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2 Chronicles 4:5 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוְעָבְי֣וֹ טֶ֔פַח וּשְׂפָתוֹ֙ כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה שְׂפַת־ כּ֔וֹס פֶּ֖רַח שֽׁוֹשַׁנָּ֑ה מַחֲזִ֣יק בַּתִּ֔ים שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֖ים יָכִֽיל׃ ס

BSAIt was a handbreadthṭêphach [about the width of a palm, approximately three inches] thickʻăbîy and its rimsâphâh [edge, border] was fashionedmaʻăseh like the brimsâphâh [lip, edge] of a cupkôwç [vessel, container] like a lilyshûwshan blossomperach [flower] It could holdkûwl [sustain, support] threeshâlôwsh thousandʼeleph [a large] bathsbath [a unit of measurement, about nine gallons]

Word
Listen & take away2 Chronicles 4
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 (ya.Khil) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
2 Chronicles 4:5quick helps
In a sentenceThe description of the Sea's dimensions and design highlights its grandeur and functionality.
What is being describedThe Sea, a large basin used in the temple, emphasizing its thickness and decorative features.
Where we areThis verse is part of the account detailing the construction of the temple furnishings.
The hard wordעֲבִי
Take awayThe Sea is both functional and beautifully crafted.
6 commentators on this verse Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott, AdamClarke & more — read them › clause verbחָזַק 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 — 2 Chronicles 4:5

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 Construction of the Temple Furnishingsgenerated

4The Sea stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The Sea rested on them, with all their hindquarters toward the center.
5It was a handbreadth thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It could hold three thousand baths.
6He also made ten basins for washing and placed five on the south side and five on the north. The parts of the burnt offering were rinsed in them, but the priests used the Sea for washing.
7He made ten gold lampstands according to their specifications and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north.

2 Chronicles 4:5 describes the Sea, a significant vessel in the temple, detailing its thickness and ornamental rim. This verse is part of a larger narrative that outlines the specifications and artistry involved in the temple's construction, reflecting the importance of these elements in worship and ritual practices.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
11 Kings 7:26It was a handbreadth thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It could hold two thousand baths.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to

with flowers of lilies1 Kings 7:26

The Key Word עֲבִי, a.viygenerated

The word עֲבִי (aviy) means 'thickness' and is derived from the root word indicating density. It describes the substantial nature of the Sea, emphasizing its impressive dimensions.

In this context, the thickness of the Sea serves to highlight its strength and capacity, suggesting that it is designed to hold a significant volume of water, which is essential for the temple's ceremonial functions.


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 verb יָכִֽיל governs the entire sentence, indicating the Sea's capacity. The structure includes descriptive phrases that elaborate on its thickness and design, with the noun phrases detailing its features and measurements.

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the Sea's attributes first, establishing its significance in the context of the temple's furnishings before mentioning its capacity.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates עֲבִי as thick, maintaining the same meaning as in the Hebrew. The choice of כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה as like suggests a direct correspondence to the Hebrew's emphasis on resemblance.

This consistency indicates that the Greek translators understood the importance of both the physical characteristics and the ornamental aspects of the Sea.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

2 Chronicles 4:5 describes the Sea, a large basin in the temple, noting its thickness and decorative rim. It emphasizes that the Sea could hold three thousand baths, showcasing its size and functionality.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What is the significance of the Sea's thickness?

The thickness indicates the Sea's strength and capacity, essential for its role in temple rituals.

Why was the Sea designed like a lily blossom?

The design reflects beauty and purity, symbolizing the importance of aesthetics in the temple's furnishings.

What does a bath measure?

A bath is an ancient unit of measurement for liquids, approximately nine gallons, used in the context of temple offerings.

How does this verse connect to the overall temple construction?

It highlights the detailed specifications and artistry involved in creating the temple's sacred objects, emphasizing their importance in worship.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does the design of the Sea tell us about the importance of beauty in worship?
  2. How can we understand the significance of measurements in the context of biblical architecture?
  3. In what ways does the description of the Sea reflect the character of God as a provider?
  4. How does the Sea's capacity relate to the rituals performed in the temple?

Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 2 Chronicles 4:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon

Read Robert Jamieson on 2 Chronicles 4 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

2 Chronicles 4:5 And the thickness of it [was] an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; [and] it received and held three thousand baths.Ver. 5. Three thousand baths.] See on 1 Kings 7:26. There it is said "two thousand baths": Dicendum hic addi, &c., salth Vatablus. This prophet addeth what is wanting in the other; ea enim est mens autheris huius libri, for that is the design of this our author.

Read John Trapp on 2 Chronicles 4 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(5) And the thickness . . . a cup.—Identical with 1 Kings 7:26. With flowers of lilies.—See margin. “Lily” here is shτshannβh; in Kings, shτshβn. LXX., “graven with lily buds.” Syriac and Arabic, “and it was very beautiful.” Vulg., “like the lip of a cup, or of an open lily.” And it received and held three thousand baths.—Literally, holding (whole) baths: three thousand would it contain. The bath was the largest of Hebrew liquid measures. Perhaps the true reading is, “holding three thousand baths,” the last verb being a gloss borrowed from Kings. So Vulg. Syriac and Arabic omit the clause. The LXX. had the present reading. 1 Kings 7:26 reads, two thousand baths would it contain. Most…

Read Charles John Ellicott on 2 Chronicles 4 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 5. It - held three thousand baths.] In 1Kg 7:26, it is said to hold only two thousand baths. As this book was written after the Babylonish captivity, it is very possible that reference is here made to the Babylonish bath which might have been less than the Jewish. We have already seen that the cubit of Moses, or of the ancient Hebrews, was longer than the Babylonish by one palm; see on 2 Chronicles 3:3. It might be the same with the measures of capacity; so that two thousand of the ancient Jewish baths might have been equal to three thousand of those used after the captivity. The Targum cuts the knot by saying, "It received three thousand baths of dry measure, and held two thousand of…

Read AdamClarke on 2 Chronicles 4 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

5. the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies] R.V. the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. three thousand baths] In 1 Kings 7:26, two thousand baths. Whether the textual corruption is to be attributed to 1 Kin. or to Chron. cannot be determined. The bath was a measure for liquids equal to about 8¼ gallons.

Read Cambridge on 2 Chronicles 4 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Three thousand baths - See 1 Kings 7:23 note. It is quite possible that either here or in Kings the text may have been accidentally corrupted.

Read Albert Barnes on 2 Chronicles 4 →

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

It was a handbreadth thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It could hold three thousand baths.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

It was a handbreadth thick. Its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It received and held three thousand baths.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

It was a handbreadth thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It could hold three thousand baths.

NETBNew English Translation2006

It was four fingers thick and its rim was like that of a cup shaped like a lily blossom. It could hold 18,000 gallons.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And it was a handbreadth thick; and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily: it received and held three thousand baths.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And it was an handbreadth thick; and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily: it received and held three thousand baths.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And the thickness of it was a hand-breadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And the thickenesse thereof was an hande breadth, and the brim thereof was like the worke of the brim of a cuppe with floures of lilies: it conteined three thousand baths.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And its thickness was a hand-breadth, and its brim like the work of the brim of a cup, with lily-blossoms; in capacity it held three thousand baths.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And its thickness [is] a handbreadth, and its lip as the work of the lip of a cup flowered with lilies; taking hold — baths three thousand it containeth.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And its thickness [is] a handbreadth, and its lip as the work of the lip of a cup flowered with lilies; holding [within]—it contains three thousand baths.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And its thickness was a hand's breadth, and its brim like the brim of a cup, with lily-buds; and it could hold and contain three thousand baths.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

“The Sea” was as thick as the width of a hand, and its brim was forged like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. “The Sea” held three thousand baths of water.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Now the thickness of it was a handbreadth, and the brim of it was like the brim of a cup, or of a crisped lily: and it held three thousand measures.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

It was as thick as the width of a hand, and its edge was like the flared edge of a cup or a lily flower. It held three thousand baths.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

It was as thick as a man's open hand, and the edge of it was curved like the edge of a cup, like a lily flower; it would take three thousand baths.

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.

וְandclausenoun phrase · subjectעָבְי֣thicknessוֹitspredicateטֶ֔פַח[was].a.hand.breadthוּandclausenoun phrase · subjectשְׂפָתlipוֹ֙itsprepositional phrase · prepositionalכְּ[was].like.[the]noun phraseמַעֲשֵׂ֣הworknoun phraseשְׂפַתof.[the].lipכּ֔וֹסof.a.cupnoun phrase · predicateפֶּ֖רַח[the].blossomשֽׁוֹשַׁנָּ֑הof.a.lilyclauseclauseverbמַחֲזִ֣יק[it.was].holdingobjectבַּתִּ֔יםbathsclausenoun phrase · objectnumeral phraseשְׁלֹ֥שֶׁתthreeאֲלָפִ֖יםthousand(s)verbיָכִֽילit.contained

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording, with 11 of the 13 words matched. This shows a strong consistency in the description of the Sea's attributes across these ancient texts.

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

וְעָבְי֣וֹ טֶ֔פַח וּשְׂפָתוֹ֙ כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה שְׂפַת־ כּ֔וֹס פֶּ֖רַח שֽׁוֹשַׁנָּ֑ה מַחֲזִ֣יק בַּתִּ֔ים שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֖ים יָכִֽיל׃ ס

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְעָבְי֣וֹκαὶטֶ֔פַחπαλαιστήςוּשְׂפָתוֹ֙ξεῖλοςכְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣הὡςשְׂפַת־ξεῖλοςכּ֔וֹסποτηρίουפֶּ֖רַחβλαστοὺςשֽׁוֹשַׁנָּ֑הκρίνουמַחֲזִ֣יקξωροῦσανבַּתִּ֔יםμετρητὰςאֲלָפִ֖יםτρισξιλίους

11 of the 13 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.

2 Chronicles 4:5עֲבִיand thickneand thickness iעֲבִיטֶ֫פַח[was] a han[was] a hand brטֶ֫פַחשָׂפָהand lip itsand lip itsשָׂפָהמַעֲשֶׂה[was] like [was] like [theמַעֲשֶׂהשָׂפָה[the] lip o[the] lip ofשָׂפָהכּוֹסa cupa cupכּוֹספֶּ֫רַח[the] bloss[the] blossom oפֶּ֫רַחשׁוּשַׁןa lilya lilyשׁוּשַׁןחָזַקholdingholdingחָזַקבַּתbathsbathsבַּתשָׁלֹשׁthreethreeשָׁלֹשׁאֶ֫לֶףthousandthousandאֶ֫לֶףכּוּלit containeit containedכּוּלסָפָהto snatchto snatchסָפָהעָבָהto thickento thickenעָבָהטָפַחto extendto extendטָפַחעָשָׂהto maketo makeעָשָׂהפָּרַחto sproutto sproutפָּרַחשׂוּשׂto rejoiceto rejoiceשׂוּשׂכִּיסpursepurseכִּיסבַּתָּהprecipiceprecipiceבַּתָּהשָׁלִthirdthirdשָׁלִאֶ֫לֶףcattlecattleאֶ֫לֶףשָׂפָהlipslipsשָׂפָהיְרִיעָהcurtaincurtainיְרִיעָהלָשׁוֹןtonguetongueלָשׁוֹןבַּתbathbathבַּתמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהטֶ֫פַחhandbreadthandbreadthטֶ֫פַחעֲבִיthicknessthicknessעֲבִישָׁנִיscarletscarletשָׁנִי
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 2 Chronicles 4:5

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 thickness its [was] a hand breadth and lip its [was] like [the] work of [the] lip of a cup [the] blossom of a lily holding baths three thousand it contained
וְעָבְי֣וֹve.'a.ve.Yo and thickness its H5672 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
5× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means thickness or density, like the thickness of a wall or the depth of a body of water, and is used to describe something that is heavy or substantial.
Tyndale gloss
thickness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֲבִי (abiy) means 'thickness' and is derived from the root word for density, indicating depth or width. The term is used in contexts that require a description of physical dimensions, particularly in relation to thickness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֲבִי n.[m.] thickness

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5672 עֲבִי thickness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5672 `abiy ab-ee'

or mobiy {ob-ee'}; from 5666; density, i.e. depth or

width:--thick(-ness). Compare 5645.

see HEBREW for 05666

see HEBREW for 05645

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֲבִי (a.vi) — thickness.

thickness

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-ms | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and thickness its [was] a hand breadth and lip its [was] like [the] work of [the] lip of a cup [the] blossom of a lily holding baths three thousand it contained
טֶ֔פַחTe.fach [was] a hand breadth H2947 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
4× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word measures the width of a hand, about the length of a palm. It is used in Exodus 25:10-22 to describe the construction of the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark had precise measurements.
Amplified meaning
about the width of a palm, approximately three inches
Tyndale gloss
handbreadth
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

טֶ֫פַח (tephach) refers to a handbreadth, a unit of measurement equivalent to the width of a hand. It can also denote an architectural term, specifically a coping or corbel. The word is derived from a related term and is used in contexts involving measurements.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

טֶ֫פַח n.[m.] 1. a span, hand-breadth; 2. coping (?)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2947 טֶ֫פַח, טֵפַח

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2947 tephach tay'-fakh

from 2946; a spread of the hand, i.e. a palm- breadth (not

"span" of the fingers); architecturally, a corbel (as a

supporting palm):--coping, hand-breadth.

see HEBREW for 02946

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

טֶ֫פַח (te.phach) — handbreadth.

1) span, width of the hand, hand breadth

1a) a unit of measurement, measurement of length

2) coping (an architectural term)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bredth (rochabh, the root idea being to make wide, spacious): A term of expanse or measurement used of the ark (Ge 6:15); of the tabernacle (Ex 27:13); of Solomon's temple (1Ki 6:2). platos, "breadth," as of the celestial city (Re 21:16). Figuratively, of the comprehensiveness of God's law (Ps 119:96); of the heart (1Ki 4:29, rendered "largeness of heart" English Versions); of God's immeasurable love (Eph 3:18).

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and thickness its [was] a hand breadth and lip its [was] like [the] work of [the] lip of a cup [the] blossom of a lily holding baths three thousand it contained
וּשְׂפָתוֹ֙u.se.fa.To and lip its H8193 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
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
edge, border
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
Conj | N-fs | Suff — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms
and thickness its [was] a hand breadth and lip its [was] like [the] work of [the] lip of a cup [the] blossom of a lily holding baths three thousand it contained
כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣הke.ma.'a.Seh [was] like [the] work of H4639 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
236× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to an action or deed, which can be good or bad. It is used to describe various activities, such as work, business, or achievements. The KJV translates it as act, deed, or labor.
Tyndale gloss
deed: judgement
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַעֲשֶׂה (ma`aseh) means deed or work, encompassing a range of actions from good to bad, and includes concepts like business, labor, and products made. It can refer to specific achievements, works of God, or even customs. The entries suggest a broad application in various contexts, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַעֲשֶׂה 233 n.m. deed, work

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4639 מַעֲשֶׂה deed, work

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4639 ma`aseh mah-as-eh'

from 6213; an action (good or bad); generally, a transaction;

abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically,

a poem) or (generally) property:--act, art, + bakemeat,

business, deed, do(-ing), labor, thing made, ware of making,

occupation, thing offered, operation, possession, X well,

((handy-, needle-, net-))work(ing, - manship), wrought.

see HEBREW for 06213

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) — deed: work.

: work/product

1) deed, work

1a) deed, thing done, act

1b) work, labour

1c) business, pursuit

1d) undertaking, enterprise

1e) achievement

1f) deeds, works (of deliverance and judgment)

1g) work, thing made

1h) work (of God)

1i) product

מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) — deed: justice.

: justice/right/righteousness

1) deed, work

1a) deed, thing done, act

1b) work, labour

1c) business, pursuit

1d) undertaking, enterprise

1e) achievement

1f) deeds, works (of deliverance and judgment)

1g) work, thing made

1h) work (of God)

1i) product

מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) — deed: judgement.

: judgement/punishment

1) deed, work

1a) deed, thing done, act

1b) work, labour

1c) business, pursuit

1d) undertaking, enterprise

1e) achievement

1f) deeds, works (of deliverance and judgment)

1g) work, thing made

1h) work (of God)

1i) product

מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) — deed: custom.

: custom/manner

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
HR/Ncmsc
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 thickness its [was] a hand breadth and lip its [was] like [the] work of [the] lip of a cup [the] blossom of a lily holding baths three thousand it contained
שְׂפַת־se.fat- [the] lip 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
lip, edge
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 thickness its [was] a hand breadth and lip its [was] like [the] work of [the] lip of a cup [the] blossom of a lily holding baths three thousand it contained
כּ֔וֹסKos a cup H3563 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
34× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word can mean a cup or a type of owl, possibly due to the owl's unique eye shape. It's often used figuratively, like in Psalm 16:5, where God is the cup that fills our lives. The KJV translates it as 'cup' or 'owl'.
Amplified meaning
vessel, container
Tyndale gloss
cup
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כּוֹס (kos) primarily means 'cup,' referring to a container, but it also denotes a type of owl, considered unclean. The word seems to derive from a root meaning to hold together. The entries indicate a figurative use of 'cup' as a lot or potion, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כּוֹס n.f. cup

base

כּוֹס n.[m.] a kind of owl

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3563a כּוֹס cup H3563b כּוֹס n. [m.] a kind of owl

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3563 kowc koce

from an unused root meaning to hold together; a cup (as a

container), often figuratively, a lot (as if a potion); also

some unclean bird, probably an owl (perhaps from the cup-like

cavity of its eye):--cup, (small) owl. Compare 3599.

see HEBREW for 03599

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כּוֹס (kos) — cup.

cup

כּוֹס (kos) — owl.

a kind of owl (an unclean bird)

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

(Most frequently, koc; four other words in one passage each; poterion): A vessel for drinking from, of a variety of material (gold, silver, earthenware), patterns (Es 1:7) and elaboration.

Figurative: By ordinary figure of speech, put sometimes for the contents of the cup, namely, for that which is drunk (Mt 26:39). In both Old Testament and New Testament applied figuratively to that which is portioned out, and of which one is to partake; most frequently used of what is sorrowful, as God's judgments, His wrath, afflictions, etc. (Ps 11:6; 75:8; Isa 51:17; Re 14:10). In a similar sense, used by Christ concerning the…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Cup

A wine-cup (Gen. 40:11, 21), various forms of which are found on Assyrian and Egyptian monuments. All Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold (1 Kings 10: 21). The cups mentioned in the New Testament were made after Roman and Greek models, and were sometimes of gold (Rev. 17:4).

The art of divining by means of a cup was practiced in Egypt (Gen. 44:2-17), and in the East generally.

The “cup of salvation” (Ps. 116:13) is the cup of thanksgiving for the great salvation. The “cup of consolation” (Jer. 16:7) refers to the custom of friends sending viands and wine to console relatives in mourning (

The cups of the Jews, whether of metal or earthenware, were possibly borrowed, in point of shape and design, from Egypt and from the Phoenicians, who were celebrated in that branch of workmanship. Egyptian cups were of various shapes, either with handles or without them. In Solomon’s time all his drinking vessels were of gold, none of silver. (1 Kings 10:21) Babylon is compared to a golden cup. (Jeremiah 51:7) The great laver, or "sea," was made with a rim like the rim of a cup (cos), with flowers of lilies," (1 Kings 7:26) a form which the Persepolitan cups resemble. The cups of the New Testament were often no doubt formed on Greek and Roman models. They were sometimes of gold. (

This word is taken in Scripture both in a proper and in a figurative sense. In a proper sense, it signifies a common cup, of horn, or some precious metal, Ge 40:13 44:2 1Ki 7:26, such as is used for drinking out of at meals; or a cup of ceremony, used at solemn and religious meals-as at the Passover, when the father of the family pronounced certain blessings over the cup, and having tasted it, passed it round to the company and his whole family, who partook of it, 1Co 10:16. In a figurative sense, a cup is spoken of as filled with the portion given to one by divine providence, Ps 11:6 16:5; with the blessings of life and of grace,

and thickness its [was] a hand breadth and lip its [was] like [the] work of [the] lip of a cup [the] blossom of a lily holding baths three thousand it contained
פֶּ֖רַחPe.rach [the] blossom of H6525 Noun common · masculine singular construct
17× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A flower or blossom, this word describes the bloom of a plant. It can also mean a bud or sprout, symbolizing new life and growth in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
flower
Tyndale gloss
flower
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פֶּ֫רַח (perach) refers to a bud or sprout, encompassing meanings such as bloom and flower. It is derived from a related term and is used in contexts related to natural growth. The entries consistently highlight its association with flowering and budding.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פֶּ֫רַח n.m. bud, sprout

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6525 פֶּ֫רַח bud, sprout

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6525 perach peh'-rakh

from 6524; a calyx (natural or artificial); generally,

bloom:--blossom, bud, flower.

see HEBREW for 06524

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פֶּ֫רַח (pe.rach) — flower.

bud, sprout

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

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

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

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

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

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

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

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

Lamentations 3:1.

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

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

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

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

and thickness its [was] a hand breadth and lip its [was] like [the] work of [the] lip of a cup [the] blossom of a lily holding baths three thousand it contained
שֽׁוֹשַׁנָּ֑הsho.sha.Nah a lily H7799 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
17× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to a lily flower, which was also used as a symbol in architecture. It is mentioned in the title of Psalm 45. The word 'lily' represents purity and beauty.
Tyndale gloss
lily
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שׁוּשַׁן (shuwshan) refers primarily to a lily, likely encompassing any lily-like flower. It can also denote a type of trumpet due to its shape. The term appears in various forms, including שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (shoshanah) and is associated with the title of Psalm 45:1 as Shoshannim. The word is derived from a root meaning related to whiteness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שׁוּשַׁן, שׁוֹשָׁ֑ן n.m. שׁוֹשַׁנָּה n.f. usually lily, prob. any lily-like flower

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7799 שׁוּשַׁן, שׁוֹשָׁ֑ן, שׁוֹשַׁנָּה, שׁוּשַׁן עֵדוּת, שֹׁשָׁן

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7799 shuwshan shoo-shan'

or showshan {sho-shawn'}; or shoshan {sho- shawn'}; and

(feminine) showshannah {sho-shan-naw'}; from 7797; a lily

(from its whiteness), as a flower of arch. ornament; also a

(straight) trumpet (from the tubular shape): lily, Shoshannim.

see HEBREW for 07797

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שׁוּשַׁן (shu.shan) — lily.

1) lily

1a) probably any lily-like flower

1b) Shoshannim, in title of Ps 45:1

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

lil'-i (shushan (1Ki 7:19), shoshannah (2Ch 4:5; So 2:1 f; Ho 14:5); plural (So 2:16; 4:5; 5:13; 6:2 f; 7:2; Ecclesiasticus 39:14; 50:8); krinon (Mt 6:28; Lu 12:27)): The Hebrew is probably a loan word from the Egyptian the original s-sh-n denoting the lotus-flower, Nymphaea lotus. This was probably the model of the architectural ornament, translated "lily-work," which appeared upon the capitals of the columns in the temple porch (1Ki 7:19), upon the top of the…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Lily

The Hebrew name shushan or shoshan, i.e., “whiteness”, was used as the general name of several plants common to Syria, such as the tulip, iris, anemone, gladiolus, ranunculus, etc. Some interpret it, with much probability, as denoting in the Old Testament the water-lily (Nymphoea lotus of Linn.), or lotus (Cant. 2:1, 2; 2:16; 4:5; 5:13; 6:2, 3; 7:2). “Its flowers are large, and they are of a white colour, with streaks of pink. They supplied models for the ornaments of the pillars and the molten sea” (1 Kings 7:19, 22, 26; 2 Chr. 4:5). In the Canticles its beauty and fragrance shadow forth the preciousness of Christ to the Church. Groser, however (Scrip. Nat. Hist.), strongly argues that the word, both in the Old and New…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(Heb. shushan, shoshannah). Although there is little doubt that the Hebrew word denotes some plant of the lily species, it is by no means certain what individual of this class it specially designates. The plant must have been a conspicuous object on the shores of the Lake of Gennesaret, (Matthew 6:28; Luke 12:27) it must have flourished in the deep broad valleys of Palestine, (Solomon 2:1) among the thorny shrubs, ib. (Solomon 2:2) and pastures of the desert, ib. (Solomon 2:16; 4:5; 6:3) and must have been remarkable for its rapid and luxuriant growth. (Hosea 14:5), Ecclus. 39:14. That its flowers were brilliant in color would seem to be indicated in (Matthew 6:28) where it…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ The principal capitals of the temple ornamented with carvings of 1Ki 7:19,22,26

→ Molded on the rim of the molten laver in the temple 1Ki 7:26; 2Ch 4:5

→ Lessons of trust gathered from Mt 6:28-30; Lu 12:27

→ FIGURATIVE

Of the lips of the beloved So 5:13

and thickness its [was] a hand breadth and lip its [was] like [the] work of [the] lip of a cup [the] blossom of a lily holding baths three thousand it contained
מַחֲזִ֣יקma.cha.Zik holding H2388 Verb · Hiphil · participle (active) masculine singular
291× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To strengthen means to be strong or courageous, and can also mean to seize or conquer, as seen in various KJV translations.
Tyndale gloss
to strengthen: strengthen
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word חָזַק (chazaq) means to be strong or to strengthen. It encompasses a range of meanings including to support, encourage, and make firm, as well as to seize or hold fast. The word can be used in various forms, such as to strengthen oneself or to display strength. There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָזַק 291 vb. be or grow firm, strong, strengthen

Qal

intrans. be or grow strong

transit. only strengthened him not

Pi.

make strong (physically)

strengthen the hands (acc.) of anyone, sustain, encourage

make strong = bold, encourage

make firm

make rigid, hard, i.e. perverse, obstinate, harden

Hiph.

make strong, strengthen

make firm, the kingdom

display strength

make severe, of battle

support

= repair

prevail

esp. take or keep hold of, seize, grasp

Hithp.

strengthen oneself

put forth strength, use one's strength

withstand

hold strongly with

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2388 חָזַק be or grow firm, strong, strengthen .. intrans. be or grow strong

. transit. only strengthened him not

. . make strong (physically)

. strengthen the hands (acc.) of anyone, sustain, encourage

. make strong = bold, encourage

. make firm

. make rigid, hard, i.e. perverse, obstinate, harden

. . . make strong, strengthen

. make firm, the kingdom

. display strength

. make severe, of battle

. support

. = repair

. prevail

. esp. take or keep hold of, seize, grasp

. . strengthen oneself

. put forth strength, use one's strength

. withstand

. hold strongly with

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2388 chazaq khaw-zak'

a primitive root; to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong

(figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help,

repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restrain, conquer:--aid,

amend, X calker, catch, cleave, confirm, be constant,

constrain, continue, be of good (take) courage(-ous, -ly),

encourage (self), be established, fasten, force, fortify, make

hard, harden, help, (lay) hold (fast), lean, maintain, play

the man, mend, become (wax) mighty, prevail, be recovered,

repair, retain, seize, be (wax) sore, strengthen (self), be

stout, be (make, shew, wax) strong(-er), be sure, take (hold),

be urgent, behave self valiantly, withstand.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָזַק (cha.zaq) — to strengthen: strengthen.

: strengthen/support/encourage

1) to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be strong, grow strong

1a1a) to prevail, prevail upon

1a1b) to be firm, be caught fast, be secure

1a1c) to press, be urgent

1a1d) to grow stout, grow rigid, grow hard (bad sense)

1a1e) to be severe, be grievous

1a2) to strengthen

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to make strong

1b2) to restore to strength, give strength

1b3) to strengthen, sustain, encourage

1b4) to make strong, make bold, encourage

1b5) to make firm

1b6) to make rigid, make hard

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to make strong, strengthen

1c2) to make firm

1c3) to display strength

1c4) to make severe

1c5) to support

1c6) to repair

1c7) to prevail, prevail upon

1c8) to have or take or keep hold of, retain, hold up, sustain, support

1c9) to hold, contain

1d) (Hithpael)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVhrmsa — Verb · Hiphil · participle (active) masculine singular
HVhrmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hol'-ding: Occurs with various shades of meaning:

(1) as the translation of tamakh, "to acquire," it has the sense of taking, obtaining (Isa 33:15, the Revised Version (British and American) "that shaketh his hands from taking a bribe," the English Revised Version, as the King James Version, "holding");

(2) of kul, "to hold," "contain," having the sense of containing or restraining (Jer 6:11, "I am weary with holding in");

(3) of krateo, "to receive," "observe," "maintain" (Mr 7:3, "holding the tradition of the elders"; 1Ti 1:19, echo, "holding faith and a good conscience"; 1Ti 3:9, "holding the mystery of the faith in a pure…

and thickness its [was] a hand breadth and lip its [was] like [the] work of [the] lip of a cup [the] blossom of a lily holding baths three thousand it contained
בַּתִּ֔יםba.Tim baths H1324 Noun common · both plural absolute
13× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A bath is an old Hebrew unit of measurement for liquids, equal to about 9 gallons. It is used in the Bible to describe quantities of oil, wine, and other liquids. In Ezekiel 45:10-14, it is used to define the amounts of offerings.
Amplified meaning
a unit of measurement, about nine gallons
Tyndale gloss
bath
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בַּת (bath) refers to a unit of liquid measure, equivalent to the dry measure ephah. It is noted in Brown-Driver-Briggs and Strong's entries, with the latter suggesting it is likely derived from a related term. The Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon specifies its approximate volume, which is about 9 imperial gallons or 40 liters.

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1324 בַּת bath

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1324 bath bath

probably from the same as 1327; a bath or Hebrew measure (as

a means of division) of liquids:--bath.

see HEBREW for 01327

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בַּת (bat) — bath.

bath, a unit of liquid measure, equal to dry measure ephah (about 9 imperial gallons or 40 litres, rabbinical writings give sizes of one-half this amount)

Aramaic equivalent: bat (בַּת "bath" H1325)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cp — Noun common · both plural absolute
HNcbpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Baths

The use of the bath was very frequent among the Hebrews (Lev. 14:8; Num. 19:19, ect.). The high priest at his inauguration (Lev. 8:6), and on the day of atonement, was required to bathe himself (16:4, 24). The “pools” mentioned in Neh. 3:15, 16, 2 Kings 20:20, Isa. 22:11, John 9:7, were public bathing-places.

Thompson Chain Reference topics

a measure

1Ki 7:26; Ezr 7:22; Isa 5:10; Eze 45:11

--SEE Tables, 3534

and thickness its [was] a hand breadth and lip its [was] like [the] work of [the] lip of a cup [the] blossom of a lily holding baths three thousand it contained
שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁתshe.Lo.shet three H7969 Noun common · both singular construct
432× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means three or thrice, and is used to describe quantities or repetitions in the Bible. It appears in various forms, including three, third, and thirteen.
Tyndale gloss
three
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁלֹשׁ (*shalosh*) means 'three' or 'triad.' It can also refer to the ordinal 'third' and is used in various contexts, including multiplication as 'thrice.' The entries consistently define it as a primitive number without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה 430 n.m. et f. a three, triad

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7969 שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה a three, triad

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7969 shalowsh shaw-loshe'

or shalosh {shaw-loshe'}; masculine shlowshah {shel-o-shaw'};

or shloshah {shel-o-shaw'}; a primitive number; three;

occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multipl.) thrice:--+ fork,

+ often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, + thrice.

Compare 7991.

see HEBREW for 07991

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁלֹשׁ (sha.losh) — three.

1) three, triad

1a) 3, 300, third

Aramaic equivalent: te.lat (תְּלָת "three" H8532)

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

(shalosh; treis).

See NUMBER.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The phrase "three days and three nights," Mt 12:40, was equivalent in Hebrew to the English "three days;" the Jews employing the expression "a day and a night" to denote our "day" of twentyfour hours. Nor did "three days," 1Sa 30:13, literally "this third day," according to their usage, necessarily include the whole of three days, but a part of three days, a continuous period including one whole day of twenty-four hours, and a portion of the day preceding it and the day following it. Compare Ge 7:12,17 1Sa 30:12-13.

and thickness its [was] a hand breadth and lip its [was] like [the] work of [the] lip of a cup [the] blossom of a lily holding baths three thousand it contained
אֲלָפִ֖ים'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.
Amplified meaning
a large
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 thickness its [was] a hand breadth and lip its [was] like [the] work of [the] lip of a cup [the] blossom of a lily holding baths three thousand it contained
יָכִֽיל׃ סya.Khil it contained H3557 Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine singular
38× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to sustain or support something, like holding it in or keeping it going, and is used in various senses, such as nourishing or enduring, as seen in Psalm 55:22.
Amplified meaning
sustain, support
Tyndale gloss
to sustain
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word כּוּל (kuwl) is a primitive root meaning to sustain or contain. It covers a range of meanings including to measure, hold, nourish, and endure. The entries indicate various forms of the verb, such as Qal, Pilpel, and Hiphil, which express different nuances of sustaining and containing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[כּוּל] vb. comprehend, contain

Qal who hath comprehended the dust of the earth in a shalish-measure

Pilp. sustain, maintain, contain

Polp. were supplied with food

Hiph. contain, hold, hold in, endure

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3557 [כּוּל] comprehend, contain .sustain, maintain, contain

. were supplied with food

. contain, hold, hold in, endure

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3557 kuwl kool

a primitive root; properly, to keep in; hence, to measure;

figuratively, to maintain (in various senses):--(be able to,

can) abide, bear, comprehend, contain, feed, forbearing,

guide, hold(-ing in), nourish(-er), be present, make

provision, receive, sustain, provide sustenance (victuals).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כּוּל (kul) — to sustain.

1) to seize, contain, measure

1a)(Qal) to measure, calculate

1b) (Pilpel) to sustain, maintain, contain

1b1) to sustain, support, nourish

1b2) to contain, hold in, restrain

1b3) to support, endure

1c) (Polpal) to be supplied

1d) (Hilpil) to contain, hold, hold in, endure

1d1) to contain

1d2) to sustain, endure

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVhi3ms
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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