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1 Samuel 1:25 — Word Study

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WLCוַֽיִּשְׁחֲט֖וּ אֶת־ הַפָּ֑ר וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֶת־ הַנַּ֖עַר אֶל־ עֵלִֽי׃

BSAAnd when they had slaughteredshâchaṭ [slew, immolated, as a sacrifice, to offer] the bullpar [young ox, a bullock] they broughtbôwʼ [presented, took] the boynaʻar [youth, child] toʼêl [toward, unto] EliʻÊlîy [the high priest]

Word
Listen & take away1 Samuel 1
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 25 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 ('e.Li) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Samuel 1:25quick helps
In a sentenceHannah and Elkanah brought their son Samuel to Eli after sacrificing a bull.
Who is speakingThe narrative describes actions taken by Hannah and Elkanah.
Where we areThe moment follows the weaning of Samuel, marking a significant family event.
The hard wordשָׁחַט
Take awayThe act of sacrifice precedes the presentation of Samuel to Eli.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbשָׁחַט 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 1:25

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 Presentation of Samuelgenerated

24Once she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. Though the boy was still young, she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.
25And when they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli.
26“Please, my lord,” said Hannah, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.
27I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him,

1 Samuel 1:25 describes the moment when Hannah and Elkanah fulfill their vow to God by bringing their son Samuel to Eli after he has been weaned. This act signifies their dedication and gratitude for the gift of their child, as they offer a sacrifice to the Lord, which was a common practice in Israelite worship. The context highlights the importance of both the sacrifice and the presentation of Samuel in the narrative of his life and ministry.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Luke 2:22And when the time of purification according to the Law of Moses was complete, His parents brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord
2Luke 18:15–16Now people were even bringing their babies to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them. And when the disciples saw this, they rebuked those who brought them.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word שָׁחַט, vai.yish.cha.Tugenerated

The verb שָׁחַט (shaḥaṭ) means to slaughter, particularly in the context of sacrifice. It is a Qal verb in the sequential imperfect form, indicating that the action was completed by a group (they). This word is often associated with ritual acts of offering, as seen throughout the Old Testament.

In this verse, the act of slaughtering the bull is a prelude to bringing Samuel to Eli, emphasizing the sacrificial nature of their worship. The choice of this verb highlights the seriousness of their act of devotion and the cultural significance of animal sacrifice in their relationship with God.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses slaughtered for שָׁחַט.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verbs יִּשְׁחֲט֖וּ (they slaughtered) and יָּבִ֥יאוּ (they brought) govern the actions in the verse. The structure emphasizes the sequence of actions: first the slaughtering, then the bringing of the boy.

The sentence flows from the action of slaughtering the bull to the subsequent act of bringing Samuel, illustrating a clear cause-and-effect relationship between the two actions.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates שָׁחַט as ἔσφαχεν (esphagen), which carries the same meaning of slaughtering, particularly in a sacrificial context. This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew, indicating a consistent understanding of the act of sacrifice.

The translation reflects the importance of the sacrificial act in both texts, underscoring its role in the worship practices of the Israelites.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Samuel 1:25 recounts that after sacrificing a bull, Hannah and Elkanah brought their son Samuel to Eli. This moment is significant as it fulfills Hannah's vow to dedicate her son to the Lord, demonstrating their faith and commitment.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What is the significance of the sacrifice in this verse?

The sacrifice of the bull represents Hannah and Elkanah's gratitude to God for granting them a son, and it is a part of their worship and dedication.

Why did they bring Samuel to Eli?

Bringing Samuel to Eli signifies the fulfillment of Hannah's vow to dedicate her son to the Lord, as she had promised to give him to God for his service.

What does the act of slaughtering the bull symbolize?

The slaughtering of the bull symbolizes an offering made to God, reflecting the importance of sacrifice in Israelite worship.

How does this verse connect to the broader narrative of Samuel's life?

This verse marks the beginning of Samuel's life of service to God, as he is dedicated to the Lord's work from a young age.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does this act of sacrifice teach us about gratitude and dedication in our own lives?
  2. How can we apply the principle of fulfilling vows to God in our daily commitments?
  3. In what ways can we support and encourage those who are dedicated to serving God, like Samuel?
  4. What significance do rituals and acts of worship hold in our relationship with God today?

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

The early Church Fathers referenced this passage to discuss the significance of dedicating children to God, illustrating the importance of parental vows in faith.

Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 1, Chapter 1 c. 540–604
49. Above it was said of Anna alone: "And she brought him with her, after she had weaned him." But now it is added concerning both Elkanah and Anna: "And they sacrificed a calf,
Early Church Fathers on 1 Samuel 1 →

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Samuel 1:25 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And they slew a bullock,.... One of the three Hannah brought, unless the singular is put for the plural, and so all three were slain, some for sacrifice, and some for food perhaps; or if only one was

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

And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli. No JFB commentary on this verse.

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

A bullock; either, first, One of the three at the present, reserving the rest for the future. Or, secondly, The three bullocks mentioned , to which the article here added, in the Hebrew, seems manifestly to relate; there being no one bullock there, singled out, to which it can belong. And so it is only an enallage of the singular number for the plural, which is frequent.

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

1 Samuel 1:25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.Ver. 25. And brought the child to Eli.] Not without a gratuity, that he might have the more care of the child.

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

(24, 25) With three bullocks . . . And they slew a bullock.—There at first sight seems a discrepancy here, and the LXX. translators seem to have felt it, for they read, instead of “three bullocks,” “a bullock of three years old.” The true explanation, however, is that the one bullock alluded to in 1 Samuel 1:25 was the burnt offering by which the child was consecrated to the Lord. The other two were the yearly festival offering, the presentation of which being the usual gift, the chronicler did not think it here worth while to mention again.

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

25. they slew a bullock] The bullock; viz. the one which had been brought as a dedicatory offering with the child: the sacrifice of the others is taken for granted. We may try to picture the scene. Elkanah leads the bullock to the north side of the altar of burnt-offering, in the court before the door of the tabernacle, and binds it to the horns of the altar. Hannah brings her child, and lays his hand on the head of the victim in token that it is his representative; at that moment Elkanah or one of the priests slays it (Leviticus 1:5). Its blood is sprinkled and its limbs burnt upon the altar, as an emblem of the complete dedication of the child to Jehovah. The Sept. version differs widely…

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

25. Slew a bullock — One of the three mentioned in the preceding verse. The Hebrew is àú äôø, the bullock, that is, the particular one with which the consecration of the child was associated.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon 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

And when they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

They killed the bull, and brought the child to Eli.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

And when they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Once the bull had been slaughtered, they brought the boy to Eli.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And they slew the bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And they slew the bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And they slewe a bullocke, and brought the childe to Eli.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And they slaughtered the bullock, and brought the boy to Eli.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And they slaughter the bullock, and bring in the youth unto Eli,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And they slaughter the bullock, and bring in the youth to Eli,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to 'Eli.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

They killed the bull, and they brought the child to Eli.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And they immolated a calf, and offered the child to Heli.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

After they had slaughtered the bull, they presented the boy to Eli.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And when they had made an offering of the ox, they took the child to Eli.

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.

וַֽandclauseverbיִּשְׁחֲט֖וּthey.slaughterednoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseהַthe.youngפָּ֑רbullוַandclauseverbיָּבִ֥יאוּthey.broughtnoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseהַtheנַּ֖עַרladprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֶלtoעֵלִֽיEli

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 wording of this verse, with six of the eight words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls provide a fragmentary version, with some words restored by an editor, but the core meaning remains consistent across these witnesses.

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

וַֽיִּשְׁחֲט֖וּ אֶת־ הַפָּ֑ר וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֶת־ הַנַּ֖עַר אֶל־ עֵלִֽי׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַֽיִּשְׁחֲט֖וּἔσφαχενהַפָּ֑רμόσξονוַיָּבִ֥יאוּπροσήγαγενהַנַּ֖עַרπαιδαρίουאֶל־πρὸςעֵלִֽי׃ηλι

6 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.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q51a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[וישחט] [את] [הפר] [ותבוא] [חנה] [אם] [הנער] [אל] [עלי]

nothing on the leather here — 9 supplied entire by an editor.

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 1:25שָׁחַטand they sland they slaughשָׁחַטאֵתthe object the object markאֵתפַּרthe young bthe young bullפַּרבּוֹאand they brand they broughבּוֹאאֵתthe object the object markאֵתנַ֫עַרthe ladthe ladנַ֫עַראֶלtotoאֶלעֵלִיEliEliעֵלִיאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתפָּרַרto breakto breakפָּרַרנָעַרto shaketo shakeנָעַרעָלָהto ascend:to ascend: riseעָלָהמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁזָרַקto scatterto scatterזָרַקפֶּ֫סַחPassoverPassoverפֶּ֫סַחאַ֫יִלramramאַ֫יִלבָּקַרcattlecattleבָּקַרשֶׁ֫מֶשׁsunsunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁאֲבִישָׁלוֹםAbsalomAbsalomאֲבִישָׁלוֹםקָטָןsmallsmallקָטָןפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫החָפְנִיHophniHophniחָפְנִיפִּינְחָסPhinehasPhinehasפִּינְחָס
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 1:25

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 they slaughtered the object marker the young bull and they brought the object marker the lad to Eli
וַֽיִּשְׁחֲט֖וּvai.yish.cha.Tu and they slaughtered H7819 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
81× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to slaughter, often used in the context of sacrifice or massacre, as seen in the KJV translations of kill, offer, or slay.
Amplified meaning
slew, immolated, as a sacrifice, to offer
Tyndale gloss
to slaughter
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁחַט (shachat) is a Hebrew verb meaning to slaughter or kill, often in the context of sacrifice. It can refer to the slaughtering of animals for food or ritual purposes, as well as the killing of people in a sacrificial context. The noun form שַׁחֲטָה (shachat) is noted as a doubtful term, with a reference in Hosea 5:2.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁחַט 84 vb. slaughter, beat

Qal slaughter

Niph. be slaughtered for food

base

שַׁחֲטָה n.f. doubtful word;—Ho 5:2 RV (cf. AV) the revolters are gone deep in slaughtering

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7819a שָׁחַט slaughter, beat H7819b שַׁחֲטָה doubtful word

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7819 shachat shaw-khat'

a primitive root; to slaughter (in sacrifice or

massacre):--kill, offer, shoot out, slay, slaughter.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁחַט (sha.chat) — to slaughter.

v

1) to kill, slaughter, beat

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to slaughter

1a1a) beast for food

1a1b) sacrifice

1a1c) person in human sacrifice

1a1d) beaten, hammered (of shekels)

1b) (Niphal) to be slaughtered, be slain (of food or sacrifice)

Also means: sha.chat (שָׁחוּט "beaten" H7820)

שַׁחֲטָה (sha.cha.tah) — slaughtering.

1) (BDB) slaughtering

1a) word doubtful

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
and they slaughtered the object marker the young bull and they brought the object marker the lad to Eli
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 they slaughtered the object marker the young bull and they brought the object marker the lad to Eli
הַפָּ֑רha.Par the young bull H6499 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
133× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a young bull or ox, often used as a sacrifice in the Bible. In Exodus, a bullock is used as an offering to God. The word describes a strong and powerful animal.
Amplified meaning
young ox, a bullock
Tyndale gloss
bullock
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פַּר (par) refers to a young bull or steer. It is derived from a root that suggests strength or breaking forth. The term encompasses meanings like bullock and calf, indicating its use in contexts related to livestock.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פַּר 132 n.m. young bull, steer

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6499 פַּר young bull, steer

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6499 par par

or par {pawr}; from 6565; a bullock (apparently as breaking

forth in wild strength, or perhaps as dividing the hoof):--(+

young) bull(-ock), calf, ox.

see HEBREW for 06565

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פַּר (par) — bullock.

young bull, steer, bullock

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

→ Wild, caught in nets Isa 51:20

→ Blood of, in sacrifice Heb 9:13; 10:4

→ See BULLOCK

→ See OFFERINGS

and they slaughtered the object marker the young bull and they brought the object marker the lad to Eli
וַיָּבִ֥יאוּvai.ya.Vi.'u and they brought H935 Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
2,573× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to go or come, and is used in many contexts, such as entering a place or approaching someone, as seen in the book of Genesis. It can also mean to abide or apply, and is translated in various ways in the KJV Bible. This term is related to the name Lebo Hamath.
Amplified meaning
presented, took
Tyndale gloss
Lebo
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go

Qal

come in

come (approach, arrive)

go, i.e. walk, associate with

go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

Hoph.

be brought in (of pers. and things)

be brought

be introduced, put

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in

. come (approach, arrive)

. go, i.e. walk, associate with

. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

. . be brought in (of pers. and things)

. be brought

. be introduced, put

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

935 bow' bo

a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of

applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +

besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X

certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,

upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,

(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be

fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),

grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,

pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken

(in age), X surely, take (in), way.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.

: come/go_in

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

1a5) to go

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to lead in

1b2) to carry in

1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon

1b4) to bring to pass

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought, brought in

1c2) to be introduced, be put

לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).

This name means to go in, enter

Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.

: towards/entrance

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vhw3mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they slaughtered the object marker the young bull and they brought the object marker the lad to Eli
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 they slaughtered the object marker the young bull and they brought the object marker the lad to Eli
הַנַּ֖עַרha.Na.'ar the lad H5288 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
239× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word means a young person, either a boy or a girl, from infancy to adolescence. It is used to describe the servants and attendants who worked for kings and other important people in the Old Testament, like King David's servants.
Amplified meaning
youth, child
Tyndale gloss
youth
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נַ֫עַר (na`ar) generally refers to a boy, lad, or youth, covering ages from infancy to adolescence. It can also imply a servant or retainer and, in some contexts, may refer to a girl of similar age. The term appears in various forms across different lexicons, with Brown-Driver-Briggs noting its usage as a shaking or scattering.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נַ֫עַר 239 n.m. 1. boy, lad, youth. 2. retainer (not in P)

boy, lad, youth (c. 133 t.)

servant, retainer (c. 105 t.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5288a נַ֫עַר usu. interpr. as a shaking, scattering H5288b נַ֫עַר, נַ֫עַר . boy, lad, youth

. retainer

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5288 na`ar nah'-ar

from 5287; (concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of

infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant; also (by

interch. of sex), a girl (of similar latitude in age):--babe,

boy, child, damsel (from the margin), lad, servant, young

(man).

see HEBREW for 05287

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נַ֫עַר (na.ar) — youth.

1) a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer

1a) boy, lad, youth

1b) servant, retainer

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

In the Old Testament this word occurs as the translation of na`ar, "young person," "child," "servant," the Revised Version (British and American) properly substituting "servant" in 2Ki 4:19; Jud 16:26 is another passage where either sense of the original word may be intended. The word occurs in the New Testament in Joh 6:9 as the translation of paidarion; in Ac 20:12, pais (the King James Version "young man").

and they slaughtered the object marker the young bull and they brought the object marker the lad to Eli
אֶל־'el- to H413 Preposition
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Amplified meaning
toward, unto
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
and they slaughtered the object marker the young bull and they brought the object marker the lad to Eli
עֵלִֽי׃'e.Li Eli H5941 Noun proper masculine
33× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Eli was a high priest in the Bible, mentioned in 1 Samuel. He was the father of Hophni and Phinehas, and played a significant role in the story of Samuel. The name Eli means 'ascension'.
Amplified meaning
the high priest
Tyndale gloss
Eli
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֵלִי (Eliy) refers to Eli, a high priest and judge of Israel during the time of the United Monarchy, first mentioned in 1 Samuel 1:3. The name is derived from a root meaning 'lofty' or 'ascension.' Eli was a descendant of Aaron and the father of Hophni and Phinehas.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֵלִי n.pr.m. Eli, priest at Shiloh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5941 עֵלִי

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5941 `Eliy ay-lee'

from 5927; lofty; Eli, an Israelite high-priest:--Eli.

see HEBREW for 05927

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֵלִי (e.li) — Eli.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.1.3;

father of: Hophni (H2652), Phinehas (H6372H)

§ Eli = "ascension"

descendant of Aaron through Ithamar and high priest and judge of Israel when Samuel entered service as a child

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

e'-li (`eli):

A descendant of Ithamar, the fourth son of Aaron, who exercised the office of high priest in Shiloh at the time of the birth of Samuel. For the first time in Israel, Eli combined in his own person the functions of high priest and judge, judging Israel for 40 years (1Sa 4:18). The incidents in Eli's life are few; indeed, the main interest of the narrative is in the other characters who are associated with him. The chief interest centers in Samuel. In Eli's first interview with Hannah (1Sa 1:12 ff), she is the central figure; in the second interview (1Sa 1:24 ff), it is the child Samuel. When Eli next appears, it is as the father of Hophni and Phinehas, whose worthless and licentious lives had profaned their priestly…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Eli

Ascent, the high priest when the ark was at Shiloh (1 Sam. 1:3, 9). He was the first of the line of Ithamar, Aaron’s fourth son (1 Chr. 24:3; comp. 2 Sam. 8:17), who held that office. The office remained in his family till the time of Abiathar (1 Kings 2:26, 27), whom Solomon deposed, and appointed Zadok, of the family of Eleazar, in his stead (35). He acted also as a civil judge in Israel after the death of Samson (1 Sam. 4:18), and judged Israel for forty years.

His sons Hophni and Phinehas grossly misconducted themselves, to the great disgust of the people (1 Sam.…

(ascension), a descendant of Aaron through Ithamar, the youngest of his two surviving sons. (Leviticus 10:1,2,12) comp. 1Kin 2:27 with 2Sam 8:17; 1Chr 24:3 (B.C. 1214-1116.) he was the first of the line of Ithamar who held the office of high priest. The office remained in his family till Abiathar was thrust out by Solomon, (1 Kings 1:7; 2:26,27) when it passed back again to the family of Eleazar int he person of Zadok. (1 Kings 2:35) Its return to the elder branch was one part of the punishment which had been denounced against Eli during his lifetime, for his culpable negligence. (

A high priest of the Jews, the first in the line of Ithamar, 1Sa 2:27. He was also a judge of Israel forty years, and was eminent for piety and usefulness, but criminally negligent of family discipline. For this the judgments of God fell upon his house, 1Sa 3:11-18. In battle with the Philistines his two sons were slain, and Israel defeated; but it was the capture of the ark of God that broke his heart, 1Sa 4:1-22. The divine threatening was fully performed in the day of Abiathar, which see.

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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