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2 Kings 4:44 — Word Study

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WLCוַיִּתֵּ֧ן לִפְנֵיהֶ֛ם וַיֹּאכְל֥וּ וַיּוֹתִ֖רוּ כִּדְבַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃ פ

BSASo he set [it]nâthan [put, placed, or served] before thempânîym [in their presence, face to face] and they ateʼâkal [devoured, consumed] and had [some] left overyâthar [more than enough, an abundance] according to the worddâbâr [thing, matter, or affair] of the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, the supreme God]

Word
Listen & take away2 Kings 4
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 44 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 (Yah.weh) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
2 Kings 4:44quick helps
In a sentenceElisha served the bread, and the people ate, having more than enough.
Who is speakingElisha, the prophet of God.
Where we areIn a miracle story demonstrating God's provision.
The hard wordיָתַר
Take awayGod's word assures abundance.
4 commentators on this verse Gill, Trapp, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them › clause verbנָתַן 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 Kings 4:44

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 Miracle of the Loavesgenerated

41Then Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.
42Now a man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with a sack of twenty loaves of barley bread from the first ripe grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha.
43But his servant asked, “How am I to set twenty loaves before a hundred men?” “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha, “for this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’”
44So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.

2 Kings 4:44 recounts how Elisha performed a miracle by feeding a hundred men with twenty loaves of barley bread. This event illustrates God's ability to provide abundantly, even when resources seem scarce. The context shows Elisha's faith in God's promise that there would be leftovers after everyone had eaten, highlighting God's faithfulness to His word.


Cross References


The Key Word יָתַר, vai.yo.Ti.rugenerated

The Hebrew verb יָתַר (yathar) means to remain or be left over. It can also imply having more than enough, as seen in this verse. The parsing indicates it is in the Hiphil form, which often expresses causative action, suggesting that the abundance is a result of God's provision.

This word conveys the idea of excess or surplus, emphasizing that after the people ate, there was still more available than what was initially provided. It reflects God's generosity and faithfulness in fulfilling His promises.


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

One finite verb governs the main actions in the verse — וַיִּתֵּ֧ן, and he put — with two clauses following: one describing what the people did and another indicating the result of their eating. The structure emphasizes the sequence of actions and the fulfillment of God's word.

The word order places the action of serving first, which draws attention to Elisha's obedience and the miraculous provision that follows. This highlights the importance of God's command and its immediate fulfillment.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew יָתַר is rendered as κατέλιπον (katelipon), meaning 'left behind' or 'remained.' This choice captures the essence of abundance, indicating that not only was there enough, but there was also a surplus.

The use of this Greek term suggests a focus on the outcome of the miracle, emphasizing that God's provision exceeded expectations.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

2 Kings 4:44 shows how Elisha served bread to a hundred men, and they ate until they were satisfied, with leftovers remaining. This miracle demonstrates God's ability to provide abundantly, fulfilling His promise to His people.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that they had some left over?

It indicates that God provided abundantly beyond what was needed, showing His power and faithfulness.

Why did Elisha perform this miracle?

Elisha performed this miracle to demonstrate God's provision and to encourage faith among the people.

How does this miracle relate to God's promises?

This miracle illustrates God's faithfulness to His promises, showing that He can provide for His people even in seemingly impossible situations.

What can we learn from this account?

We learn about God's generosity and the importance of trusting in His provision, even when resources seem limited.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I need to trust God for provision?
  2. How can I recognize and appreciate the abundance God provides in my life?
  3. What does this miracle teach me about sharing with others?
  4. How can I apply the lessons of faith from this story in my daily life?

Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 2 Kings 4:44 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

So he set it before them,.... The twenty barley loaves, and the full ears of corn: and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord; as the disciples did at the miracle of the

Read John Gill on 2 Kings 4 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

2 Kings 4:44 So he set [it] before them, and they did eat, and left [thereof], according to the word of the LORD.Ver. 44. And they did eat, and left.] It grew in their hands, as Matthew 14:20 John 6:12-13.

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

(44) And they did eat, and left thereof.—Comp. our Lord’s miracles, already referred to. Bähr denies any miraculous increase of the food. He makes the miracle consist in the fact that the one hundred men were satisfied with the little they received, and even had some to spare. Similarly, Thenius thinks that the provisions were not inconsiderable for a hundred men (?), and that the emphasis of the narrative lies rather on Elisha’s absolute confidence in God than on His wonder-working powers; but this is certainly opposed to the sacred writer’s intention. Keil rightly calls attention to the fact that Elisha does not perform, but only predicts, this miracle.

Read Charles John Ellicott on 2 Kings 4 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

44. they did eat, and left thereof] Compare with this the miracles of our Lord (Matthew 14:15-21; Matthew 15:32-38; John 6:5-14). In this account of Elisha there is however not much dwelling on the increase of the bread by a miracle, and we are left to accept the result as either brought about in that way, or by the appetites of the men being satisfied with a small quantity. The LXX. omits ‘so he set it before them’ at the commencement of this verse.

Read Cambridge on 2 Kings 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

So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

So he set it before them and they ate and had some left over, according to Yahweh’s word.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.

NETBNew English Translation2006

So he set it before them; they ate and had some left over, just as the Lord predicted.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of Jehovah.

RVARevised Version, American1894

So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

So he set it before them, and they ate, and left of it , according to the word of the LORD.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

So he set it before them, and they did eate, and left ouer, according to the word of the Lord.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And he set [it] before them, and they ate and left [thereof], according to the word of Jehovah.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and he giveth before them, and they eat and leave, according to the word of Jehovah.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and he gives before them, and they eat and leave, according to the word of YHWH.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

So he set it before them, and they ate, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

So his servant set it before them; they ate, and left some remaining, just as the word of Yahweh promised.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

So he set it before them: and they ate, and there was left according to the word of the Lord.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

So he served the bread to them. They ate, and had some left over, just as the Lord had said.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

So he put it before them, and they had a meal and there was more than enough, as the Lord had said.

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.

וַandclauseverbיִּתֵּ֧ןhe.set.[it]prepositional phrase · prepositionalלִbeforenoun phraseפְנֵיהֶ֛םthemוַandclauseclauseverbיֹּאכְל֥וּthey.ateוַandclauseverbיּוֹתִ֖רוּthey.had.more.than.enoughprepositional phrase · prepositionalכִּaccordingnoun phraseדְבַ֥רto.the.wordיְהוָֽהof.Yahweh

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 this verse, with four of the six words matching. The Septuagint's word order and phrasing differ, but the core message about God's provision and the abundance remains consistent.

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

וַיִּתֵּ֧ן לִפְנֵיהֶ֛ם וַיֹּאכְל֥וּ וַיּוֹתִ֖רוּ כִּדְבַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃ פ

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיֹּאכְל֥וּἔφαγονוַיּוֹתִ֖רוּκατέλιπονכִּדְבַ֥רκατὰיְהוָֽה׃ פκυρίου

4 of the 6 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 Kings 4:44נָתַןand he put and he put [it]נָתַןפָּנֶהbefore thembefore themפָּנֶהאָכַלand they atand they ateאָכַליָתַרand they haand they had moיָתַרדָּבָרaccording taccording to [tדָּבָריהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָהדָבַרto speak: to speak: speakדָבַרהָיָהto beto beהָיָהנַחֲלָהinheritancinheritanceנַחֲלָהזֶ֫רַעseedseedזֶ֫רַעסָתַרto hideto hideסָתַרנוּסto fleeto fleeנוּסשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָהלֶ֫חֶםfoodfoodלֶ֫חֶםקְהָתKohathKohathקְהָתבֹּ֫קֶרmorningmorningבֹּ֫קֶריֶ֫תֶרremainderremainderיֶ֫תֶרסֵ֫פֶרscroll: doscroll: documenסֵ֫פֶרנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָא
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 Kings 4:44

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and he put [it] before them and they ate and they had more than enough according to [the] word of Yahweh
וַיִּתֵּ֧ןvai.yi.Ten and he put [it] H5414 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
2,011× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Amplified meaning
put, placed, or served
Tyndale gloss
to give: give
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set

Qal 1917

give

Put, set

Make, constitute

Niph.

82be given

Be put, set

Hoph.

be given, bestowed

= be given to one for wife

be put upon

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give

. Put, set

. Make, constitute

. . be given

. Be put, set

. . . be given, bestowed

. = be given to one for wife

. be put upon

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5414 nathan naw-than'

a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of

application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,

assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,

hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +

cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X

without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),

grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),

(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,

occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X

pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send

(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,

strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,

turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)

God, yield.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.

: give/deliver/send/produce

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend

1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate

1a3) to make, constitute

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned

1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up

1c2) to be put upon

נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.

: put/set/apppoint

1) to give, put, set

1a) (Qal)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he put [it] before them and they ate and they had more than enough according to [the] word of Yahweh
לִפְנֵיהֶ֛םlif.nei.Hem before them H6440 Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
2,127× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means face or presence, like being in front of someone or something. It's used in many contexts, like in Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, to describe interactions and relationships.
Amplified meaning
in their presence, face to face
Tyndale gloss
face
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces

face, faces

presence, person

technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

face of seraphim

face of animals

face (= surface) of ground

as adv.loc. before

for other phrases

with prepositions

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces

. . presence, person

. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

. face of seraphim

. face of animals

. face (= surface) of ground

. as adv. loc. before

. for other phrases

. with prepositions

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6440 paniym paw-neem'

plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh

{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);

used in a great variety of applications (literally and

figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a

preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),

against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),

+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,

face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er

time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +

honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +

meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,

open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,

presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right

forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,

X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.

: before/to/front

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.

: face

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cp | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HR/Ncmpc/Sp3mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he put [it] before them and they ate and they had more than enough according to [the] word of Yahweh
וַיֹּאכְל֥וּvai.yo.khe.Lu and they ate H398 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
810× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to eat or devour, and it's used in many stories, including when Jesus fed the 5000 with fish and bread in the book of Matthew. It's about taking in nourishment and being satisfied.
Amplified meaning
devoured, consumed
Tyndale gloss
to eat
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including literal consumption by humans and animals, as well as figurative uses like devouring by fire or destruction. It can describe actions such as feeding or causing to eat, and it also appears in contexts of oppression and destruction. The verb has various forms, indicating different subjects and nuances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָכַל 806 vb. eat

Qal

eat, human subject

of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

fig. of fire, devour, consume

of sword, devour, slay

in genl., devour, consume, destroy

fig. of oppression, devour the poor

Niph.

be eaten by man

be devoured by fire, consumed

be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

Pu. be consumed

Hiph.

cause to eat, feed with

cause to devoure, obj. sword

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H398 אָכַל eat .. eat, human subject

. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

. fig. of fire, devour, consume

. of sword, devour, slay

. in genl., devour, consume, destroy

. fig. of oppression, devour the poor

. . be eaten by man

. be devoured by fire, consumed

. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

. be consumed

. . cause to eat, feed with

. cause to devoure, obj. sword

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

398 'akal aw-kal'

a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at

all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up),

feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay)

meat, X quite.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָכַל (a.khal) — to eat.

1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to eat (human subject)

1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds)

1a3) to devour, consume (of fire)

1a4) to devour, slay (of sword)

1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought)

1a6) to devour (of oppression)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be eaten (by men)

1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire)

1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to cause to eat, feed with

1c2) to cause to devour

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to feed

1d2) to cause to eat

1e) (Piel)

1e1) consume

Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
and he put [it] before them and they ate and they had more than enough according to [the] word of Yahweh
וַיּוֹתִ֖רוּvai.yo.Ti.ru and they had more than enough H3498 Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
106× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'yâthar' means to remain or be left, and can also mean to excel or have more than enough, often translated as 'remain' or 'preserve'.
Amplified meaning
more than enough, an abundance
Tyndale gloss
to remain
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָתַר (yathar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to remain or be left over. It encompasses various nuances, including leaving a remnant, excelling, and preserving alive. The entries indicate that it can express both the idea of excess and the act of leaving something behind. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[יָתַר] 107 vb. remain over

Qal Pt. the remainder

Niph. be left over, remain over

Hiph.

leave over, leave

abs. leave a remnant

save over, i.e. presevre alive

excel, shew pre-eminence

shew excess = have more than enough

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3498 [יָתַר] remain over .Pt. the remainder

. be left over, remain over

. . . leave over, leave

. abs. leave a remnant

. save over, i.e. presevre alive

. excel, shew pre-eminence

. shew excess = have more than enough

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3498 yathar yaw-thar'

a primitive root; to jut over or exceed; by implication, to

excel; (intransitively) to remain or be left; causatively, to

leave, cause to abound, preserve:--excel, leave (a remnant),

left behind, too much, make plenteous, preserve, (be, let)

remain(-der, -ing, - nant), reserve, residue, rest.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָתַר (ya.tar) — to remain.

1) to be left over, remain, remain over, leave

1a) (Qal) remainder (participle)

1b) (Niphal) to be left over, remain over, be left behind

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to leave over, leave

1c2) to save over, preserve alive

1c3) to excel, show pre-eminence

1c4) to show excess, have more than enough, have an excess

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vhw3mp
and he put [it] before them and they ate and they had more than enough according to [the] word of Yahweh
כִּדְבַ֥רkid.Var according to [the] word of H1697 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct
1,442× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A word or thing, like a matter or affair, as seen in the book of Chronicles where it refers to the events and words of kings. It can also mean a cause or reason for something.
Amplified meaning
thing, matter, or affair
Tyndale gloss
Chronicles
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָּבָר (dabar) means 'word' or 'speech' and encompasses a range of meanings including discourse, saying, and matter. It can refer to anything spoken or a topic of discussion, extending to concepts like business or affairs. The entries consistently highlight its use in various contexts, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicographers.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דָּבָר 1439 n.m. speech, word

sg. speech, discourse, saying, word, as the sum of that which is spoken

sg. saying, utterance, sentence, as a section of a discourse

sg. a word, words

sg. matter, affair, thing about which one speaks

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1697 דָּבָר speech, word . sg. speech, discourse, saying, word, as the sum of that which is spoken

. sg. saying, utterance, sentence, as a section of a discourse

. sg. a word, words

. sg. matter, affair, thing about which one speaks

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1697 dabar daw-baw'

from 1696; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or

thing; adverbially, a cause:--act, advice, affair, answer, X

any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case,

cause, certain rate, + chronicles, commandment, X

commune(-ication), + concern(-ing), + confer, counsel, +

dearth, decree, deed, X disease, due, duty, effect, +

eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-)ness, + glory, + harm, hurt,

+ iniquity, + judgment, language, + lying, manner, matter,

message, (no) thing, oracle, X ought, X parts, + pertaining, +

please, portion, + power, promise, provision, purpose,

question, rate, reason, report, request, X (as hast) said,

sake, saying, sentence, + sign, + so, some (uncleanness),

somewhat to say, + song, speech, X spoken, talk, task, + that,

X there done, thing (concerning), thought, + thus, tidings,

what(-soever), + wherewith, which, word, work.

see HEBREW for 01696

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָּבָר (da.var) — word.

: word/speech/command

1) speech, word, speaking, thing

1a) speech

1b) saying, utterance

1c) word, words

1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)

דָּבָר (da.var) — word: speaking.

: speaking

1) speech, word, speaking, thing

1a) speech

1b) saying, utterance

1c) word, words

1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)

דָּבָר (da.var) — word: thing.

: thing/matter

1) speech, word, speaking, thing

1a) speech

1b) saying, utterance

1c) word, words

1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)

דָּבָר (da.var) — word: promised.

: promised/duty

1) speech, word, speaking, thing

1a) speech

1b) saying, utterance

1c) word, words

1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)

דָּבָר (da.var) — word: deed.

: deed

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 he put [it] before them and they ate and they had more than enough according to [the] word of Yahweh
יְהוָֽה׃ פYah.weh Yahweh H3068 Noun proper
6,528× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
Yehovah, the supreme God
Tyndale gloss
The Lord
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

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

יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D

the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy

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

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'

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

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

see HEBREW for 01961

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

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

יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.

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

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

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpt
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
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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