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1 Samuel 1:10 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוְהִ֖יא מָ֣רַת נָ֑פֶשׁ וַתִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל עַל־ יְהוָ֖ה וּבָכֹ֥ה תִבְכֶּֽה׃

BSAIn her bitter distressmar [deeply troubled] Hannah prayedpâlal [with a heart full of grief, to intercede, to cry out] toʻal the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, the covenant God] and wept with many tearsbâkâh [shedding many tears, crying bitterly]

Word
Listen & take away1 Samuel 1
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 10 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 (tiv.Keh) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Samuel 1:10quick helps
In a sentenceHannah, in deep emotional pain, turns to the LORD in prayer, expressing her grief through tears.
Who is speakingHannah, a woman in distress, is the subject of this verse.
Where we areThis moment occurs in the temple at Shiloh, where Hannah seeks divine intervention.
The hard wordמָרַת
Take awayHannah's heartfelt prayer and tears illustrate her deep anguish and desire for God's attention.
4 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectהִיא verbפָּלַל 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 Samuel 1:10

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 — Hannah's Prayer for a Songenerated

9So after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.
10In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.
11And she made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever come over his head.”
12As Hannah kept on praying before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth.

1 Samuel 1:10 describes Hannah's intense emotional state as she prays to the LORD amid her distress. This context highlights her desperation and deep longing for a child, illustrating her faith as she turns to God in her time of need. The surrounding verses show her commitment to God and the seriousness of her vow, emphasizing the importance of her prayer and the cultural significance of motherhood in ancient Israel.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Ruth 1:20“Do not call me Naomi, ” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me.
22 Samuel 17:8He continued, “You know your father and his men. They are mighty men, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Moreover, your father is a man of war who will not spend the night with the troops.
3Job 7:11Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
4Job 9:18He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.
5Job 10:1“I loathe my own life; I will express my complaint and speak in the bitterness of my soul.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 18 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word מָרַת, Ma.ratgenerated

The word מָרַת (mar) is an adjective that means 'bitter' and can describe both physical and emotional bitterness. In this verse, it conveys Hannah's profound emotional pain, indicating that her distress is not merely situational but deeply felt within her soul.

Hannah's use of this term emphasizes her vulnerability and the depth of her sorrow, setting the stage for her earnest prayer. This emotional state is crucial as it drives her to seek the LORD with great fervor.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

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


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb governing the verse is וַתִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל, and she prayed, which connects the subject, Hannah, with her actions of praying and weeping. The structure emphasizes her emotional state through the use of adjectives and adverbial phrases.

The sentence flows from her state of distress to her actions, showing a clear cause-and-effect relationship: her bitterness leads her to pray and weep.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates מָרַת as κατώδυνος, which conveys a sense of deep sorrow or distress. This choice highlights the emotional weight of Hannah's situation, aligning closely with the Hebrew meaning but perhaps broadening the scope of her bitterness.

The Greek term emphasizes the intensity of her emotional state, suggesting a shared understanding of deep anguish in both Hebrew and Greek contexts.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Samuel 1:10 shows Hannah in deep distress, praying to the LORD and weeping. Her sorrow is profound, and she seeks God's help, demonstrating her faith and desperation for a child.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Hannah's bitterness signify?

Hannah's bitterness reflects her deep emotional pain and longing for a child, illustrating the weight of her distress.

Why does Hannah pray in this moment?

Hannah prays out of desperation, seeking God's intervention in her life during a time of great sorrow.

What can we learn from Hannah's prayer?

Hannah's prayer teaches the importance of turning to God in times of distress and expressing our deepest emotions to Him.

How does this verse connect to the broader narrative?

This verse sets the stage for the birth of Samuel, highlighting the significance of prayer and faith in God's plans.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways can I express my emotions to God like Hannah did?
  2. How can I support others who are experiencing deep distress?
  3. What role does prayer play in my life during difficult times?
  4. How can I cultivate a heart of faith like Hannah's in my own struggles?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Early Church Fathers, such as John Chrysostom, comment on Hannah's prayer, highlighting her emotional state and the significance of her tears in her appeal to God.

John ChrysostomHOMILIES ON HANNAH 1 c. 347–407
What did she say? Instead of saying anything at first, she began with wailing and shed warm floods of tears. And just as, when rain storms fall, even the harder ground is moistened and softened and easily bestirs itself to produce crops,
Early Church Fathers on 1 Samuel 1 →
John ChrysostomHOMILIES ON Ephesians 24 c. 347–407
“And she stood,” it says, “before the Lord”; and what are her words? “Adonai, Lord, Eloi Sabaoth!” and this is, being interpreted, “O Lord, the God of Hosts.” Her tears went before her speech.
Early Church Fathers on 1 Samuel 1 →
John ChrysostomHOMILIES ON HANNAH 1 c. 347–407
Take note of the woman’s reverence: she did not say, “If you give me three, I shall give you two;” or “if two, I shall give you one.” Instead, “If you give me one,
Early Church Fathers on 1 Samuel 1 →

Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Samuel 1:10 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And she was in bitterness of soul,.... Because of her barrenness, and the taunts and reflections she had met with on that account; her life was bitter to her, she could take no pleasure in any of the

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

And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. She (Hannah) ... prayed ... She (Hannah) ... prayed ...

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

She was in bitterness of soul, i.e. oppressed with grief, as that phrase is used, 10:1 .

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

1 Samuel 1:10 And she [was] in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.Ver. 10. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed.] Herein she took a right course to get comfort. So did David, and Paul, "being defamed we pray." If she should have rendered to Peninnah railing for railing, there would have been somewhat to do. Prayer and patience are the best antidotes against contempt and contumelies; the one hot, the other cold; the one quickening, the other quenching. And wept sore.] Prayers and tears are the saints’ best weapons; Bombardae et instrumenta bellica Christianorum, saith Luther, their great guns, and their scaling ladders.

Read John Trapp on 1 Samuel 1 →

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

In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to Yahweh, weeping bitterly.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.

NETBNew English Translation2006

She was very upset as she prayed to the Lord, and she was weeping uncontrollably.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto Jehovah, and wept sore.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD, and wept bitterly.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And she was troubled in her minde, and prayed vnto the Lord, and wept sore:

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

and she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to Jehovah, and wept much.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And she is bitter in soul, and prayeth unto Jehovah, and weepeth greatly,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And she is bitter in soul, and prays to YHWH, and weeps greatly,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

But she had bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept greatly.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

She was deeply distressed; she prayed to Yahweh and wept bitterly.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

As Anna had her heart full of grief, she prayed to the Lord, shedding many tears,

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

She was terribly upset, and prayed to the Lord as she cried and cried.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And with grief in her soul, weeping bitterly, she made her prayer to the Lord.

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.

וְandclausesubjectהִ֖יאsheadjective phrase · predicateמָ֣רַת[was].bitterנָ֑פֶשׁof.soulוַandclauseverbתִּתְפַּלֵּ֥לshe.prayedprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַלtoיְהוָ֖הYahwehוּandclauseadverbialבָכֹ֥הbitterly.(weep)verbתִבְכֶּֽהshe.wept

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 agree on the wording and meaning of this verse. Both texts convey Hannah's bitter distress and her prayerful response to the LORD, maintaining consistency in the portrayal of her emotional state.

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

וְהִ֖יא מָ֣רַת נָ֑פֶשׁ וַתִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל עַל־ יְהוָ֖ה וּבָכֹ֥ה תִבְכֶּֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְהִ֖יאαὐτὴמָ֣רַתκατώδυνοςנָ֑פֶשׁψυξῇוַתִּתְפַּלֵּ֥לπροσηύχατοעַל־πρὸςיְהוָ֖הκύριονוּבָכֹ֥הκλαίουσαתִבְכֶּֽה׃ἔκλαυσεν

8 of the 8 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 Samuel 1:10הוּאand sheand sheהוּאמַר[was] bitte[was] bitter ofמַרנֶ֫פֶשׁsoulsoulנֶ֫פֶשׁפָּלַלand she praand she prayedפָּלַלעַלtotoעַליהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהבָּכָהand utterlyand utterlyבָּכָהבָּכָהshe weptshe weptבָּכָהמָרַרto provoketo provokeמָרַרנָפַשׁbe refreshbe refreshedנָפַשׁהָיָהto beto beהָיָהעַלheightheightעַלבְּכִיweepingweepingבְּכִיטָמֵאuncleanuncleanטָמֵאעֵתtimetimeעֵתמָתוֹקsweetsweetמָתוֹקבָּקַשׁto seekto seekבָּקַשׁחַיalivealiveחַיבַּ֫עַדabout/throabout/through/fבַּ֫עַדתְּפִלָּהprayerprayerתְּפִלָּהכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּאנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָא
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 Samuel 1:10

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 she [was] bitter of soul and she prayed to Yahweh and utterly she wept
וְהִ֖יאve.Hi' and she H1931 Conjunction · 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
HC/Pp3fs — Conjunction · pronoun
HC/Pp3fs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and she [was] bitter of soul and she prayed to Yahweh and utterly she wept
מָ֣רַתMa.rat [was] bitter of H4751 Adj
37× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Mar means bitter, describing something that tastes bad or is unpleasant. It can also describe emotional pain or discontent, like being angry or chafed.
Amplified meaning
deeply troubled
Tyndale gloss
bitter
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַר (mar) means 'bitter' or 'bitterness' in Hebrew. It can describe the taste of food or water, as well as figurative uses related to pain or discontent. The word can function as both an adjective and a noun, and it can also be used adverbially to mean 'bitterly.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַר adj. and subst. bitter, bitterness

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4751 מַר bitter, bitterness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4751 mar mar

or (feminine) marah {maw-raw'}; from 4843; bitter (literally

or figuratively); also (as noun) bitterness, or (adverbially)

bitterly:--+ angry, bitter(-ly, -ness), chafed, discontented,

X great, heavy.

see HEBREW for 04843

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַר (mar) — bitter.

adj

1) bitter, bitterness

1a) of water or food

1b) of harlot's end, end of wickedness, cry (fig.)

1c) of pain (subst)

adv

2) bitterly

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAafsc
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 she [was] bitter of soul and she prayed to Yahweh and utterly she wept
נָ֑פֶשׁNa.fesh soul H5315 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
754× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for soul or living being, used in the Bible to describe the essence of a person or animal. It encompasses the ideas of life, breath, and vitality, and is translated as 'soul' or 'creature' in the KJV. This word is central to biblical concepts of humanity and existence.
Tyndale gloss
soul
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (*nephesh*) broadly means 'soul' or 'living being,' encompassing concepts like life, self, person, desire, and emotion. It is derived from the root meaning 'to breathe' and signifies both physical and mental aspects of existence. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, including as the seat of appetites and emotions, though its application to will and character is uncertain.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion

= that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

The נפשׁ becomes a living being

The נפשׁ is specif.

The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

נ׳ in D

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5315 נֶ֫פֶשׁ soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion . = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

. The נפשׁ becomes a living being

. The נפשׁ is specif.

. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

. נ׳ in D

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5315 nephesh neh'-fesh

from 5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of

(abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal,

accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any,

appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire,

X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y),

(hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me,

mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-,

thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they,

thing, (X she) will, X would have it.

see HEBREW for 05314

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

1g1) uncertain

1h) activity of the will

1h1) uncertain

1i) activity of the character

1i1) uncertain

נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul: life.

1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

1b) living being

1c) living being (with life in the blood)

1d) the man himself, self, person or individual

1e) seat of the appetites

1f) seat of emotions and passions

1g) activity of mind

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

sol (nephesh; psuche; Latin anima):

1. Shades of Meaning in the Old Testament:

(1) Soul, like spirit, has various shades of meaning in the Old Testament, which may be summarized as follows: "Soul," "living being," "life," "self," "person," "desire," "appetite," "emotion" and "passion" (BDB under the word). In the first instance it meant that which breathes, and as such is distinguished from basar, "flesh" (Isa 10:18; De 12:23); from she'er, "the inner flesh," next the bones (Pr 11:17, "his own flesh"); from beTen, "belly" (Ps 31:10, "My soul and my belly are consumed with grief"), etc.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The ancients supposed the soul, or rather the animating principle of life, to reside in the breath, that it departed from the body with the breath. Hence the Hebrew and Greek words which, when they refer to man, in our Bibles are translated "soul," are usually rendered "life" or "breath" when they refer to animals, Ge 2:7 7:15 Nu 16:22 Job 12:10 34:14,15 Ps 104:29 Ec 12:7 Ac 17:25.

But together with this principle of life, which is common to men and brutes, and which in brutes perishes with the body, there is in man a spiritual, reasonable, and immortal soul, the…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ See SPIRIT

→ See IMMORTALITY

→ See MAN, A SPIRIT

→ See RIGHTEOUS, FUTURE STATE OF

→ See WICKED, PUNISHMENT OF

and she [was] bitter of soul and she prayed to Yahweh and utterly she wept
וַתִּתְפַּלֵּ֥לva.tit.pa.Lel and she prayed H6419 Verb · Hithpael · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
84× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To pray or intercede, as seen in the Bible when people like Moses and David prayed to God for guidance and help, often using this Hebrew word to describe their actions.
Amplified meaning
with a heart full of grief, to intercede, to cry out
Tyndale gloss
to pray
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פָּלַל (palal) is a Hebrew verb that primarily means to intervene or interpose, with a significant focus on the act of praying. It encompasses various forms, including mediation and judgment, particularly in the Piel and Hithpael stems, which emphasize intercession and supplication. The entries suggest a connection to both personal and communal prayer, though no specific Old Testament verses are cited.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּלַל] 84 vb. prob. intervene, interpose

Pi. mediate, judge

Hithp.

specif. intercede

gen. pray

pray

of poetical, liturgical prayer

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6419 פָּלַל prob. intervene, interpose

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6419 palal paw-lal'

a primitive root; to judge (officially or mentally); by

extension, to intercede, pray:--intreat, judge(-ment), (make)

pray(-er, -ing), make supplication.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּלַל (pa.lal) — to pray.

1) to intervene, interpose, pray

1a) (Piel) to mediate, judge

1b)(Hithpael)

1b1) to intercede

1b2) to pray

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hithpael-ConsecImperf-3fs — Verb · Hithpael · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
Hc/Vtw3fs
and she [was] bitter of soul and she prayed to Yahweh and utterly she wept
עַל־'al- to H5921 Preposition
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears

. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the

singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a

particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always

in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great

variety of applications (as follow):--above, according

to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because

of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both

and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in

(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,

through(-out), to, touching, X with.

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards

1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)

1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)

1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)

1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)

1h) to (as a dative)

[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and she [was] bitter of soul and she prayed to Yahweh and utterly she wept
יְהוָ֖הYah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, the covenant God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)

יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish

national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and she [was] bitter of soul and she prayed to Yahweh and utterly she wept
וּבָכֹ֥הu.va.Khoh and utterly H1058 Conjunction · verb qal infinitive absolute
114× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To weep means to cry or shed tears, often in grief or sadness. In the Bible, weeping is a common expression of emotion, as seen in the stories of David and Jeremiah, who both wept bitterly in times of sorrow and repentance.
Amplified meaning
shedding many tears, crying bitterly
Tyndale gloss
to weep
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּכָה (bakah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to weep or bewail. It encompasses various forms of weeping, including expressions of grief, humiliation, or joy, and can denote lamentation or crying bitterly. The entries highlight its use in both the Qal and Piel stems, indicating different nuances of weeping.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּכָה 114 vb. weep, bewail

Qal

weep

weep bitterly

weep upon

bewail

in sense of burden, annoy with weeping

of penitent weeping

Pi. lament; bewail

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1058 בָּכָה weep, bewail

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1058 bakah baw-kaw'

a primitive root; to weep; generally to bemoan:--X at all,

bewail, complain, make lamentation, X more, mourn, X sore, X

with tears, weep.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּכָה (ba.khah) — to weep.

1) to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to weep (in grief, humiliation, or joy)

1a2) to weep bitterly (with cognate acc.)

1a3) to weep upon (embrace and weep)

1a4) to bewail

1b) (Piel) participle

1b1) lamenting

1b2) bewailing

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-Ptc — Conjunction · verb qal infinitive absolute
HC/Vqaa
and she [was] bitter of soul and she prayed to Yahweh and utterly she wept
תִבְכֶּֽה׃tiv.Keh she wept H1058 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine singular
114× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To weep means to cry or shed tears, often in grief or sadness. In the Bible, weeping is a common expression of emotion, as seen in the stories of David and Jeremiah, who both wept bitterly in times of sorrow and repentance.
Tyndale gloss
to weep
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בָּכָה (bakah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to weep or bewail. It encompasses various forms of weeping, including expressions of grief, humiliation, or joy, and can denote lamentation or crying bitterly. The entries highlight its use in both the Qal and Piel stems, indicating different nuances of weeping.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּכָה 114 vb. weep, bewail

Qal

weep

weep bitterly

weep upon

bewail

in sense of burden, annoy with weeping

of penitent weeping

Pi. lament; bewail

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1058 בָּכָה weep, bewail

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1058 bakah baw-kaw'

a primitive root; to weep; generally to bemoan:--X at all,

bewail, complain, make lamentation, X more, mourn, X sore, X

with tears, weep.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּכָה (ba.khah) — to weep.

1) to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to weep (in grief, humiliation, or joy)

1a2) to weep bitterly (with cognate acc.)

1a3) to weep upon (embrace and weep)

1a4) to bewail

1b) (Piel) participle

1b1) lamenting

1b2) bewailing

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqi3fs — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine singular
HVqi3fs
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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