parents

1b) half-brother (same father)

1c) relative, kinship, same tribe

1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)

1e) (fig.) of resemblance

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp1bs
and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
הַגָּד֣וֹלha.ga.Dol old H1419 Particle
526× 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 something or someone great, whether in size, age, or importance. It appears in descriptions of the Great Sea and the Philistines. The word is used to convey a sense of magnitude or grandeur.
Tyndale gloss
Great (Sea)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גָּדוֹל (gadol) means 'great' and covers a wide range of meanings, including large in size, number, intensity, sound, age, and importance. It can also refer to notable individuals or even God. Additionally, it appears as a proper noun in reference to a person named in Nehemiah 11:14. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, but do not present significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גָּדוֹל 622 adj. great

in magnitude and extent

in number

in intensity

in sound, loud

in age

in importance

in phrases

cstr.

as subst. concr. do great things

† as subst. neut. greatness of arm

base

הַגְּדוֹלִים n.pr.m. father of Zabdiel Ne 11:14 (RV & so most; but 𝔊 RVm al. the great).

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1419a גָּדוֹל great . in magnitude and extent

. in number

. in intensity

. in sound, loud

. in age

. in importance

. in phrases

. cstr.

. as subst. concr. do great things

. † as subst. neut. greatness of arm

H1419b הַגְּדוֹלִים father of Zabdiel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1419 gadowl gaw-dole'

or (shortened) gadol {gaw-dole'}; from 1431; great (in any

sense); hence, older; also insolent:--+ aloud, elder(-est), +

exceeding(-ly), + far, (man of) great (man, matter,

thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble,

proud thing, X sore, (X ) very.

see HEBREW for 01431

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — great: large.

adj

1) great

1a) large (in magnitude and extent)

1b) in number

1c) in intensity

1d) loud (in sound)

1e) older (in age)

1f) in importance

1f1) important things

1f2) great, distinguished (of men)

1f3) God Himself (of God)

subst

1g) great things

1h) haughty things

1i) greatness

Also means: ga.dol (גָּדוֹל ": old" H1419K)

§ Haggedolim = "the great one"

(CLBL) Haggedolim, the great man?, father of Zabdiel

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — Haggedolim.

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.11.14

§ Haggedolim = "the great one"

(CLBL) Haggedolim, the great man?, father of Zabdiel

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — Great (Sea).

adj

great

Also named: pe.lish.ti (פְּלִשְׁתִּי "(Sea of the )Philistines" H6430I)

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — great: old.

adj

1) great

1a) large (in magnitude and extent)

1b) in number

1c) in intensity

1d) loud (in sound)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | Adj — Particle
HTd/Aamsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

old.

See AGE, OLD.

and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
מִמֶּ֑נִּיmi.Me.ni more than me H4480 Preposition · suffix
1,189× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a portion or part of something, and is often used to show the relationship between things, like from or out of something.
Tyndale gloss
from
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מִן־ (*min*) is a preposition meaning 'from' or 'out of,' indicating separation or origin. It covers various uses, including temporal references, comparisons, and causal relationships. Additionally, it can denote a portion when used as a noun מֵן (*men*). The entries highlight its versatility in expressing different nuances of separation and position.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִן־, and מִ, before יְ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not

with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal

from, against

מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

of position, off, on the side of, on

Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

Partitively

Of time—

as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

towards, to

(וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

In comparisons, beyond, above

מן is prefixed to an infin.:

with causal force, from, on account of, through

after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

with a temporal force, since, after

Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

In compounds:

base

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4480a מִן־, מִ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not . with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal . from, against

. מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

. of position, off, on the side of, on

. Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

. Partitively

. Of time— . as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

. as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

. towards, to

. (וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

. In comparisons, beyond, above

. מן is prefixed to an infin.: . with causal force, from, on account of, through

. after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

. with a temporal force, since, after

. Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4480 min min

or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural)

{min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482; properly, a part of;

hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as

follows):--above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason

of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over,

since, X then, through, X whether, with.

see HEBREW for 04482

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִן־ (min) — from.

prep

1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than

1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of

1b) out of

1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling)

1b2) (of material from which something is made)

1b3) (of source or origin)

1c) out of, some of, from (partitively)

1d) from, since, after (of time)

1e) than, more than (in comparison)

1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or

1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons)

1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive)

conj

2) that

Aramaic equivalent: min (מִן־ "from" H4481)

מֵן (men) — portion.

n.m.

portion

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp1bs
and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
וְלוֹ֙ve.Lo and for him H9033 Conjunction · preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

וֹ (o) — him.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/R/Sp3ms — Conjunction · preposition · suffix
HC/R/Sp3ms
and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
וּלְאֶבְיָתָ֣רu.le.'ev.ya.Tar and for Abiathar H54 Conjunction · preposition · noun proper masculine
30× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Abiathar, an Israelite priest, was a faithful follower of David, but later rebelled with Adonijah, and is mentioned in 1 Samuel 22:20. His name means 'my father is great'.
Amplified meaning
the high priest, a spiritual leader
Tyndale gloss
Abiathar
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶבְיָתָר (Ebyathar) refers to a biblical figure, specifically a priest and the son of Ahimelech. The name suggests a meaning related to abundance or greatness, and he is noted for his loyalty to David before later rebelling with Adonijah. He is first mentioned in 1 Samuel 22:20.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶבְיָתָר n.pr.m. (the Great One is father (?)) a priest, son of Ahimelech

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H54 אֶבְיָתָר

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

54 'Ebyathar ab-yaw-thawr'

contracted from 1 and 3498; father of abundance (i.e.

liberal); Ebjathar, an Israelite:--Abiathar.

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 03498

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶבְיָתָר (ev.ya.tar) — Abiathar.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.22.20;

son of: Ahimelech (H0288);

father of: Ahimelech (H0288I), Jonathan (H3083I)

Also named: Abiathar (Ἀβιαθάρ "Abiathar" G0008)

§ Abiathar = "my father is great"

priest, son of Ahitub (Ahimelech), faithful to David, but later rebelled with Adonijah

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Prep | N-proper — Conjunction · preposition · noun proper masculine
HC/R/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a-bi'-a-thar, ab-i-a'-thar ('ebhyathar, "father of super-excellence," or, "the super-excellent one is father." With changed phraseology these are the explanations commonly given, though "a father remains" would be more in accord with the ordinary use of the stem yathar. The pious Abiathar was still conscious that he had a Father, even after the butchery of his human relatives):

1. The Biblical Account:

The Scriptures represent that Abiathar was descended from Phinehas the son of Eli, and through him from Ithamar the son of Aaron; that he was the son of Ahimelech the head priest at Nob who, with his associates, was put to death by King Saul for alleged conspiracy with David; that he had two sons, Ahimelech and Jonathan, the former of whom was, in Abiathar's lifetime, prominent in the priestly service (1Sa 21:1-9; 22:7 ff;

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Abiathar

Father of abundance, or my father excels, the son of Ahimelech the high priest. He was the tenth high priest, and the fourth in descent from Eli. When his father was slain with the priests of Nob, he escaped, and bearing with him the ephod, he joined David, who was then in the cave of Adullam (1 Sam. 22:20-23; 23:6). He remained with David, and became priest of the party of which he was the leader (1 Sam. 30:7). When David ascended the throne of Judah, Abiathar was appointed high priest (1 Chr. 15:11; 1 Kings 2:26) and the “king’s companion” (1 Chr. 27:34). Meanwhile Zadok, of the house of Eleazar, had been…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(father of abundance , i.e. liberal), High priest and fourth in descent from Eli. (B.C. 1060-1012.) Abiathar was the only one of the all the sons of Ahimelech the high priest who escaped the slaughter inflicted upon his father’s house by Saul, in revenge for his father’s house by Saul, in revenge of his having inquired of the Lord for David and given him the shew-bread to eat. (1 Samuel 22:1) ... Abiathar having become high priest fled to David, and was thus enabled to inquire of the Lord for him. (1 Samuel 23:9; 30:7; 2 Samuel 2:1; 5:19) etc. He adhered to David in his wanderings while pursued by Saul; he was with him while he reigned in Hebron, and afterwards in Jerusalem. (

Son of Ahimelech, and tenth high priest of the Jews. When Saul sent his emissaries to Nob, to destroy all the priests there, Abiathar, who was young, fled to David in the wilderness, 1Sa 22:11-23, with whom he continued in the character of priest, 1Sa 23:9 30:7. Being confirmed in the high priesthood on David’s accession to the throne, he aided in bringing up the ark to Jerusalem, 1Co 15:11,12, and adhered to David during the rebellion of Absalom, 2Sa 15:35, but afterwards was led to follow Adonijah, thus strangely betraying his royal friend in his old age. Solomon succeeding to the throne, degraded him from the priesthood, and sent him to Anathoth,

and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
הַכֹּהֵ֔ןha.ko.Hen the priest H3548 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
750× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, a priest is a person who serves God and leads others in worship, like the Levitical priests in Exodus. They were responsible for making sacrifices and following God's laws. This term is also used to describe Jesus as a priest-king.
Amplified meaning
one who serves God, a mediator
Tyndale gloss
priest
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּהֵן (kohen) means 'priest' and is derived from the active participle of a related root. It encompasses various types of priests, including Levitical, Aaronic, and even pagan priests, as well as chief rulers or principal officers. The term is used in contexts referring to both Jewish and non-Jewish priestly roles.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּהֵן 750 n.m. priest

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3548 כֹּהֵן priest

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3548 kohen ko-hane'

active participle of 3547; literally, one officiating, a

priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a

layman):--chief ruler, X own, priest, prince, principal

officer.

see HEBREW for 03547

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּהֵן (ko.hen) — priest.

1) priest, principal officer or chief ruler

1a) priest-king (Melchizedek, Messiah)

1b) pagan priests

1c) priests of Jehovah

1d) Levitical priests

1e) Zadokite priests

1f) Aaronic priests

1g) the high priest

Aramaic equivalent: ka.hen (כָּהֵן "priest" H3549)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

prest (kohen, "priest," "prince," "minister"; hiereus archiereus; for hiereus megas, of Heb 10:21, see Thayer's Lexicon, under the word hiereus:

I. NATURE OF THE PRIESTLY OFFICE

1. Implies Divine Choice

2. Implies Representation

3. Implies Offering Sacrifice

4. Implies Intercession

II. THE TWO GREAT PRIESTS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, MELCHIZEDEK AND AARON

III. PRIESTLY FUNCTIONS AND CHARACTER

1. A Strictly Religious Order

2. Priestism Denied

3. The High Priest's Qualifications

4. Symbolism of Aaron's Rod

IV. CONSECRATION OF AARON AND HIS SONS (EXODUS 29; LEVITICUS 8)

1. Symbolism of Consecration

2. Type and Archetype

LITERATURE

A priest is one who is duly authorized to minister in sacred things, particularly to offer sacrifices at the altar, and who acts as mediator between men and God. In the New Testament the term is applied to priests of the Gentiles…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Priest

The Heb. kohen, Gr. hierus, Lat. sacerdos, always denote one who offers sacrifices.

At first every man was his own priest, and presented his own sacrifices before God. Afterwards that office devolved on the head of the family, as in the cases of Noah (Gen. 8:20), Abraham (12:7; 13:4), Isaac (26:25), Jacob (31:54), and Job (Job 1:5).

The name first occurs as applied to Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18). Under the Levitical arrangements the office of the priesthood was limited to the tribe of Levi, and to only one family of that tribe, the family of Aaron. Certain laws respecting the qualifications of priests are given in Lev. 21:16-23. There are ordinances also regarding the…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The English word is derived from the Greek presbyter , signifying an "elder" (Heb. cohen). Origin. --The idea of a priesthood connects itself in all its forms, pure or corrupted, with the consciousness, more or less distinct of sin. Men feel that they have broken a law. The power above them is holier than they are, and they dare not approach it. They crave for the intervention of some one of whom they can think as likely to be more acceptable than themselves. He must offer up their prayers, thanksgivings, sacrifices. He becomes their representative in "things pertaining unto God." He may become also (though this does not always follow) the representative of God to man. The functions of the priest and prophet may exist in the same person. No trace of a hereditary or caste priesthood meets us in the worship of the patriarchal age. Once and once only does the word cohen meet us as…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

One who officiated in the public worship of God, especially in making expiation for sin, being "ordained for men in things pertaining to God, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins." In the Old Testament, the priesthood was not annexed to a certain family till after the promulgation of the law by Moses. Before that time, the firstborn of each family, the fathers, the princes, the kings, were priests in their own cities and in their own houses. Cain and Abel, Noah, Abraham, and Job, Abimelech and Laban, Isaac and Jacob offered personally their own sacrifices. In the solemnity of the covenant made by the Lord with his people, at the foot of Mount Sinai, Moses performed the office of mediator, and young men were chosen from among Israel to perform the office of priests, Ex 24:5. But after the Lord had chosen the tribe of Levi to…

and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
וּלְיוֹאָ֖בu.le.yo.'Av and for Joab H3097 Conjunction · preposition · noun proper masculine
145× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Joab was a prominent Israelite, his name means Jehovah is father. He was King David's nephew and army general, playing a key role in the Bible, including in the books of Samuel and Kings.
Amplified meaning
a military leader, David's nephew
Tyndale gloss
Joab
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יוֹאָב (Yow'ab) means 'Jehovah is father' and refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, primarily Joab, the nephew of King David and commander of his army. The name is built from elements meaning 'Jehovah' and 'father.' Joab is first mentioned in 1 Samuel 26:6, and other references include genealogical mentions during and after the exile.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יוֹאָב n.pr.m. (י׳ is father)

David’s sister’s son & captain of host

a descendant of Judah

a family-name after exile

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3097 יוֹאָב

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3097 Yow'ab yo-awb'

from 3068 and 1; Jehovah-fathered; Joab, the name of three

Israelites:--Joab.

see HEBREW for 03068

see HEBREW for 01

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יוֹאָב (yo.av) — Joab.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.26.6; his mother was Zeruiah (H6870);

brother of: Abishai (H0052) and Asahel (H6214)

§ Joab = "Jehovah is father"

1) son of David's sister Zeruiah and general of David's army

2) a Judaite descendant of Kenaz

3) a post exilic family

יוֹאָב (yo.av) — Joab.

A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.14;

son of: Seraiah (H8304J)

§ Joab = "Jehovah is father"

1) son of David's sister Zeruiah and general of David's army

2) a Judaite descendant of Kenaz

3) a post exilic family

יוֹאָב (yo.av) — Joab.

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.6;

son of: Pahath-moab (H6355);

brother of: Jeshua (H3442I)

§ Joab = "Jehovah is father"

1) son of David's sister Zeruiah and general of David's army

2) a Judaite descendant of Kenaz

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Prep | N-proper — Conjunction · preposition · noun proper masculine
HC/R/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

jo'-ab (yo'-abh, "Yahweh is father"; Ioab):

(1) Son of Zeruiah, David's sister. He was "captain of the host" (compare 2Sa 19:13) under David.

1. Joab and Abner:

(a) Joab is first introduced in the narrative of the war with Abner, who supported the claims of Ishbosheth to the throne against those of David (2Sa 2:8-3:1). The two armies met, and on Abner's suggestion a tournament took place between 12 men from each side; a general engagement follows, and in this Joab's army is victorious. Asahel, Joab's brother, is killed in his pursuit of Abner, but the latter's army is sorely pressed, and he appeals to Joab for a cessation of hostilities. Joab calls a halt, but declares that he would not cease had Abner not made his plea.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Joab

Jehovah is his father. (1.) One of the three sons of Zeruiah, David’s sister, and “captain of the host” during the whole of David’s reign (2 Sam. 2:13; 10:7; 11:1; 1 Kings 11:15). His father’s name is nowhere mentioned, although his sepulchre at Bethlehem is mentioned (2 Sam. 2:32). His two brothers were Abishai and Asahel, the swift of foot, who was killed by Abner (2 Sam. 2:13-32), whom Joab afterwards treacherously murdered (3:22-27). He afterwards led the assault at the storming of the fortress on Mount Zion, and for this service was raised to the rank of “prince of the king’s army” (2 Sam. 5:6-10;

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Son of Zeruiah, David’s sister, and brother of Abishai and Asahel, was the commander of David’s army during almost the whole of his reign, 2Sa 5:6-10. He was a valiant warrior, and an able general; and his great influence on public affairs was often exerted for good, as in the rebellion of Absalom, and the numbering of Israel, 2Sa 18:1-19:42 24:1-25. But as a man he was imperious, revengeful, and unscrupulous: witness his treacherous assassination of Abner, and of his cousin Amasa, 2Sa 3:27 20:9-10; his bearing towards David, 2Sa 3:39 19:5, and connivance with him in the matter of Uriah; his slaying Absalom, and conspiring with Adonijah against the divinely appointed heir to…

and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
בֶּן־ben- [the] son of H1121 Noun common · masculine singular 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
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
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…

and he answered the king Solomon and he said to mother his and why? [are] you asking the object marker Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah and ask for him the object marker the kingship for he [is] brother my old more than me and for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab [the] son of Zeruiah
צְרוּיָֽה׃ פtze.ru.Yah Zeruiah H6870 Noun proper feminine
26× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Zeruiah was an Israelite woman, sister of David, and mother of three leading heroes in his army. Her name means balsam and she is first mentioned in 1 Samuel 26:6. Zeruiah was the daughter of Jesse and Nahash.
Amplified meaning
a woman of noble character, David's sister
Tyndale gloss
Zeruiah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צְרוּיָה (Tsruwyah) refers to Zeruiah, a woman from the time of the United Monarchy, known as the sister of David and mother of three of his notable warriors: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel. The name is derived from a term meaning 'wounded' and is associated with the Hebrew word for balsam.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צְרוּיָה n.pr.f. mother of Abishai, Joab and Asahel

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6870 צְרוּיָה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6870 Tsruwyah tser-oo-yaw'

feminine passive participle from the same as 6875; wounded;

Tserujah, an Israelitess:--Zeruiah.

see HEBREW for 06875

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צְרוּיָה (tse.ru.yah) — Zeruiah.

A woman living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.26.6;

daughter of: Jesse (H3448) and Nahash (H5176I);

sister of: David (H1732), Eliab (H0446I), Abinadab (H0041I), Nethanel (H5417H), Raddai (H7288), Ozem (H0684), Abigail (H0026H)(?) and Elihu (H0453J), Shimeah (H8093)

§ Zeruiah = "balsam"

sister of David and mother of the 3 leading heroes of David's army-Abishai, Joab, and Asahel

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper feminine
HNpf
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ze-roo-i'-a, ze-roo'-ya (tseruyah, tseruyah (2Sa 14:1; 16:10), meaning uncertain; Sarouia): In 2Sa 2:18; 17:25; 1Ch 2:16, and elsewhere where the names Joab, Abishai, occur. According to 1Ch 2:16 a sister of David and mother of Joab, Abishai and Asahel, the two former being always referred to as sons of Zeruiah. This latter fact is explained by some as pointing to a type of marriage by which the children belonged to their mother's clan (compare Abimelech, Jud 8:31; 9:1 ff); by others as being due to her husband's early death; and again as a proof of the mother in this case being the stronger personality. Either of the…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Zeruiah

Stricken of the Lord, David’s sister, and the mother of Abishai, Joab, and Asahel (1 Chr. 2:16), who were the three leading heroes of David’s army, and being his nephews, they were admitted to the closest companionship with him.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(balsam), the mother of the three leading heroes of David’s army --Abishai, Joah and Asahel-- known as the "sons of Zeruiah." Of Zeruiah’s husband there is no mention in the Bible. (B.C. before 1046.)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Sister of David, and mother of his famous generals, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel, 1Ch 2:16. Her husband is unknown.

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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