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1 Samuel 13:5 — Word Study

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WLCוּפְלִשְׁתִּ֞ים נֶאֶסְפ֣וּ׀ לְהִלָּחֵ֣ם עִם־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל שְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים אֶ֤לֶף רֶ֙כֶב֙ וְשֵׁ֤שֶׁת אֲלָפִים֙ פָּרָשִׁ֔ים וְעָ֕ם כַּח֛וֹל אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־ שְׂפַֽת־ הַיָּ֖ם לָרֹ֑ב וַֽיַּעֲלוּ֙ וַיַּחֲנ֣וּ בְמִכְמָ֔שׂ קִדְמַ֖ת בֵּ֥ית אָֽוֶן׃

BSANow the PhilistinesPᵉlishtîy [a non-Semitic, immigrant people] assembledʼâçaph [gathered together] to fightlâcham [to engage in battle, to make war] againstʻim IsraelYisrâʼêl [the symbolic name of Jacob, God's chosen people] with threeshᵉlôwshîym thousandʼeleph [a large number, thirty thousand in some accounts] chariotsrekeb [vehicles, teams of horses] sixshêsh thousandʼeleph horsemenpârâsh [cavalry soldiers, riders] and troopsʻam [people, a multitude] as numerousrôb [abundant, countless] as the sandchôwl [small, round particles] onʻal the seashoresâphâh [the beach, the edge of the sea] They went upʻâlâh [ascended, rose] and campedchânâh [pitched their tents, set up their encampment] at MichmashMikmâç [a hidden city, a place of concealment] eastqidmâh [in front, toward the rising sun] of Beth-avenBêyth ʼÂven [the house of vanity, a place of idolatry]

Word
Listen & take away1 Samuel 13
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 5 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 ('A.ven) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Samuel 13:5quick helps
In a sentenceThe Philistines gathered to fight against Israel with a formidable force of chariots and horsemen.
Who is speakingThe narrator describes the events surrounding King Saul and the Philistine threat.
Where we areThis verse is set in the context of an impending battle between Israel and the Philistines.
The hard wordפְּלִשְׁתִּ֞ים
Take awayThe Philistines assembled a massive army, indicating the seriousness of the conflict.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectפְּלִשְׁתִּי verbאָסַף 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 13:5

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 Gathering of the Philistinesgenerated

4And all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked an outpost of the Philistines, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines!” Then the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
5Now the Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.
6Seeing that they were in danger because their troops were hard-pressed, the men of Israel hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in cellars and cisterns.
7Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, remained at Gilgal, and all his troops were quaking in fear.

1 Samuel 13:5 describes how the Philistines assembled a large army to confront Israel, showcasing their military strength. This event is critical as it sets the stage for King Saul's leadership and the challenges faced by the Israelites. The context reveals the tension between the two groups, leading to significant consequences for Israel's future.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Genesis 22:17I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.
2Joshua 11:4So these kings came out with all their armies, a multitude as numerous as the sand on the seashore, along with a great number of horses and chariots.
3Judges 7:12Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the other people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as countless as the sand on the seashore.
42 Chronicles 1:9Now, O LORD God, let Your promise to my father David be fulfilled. For You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.
5Isaiah 48:19Your descendants would have been as countless as the sand, and your offspring as numerous as its grains; their name would never be cut off or eliminated from My presence.”

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 13 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word פְּלִשְׁתִּ֞ים, u.fe.lish.Timgenerated

The term פְּלִשְׁתִּי (*pelishtiy*) refers to the Philistines, a group known for their conflicts with Israel. The word is derived from the root for Philistia, indicating their origin as immigrants from other regions. The Philistines are often depicted as adversaries of the Israelites throughout biblical narratives.

The parsing shows that it is a noun in the plural form, indicating a collective group. This highlights the Philistines not just as individuals but as a united force in opposition to Israel.


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 main finite verb is נֶאֶסְפ֣וּ, they gathered, which governs the sentence. This verb is followed by a series of phrases detailing the action and the context of the gathering, including the number of chariots and horsemen.

The structure emphasizes the scale of the Philistine army, with multiple noun phrases detailing their military assets, illustrating the overwhelming force they posed against Israel.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates פְּלִשְׁתִּים as ἀλλόφυλοι, meaning 'foreigners' or 'aliens'. This choice reflects a broader interpretation of the Philistines as outsiders to Israel, highlighting their non-Israelite identity.

This rendering indicates a potential theological emphasis on the distinction between Israel and those who oppose them, framing the conflict in terms of belonging and identity.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Samuel 13:5 tells us that the Philistines gathered a large army to fight against Israel, including many chariots and horsemen. They camped at Michmash, which was east of Beth-aven, indicating a strategic position for their attack.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the Philistines were gathered to fight?

It indicates a significant military mobilization, showing their intent to engage in battle with Israel.

Why is the number of chariots and horsemen mentioned?

The numbers emphasize the strength and preparedness of the Philistine army, highlighting the threat they posed to Israel.

What is the significance of Michmash?

Michmash was a strategic location for the Philistines, allowing them to threaten Israel's territory and resources.

What does the term 'Beth-aven' signify?

Beth-aven means 'house of vanity' and reflects the idolatrous practices associated with the location, contrasting with Israel's worship of Yahweh.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How does the gathering of the Philistines impact the narrative of Israel's history?
  2. What lessons can we learn about facing overwhelming odds from this passage?
  3. In what ways does the identity of the Philistines as outsiders play a role in the conflict?
  4. How can understanding the geographical context of Michmash enhance our reading of this story?

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

Several early commentators reference this passage to discuss the military might of the Philistines and the implications for Israel. Their insights are provided here.

Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 3 c. 540–604
7. Above, King Saul is described as having chosen three thousand men for himself. If, therefore, we wish to compare the forces of each army, against each one of Saul's men, ten chariots and two horsemen of the Philistines are assigned.
Early Church Fathers on 1 Samuel 13 →
BedeCommentary on Samuel c. 673–735
And the remaining crowd, like the sand which is on the shore of the sea, is numerous. For this sand is exposed to the frequent waves of neighbors' vices, and also always unstable and fleeting due to the wind of pride,
Early Church Fathers on 1 Samuel 13 →
BedeCommentary on Samuel c. 673–735
And going up, they camped in Magmas, etc. Magmas, as we have said, signifies humility; Bethaven sounds like the house of an idol, or a useless house.
Early Church Fathers on 1 Samuel 13 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Samuel 13:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel,.... To prevent their further encroachments on them, and designs against them; for they perceived they intended to cast off their

Read John Gill on 1 Samuel 13 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Samuel 13 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Thirty thousand chariots: this number seems incredible to infidels; to whom it may be sufficient to reply, that it is far more rational to acknowledge a mistake in him that copied out the sacred text in such numeral or historical passages, wherein the doctrine of faith and good life is not directly concerned, than upon such a pretence to question the truth and divinity of the Holy Scriptures, which are so fully attested, and evidently demonstrated. And the mistake is not great in the Hebrew, schalosh for schellshim; and so indeed those two ancient translators, the Syriac and Arabic, translate it, and are supposed to have read in their Hebrew copies, three thousand. Nor is it necessary that…

Read Matthew Poole on 1 Samuel 13 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1 Samuel 13:5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which [is] on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.Ver. 5. Thirty thousand chariots.] Armed with scythes and hooks. These were a great number. Sisera had but nine hundred, Pharaoh six hundred. And people as the sand which is on the sea shore.] Josephus saith they were three hundred thousand footmen. All these were by God’ s all-disposing providence brought together to be broken in pieces.

Read John Trapp on 1 Samuel 13 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(5) And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel.—The figures here, again, of the numbers of this vast army are perfectly untrustworthy. In the rolls of ancient armies (and we possess many a one in the sacred records) the number of war chariots is always smaller than that of the horsemen; here the chariots are represented as four times as numerous. In the rolls of the most famous armies there never appear anything like this number. For instance, Jabin (Judges 4:3) had 900 chariots. Pharaoh pursued Israel with 600. When David defeated Syria, the great Syrian army had 40,000 horsemen and 700 chariots. King Solomon is only reported (1 Kings 10:26) to have possessed…

Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Samuel 13 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 5. Thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen] There is no proportion here between the chariots and the cavalry. The largest armies ever brought into the field, even by mighty emperors, never were furnished with thirty thousand chariots. I think שלשים sheloshim, THIRTY, is a false reading for שלש shalosh, THREE. The Syriac has [Syriac] telotho alpin, and the Arabic [Arabic] thalathato alf, both signifying THREE thousand; and this was a fair proportion to the horsemen. This is most likely to be the true reading.

Read AdamClarke on 1 Samuel 13 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

5. thirty thousand chariots] This reading, though as old as the Sept., is certainly wrong. The number of chariots was always less than that of horsemen, and such an enormous force of chariots is not only quite unparalleled, but would be useless in the mountainous country. Possibly the numeral 30, expressed in Hebrew by the letter l, was due to the accidental repetition of the last letter of the word Israel, and we should read “a thousand chariots.” Jabin had “nine hundred chariots” (Judges 4:3). people as the sand which is on the sea shore] “People” = infantry. “The sand on the sea shore” is a common figure for an indefinite number. Cp. Genesis 22:17; Genesis 41:49; Joshua 11:4; Psalms…

Read Cambridge on 1 Samuel 13 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thirty thousand chariots - Probably a copyist’s mistake for 300.

Read Albert Barnes on 1 Samuel 13 →

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

Now the Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

The Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel: thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, eastward of Beth Aven.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Now the Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

NETBNew English Translation2006

For the battle with Israel the Philistines had amassed 3,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And the Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude: and they came up, and encamped in Michmash, eastward of Beth-aven.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And the Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward of Beth-aven.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and encamped in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The Philistims also gathered themselues together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand charets, and sixe thousande horsemen: for the people was like the sand which is by the seas side in multitude, and came vp, and pitched in Michmash Eastward from Beth-auen.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And the Philistines were assembled together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude; and they came up, and encamped in Michmash, eastward from Beth-Aven.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And the Philistines have been gathered to fight with Israel; thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and a people as the sand which [is] on the sea-shore for multitude; and they come up and encamp in Michmash, east of Beth-Aven.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And the Philistines have been gathered to fight with Israel; thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and a people as the sand which [is] on the seashore for multitude; and they come up and encamp in Michmash, east of Beth-Aven.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude; and they came up, and encamped in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

The Philistines gathered together to fight against Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand men to drive the chariots, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They came up and encamped at Michmash, east of Beth Aven.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

The Philistines also were assembled to fight against Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and a multitude of people besides, like the sand on the sea shore for number. And going up they camped in Machmas at the east of Bethaven.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The Philistines gathered to fight against Israel. They had three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and soldiers as numerous as sand on the seashore. They advanced and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And the Philistines came together to make war on Israel, three thousand war-carriages and six thousand horsemen and an army of people like the sands of the sea in number: they came up and took up their position in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven.

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.

וּand.[the]clauseclausesubjectפְלִשְׁתִּ֞יםPhilistinesverbנֶאֶסְפ֣וּthey.gatheredprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtoclauseverbהִלָּחֵ֣םfightprepositional phrase · prepositionalעִםwithיִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsraelclausenoun phrase · subjectnoun phrasenumeral phraseשְׁלֹשִׁ֨יםthirtyאֶ֤לֶףthousandרֶ֨כֶב֙chariot[s]וְandnoun phrasenumeral phraseשֵׁ֤שֶׁתsixאֲלָפִים֙thousand(s)פָּרָשִׁ֔יםhorsemenוְandnoun phraseעָ֕םa.peopleprepositional phraseכַּlikenoun phrasethenoun phrasenoun phraseח֛וֹלsandrelpאֲשֶׁ֥רwhichclauseprepositional phrase · predicateעַל[is].onnoun phraseשְׂפַֽתthe.shorenoun phraseהַofיָּ֖םthe.seaprepositional phraseלָforרֹ֑בmultitudeוַֽandclauseverbיַּעֲלוּ֙they.came.upוַandclauseverbיַּחֲנ֣וּthey.encampedprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְatnoun phraseמִכְמָ֔שׂMicmashnoun phraseקִדְמַ֖תthe.east

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree on the content of this verse, with a high degree of correspondence in wording. However, the Septuagint's translation reflects a different syntactical structure, emphasizing the foreign nature of the Philistines.

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

וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֞ים נֶאֶסְפ֣וּ׀ לְהִלָּחֵ֣ם עִם־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל שְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים אֶ֤לֶף רֶ֙כֶב֙ וְשֵׁ֤שֶׁת אֲלָפִים֙ פָּרָשִׁ֔ים וְעָ֕ם כַּח֛וֹל אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־ שְׂפַֽת־ הַיָּ֖ם לָרֹ֑ב וַֽיַּעֲלוּ֙ וַיַּחֲנ֣וּ בְמִכְמָ֔שׂ קִדְמַ֖ת בֵּ֥ית אָֽוֶן׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֞יםἀλλόφυλοιנֶאֶסְפ֣וּ׀συνάγονταιלְהִלָּחֵ֣םπόλεμονעִם־ἐπὶיִשְׂרָאֵ֗לισραηλשְׁלֹשִׁ֨יםτριάκονταאֶ֤לֶףξιλιάδεςרֶ֙כֶב֙ἁρμάτωνוְשֵׁ֤שֶׁתἓχאֲלָפִים֙ξιλιάδεςפָּרָשִׁ֔יםἱππέωνוְעָ֕םλαὸςכַּח֛וֹלἄμμοςאֲשֶׁ֥רעַל־παρὰהַיָּ֖םθάλασσανלָרֹ֑בπλήθειוַֽיַּעֲלוּ֙ἀναβαίνουσινוַיַּחֲנ֣וּπαρεμβάλλουσινבְמִכְמָ֔שׂμαξεμας

20 of the 24 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 13:5פְּלִשְׁתִּיand [the] Pand [the] Philiפְּלִשְׁתִּיאָסַףthey gatherthey gatheredאָסַףלָחַםto fightto fightלָחַםעִםwithwithעִםיִשְׂרָאֵלIsraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלשְׁלֹשִׁיםthirtythirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםאֶ֫לֶףthousandthousandאֶ֫לֶףרֶ֫כֶבchariot[s]chariot[s]רֶ֫כֶבשֵׁשׁand sixand sixשֵׁשׁאֶ֫לֶףthousandthousandאֶ֫לֶףפָּרָשׁhorsemenhorsemenפָּרָשׁעַםand a peopland a peopleעַםחוֹלlike the salike the sandחוֹלאֲשֶׁרwhichwhichאֲשֶׁרעַל[is] on[is] onעַלשָׂפָה[the] shore[the] shore ofשָׂפָהיָםthe seathe seaיָםרֹבfor multitufor multitudeרֹבעָלָהand they caand they came uעָלָהחָנָהand they enand they encampחָנָהמִכְמָסat Micmashat Micmashמִכְמָסקִדְמָה[the] east [the] east ofקִדְמָהבֵּיתBethBethבֵּיתבֵּיתAvenAvenבֵּיתעָמַםto darkento darkenעָמַםבֵּיתplaceplaceבֵּיתפְּלֶ֫שֶׁתPhilistiaPhilistiaפְּלֶ֫שֶׁתשָׂרָהto striveto striveשָׂרָהאֶ֫לֶףcattlecattleאֶ֫לֶףרָכַבto rideto rideרָכַבפָּרַשׁto declareto declareפָּרַשׁחוּלto twist: to twist: trembחוּלסָפָהto snatchto snatchסָפָהרָבַבto multiplto multiplyרָבַבכָּמַסto store uto store upכָּמַסשָׁלֹשׁthreethreeשָׁלֹשׁשָׁלִthirdthirdשָׁלִשׂוּשׂto rejoiceto rejoiceשׂוּשׂעַלheightheightעַלחָנַןbe gracioube graciousחָנַןקֶ֫דֶםfront: easfront: eastקֶ֫דֶםמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָה
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 13:5

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 [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֞יםu.fe.lish.Tim and [the] Philistines H6430 Conjunction · noun gentilic masculine plural absolute
288× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A Philistine is a person from the region of Philistia, which was inhabited by immigrants from other places. The Philistines were known for their conflicts with the Israelites, as recorded in the Bible. They were a distinct ethnic group.
Amplified meaning
a non-Semitic, immigrant people
Tyndale gloss
(Sea of the) Philistines
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פְּלִשְׁתִּי (*pelishtiy*) means 'Philistine' and refers to an inhabitant of Philistia, with roots indicating they are descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor. It is derived from the lemma for Philistia, פְּלֶ֫שֶׁת (*peleshet*), and is first mentioned in Genesis 10:14.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פְּלִשְׁתִּי 288 adj.gent. Philistine

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6430 פְּלִשְׁתִּי Philistine

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6430 Plishtiy pel-ish-tee'

patrial from 6429; a Pelishtite or inhabitant of

Pelesheth:--Philistine.

see HEBREW for 06429

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פְּלִשְׁתִּי (pe.lish.ti) — Philistine.

Philistine = "immigrants"

an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan

Another spelling of pe.le.shet (פְּלֶ֫שֶׁת "Philistia" H6429)

פְּלִשְׁתִּי (pe.lish.ti) — Philistine.

A Philistine living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.14;

son of: Casluhim (H3695)

§ Philistine = "immigrants"

an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan

פְּלִשְׁתִּי (pe.lish.ti) — (Sea of the) Philistines.

Philistine = "immigrants"

an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan

Another name of ga.dol (גָּדוֹל "Great( Sea)" H1419J)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Ngmpa — Conjunction · noun gentilic masculine plural absolute
HC/Ngmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fi-lis'-tinz, fil'-is-tinz, fil'-is-tinz (pelishtim; Phulistieim, allophuloi):

I. OLD TESTAMENT NOTICES

1. Race and Origin

2. Religion

3. Individual Philistines Mentioned

4. Title of Ruler and Circumcision

5. History in the Old Testament to Death of Saul

6. History Continued to Time of Ahaz

7. Later Notices

II. MONUMENTAL NOTICES

1. Palestinian Excavations

2. Egyptian Monuments

3. Assyrian Texts

III. THE CRETAN THEORY

1. Cherethim and Kretes

2. Caphtor and Keft

IV. DAVID'S GUARDS

1. The "Cherethi" and the "Pelethi" Not Mercenaries

2. Meaning of These Terms

3. Native Hebrews

4. Review

LITERATURE

I. Old Testament Notices.

1. Race and Origin:

The Philistines were an uncircumcised people inhabiting the shore plain between Gezer and Gaza in Southwestern Palestine (see PHILISTIA). The name Palestine itself (Hebrew pelesheth) refers to their country. The word means "migrants," and they came from another country. They…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Philistines

(Gen. 10:14, R.V.; but in A.V., “Philistim”), a tribe allied to the Phoenicians. They were a branch of the primitive race which spread over the whole district of the Lebanon and the valley of the Jordan, and Crete and other Mediterranean islands. Some suppose them to have been a branch of the Rephaim (2 Sam. 21:16-22). In the time of Abraham they inhabited the south-west of Judea, Abimelech of Gerar being their king (Gen. 21:32, 34; 26:1). They are, however, not noticed among the Canaanitish tribes mentioned in the Pentateuch. They are spoken of by Amos (9:7) and Jeremiah (47:4) as from Caphtor, i.e., probably Crete, or, as some think, the Delta of Egypt. In the whole record from Exodus to Samuel they are…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(immigrants), The origin of the Philistines is nowhere expressly stated in the Bible; but as the prophets describe them as "the Philistines-from Caphtor," (Amos 9:7) and "the remnant of the maritime district of Caphtor" (Jeremiah 47:4) it is prima facie probable that they were the Caphtorim which came out of Caphtor" who expelled the Avim from their territory and occupied it; in their place, (2:23) and that these again were the Caphtorim mentioned in the Mosaic genealogical table among the descendants of Mizraim. (Genesis 10:14) It has been generally assumed that Caphtor represents Crete, and that the Philistines migrated from that island, either directly or through Egypt, into Palestine. But the name Caphtor is more probably…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A celebrated people, who inhabited the southern seacoast of Canaan, which from them took the name of Philistia, Ps 60:8 108:9, or Palestine. They seem originally to have migrated form Egypt to Caphtor, by which some understand Crete, and others with the ancients Cappadocia, Ge 10:14, and thence to have passed over to Palestine under the name of Caphtorim, where they drove out the Avim, who dwelt from Hazerim to Azzah, that is, Gaza, and swelt in their stead, De 2:23. The country they inhabited lay between the higher land of Judea and the Mediterranean, and was in the main a level and fertile territory. It resembles our own western prairies; and bears splendid crops year after year, though miserably cultivated and never manured.

and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
נֶאֶסְפ֣וּ׀ne.'es.Fu they gathered H622 Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common plural
200× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To gather means to bring people or things together, often for a purpose like worship or community. It can also mean to take away or remove something, like gathering a harvest. This word appears in books like Genesis and Psalms.
Amplified meaning
gathered together
Tyndale gloss
to gather
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָסַף (acaph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to gather or remove. It encompasses a range of actions including collecting, assembling, and withdrawing. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hithpael, indicating different nuances like gathering individuals or being gathered. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָסַף 209 vb. gather, remove

Qal

gather, collect

gather an individual into company of others

bring up the rear of

gather and take away, remove, withdraw

Niph.

assemble, be gathered, reflex.

pass. of Qal 2

Pass. of Qal 4; be taken away, removed, perish

Pi.

gather harvest

take in, receive into

as subst. rearguard, rearward

Pu. be gathered, of men

Hithp. gather themselves

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H622 אָסַף gather, remove

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

622 'acaph aw-saf'

a primitive root; to gather for any purpose; hence, to

receive, take away, i.e. remove (destroy, leave behind, put

up, restore, etc.):--assemble, bring, consume, destroy,

felch, gather (in, together, up again), X generally, get

(him), lose, put all together, receive, recover (another from

leprosy), (be) rereward, X surely, take (away, into, up), X

utterly, withdraw.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָסַף (a.saph) — to gather.

1) to gather, receive, remove, gather in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to gather, collect

1a2) to gather (an individual into company of others)

1a3) to bring up the rear

1a4) to gather and take away, remove, withdraw

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to assemble, be gathered

1b2) (pass of Qal 1a2)

1b2a) to be gathered to one's fathers

1b2b) to be brought in or into (association with others)

1b3) (pass of Qal 1a4)

1b3a) to be taken away, removed, perish

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to gather (harvest)

1c2) to take in, receive into

1c3) rearguard, rearward (subst)

1d) (Pual) to be gathered

1e) (Hithpael) to gather oneself or themselves

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common plural
HVNp3cp
and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
לְהִלָּחֵ֣םle.hi.la.Chem to fight H3898 Preposition · verb niphal infinitive construct common
177× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means to feed on or consume something, often referring to eating food or battling against someone. It's used in stories like David's battles and the Israelites' struggles in the wilderness.
Amplified meaning
to engage in battle, to make war
Tyndale gloss
to fight
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word לָחַם (lacham) has two primary meanings: to fight or do battle, and to eat or use as food. It is a primitive root that conveys both the act of engaging in combat and the act of consuming food. The entries indicate that the word can imply destruction in the context of battle.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[לָחַם] 171 vb. fight, do battle

Qal fight, do battle

Niph. engage in battle (recipr.), sometimes wage war

base

[לָחַם] vb. use as food, eat

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3898a לָחַם fight, do battle .fight, do battle

. engage in battle (recipr.), sometimes wage war

H3898b לָחַם use as food, eat

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3898 lacham law-kham'

a primitive root; to feed on; figuratively, to consume; by

implication, to battle (as destruction):--devour, eat, X ever,

fight(-ing), overcome, prevail, (make) war(-ring).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לָחַם (la.cham) — to fight.

1) to fight, do battle, make war

1a) (Qal) to fight, do battle

1b) (Niphal) to engage in battle, wage war

לָחַם (la.cham) — to feed on.

(Qal) to eat, use as food

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Niphal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb niphal infinitive construct common
HR/VNcc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See WAR; GAMES.

and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
עִם־'im- with H5973 Preposition
1,052× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means with or together, like when God is with his people in Exodus 33:14-15. It's used to describe accompaniment or association, and can also mean against or beside. The word is used to convey a sense of relationship or proximity between people or things.
Tyndale gloss
with
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עִם (im) is a preposition meaning 'with' and covers a range of relationships, including companionship, locality, and possession. It can imply actions done jointly, equality, or even opposition in contexts like combat. The related form מֵעִם (me.im) means 'from with' or 'beside.' The entries reflect various nuances but do not present significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִם prep. with

of fellowship and companionship

of aid

Of actions done jointly with another

If the common action be of the nature of a contest or combat, with in the sense of against

Of dealing with a person, or of the relation in which one stands with, or towards, another

Of a common lot together with the wicked

Of equality or resemblance generally aid

Of time, as long as

Of a locality, close to, beside

Of persons, עִם is spec.

in the house or family or service of

In possession of

In the custody or care of

Beside = except

With = friendly with

Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one

Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding

base

מֵעִם 72 from with or beside

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5973a עִם with . of fellowship and companionship

. Of a locality, close to, beside

. Of persons, עִם is spec. . in the house or family or service of

. In possession of

. In the custody or care of

. Beside = except

. With = friendly with

. Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one

. Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding

H5973b מֵעִם from with, beside

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5973 `im eem

from 6004; adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction

with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with;

often with prepositional prefix (and then usually

unrepresented in English):--accompanying, against, and, as (X

long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from

(among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-)to,

with(-al).

see HEBREW for 06004

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִם (im) — with.

1) with

1a) with

1b) against

1c) toward

1d) as long as

מֵעִם (me.im) — from with.

1a) beside, except

1b) in spite of

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לYis.ra.'El Israel H3478 Noun proper
2,508× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Israel is the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants. Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, had 12 sons who became the tribes of Israel, as told in Genesis 25:26. His story is crucial to the Bible's narrative.
Amplified meaning
the symbolic name of Jacob, God's chosen people
Tyndale gloss
Israel
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) refers to both the second name of Jacob, meaning 'God prevails,' and the name of the Hebrew nation descended from him. It is derived from roots meaning 'to rule' and 'God.' The term encompasses Jacob's descendants and is used historically for the northern kingdom of Israel and the nation as a whole after the Babylonian exile.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יִשְׂרָאֵל 2507 n.pr.m. et gent. Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth)

n.pr.m. second name of Jacob

n.pr.gent. name of Hebrew nation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth) . n. pr. m. second name of Jacob

. n. pr. gent. name of Hebrew nation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale'

from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical

name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity:

--Israel.

see HEBREW for 08280

see HEBREW for 0410

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יִשְׂרָאֵל (yis.ra.el) — Israel.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26;

son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259);

brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A);

father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently

§ Israel = "God prevails"

1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel

2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob

2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

iz'-ra-el.

See JACOB.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Israel

The name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel (Gen. 32:28), because “as a prince he had power with God and prevailed.” (See JACOB.) This is the common name given to Jacob’s descendants. The whole people of the twelve tribes are called “Israelites,” the “children of Israel” (Josh. 3:17; 7:25; Judg. 8:27; Jer. 3:21), and the “house of Israel” (Ex. 16:31; 40:38).

This name Israel is sometimes used emphatically for the true Israel (Ps. 73:1: Isa. 45:17; 49:3;

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(the prince that prevails with God). The name given, (Genesis 32:28) to Jacob after his wrestling with the angel, (Hosea 12:4) at Peniel. Gesenius interprets Israel "soldier of God." It became the national name of the twelve tribes collectively. They are so called in (Exodus 3:16) and afterward. It is used in a narrower sense, excluding Judah, in (1 Samuel 11:8; 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16) Thenceforth it was assumed and accepted as the name of the northern kingdom. After the Babylonian captivity, the returned exiles resumed the name Israel as the designation of…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Who prevails with God, a name given to Jacob, after having wrestled with the Angel-Jehovah at Penuel. Ge 32:1,2,28,30 Ho 12:3. See JACOB. By the name Israel is sometimes understood all the posterity of Israel, the seed of Jacob, 1Co 10:18; sometimes all true believers, his spiritual seed, Ro 9:6; and sometimes the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes, as distinct from the kingdom of Judah.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
שְׁלֹשִׁ֨יםshe.lo.Shim thirty H7970 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
173× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Thirty is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which can also be used as an ordinal to describe something as thirtieth. It is used to count quantities in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
thirty
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׁלֹשִׁים (*shlowshiym*) means 'thirty' and can also refer to 'thirtieth' as an ordinal number. It is an indeclinable noun and is derived from the root word for 'three.' The entries indicate that it is used in various contexts, but there are no significant disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׁלֹשִׁים (very seldom שְׁלוֹשִׁים, שְׁלֹשִׁם) 174 n.indecl. thirty

bef. n. sg.

as ordin.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7970 שְׁלֹשִׁים (very seldom שְׁלוֹשִׁים, שְׁלֹשִׁם) n. indecl. thirty . bef. n. sg.

. as ordin.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7970 shlowshiym shel-o-sheem'

or shloshiym {shel-o-sheem'}; multiple of 7969; thirty; or

(ordinal) thirtieth:--thirty, thirtieth. Compare 7991.

see HEBREW for 07969

see HEBREW for 07991

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁלֹשִׁים (she.lo.shim) — thirty.

thirty, thirtieth

Aramaic equivalent: te.la.tin (תְּלָתִין "thirty" H8533)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
אֶ֤לֶף'E.lef thousand H505 Noun common · both singular absolute
506× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A thousand, as in Exodus 20:6 where God shows love to thousands of people. It represents a large number or a company of people under one leader, like an army or a group of soldiers.
Amplified meaning
a large number, thirty thousand in some accounts
Tyndale gloss
thousand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫לֶף n.m. thousand

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H505 אֶ֫לֶף thousand

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

505 'eleph eh'-lef

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

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

a thousand:--thousand.

see HEBREW for 0504

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand.

: thousand

1) a thousand

1a) as numeral

2) a thousand, company

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

אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand: clan.

: clan

1) a thousand

1a) as numeral

2) a thousand, company

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Noun common · both singular absolute
HNcbsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

thou'-zand ('eleph; chilioi).

See NUMBER.

and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
רֶ֙כֶב֙re.khev chariot[s] H7393 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
119× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for chariot refers to a vehicle, team of horses, or cavalry. It is also used to describe the upper millstone in a grinding mill. Chariots were important in biblical times for transportation and war.
Amplified meaning
vehicles, teams of horses
Tyndale gloss
chariot
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֶ֫כֶב (rekeb) refers to a chariot or vehicle, and can also denote a team of horses, cavalry, or riders. It is associated with the upper millstone, implying a connection to movement or transport. The term encompasses various meanings, including chariotry, individual chariots, and groups of horsemen.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֶ֫כֶב 120 n.m. chariotry, chariot, mill-stone; appar. also riders

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7393 רֶ֫כֶב chariotry, chariot, mill-stone; appar. also riders

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7393 rekeb reh'-keb

from 7392; a vehicle; by implication, a team; by extension,

cavalry; by analogy a rider, i.e. the upper

millstone:--chariot, (upper) millstone, multitude (from the

margin), wagon.

see HEBREW for 07392

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֶ֫כֶב (re.khev) — chariot.

: chariot

1) a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders

1a) chariotry, chariots

1b) chariot (single)

1c) upper millstone (as riding on lower millstone)

1d) riders, troop (of riders), horsemen, pair of horsemen, men riding, ass-riders, camel-riders

Also means: re.khev (רֶ֫כֶב ": millstone" H7393H)

רֶ֫כֶב (re.khev) — chariot: millstone.

: millstone

1) a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders

1a) chariotry, chariots

1b) chariot (single)

1c) upper millstone (as riding on lower millstone)

1d) riders, troop (of riders), horsemen, pair of horsemen, men riding, ass-riders, camel-riders

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
וְשֵׁ֤שֶׁתve.She.shet and six H8337 Conjunction · noun common both singular construct
216× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means the number six, and is often used in the Bible to describe measurements, like the six days of creation in Genesis 1.
Tyndale gloss
six
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֵׁשׁ, שִׁשָּׁה 216 n.m. et f. six

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8337 שֵׁשׁ, שִׁשָּׁה six

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8337 shesh shaysh

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

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

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

see HEBREW for 07797

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֵׁשׁ (shesh) — six.

1) six

1a) six (cardinal number)

1b) sixth (ordinal number)

1c) in combination with other numbers

Aramaic equivalent: shet (שֵׁת "six" H8353)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Adj — Conjunction · noun common both singular construct
HC/Ncbsc
and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
אֲלָפִים֙'a.la.Fim thousand H505 Noun common · both plural absolute
506× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A thousand, as in Exodus 20:6 where God shows love to thousands of people. It represents a large number or a company of people under one leader, like an army or a group of soldiers.
Tyndale gloss
thousand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫לֶף n.m. thousand

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H505 אֶ֫לֶף thousand

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

505 'eleph eh'-lef

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

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

a thousand:--thousand.

see HEBREW for 0504

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand.

: thousand

1) a thousand

1a) as numeral

2) a thousand, company

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

אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand: clan.

: clan

1) a thousand

1a) as numeral

2) a thousand, company

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

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

thou'-zand ('eleph; chilioi).

See NUMBER.

and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
פָּרָשִׁ֔יםpa.ra.Shim horsemen H6571 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
57× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means a horseman or a cavalry soldier, like those who rode chariots in battle. In the Bible, it describes the riders of horses and chariots, like in Exodus 14:9 where the Egyptian horsemen pursued the Israelites.
Amplified meaning
cavalry soldiers, riders
Tyndale gloss
horse
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פָּרָשׁ (parash) refers to a horse or steed, specifically one used for pulling a vehicle rather than for riding. It can also denote a horseman or cavalry. The word is built from the root meaning to stretch out, indicating its use in a chariot context.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּרָשׁ] n.[m.] horse, steed

base

פָּרָשׁ n.m. horseman

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6571a פָּרָשׁ horse, steed H6571b פָּרָשׁ horseman

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6571 parash paw-rawsh'

from 6567; a steed (as stretched out to a vehicle, not single

nor for mounting (compare 5483)); also (by implication) a

driver (in a chariot), i.e. (collectively)

cavalry:--horseman.

see HEBREW for 06567

see HEBREW for 05483

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּרָשׁ (pa.rash) — horse.

horse, steed, warhorse

פָּרָשׁ (pa.rash) — horseman.

horseman

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
וְעָ֕םve.'Am and a people H5971 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absolute
1,873× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A people or nation is what this Hebrew word represents, like the nation of Israel in Exodus 33:13. It can also mean a tribe, troops, or attendants, and is used to describe a group of people gathered together. The word is often used to refer to the people of God.
Amplified meaning
people, a multitude
Tyndale gloss
Amaw
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַם (am) primarily means 'people' or 'nation,' referring to a collective group, often in the context of tribes such as those of Israel. It can also denote kinsmen or compatriots. The term appears in various contexts, including military and familial references. There is a mention of a specific individual named Ammi in Song of Solomon 6:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַם, עָם 1810 n.m. people

a people, nation

= smaller units

= common people

people in gen., persons

phrases

base

[עַם] n.[m.] kinsman (on father's side)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5971a עַם, עָם people H5971b עַם kinsman (on father's side)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5971 `am am

from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a

tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or

attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation,

people.

see HEBREW for 06004

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַם (am) — people.

: people/nation

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

עַם (am) — kinsman.

kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — Ammi.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at Sng.6.12

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — People's (Gate).

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — (Ibleam)-am.

Combined with yiv.le.am (יִבְלְעָם "Ibleam" H2991)

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — Amaw.

This name means nation, people

עַם (am) — people: soldiers.

: soldiers/army

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

עַם (am) — people: creatures.

: creatures

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

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

pe'-p'-l: In English Versions of the Bible represents something over a dozen Hebrew and Greek words. Of these, in the Old Testament, `am, is overwhelmingly the most common (about 2,000 times), with le'om, and goy, next in order; but the various Hebrew words are used with very little or no difference in force (e.g. Pr 14:28; but, on the other hand, in Ps 44 contrast verses 12 and 14). Of the changes introduced by the Revised Version (British and American) the only one of significance (cited explicitly in the Preface to the English Revised Version) is the frequent use of the plural "peoples" (strangely avoided in the King James Version except Re 10:11; 17:15), where other nations than Israel are in question. So, for instance, in Ps…

and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
כַּח֛וֹלka.Chol like the sand H2344 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
23× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to sand, describing it as round or whirling particles. It is used in the Bible to talk about the desert or beach, and is often translated simply as 'sand'.
Amplified meaning
small, round particles
Tyndale gloss
sand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חוֹל (chol) means 'sand,' possibly derived from the idea of turning or whirling particles. The entries consistently define it as sand, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חוֹל n.m. sand (perh. as turning or whirling)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2344 חוֹל sand (perh. as turning or whirling)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2344 chowl khole

from 2342; sand (as round or whirling particles):--sand.

see HEBREW for 02342

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חוֹל (chol) — sand.

sand

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

(chol; ammos; a variant of the more usual psammos; compare amathos, psamathos): Sand is principally produced by the grinding action of waves. This is accompanied by chemical solution, with the result that the more soluble constituents of the rock diminish in amount or disappear and the sands tend to become more or less purely silicious, silica or quartz being a common constituent of rocks and very Insoluble. The rocks of Palestine are so largely composed of limestone that the shore and dune sands are unusually calcareous, containing from 10 to 20 per cent of calcium carbonate. This is subject to solution and redeposition as a cement between the sand grains, binding them together to form the porous sandstone of the seashore, which is easily worked and is much used in building.

See Rock, III, (2).

Figurative:

Thompson Chain Reference topics

of the sea (figurative)

Ge 22:17; Ho 1:10; Heb 11:12; Re 20:8

and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sher which H834 Particle
5,500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Tyndale gloss
which
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֲשֶׁר (*asher*) is a relative pronoun that can mean 'who,' 'which,' or 'that.' It serves various grammatical functions, including as an adverb or conjunction, indicating relationships between clauses, places, or conditions. Variants like בַאֲשֶׁר (*ba-asher*), מֵאֲשֶׁר (*me-asher*), and כַּאֲשֶׁר (*ka-asher*) expand its usage to specific contexts such as location, causation, and time.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.

base

בַאֲשֶׁר

in (that) which

adv. in (the place) where

conj. in that, inasmuch as

on account of whom?

base

מֵאֲשֶׁר

from (or than) that which

adv. from (the place) where

conj. from (the fact) that …, since

base

כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when

according to that which, according as, as

with a causal force, in so far as, since

with a temporal force, when

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H834a אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause. H834b בַאֲשֶׁר . in (that) which

. adv. in (the place) where

. conj. in that, inasmuch as

. on account of whom?

H834c מֵאֲשֶׁר . from (or than) that which

. adv. from (the place) where

. conj. from (the fact) that …, since

H834d כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when . according to that which, according as, as

. with a causal force, in so far as, since

. with a temporal force, when

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

834 'aher ash-er'

a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction)

when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X

alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, +

from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which,

wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where

(+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, +

whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is

indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun

expletively, used to show the connection.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) — which.

A: 1) (relative part.)

1a) which, who

1b) that which

2) (conj)

2a) that (in obj clause)

2b) when

2c) since

2d) as

2e) conditional if

B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

D: Kaph+

1) (conj.), according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since

1c) with a temporal force: when

בַאֲשֶׁר (ba.a.sher) — in which.

1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

מֵאֲשֶׁר (me.a.sher) — whence.

1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka.a.sher) — as which.

conj

1) according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTr — Particle
HTr
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
עַל־'al- [is] on 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
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

On

Light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship, called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17), stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the LXX. Versions have “Heliopolis” (“city of the sun”) instead of On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The “city of destruction” Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. “of Heres;” Heb. ‘Ir-ha-heres, which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., “city of the sun”) may be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will come when that city which was known as the “city of the sun-god” shall become the “city of destruction” of the sun-god, i.e., when idolatry shall cease, and the worship…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis. The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests. The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave "to wife Asenath the daughter…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See HELIOPOLIS.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

pain; force; iniquity

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
שְׂפַֽת־se.fat- [the] shore of H8193 Noun common · feminine singular construct
176× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to lips or language, and can also mean the edge or border of something. It is used in the Bible to describe the shore of a sea or the edge of a cup.
Amplified meaning
the beach, the edge of the sea
Tyndale gloss
lips
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׂפָה (*saphah*) encompasses meanings related to 'lip,' 'speech,' and 'edge.' It is derived from concepts of termination, suggesting boundaries like the edge of a vessel or the bank of a river. The word can refer to physical lips, language, or the edges of various objects, including shores.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׂפָה 176 n.f. lip, speech, edge

lip

language

edge: shore of sea; bank of river

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8193 שָׂפָה lip, speech, edge . lip

. language

. edge: shore of sea; bank of river

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8193 saphah saw-faw'

or (in dual and plural) sepheth {sef-eth'}; probably from

5595 or 8192 through the idea of termination (compare 5490);

the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by

analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.):--band,

bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip,

prating, ((sea-))shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.

see HEBREW for 05595

see HEBREW for 08192

see HEBREW for 05490

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׂפָה (sa.phah) — lips.

: lips/mouth

1) lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding

1a) lip (as body part)

1b) language

1c) edge, shore, bank (of cup, sea, river, etc)

שָׂפָה (sa.phah) — lip: words.

: words/language

1) lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding

1a) lip (as body part)

1b) language

1c) edge, shore, bank (of cup, sea, river, etc)

שָׂפָה (sa.phah) — lip: edge.

: edge/border/opening

1) lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding

1a) lip (as body part)

1b) language

1c) edge, shore, bank (of cup, sea, river, etc)

שָׂפָה (sa.phah) — lip: shore.

: shore/bank(of_sea/river)

1) lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding

1a) lip (as body part)

1b) language

1c) edge, shore, bank (of cup, sea, river, etc)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular construct
HNcfsc
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 [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
הַיָּ֖םhai.Yam the sea H3220 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
396× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Refers to a large body of water like the Mediterranean Sea or a sea in general, sometimes specifically the west or seaward direction.
Tyndale gloss
(Mt. Ephron in the) West
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָם (yam) means 'sea' and refers to various large bodies of water, including the Mediterranean, Red, and Dead Seas, as well as the Sea of Galilee. It can also denote a mighty river like the Nile and has geographical implications, indicating directions such as west or south. The term is derived from a root meaning to roar, suggesting the noise of breaking surf.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָם 390 n.m. sea

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3220 יָם sea

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3220 yam yawm

from an unused root meaning to roar; a sea (as breaking in

noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the

article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or

an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the

south:--sea (X -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern,

side, -ward).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָם (yam) — sea.

: sea

1) sea

1a) Mediterranean Sea

1b) Red Sea

1c) Dead Sea

1d) Sea of Galilee

1e) sea (general)

1f) mighty river (Nile)

1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court)

1h) seaward, west, westward

יָם (yam) — sea: west.

: west

1) sea

1a) Mediterranean Sea

1b) Red Sea

1c) Dead Sea

1d) Sea of Galilee

1e) sea (general)

1f) mighty river (Nile)

1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court)

1h) seaward, west, westward

יָם (yam) — (Mt. Ephron in the) West.

This name means sea, seaward, westward

Another name of eph.ron (עֶפְרוֹן "(Mount )Ephron" H6085H)

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

se (yam; thalassa; in Ac 27:5 pelagos): The Mediterranean is called ha-yam ha-gadhol, "the great sea" (Nu 34:6; Jos 1:4; Eze 47:10, etc.); ha-yam ha-'acharon, "the hinder," or "western sea" (De 11:24; 34:2; Joe 2:20; Zec 14:8); yam pelishtim, "the sea of the Philis" (Ex 23:31); the King James Version translates yam yapho' in Ezr 3:7 by "sea of Joppa," perhaps rightly.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The sea, yam , is used in Scripture to denote-- "The gathering of the waters," "the Ocean." (Genesis 1:2,10; 30:13) etc. Some portion of this, as the Mediterranean Sea, called the "hinder," the "western" and the "utmost" sea, (11:24; 34:2; Joel 2:20) "sea of the Philistines," (Exodus 23:31) "the great sea," (Numbers 36:6,7; Joshua 15:47) "the sea." Genesis49:13; Psal 80:11 Also frequently of the Red Sea. (Exodus 15:4) [RED SEA SEA] Inland lakes termed seas, as the Salt or Dead Sea. [See the special article] Any…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The Hebrews give the name of sea to any large collection of water, Job 14:11; as to the lakes of Tiberias and Asphaltites, and also to the rivers Nile and Euphrates, Isa 11:15 18:2 21:1 Jer 51:36,42. The principal seas mentioned in Scripture are the following:

1. The GREAT SEA, the Mediterranean, called also the Hinder or Western Sea. Indeed, the Hebrew word for sea, meaning the Mediterranean, is often put for the west. The Great Sea is 2,200 miles long, and in the widest part 1,200 miles in width. In many places it is so deep as to give no soundings. It is little affected by tides, but is often agitated by violent winds. The prevailing direction of the wind in spring is from the southeast and southwest and from the northeast…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Creation of Ge 1:9,10; Ps 95:5; 148:4,5

→ Lake Galilee calmed by Jesus Mt 8:24-26; Mr 4:37-39

→ Jesus walked upon Lake Galilee Mt 14:25-31

→ The Dead, to be given up by the, at the resurrection Re 20:13

→ SYMBOLICAL

In Daniel' s vision Da 7:2,3

In John' s apocalyptic vision Re 4:6; 8:8,9; 10:2,5,6,8; 13:1; 15:2; 16:3; 21:1

and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
לָרֹ֑בla.Ro for multitude H7230 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
149× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Describes abundance or greatness in the Bible, used to talk about God's power and creation in Psalms and Isaiah.
Amplified meaning
abundant, countless
Tyndale gloss
abundance
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֹב (rov) refers to a multitude or abundance, encompassing ideas of greatness and numerousness. It is derived from a related root and can describe anything from a large quantity to excellence. The entries consistently highlight its use in various contexts, emphasizing its broad application in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֹב 151 n.m. multitude, abundance, greatness

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7230 רֹב multitude, abundance, greatness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7230 rob robe

from 7231; abundance (in any respect):--abundance(- antly),

all, X common (sort), excellent, great(-ly, -ness, number),

huge, be increased, long, many, more in number, most, much,

multitude, plenty(-ifully), X very (age).

see HEBREW for 07231

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֹב (rov) — abundance.

1) multitude, abundance, greatness

1a) multitude

1a1) abundance, abundantly

1a2) numerous

1b) greatness

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HR/Ncmsa
and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
וַֽיַּעֲלוּ֙vai.ya.'a.Lu and they came up H5927 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
890× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To ascend means to go up or rise, like the smoke from an altar going up to God, as described in many Bible passages, including Leviticus and Psalms.
Amplified meaning
ascended, rose
Tyndale gloss
to ascend: rise
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עָלָה (alah) means 'to ascend' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including going up, climbing, and rising in various contexts such as personal, natural, and spiritual. It can refer to actions involving people, animals, vegetation, and even thoughts, and includes nuances of being exalted or offering sacrifices. The word is built from a primitive root and appears in various grammatical forms, indicating different aspects of ascent or elevation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָלָה 890 vb. go up, ascend, climb

Qal

of persons, go up, ascend, in local relations

go up, in personal relations

of animals, go or come up

of vegetation, spring up, grow, shoot forth

of natural phenom., go up, rise

of inanimate things, instead of passive construction

of thoughts

come up before God, arrogance

go up, extend, of boundary

excel

Niph.

be brought up

be taken up

pass., be taken up, away

reflex., take oneself away from, get up from

reflex.: take oneself away

be exalted, of God

Hiph.

bring up persons

in personal relations

bring up animals

cause to ascend

mentally

offer a present; bring up tithe to

exalt

cause to ascend (in flame), offer sacrifice

Hoph.

be carried away

be taken up into, inserted in

be offered

Hithp. lift oneself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5927 עָלָה go up, ascend, climb .. of persons, go up, ascend, in local relations

. go up, in personal relations

. of animals, go or come up

. of vegetation, spring up, grow, shoot forth

. of natural phenom., go up, rise

. of inanimate things, instead of passive construction

. of thoughts

. come up before God, arrogance

. go up, extend, of boundary

. excel

. . . be brought up

. be taken up

. . pass., be taken up, away

. reflex., take oneself away from, get up from

. reflex.: take oneself away

. be exalted, of God

. . bring up persons

. in personal relations

. bring up animals

. cause to ascend

. mentally

. offer a present; bring up tithe to

. exalt

. cause to ascend (in flame), offer sacrifice

. . be carried away

. be taken up into, inserted in

. be offered

. lift oneself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5927 `alah aw-law'

a primitive root; to ascend, intransitively (be high) or

actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary

and secondary, literal and figurative (as follow):--arise

(up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up),

bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, + shew, climb

(up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart,

exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up);

grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light,

(make) up, X mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, + perfect,

prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise

(up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring

(up), stir up, take away (up), work.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָלָה (a.lah) — to ascend: rise.

: rise/go

1) to go up, ascend, climb

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go up, ascend

1a2) to meet, visit, follow, depart, withdraw, retreat

1a3) to go up, come up (of animals)

1a4) to spring up, grow, shoot forth (of vegetation)

1a5) to go up, go up over, rise (of natural phenomenon)

1a6) to come up (before God)

1a7) to go up, go up over, extend (of boundary)

1a8) to excel, be superior to

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be taken up, be brought up, be taken away

1b2) to take oneself away

1b3) to be exalted

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to bring up, cause to ascend or climb, cause to go up

1c2) to bring up, bring against, take away

1c3) to bring up, draw up, train

1c4) to cause to ascend

1c5) to rouse, stir up (mentally)

1c6) to offer, bring up (of gifts)

1c7) to exalt

1c8) to cause to ascend, offer

1d) (Hophal)

1d1) to be carried away, be led up

1d2) to be taken up into, be inserted in

1d3) to be offered

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
וַיַּחֲנ֣וּvai.ya.cha.Nu and they encamped H2583 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
143× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew verb means to set up camp or pitch a tent, like when the Israelites encamped in the wilderness. It can also mean to lay siege against a city.
Amplified meaning
pitched their tents, set up their encampment
Tyndale gloss
to camp
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָנָה (chanah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to decline, bend down, or encamp. It conveys the idea of inclining or settling, particularly in the context of pitching a tent or establishing a temporary dwelling. The word appears in various forms, including the act of encamping or laying siege. It is associated with the imagery of the evening's slanting rays and the conclusion of a day's journey.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָנָה 143 vb. decline, bend down, encamp

Qal

decline, of day drawing to its close

encamp (prop. verge toward, incline to, settle at, of goal of day’s march)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2583 חָנָה decline, bend down, encamp

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2583 chanah khaw-naw'

a primitive root (compare 2603); properly, to incline; by

implication, to decline (of the slanting rays of evening);

specifically, to pitch a tent; gen. to encamp (for abode or

siege):--abide (in tents), camp, dwell, encamp, grow to an

end, lie, pitch (tent), rest in tent.

see HEBREW for 02603

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָנָה (cha.nah) — to camp.

1) to decline, incline, encamp, bend down, lay siege against

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to decline

1a2) to encamp

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
בְמִכְמָ֔שׂve.mikh.Mas at Micmash H4363 Preposition · noun proper
11× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Mikmash was a city in ancient Palestine, near Ramah and about 10 miles north of Jerusalem. Its name means 'hidden' and it's mentioned in the Bible as a place in the tribe of Benjamin. Today, it's likely the site of modern Mukhmas.
Amplified meaning
a hidden city, a place of concealment
Tyndale gloss
Michmash
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִכְמָס (Mikmac) refers to a city in the territory of Benjamin, located north of Jerusalem. The name is derived from a root meaning 'hidden.' It appears in biblical texts such as Ezra 2:2 and Nehemiah 11:31, indicating its historical significance in the region.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִכְמָס n.pr.loc.; = מִכְמָשׂ;—city in Benjamin, N. fr. Geba and Jerusalem (E. fr. Bethaven)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4363 מִכְמָס; = מִכְמָשׂ;—city in Benjamin, N. fr. Geba and Jerusalem (E. fr. Bethaven)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4363 Mikmac mik-maws'

(Ezra 2:2 or Mikmash {mik-mawsh'}; or Mikmash (Neh. 11:31)

{mik-mash'}; from 3647; hidden; Mikmas or Mikmash, a place in

Palestine:--Mikmas, Mikmash.

see HEBREW for 03647

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִכְמָס, מִכְמָשׂ (mikh.mas) — Michmash.

§ Michmas or Michmash = "hidden"

a city in Benjamin lying near Ramah and approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Jerusalem; probably modern 'Mukhmas'

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun proper
HR/Npl
and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
קִדְמַ֖תkid.Mat [the] east of H6926 Noun common · feminine singular construct
4× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The east direction or something that is in front, like in the book of Matthew where it describes the Magi coming from the east. It can also mean something is old or ancient, such as the city of Jerusalem.
Amplified meaning
in front, toward the rising sun
Tyndale gloss
east
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word קִדְמָה (*qidmah*) is a feminine noun meaning 'front' or 'east.' It is derived from a related word and can refer to the forward part or direction, often used adverbially to indicate location. The entries highlight its meanings related to direction and position, but do not present any significant disagreements.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[קִדְמָה] n.f. front, East

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6926 קִדְמָה front, East

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6926 qidmah kid-maw'

feminine of 6924; the forward part (or relatively) East

(often adverbially, on the east or in front):--east(-ward).

see HEBREW for 06924

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קִדְמָה (qid.mah) — east.

1) forward, front, east, antiquity, East

1a) in front of, over against, front

1b) on the east of, east

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular construct
HNcfsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

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

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

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

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

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

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

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

Lamentations 3:1.

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

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

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

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

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
בֵּ֥יתbeit Beth H1007 Noun proper
14× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Beth-aven, meaning house of vanity, is a city east of Bethel in Palestine. It is mentioned in the Bible as a place of idolatry and sin, where the Israelites worshipped false gods. The name Beth-aven reflects the city's reputation for vanity and wickedness.
Amplified meaning
the house of vanity, a place of idolatry
Tyndale gloss
Beth-aven
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּית אָ֫וֶן (Beyth 'Aven) means 'house of vanity' and refers to a location in Palestine, specifically east of Bethel. It is derived from two Hebrew words meaning 'house' and 'vanity.' The Brown-Driver-Briggs entry suggests an alternative interpretation as 'house of iniquity or idolatry,' but this is debated.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּית אָ֫וֶן n.pr.loc. (house of iniquity or idolatry ? hardly likely unless as alteration of orig. בֵּית אוֹן, house of wealth or strength) eastward from Bethel

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1007 בֵּית אָ֫וֶן

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1007 Beyth 'Aven bayth aw'-ven

from 1004 and 205; house of vanity; Beth- Aven, a place in

Palestine:--Beth-aven.

see HEBREW for 01004

see HEBREW for 0205

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית אָ֫וֶן (bet a.ven) — Beth-aven.

§ Beth-aven = "house of vanity"

a city east of Bethel

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Beth

Occurs frequently as the appellation for a house, or dwelling-place, in such compounds as the words immediately following:

Smith's Bible Dictionary

the most general word for a house or habitation. It has the special meaning of a temple or house of worship Beth is more frequently employed in compound names of places than any other word.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

House, forms a part of many compounds names of places, and sometimes means the place or dwelling; and at others the temple. This word becomes Beit in modern Arabic.

and [the] Philistines they gathered to fight with Israel thirty thousand chariot[s] and six thousand horsemen and a people like the sand which [is] on [the] shore of the sea for multitude and they came up and they encamped at Micmash [the] east of Beth Aven
אָֽוֶן׃'A.ven Aven H1007 Noun proper
14× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Beth-aven, meaning house of vanity, is a city east of Bethel in Palestine. It is mentioned in the Bible as a place of idolatry and sin, where the Israelites worshipped false gods. The name Beth-aven reflects the city's reputation for vanity and wickedness.
Tyndale gloss
Beth-aven
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּית אָ֫וֶן (Beyth 'Aven) means 'house of vanity' and refers to a location in Palestine, specifically east of Bethel. It is derived from two Hebrew words meaning 'house' and 'vanity.' The Brown-Driver-Briggs entry suggests an alternative interpretation as 'house of iniquity or idolatry,' but this is debated.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּית אָ֫וֶן n.pr.loc. (house of iniquity or idolatry ? hardly likely unless as alteration of orig. בֵּית אוֹן, house of wealth or strength) eastward from Bethel

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1007 בֵּית אָ֫וֶן

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1007 Beyth 'Aven bayth aw'-ven

from 1004 and 205; house of vanity; Beth- Aven, a place in

Palestine:--Beth-aven.

see HEBREW for 01004

see HEBREW for 0205

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית אָ֫וֶן (bet a.ven) — Beth-aven.

§ Beth-aven = "house of vanity"

a city east of Bethel

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpl — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a'-ven 'awen "emptiness," "vanity": Used in Eze 30:17 for On or Heliopolis, in Egypt. See ON. As a term of contempt Hosea calls Beth-el "Beth-aven" (4:15; 10:5). So Amos speaks of some valley near Damascus as "the valley of Aven" (that is, of the idol, 1:5), in which Baalbek (Heliopolis) was situated. The word is rendered "idol" in Isa 66:3.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Aven

Nothingness; vanity. (1.) Hosea speaks of the “high places of Aven” (10:8), by which he means Bethel. He also calls it Beth-aven, i.e., “the house of vanity” (4:15), on account of the golden calves Jeroboam had set up there (1 Kings 12:28).

(2.) Translated by the LXX. “On” in Ezek. 30:17. The Egyptian Heliopolis or city of On (q.v.).

(3.) In Amos 1:5 it denotes the Syrian Heliopolis, the modern Baalbec.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(nothingness). The "plain of Aven" is mentioned by (Amos 1:5) in his denunciation of Syria and the country to the north of Palestine. This Aven is by some supposed to be the once magnificent Heiropolis, "city of I the sun," now Baalbek (Bal’bek) of Coele-Syria, whose ruins are one of the wonders of the ages. It was situated in a plain near the foot of the Anti-Libanus range of mountains, 42 miles northwest of Damascus. It is famous for the colossal ruins of its temples, one of which with its courts and porticos, extended over 1000 feet in length. The temples were built of marble or limestone and granite. Some of the columns were 7 feet in diameter and 62 feet high, or including capital and pedestal, 89 feet. Some of the building-stones were 64 feet long and 12 feet thick. The temples are of Roman origin. In (

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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