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2 Samuel 20:15 — Word Study

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WLCוַיָּבֹ֜אוּ וַיָּצֻ֣רוּ עָלָ֗יו בְּאָבֵ֙לָה֙ בֵּ֣ית הַֽמַּעֲכָ֔ה וַיִּשְׁפְּכ֤וּ סֹֽלְלָה֙ אֶל־ הָעִ֔יר וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֖ד בַּחֵ֑ל וְכָל־ הָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶת־ יוֹאָ֔ב מַשְׁחִיתִ֖ם לְהַפִּ֥יל הַחוֹמָֽה׃

BSAAnd Joab’s troops camebôwʼ [army, warriors] and besiegedtsûwr [surrounded, laid siege to] [Sheba]ʻal in Abel-beth-maacahʼÂbêl [a city in northern Israel, house of pressure] and builtshâphak [constructed, formed] a siege rampçôlᵉlâh [mound, bank] against the outer rampartchêyl [strong wall, fortress] of the cityʻîyr As allkôl [every, the entire] the troopsʻam [people, army] withʼêth JoabYôwʼâb [Jehovah is father, King David's general] were batteringshâchath [attacking, pounding] the wallchôwmâh [barrier, protection] to topple itnâphal [fall, throw down]

Word
Listen & take away2 Samuel 20
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 15 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 (ha.cho.Mah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
2 Samuel 20:15quick helps
In a sentenceJoab's troops besiege Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah, constructing a siege ramp against the city wall.
Who is speakingThe narrative describes Joab, King David's general, and his army.
Where we areThe events unfold during a military campaign in the region of Abel-beth-maacah.
The hard wordסֹלְלָה
Take awayThe siege is an aggressive military action aimed at breaching the city's defenses.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbבּוֹא 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 Samuel 20:15

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 Siege of Abel-beth-maacahgenerated

14Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel-beth-maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him.
15And Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah and built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city. As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to topple it,
16a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak with him.”
17When he had come near to her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he replied. “Listen to the words of your servant,” she said. “I am listening,” he answered.

2 Samuel 20:15 describes how Joab's forces besieged the city of Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah. This military action illustrates the tension and conflict during King David's reign, as Joab sought to quell the rebellion led by Sheba. The narrative highlights the strategic measures taken by Joab's troops, including the construction of a siege ramp, which was a common tactic in ancient warfare to overcome fortified cities.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
12 Kings 19:32So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow into it. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it.
2Jeremiah 32:24See how the siege ramps are mounted against the city to capture it. And by sword and famine and plague, the city has been given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What You have spoken has happened, as You now see!
3Jeremiah 33:4For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the houses of this city and the palaces of the kings of Judah that have been torn down for defense against the siege ramps and the sword:
4Luke 19:43For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word סֹלְלָה, vai.yish.pe.Khugenerated

The noun סֹלְלָה (so.le.lah) refers to a mound or rampart, specifically a military structure used during sieges. It is derived from the root meaning 'to build' or 'to construct', indicating its purpose as a raised platform for attacking fortified positions.

In this verse, it underscores the aggressive strategy employed by Joab's troops to breach the city's defenses. The construction of a siege ramp was essential for gaining height advantage over the walls, allowing attackers to launch projectiles or to scale the walls directly.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the term siege ramp, a consistent choice across other translations like the KJV and ASV.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb governing the sentence is יָּבֹ֜אוּ, they came, with additional clauses detailing the actions taken by Joab's troops. The structure emphasizes the sequence of events: first, the troops arrive, then they lay siege, and subsequently, they construct the ramp.

The use of sequential imperfect verbs indicates ongoing actions, creating a vivid picture of the siege as it unfolds.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָּבֹ֜אוּ as παρεγενήθησαν, which conveys the idea of coming into being or arriving, emphasizing the initiation of the siege.

This choice reflects a broader interpretation of the Hebrew, focusing on the arrival of Joab's forces as a significant event in the narrative.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

2 Samuel 20:15 tells how Joab's troops came to besiege Sheba in the city of Abel-beth-maacah. They built a siege ramp against the city's wall, preparing to attack. This action highlights the military tactics used during King David's reign.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that Joab's troops laid siege?

Laying siege means surrounding a city to cut off supplies and force surrender, often by constructing ramps or other structures to breach defenses.

Why is Abel-beth-maacah significant?

Abel-beth-maacah was a strategic city in northern Israel, known for its defensive capabilities and its role in various biblical narratives.

What was the purpose of building a siege ramp?

A siege ramp allowed attackers to gain height over the city walls, facilitating an assault and increasing the chances of breaching the defenses.

What does the term 'the wall' refer to?

In this context, 'the wall' refers to the fortified barrier protecting the city, which was crucial for its defense against attacks.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What strategies can be applied from Joab's military actions to modern challenges?
  2. How do the actions of Joab reflect leadership qualities in times of conflict?
  3. What can we learn about the importance of preparation and strategy from this siege?
  4. In what ways does the narrative of Joab's siege relate to themes of conflict and resolution in our own lives?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 2 Samuel 20:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah,.... That is, Joab and Abishai, with the forces under them, who pursued him hither: and they cast up a bank against the city; which some

Read John Gill on 2 Samuel 20 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-ma'achah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

Read Robert Jamieson on 2 Samuel 20 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

They came, i.e. Joab and his army, which is easily understood, both from the foregoing and following verses. They cast up a bank; from whence they might either batter the wall, or shoot at those who defended it against them who should assault it. See 33:4. Otherwise, they threw down the bank of the city, which they had raised up to defend the city on the weakest side. It stood in the trench, i.e. the bank stood in or near to the trench, or wall of the city; so that the city was in great danger of being taken. Otherwise, the city stood within the trench, or wall, being defended only by a single trench, or a weak wall; the bank which was raised up there to defend it being thrown down.

Read Matthew Poole on 2 Samuel 20 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

2 Samuel 20:15 And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that [were] with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.Ver. 15. And they came and besieged him.] Who now probably repented him of his bold and treacherous enterprise; sicut Leo cassibus irretitus ait, Si praescivissem? Battered the wall to throw it down.] It had been pity those walls should have stood, if they had been too high to throw a traitor’ s head over. Sheba, likely, thought himself very safe when gotten into a walled city: but what said the voice from heaven to Phocas the traitor? - if Nicephorus may be believed - Though…

Read John Trapp on 2 Samuel 20 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(15)Abel of Beth-maachah.—Omit the preposition “of.” (See 2 Samuel 20:14.) Stood in the trench.—The “trench” is the space between the wall of the city and the lower outer wall. When the besiegers had succeeded in planting the mounds for their battering engines in this space they had already gained an important advantage.

Read Charles John Ellicott on 2 Samuel 20 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 15. They cast up a bank against the city] The word סללה solelah, which we render bank, means, most probably, a battering engine of some kind, or a tower overlooking the walls, on which archers and slingers could stand and annoy the inhabitants, while others of the besiegers could proceed to sap the walls. That it cannot be a bank that stood in the trench, is evident from the circumstance thus expressed.

Read AdamClarke on 2 Samuel 20 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

15. cast up a bank] The besiegers erected a mound of earth against the city wall to enable them to batter the upper and weaker part of it. This stood in “the trench” or outwork of the city: a term which includes the low outer wall and the space between it and the main wall. For mention of siege mounds see 2 Kings 19:32; Isaiah 29:3; Jeremiah 6:6; Jeremiah 32:24; Jeremiah 33:4; Ezekiel 4:2; Ezekiel 17:17; Ezekiel 21:22; Ezekiel 26:8; Daniel 11:15. They are represented on the bas-reliefs depicting the siege of Lachish which were found at Kouyunjik. Layard’s Monuments of Nineveh, Vol. II. PI. 18, 21.

Read Cambridge on 2 Samuel 20 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Cast up a bank - See the marginal references. The throwing up of mounds against the walls of besieged places by the besiegers is well illustrated in the Assyrian sculptures.

Read Albert Barnes on 2 Samuel 20 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

And Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah and built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city. As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to topple it,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

They came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maacah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the people who were with Joab battered the wall to throw it down.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

And Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah and built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city. As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to topple it,

NETBNew English Translation2006

So Joab’s men came and laid siege against him in Abel of Beth Maacah. They prepared a siege ramp outside the city which stood against its outer rampart. As all of Joab’s soldiers were trying to break through the wall so that it would collapse,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah, and they cast up a mount against the city, and it stood against the rampart: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

So they came, and besieged him in Abel, neere to Bethmaachah: and they cast vp a mount against the citie, and the people thereof stood on the ramper, and al the people that was with Ioab, destroyed and cast downe the wall.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And they came and besieged him in Abel-Beth-Maacah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it was raised in the trench; and all the people that were with Joab sapped the wall, to throw it down.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and they go in and lay siege against him, in Abel of Beth-Maachah, and cast up a mount against the city, and it standeth in a trench, and all the people who are [are] with Joab are destroying, to cause the wall to fall.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and they go in and lay siege against him, in Abel of Beth-Maachah, and cast up a mound against the city, and it stands in a trench, and all the people who are [are] with Joab are destroying, to cause the wall to fall.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-ma'achah, and they cast up a trench against the city, and it stood enclosed by the troops: and all the people that were with Joab were battering to throw down the wall.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

They caught up with him and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maacah. They built up a siege ramp against the city against the wall. All the army who were with Joab battered the wall to knock it down.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And they came, and besieged him in Abela, and in Bethmaacha, and they cast up works round the city, and the city was besieged: and all the people that were with Joab, laboured to throw down the walls.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Joab's army came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah. They built a siege ramp against the town's outer wall. While all of Joab's army was battering the wall to knock it down,

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And Joab and his men got him shut up in Abel of Beth-maacah, and put up an earthwork against the town: and all Joab's men did their best to get the wall broken down.

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.

וַandclauseverbיָּבֹ֜אוּthey.cameוַandclauseverbיָּצֻ֣רוּthey.laid.siegeprepositional phrase · prepositionalעָלָ֗יonוhimprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּinוַandclauseverbיִּשְׁפְּכ֤וּthey.poured.outobjectסֹֽלְלָה֙a.moundprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֶלagainstnoun phraseהָtheעִ֔ירcityוַֽandclauseverbתַּעֲמֹ֖דit.stoodprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּbynoun phrasetheחֵ֑לrampartוְandclausenoun phrase · subjectכָלallnoun phraseהָthenoun phraseעָם֙peoplerelpאֲשֶׁ֣רwhichclauseprepositional phrase · predicateאֶת[was].withיוֹאָ֔בJoabverbמַשְׁחִיתִ֖ם[were].about.to.destroyprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtoclauseverbהַפִּ֥ילmake.fallnoun phrase · objectהַtheחוֹמָֽהwall

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


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

The Masoretic Text provides a detailed account of the siege, which is consistent with the Septuagint's wording, although only a few words match directly. The overall narrative remains intact across these witnesses.

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

וַיָּבֹ֜אוּ וַיָּצֻ֣רוּ עָלָ֗יו בְּאָבֵ֙לָה֙ בֵּ֣ית הַֽמַּעֲכָ֔ה וַיִּשְׁפְּכ֤וּ סֹֽלְלָה֙ אֶל־ הָעִ֔יר וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֖ד בַּחֵ֑ל וְכָל־ הָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶת־ יוֹאָ֔ב מַשְׁחִיתִ֖ם לְהַפִּ֥יל הַחוֹמָֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיָּבֹ֜אוּπαρεγενήθησανוַיָּצֻ֣רוּἐπολιόρκουνעָלָ֗יוαὐτὸν

3 of the 20 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 Samuel 20:15בּוֹאand they caand they cameבּוֹאצוּרand they laand they laid sצוּרעַלon himon himעַלאָבֵלin Abelin AbelאָבֵלאָבֵלBethBethאָבֵלאָבֵלMaacahMaacahאָבֵלשָׁפַךְand they poand they pouredשָׁפַךְסֹלְלָהa mounda moundסֹלְלָהאֶלagainstagainstאֶלעִירthe citythe cityעִירעָמַדand it stooand it stoodעָמַדחֵלby the rampby the rampartחֵלכֹּלand alland allכֹּלעַםthe peoplethe peopleעַםאֲשֶׁרwhichwhichאֲשֶׁראֵת[was] with[was] withאֵתיוֹאָבJoabJoabיוֹאָבשָׁחַת[were] abou[were] about toשָׁחַתנָפַלto make falto make fallנָפַלחוֹמָהthe wallthe wallחוֹמָהאָבֵלאָבֵלעוּרto rouseto rouseעוּרכָּלַלto perfectto perfectכָּלַלעָמַםto darkento darkenעָמַםאָנָהto meetto meetאָנָהיהוהThe LordThe Lordיהוהעַלheightheightעַלסָלַלto buildto buildסָלַלחַ֫יִלHelechHelechחַ֫יִלבֵּרִיםBichritesBichritesבֵּרִיםפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַלשֶׁ֫מֶשׁsunsunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁשִׁמְרוֹןSamariaSamariaשִׁמְרוֹןכַּשְׂדִּיםChaldeaChaldeaכַּשְׂדִּיםכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּאסֹלְלָהmoundmoundסֹלְלָהיְסוֹדfoundationfoundationיְסוֹד
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 Samuel 20:15

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

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

and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
וַיָּבֹ֜אוּvai.ya.Vo.'u and they came H935 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
2,573× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to go or come, and is used in many contexts, such as entering a place or approaching someone, as seen in the book of Genesis. It can also mean to abide or apply, and is translated in various ways in the KJV Bible. This term is related to the name Lebo Hamath.
Amplified meaning
army, warriors
Tyndale gloss
Lebo
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

Qal

come in

come (approach, arrive)

go, i.e. walk, associate with

go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

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

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

Hoph.

be brought in (of pers. and things)

be brought

be introduced, put

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

. come (approach, arrive)

. go, i.e. walk, associate with

. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

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

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

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

. be brought

. be introduced, put

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

935 bow' bo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.

: come/go_in

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

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

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

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

1a5) to go

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to lead in

1b2) to carry in

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

1b4) to bring to pass

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought, brought in

1c2) to be introduced, be put

לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).

This name means to go in, enter

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

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.

: towards/entrance

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

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

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

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
וַיָּצֻ֣רוּvai.ya.Tzu.ru and they laid siege H6696 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
38× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To form or shape something, like a potter molds clay, as in Isaiah 29:16.
Amplified meaning
surrounded, laid siege to
Tyndale gloss
to confine
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צוּר (tsur) is a Hebrew verb with a range of meanings including to confine, bind, or besiege, as well as to show hostility or to fashion. It can imply both literal and figurative applications, such as being an adversary or enclosing something. The entries indicate that it covers various contexts, from distressing to fortifying.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צוּר vb. confine, bind, besiege

base

[צוּר] vb. shew hostility to, treat as foe

base

[צוּר] vb. fashion, delineate

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6696a צוּר confine, bind, besiege H6696b צוּר shew hostility to, treat as foe H6696c צוּר fashion, delineate

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6696 tsuwr tsoor

a primitive root; to cramp, i.e. confine (in many

applications, literally and figuratively, formative or

hostile):--adversary, assault, beset, besiege, bind (up),

cast, distress, fashion, fortify, inclose, lay siege, put up

in bags.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צוּר (tsur) — to confine.

1) to bind, besiege, confine, cramp

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to confine, secure

1a2) to shut in, beseige

1a3) to shut up, enclose

צוּר (tsur) — to provoke.

(Qal) to show hostility to, be an adversary, treat as foe

צוּר (tsur) — to form.

(Qal) to form, fashion, delineate

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sej (matsor (De 28:52,53; 1Ki 15:27; 2Ki 25:2; Isa 29:3; Eze 4:2); "to be besieged," "to suffer siege," ba-matsor bo' (De 20:19; 2Ki 24:10; 25:2)):

1. In Early Hebrew History

2. In the Monarchy

3. Preliminaries to Siege

4. Siege Operations: Attack

(1) Investment of City

(2) Line of Circumvallation

(3) Mound, or Earthworks

(4) Battering-Rams

(5) Storming of Walls and Rushing of Breach

5. Siege Operations: Defense

6. Raising of Siege

7. Horrors of Siege and Capture

8. Siege in the New Testament

LITERATURE

Nave's Topical Bible

→ An offer of peace must be made to the city before beginning a De 20:10-12

→ Conducted by erecting embankments parallel to the walls of the besieged city De 20:19,20; Isa 29:3; 37:33

→ Battering-rams used in

See BATTERING-RAMS

→ Distress of the inhabitants during a 2Ki 6:24-29; 25:3; Isa 9:20; 36:12; Jer 19:9

→ Cannibalism during a 2Ki 6:28,29

→ INSTANCES OF

Jericho Jos 6

Rabbah 2Sa 11:1

Abel 2Sa 20:15

and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
עָלָ֗יו'a.Lav on him H5921 Preposition · suffix
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

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

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

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

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

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

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

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

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

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

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

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

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

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

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

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

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

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

1h) to (as a dative)

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

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
בְּאָבֵ֙לָה֙be.'a.Ve.lah in Abel H62 Preposition · noun proper · suffix
12× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָבֵל n.f.

meadow (?)

n.pr.loc. city in N. Isr.; = א׳ מַיִם

אָבֵל הַשִּׁטִּים n.pr.loc. (= acacia-meadow) in lowlands of Moab

אָבֵל כְּרָמִים n.pr.loc. (= vineyard-meadow) in Ammon

אָבֵל מְחוֹלָה n.pr.loc. (= dance-meadow) Elisha’s birthplace

אָבֵל מִצְרַיִם n.pr.loc. (= meadow of Egypt, i.e. fertile as Egypt ?) E. of Jordan

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H62 אָבֵל, אָבֵל, אָבֵל בֵּית־מֲעַכָה, אָבֵל הַשִּׁטִּים, אָבֵל כְּרָמִים, אָבֵל מְחוֹלָה, אַבֵל מַיִם, אָבֵל מִצְרַיִם

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

62 'Abel Beyth-Ma`akah aw-bale' bayth ma-a-kaw'

from 58 and 1004 and 4601; meadow of Beth-Maakah; Abel of

Beth-maakah, a place in Palestine:--Abel-beth-maachah, Abel

of Beth-maachah,

see HEBREW for 058

see HEBREW for 01004

see HEBREW for 04601

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָבֵל בֵּית־מֲעַכָה (a.vel bet-ma.a.khah) — Abel-beth-maachah.

Abel Beth Maachah = "meadow of the house of Maachah"

city in northern Israel near Beth Maachah

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Npl/Sd — Preposition · noun proper · suffix
HR/Npl/Sd
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Abel

(Heb. Hebhel), a breath, or vanity, the second son of Adam and Eve. He was put to death by his brother Cain (Gen. 4:1-16). Guided by the instruction of their father, the two brothers were trained in the duty of worshipping God. “And in process of time” (marg. “at the end of days”, i.e., on the Sabbath) each of them offered up to God of the first-fruits of his labours. Cain, as a husbandman, offered the fruits of the field; Abel, as a shepherd, of the firstlings of his flock. “The Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering; but unto Cain and his offering he had not respect” (Gen. 4:3-5). On this account Cain was angry with his brother, and formed the design of putting him to death; a design which he at length found an opportunity of carrying into effect (

1. The second son of Adam and Eve. He became a shepherd, and offered to God a sacrifice from his flocks, at the same time that Cain his brother offered the fruits of the earth. God had respect to Abel’s sacrifice, and not to Cain’s; hence Cain in anger killed Abel, Ge 4:1-26. It was "by faith" that Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain; that is, his heart was right towards God, and he worshipped Him in trustful obedience to the divine directions. His offering, made by the shedding of blood, was that of a penitent sinner confiding in the atonement ordained of God; and it was accepted, "God testifying of his gifts," probably by fire from heaven; "by which he obtained witness that he was righteous," that is, justified, Heb 11:4. "The blood of Abel" called from the ground…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

a city; mourning

and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
בֵּ֣יתbeit Beth H62 Noun common · masculine singular construct
12× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָבֵל n.f.

meadow (?)

n.pr.loc. city in N. Isr.; = א׳ מַיִם

אָבֵל הַשִּׁטִּים n.pr.loc. (= acacia-meadow) in lowlands of Moab

אָבֵל כְּרָמִים n.pr.loc. (= vineyard-meadow) in Ammon

אָבֵל מְחוֹלָה n.pr.loc. (= dance-meadow) Elisha’s birthplace

אָבֵל מִצְרַיִם n.pr.loc. (= meadow of Egypt, i.e. fertile as Egypt ?) E. of Jordan

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H62 אָבֵל, אָבֵל, אָבֵל בֵּית־מֲעַכָה, אָבֵל הַשִּׁטִּים, אָבֵל כְּרָמִים, אָבֵל מְחוֹלָה, אַבֵל מַיִם, אָבֵל מִצְרַיִם

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

62 'Abel Beyth-Ma`akah aw-bale' bayth ma-a-kaw'

from 58 and 1004 and 4601; meadow of Beth-Maakah; Abel of

Beth-maakah, a place in Palestine:--Abel-beth-maachah, Abel

of Beth-maachah,

see HEBREW for 058

see HEBREW for 01004

see HEBREW for 04601

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָבֵל בֵּית־מֲעַכָה (a.vel bet-ma.a.khah) — Abel-beth-maachah.

Abel Beth Maachah = "meadow of the house of Maachah"

city in northern Israel near Beth Maachah

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Beth

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

Smith's Bible Dictionary

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

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

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

and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
הַֽמַּעֲכָ֔הha.ma.'a.Khah Maacah H62 Particle · noun proper
12× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָבֵל n.f.

meadow (?)

n.pr.loc. city in N. Isr.; = א׳ מַיִם

אָבֵל הַשִּׁטִּים n.pr.loc. (= acacia-meadow) in lowlands of Moab

אָבֵל כְּרָמִים n.pr.loc. (= vineyard-meadow) in Ammon

אָבֵל מְחוֹלָה n.pr.loc. (= dance-meadow) Elisha’s birthplace

אָבֵל מִצְרַיִם n.pr.loc. (= meadow of Egypt, i.e. fertile as Egypt ?) E. of Jordan

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H62 אָבֵל, אָבֵל, אָבֵל בֵּית־מֲעַכָה, אָבֵל הַשִּׁטִּים, אָבֵל כְּרָמִים, אָבֵל מְחוֹלָה, אַבֵל מַיִם, אָבֵל מִצְרַיִם

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

62 'Abel Beyth-Ma`akah aw-bale' bayth ma-a-kaw'

from 58 and 1004 and 4601; meadow of Beth-Maakah; Abel of

Beth-maakah, a place in Palestine:--Abel-beth-maachah, Abel

of Beth-maachah,

see HEBREW for 058

see HEBREW for 01004

see HEBREW for 04601

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָבֵל בֵּית־מֲעַכָה (a.vel bet-ma.a.khah) — Abel-beth-maachah.

Abel Beth Maachah = "meadow of the house of Maachah"

city in northern Israel near Beth Maachah

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTd/Npl — Particle · noun proper
HTd/Npl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ma'-a-ka (ma`akhah; Septuagint: Codex Vaticanus Mocha; Codex Alexandrinus Maacha): A small Syrian kingdom adjoining that of Geshur on the western border of Bashan, the inhabitants of which are called Maachathites (the Revised Version (British and American) "Maacathites"), whose territory was taken by Jair (De 3:14; Jos 12:5). The border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites and all Mt. Hermon were given to the half-tribe of Manasseh (Jos 13:11). The inhabitants of these kingdoms, however, were not driven out by Israel (Jos 13:13), and at a later day the children of Ammon hired mercenaries from Maacah for their encounter with David. The armies met near Medeba when the…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(oppression). The mother of Absalom; also called MAACHAH. (2 Samuel 3:3) Maacah, or (in (1 Chronicles 19:6,7)) Maachah, a small kingdom in close proximity to Palestine which appears to have lain outside Argob, (3:14) and Bashun. (Joshua 12:5) The Ammonite war was the only occasion on which the Maacathites came into contact with Israel when their king assisted the Ammonites against Joab with a force which he led himself. (2 Samuel 10:6,8; 1 Chronicles 19:7)

and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
וַיִּשְׁפְּכ֤וּvai.yish.pe.Khu and they poured out H8210 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
115× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To pour or spill something out, like blood or a liquid. In the Bible, it can mean to shed blood or to pour out one's heart in prayer or complaint. For example, in Psalm 42:4, the writer pours out his soul to God.
Amplified meaning
constructed, formed
Tyndale gloss
to pour: pour
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁפַךְ (shaphak) is a Hebrew verb meaning to pour out or spill. It encompasses a range of actions, including pouring liquids, shedding blood, and even expressing emotions like anger. The word can also imply figurative uses, such as expending life or resources. Various forms of the verb exist, indicating different nuances, such as being poured out or pouring oneself out.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁפַךְ 113 vb. pour out, pour

Qal

lit.

fig.

Niph. be poured out

Pu. be poured out

Hithp. my soul pours itself out upon me

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8210 שָׁפַךְ pour out, pour

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8210 shaphak shaw-fak'

a primitive root; to spill forth (blood, a libation, liquid

metal; or even a solid, i.e. to mound up); also (figuratively)

to expend (life, soul, complaint, money, etc.); intensively,

to sprawl out:--cast (up), gush out, pour (out), shed(-der,

out), slip.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁפַךְ (sha.phakh) — to pour: pour.

: pour

1) to pour, pour out, spill

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to pour, pour out

1a2) to shed (blood)

1a3) to pour out (anger or heart) (fig)

1b) (Niphal) to be poured out, be shed

1c) (Pual) to be poured out, be shed

1d) (Hithpael)

1d1) to be poured out

1d2) to pour out oneself

שָׁפַךְ (sha.phakh) — to pour: kill.

: kill/shed(blood/life)

1) to pour, pour out, spill

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to pour, pour out

1a2) to shed (blood)

1a3) to pour out (anger or heart) (fig)

1b) (Niphal) to be poured out, be shed

1c) (Pual) to be poured out, be shed

1d) (Hithpael)

1d1) to be poured out

1d2) to pour out oneself

שָׁפַךְ (sha.phakh) — to pour: build siege mound.

: build_siege_mound

1) to pour, pour out, spill

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to pour, pour out

1a2) to shed (blood)

1a3) to pour out (anger or heart) (fig)

1b) (Niphal) to be poured out, be shed

1c) (Pual) to be poured out, be shed

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
סֹֽלְלָה֙so.le.Lah a mound H5550 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
11× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a military mound or rampart, like a bank or mount, often used by besiegers in battle.
Amplified meaning
mound, bank
Tyndale gloss
mound
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word סֹלְלָה (*so-lel-aw*) means 'mound' and is derived from the active participle feminine of the root סָלַל (*salal*), which relates to military structures. It specifically refers to a rampart or bank used by besiegers, indicating its use in a military context.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סֹלְלָה n.f. mound

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5550 סֹלְלָה mound

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5550 collah so-lel-aw'

or cowllah {so-lel-aw'}; active participle feminine of 5549,

but used passively; a military mound, i.e. rampart of

besiegers:--bank, mount.

see HEBREW for 05549

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סֹלְלָה (so.le.lah) — mound.

mound

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

mound.

See SIEGE, 4, (c).

and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
אֶל־'el- against H413 Preposition
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

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

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

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

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

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

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

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

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

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

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

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

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

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

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

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

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

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

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

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

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

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

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

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

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

5) in addition to, to

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

7) according to (rule or standard)

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

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR — Preposition
HR
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a-genst' (kata; enantion; pros): Preposition expressing contrast. When used of direction, equivalent to "toward" (Mt 10:35; 12:14, etc.); when of position, meaning "opposite," "facing," "in front of" (1Ki 7:5; Ge 15:10, Ro 8:31); when of action, "opposed to" (Mt 5:11; 26:59; 1Co 4:6); "in resistance to" (Heb 12:4); "provision for" (Greek eis, literally, "unto, toward" (1Ti 6:19)). Sometimes also applied to what breaks an established order as "customs" (

and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
הָעִ֔ירha.'Ir the city H5892 Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
1,090× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word refers to a city or town, often a place with a wall or a watchman. It is used to describe a settlement or encampment, like the city of Ai, which is mentioned in the book of Joshua. The word is used to identify specific locations in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
excitement
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage

base

עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town

city, town, abode of men

of fortress in a city

appar. fortified place, of any size

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men

. of fortress in a city

. appar. fortified place, of any size

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5892 `iyr eer

or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)

{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a

watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or

post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.

see HEBREW for 05782

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִיר (ir) — excitement.

1) excitement, anguish

1a) of terror

עִיר (ir) — city.

1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)

1a) city, town

עִיר (ir) — City (of On).

Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)

This name means city, town

Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)

עִיר (ir) — Ir-.

#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;

son of: Tehinnah (H8468)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
HTd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sit'-i (`ir, qiryah; polis):

I. THE CANAANITE CITY

1. Origin

2. Extent

3. Villages

4. Sites

5. External Appearance

6. General

II. THE CITY OF THE JEWISH OCCUPATION

1. Tower or Stronghold

2. High Place

3. Broad Place

4. Streets

5. General Characteristics

III. STORE CITIES

IV. LEVITICAL CITIES

LITERATURE

I. The Canaanite City.

1. Origin:

The development of the Canaanite city has been traced by Macalister in his report on the excavation at Gezer (Palestine Exploration Fund Statement, 1904, 108 ff). It originated on the slopes of a bare rocky spur, in which the Neolithic Troglodytes quarried their habitations out of the solid rock, the stones therefrom being used to form a casing to the earthen ramparts, with which the site was afterwards surrounded and which served as a protection against the intrusion of enemies. Later Semitic intruders occupied the site, stone houses were built, and high stone defense…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

City

The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain (Gen. 4:17). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12). Next, we have a record of the cities of the Canaanites, Sidon, Gaza, Sodom, etc. (10:12, 19; 11:3, 9; 36:31-39). The earliest description of a city is that of Sodom (19:1-22). Damascus is said to be the oldest existing city in the world. Before the time of Abraham there were cities in Egypt (Num. 13:22). The Israelites in Egypt were employed in building the “treasure cities” of Pithom and Raamses (Ex. 1:11); but it does not seem that they had any cities of their own in Goshen (Gen.…

and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֖דva.ta.'a.Mod and it stood H5975 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
521× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means 'to stand' in a strong sense, like in Exodus 17:12 where Moses stood with his arms up to help Israel win a battle.
Tyndale gloss
to stand: stand
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עָמַד (amad) means to stand and encompasses a variety of related actions such as remaining, enduring, and taking a stand. It can refer to both literal and figurative stances, including presenting oneself or being appointed. The word appears in various contexts, including standing still, ceasing movement, and even serving. There are different forms of the verb, such as Qal, Hiphil, and Hophal, each with specific nuances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָמַד 620 take one's stand, stand

Qal 435

take one's stand, and (esp. pt.) stand, be in a standing attitude

stand forth

take a stand against, in opposition to

present oneself before

attend upon, be(come) servant of

stand afar

stand (silent)

stand (appealingly)

stand, subj. רֶגֶל

stand, of water

stand still, stop, cease moving

= be inactive

= be attentive

stop, cease doing a thing

tarry, delay

remain

continue, abide

endure

be steadfast

persist

make a stand, hold one's ground

stand upright

arise, appear, come on the scene

stand forth, appear = come into being

rise up as foe

rare usages

Hiph.

83station, set

cause to stand firm

cause to stand up, set up, erect

present one before king

appoint

other meanings

Hoph. be presented

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5975 עָמַד take one's stand, stand .. . take one's stand, and (esp. pt.) stand, be in a standing attitude

. stand forth

. take a stand against, in opposition to

. present oneself before

. attend upon, be(come) servant of

. stand afar

. stand (silent)

. stand (appealingly)

. stand, subj. רֶגֶל

. stand, of water

. . stand still, stop, cease moving

. = be inactive

. = be attentive

. stop, cease doing a thing

. . tarry, delay

. remain

. continue, abide

. endure

. be steadfast

. persist

. make a stand, hold one's ground

. stand upright

. . arise, appear, come on the scene

. stand forth, appear = come into being

. rise up as foe

. rare usages

. . station, set

. cause to stand firm

. cause to stand up, set up, erect

. present one before king

. appoint

. other meanings

. be presented

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5975 `amad aw-mad'

a primitive root; to stand, in various relations (literal and

figurative, intransitive and transitive):--abide (behind),

appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue, dwell, be employed,

endure, establish, leave, make, ordain, be (over), place, (be)

present (self), raise up, remain, repair, + serve, set (forth,

over, -tle, up), (make to, make to be at a, with-)stand (by,

fast, firm, still, up), (be at a) stay (up), tarry.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָמַד (a.mad) — to stand: stand.

: stand/stop/establish

1) to stand, remain, endure, take one's stand

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to stand, take one's stand, be in a standing attitude, stand forth, take a stand, present oneself, attend upon, be or become servant of

1a2) to stand still, stop (moving or doing), cease

1a3) to tarry, delay, remain, continue, abide, endure, persist, be steadfast

1a4) to make a stand, hold one's ground

1a5) to stand upright, remain standing, stand up, rise, be erect, be upright

1a6) to arise, appear, come on the scene, stand forth, appear, rise up or against

1a7) to stand with, take one's stand, be appointed, grow flat, grow insipid

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to station, set

1b2) to cause to stand firm, maintain

1b3) to cause to stand up, cause to set up, erect

1b4) to present (one) before (king)

1b5) to appoint, ordain, establish

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Hc/Vqw3fs — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
Hc/Vqw3fs
and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
בַּחֵ֑לba.Chel by the rampart H2426 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
7× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a strong wall or fortress that protects a city or a group of people. It is used in the Bible to talk about armies, walls, and other kinds of strong defenses, and is translated as 'army', 'rampart', or 'wall'.
Amplified meaning
strong wall, fortress
Tyndale gloss
rampart
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֵל (cheyl) refers to a rampart or fortress, emphasizing its defensive qualities. It can also denote an army or a bulwark, indicating a broader military context. The word is built from a root that suggests fortification and protection, appearing in various forms in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֵל, חֵיל n.m. rampart, fortress

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2426 חֵל, חֵיל rampart, fortress

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2426 cheyl khale

or (shortened) chel {khale}; a collateral form of 2428; an

army; also (by analogy,) an intrenchment:--army, bulwark,

host, + poor, rampart, trench, wall.

see HEBREW for 02428

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֵל (chel) — rampart.

1) rampart, fortress, wall

1a) rampart

1b) fortress

Also means: che.lah (חֵילָה "bulwark" H2430)

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

ram'-part (La 2:8; Na 3:8).

See FORTIFICATION.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
וְכָל־ve.khol and all H3605 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
5,415× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Amplified meaning
every, the entire
Tyndale gloss
all
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all

with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

Absolutely:

without the art., all things, all

with the art. הַכֹּל

where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every

. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all

. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned

. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3605 kol kole

or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;

hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a

plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any

(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as

many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,

whoso(-ever).

see HEBREW for 03634

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֹּל (kol) — all.

1) all, the whole

1a) all, the whole of

1b) any, each, every, anything

1c) totality, everything

Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

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

ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.

(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.

(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).

(3) All one, "It is all one" (Job 9:22), "it makes no difference whether I live or die."

(4) At all, "If thy father miss me at all" (1Sa 20:6), "in any way," "in the least."

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
הָעָם֙ha.'Am the people H5971 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
1,873× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A people or nation is what this Hebrew word represents, like the nation of Israel in Exodus 33:13. It can also mean a tribe, troops, or attendants, and is used to describe a group of people gathered together. The word is often used to refer to the people of God.
Amplified meaning
people, army
Tyndale gloss
Amaw
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַם, עָם 1810 n.m. people

a people, nation

= smaller units

= common people

people in gen., persons

phrases

base

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

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5971 `am am

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

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

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

people.

see HEBREW for 06004

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַם (am) — people.

: people/nation

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

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

עַם (am) — kinsman.

kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — Ammi.

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

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — People's (Gate).

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — (Ibleam)-am.

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

§ kinsman, kindred

עַם (am) — Amaw.

This name means nation, people

עַם (am) — people: soldiers.

: soldiers/army

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

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

עַם (am) — people: creatures.

: creatures

1) nation, people

1a) people, nation

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

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

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

and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
5,500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Tyndale gloss
which
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

base

בַאֲשֶׁר

in (that) which

adv. in (the place) where

conj. in that, inasmuch as

on account of whom?

base

מֵאֲשֶׁר

from (or than) that which

adv. from (the place) where

conj. from (the fact) that …, since

base

כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when

according to that which, according as, as

with a causal force, in so far as, since

with a temporal force, when

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

. adv. in (the place) where

. conj. in that, inasmuch as

. on account of whom?

H834c מֵאֲשֶׁר . from (or than) that which

. adv. from (the place) where

. conj. from (the fact) that …, since

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

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

. with a temporal force, when

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

834 'aher ash-er'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun

expletively, used to show the connection.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) — which.

A: 1) (relative part.)

1a) which, who

1b) that which

2) (conj)

2a) that (in obj clause)

2b) when

2c) since

2d) as

2e) conditional if

B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

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

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

D: Kaph+

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

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

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

1c) with a temporal force: when

בַאֲשֶׁר (ba.a.sher) — in which.

1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

מֵאֲשֶׁר (me.a.sher) — whence.

1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka.a.sher) — as which.

conj

1) according as, as, when

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

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTr — Particle
HTr
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
אֶת־'et- [was] with H854 Preposition
929× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew preposition means 'with' or 'near', indicating a close relationship or physical proximity. It's used in Genesis 1:26 to describe God's relationship with humanity, and in many other places to show connection or closeness.
Tyndale gloss
with
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֵת (eth) is a preposition indicating nearness or proximity, often translated as 'with' or 'near.' It conveys a sense of companionship or association, distinguishing itself from similar terms by expressing closer relationships. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, including possession and memory, but do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת, prep. with—prep. denoting proximity

Of companionship, together with

Of localities

אֵת פּ׳ denotes specially

in one's possession or keeping

in one's knowledge or memory

מֵאֵת from proximity with

Note. אֵת expresses closer association than עִם: hence while מֵעִם sts. denotes hardly more than from the surroundings or belongings of, מֵאֵת expresses from close proximity to.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H854 אֵת with—prep. denoting proximity . Of companionship, together with

. Of localities

. אֵת פּ׳ denotes specially . in one's possession or keeping

. in one's knowledge or memory

. מֵאֵת from proximity with

Note. אֵת expresses closer association than עִם: hence while מֵעִם sts. denotes hardly more than from the surroundings or belongings of, מֵאֵת expresses from close proximity to.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

854 'eth ayth

probably from 579; properly, nearness (used only as a

preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by,

at, among, etc.:--against, among, before, by, for, from,

in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional

prefix.

see HEBREW for 0579

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — with.

1) with, near, together with

1a) with, together with

1b) with (of relationship)

1c) near (of place)

1d) with (poss.)

1e) from...with, from (with other prep)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
יוֹאָ֔בyo.'Av Joab H3097 Noun proper masculine
145× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Joab was a prominent Israelite, his name means Jehovah is father. He was King David's nephew and army general, playing a key role in the Bible, including in the books of Samuel and Kings.
Amplified meaning
Jehovah is father, King David's general
Tyndale gloss
Joab
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יוֹאָב (Yow'ab) means 'Jehovah is father' and refers to several individuals in the Old Testament, primarily Joab, the nephew of King David and commander of his army. The name is built from elements meaning 'Jehovah' and 'father.' Joab is first mentioned in 1 Samuel 26:6, and other references include genealogical mentions during and after the exile.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יוֹאָב n.pr.m. (י׳ is father)

David’s sister’s son & captain of host

a descendant of Judah

a family-name after exile

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3097 יוֹאָב

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3097 Yow'ab yo-awb'

from 3068 and 1; Jehovah-fathered; Joab, the name of three

Israelites:--Joab.

see HEBREW for 03068

see HEBREW for 01

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יוֹאָב (yo.av) — Joab.

A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.26.6; his mother was Zeruiah (H6870);

brother of: Abishai (H0052) and Asahel (H6214)

§ Joab = "Jehovah is father"

1) son of David's sister Zeruiah and general of David's army

2) a Judaite descendant of Kenaz

3) a post exilic family

יוֹאָב (yo.av) — Joab.

A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.14;

son of: Seraiah (H8304J)

§ Joab = "Jehovah is father"

1) son of David's sister Zeruiah and general of David's army

2) a Judaite descendant of Kenaz

3) a post exilic family

יוֹאָב (yo.av) — Joab.

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.6;

son of: Pahath-moab (H6355);

brother of: Jeshua (H3442I)

§ Joab = "Jehovah is father"

1) son of David's sister Zeruiah and general of David's army

2) a Judaite descendant of Kenaz

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

jo'-ab (yo'-abh, "Yahweh is father"; Ioab):

(1) Son of Zeruiah, David's sister. He was "captain of the host" (compare 2Sa 19:13) under David.

1. Joab and Abner:

(a) Joab is first introduced in the narrative of the war with Abner, who supported the claims of Ishbosheth to the throne against those of David (2Sa 2:8-3:1). The two armies met, and on Abner's suggestion a tournament took place between 12 men from each side; a general engagement follows, and in this Joab's army is victorious. Asahel, Joab's brother, is killed in his pursuit of Abner, but the latter's army is sorely pressed, and he appeals to Joab for a cessation of hostilities. Joab calls a halt, but declares that he would not cease had Abner not made his plea.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Joab

Jehovah is his father. (1.) One of the three sons of Zeruiah, David’s sister, and “captain of the host” during the whole of David’s reign (2 Sam. 2:13; 10:7; 11:1; 1 Kings 11:15). His father’s name is nowhere mentioned, although his sepulchre at Bethlehem is mentioned (2 Sam. 2:32). His two brothers were Abishai and Asahel, the swift of foot, who was killed by Abner (2 Sam. 2:13-32), whom Joab afterwards treacherously murdered (3:22-27). He afterwards led the assault at the storming of the fortress on Mount Zion, and for this service was raised to the rank of “prince of the king’s army” (2 Sam. 5:6-10;

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Son of Zeruiah, David’s sister, and brother of Abishai and Asahel, was the commander of David’s army during almost the whole of his reign, 2Sa 5:6-10. He was a valiant warrior, and an able general; and his great influence on public affairs was often exerted for good, as in the rebellion of Absalom, and the numbering of Israel, 2Sa 18:1-19:42 24:1-25. But as a man he was imperious, revengeful, and unscrupulous: witness his treacherous assassination of Abner, and of his cousin Amasa, 2Sa 3:27 20:9-10; his bearing towards David, 2Sa 3:39 19:5, and connivance with him in the matter of Uriah; his slaying Absalom, and conspiring with Adonijah against the divinely appointed heir to…

and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
מַשְׁחִיתִ֖םmash.chi.Tim [were] about to destroy H7843 Verb · Hiphil · participle (active) masculine plural
146× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to ruin or destroy something, and it is used in various forms throughout the Bible to describe corruption and decay.
Amplified meaning
attacking, pounding
Tyndale gloss
to ruin
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁחַת (shachath) is a Hebrew verb meaning to ruin or corrupt. It encompasses a range of actions including decay, spoilage, and moral perversion, with various grammatical forms indicating different nuances of destruction or corruption. The word appears in contexts that suggest both physical and moral degradation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׁחַת] 161 vb. go to ruin (?)

Niph. be marred, spoiled

Pi.

spoil, ruin

pervert, corrupt

Hiph.

spoil, ruin

pervert, corrupt

Hoph. spoiled, ruined

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7843 [שָׁחַת] go to ruin (?) . be marred, spoiled

. . spoil, ruin

. pervert, corrupt

. . spoil, ruin

. pervert, corrupt

. spoiled, ruined

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7843 shachath shaw-khath'

a primitive root; to decay, i.e. (causatively) ruin

(literally or figuratively):--batter, cast off, corrupt(-er,

thing), destroy(-er, -uction), lose, mar, perish, spill,

spoiler, X utterly, waste(-r).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁחַת (sha.chat) — to ruin.

1) to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay

1a) (Niphal) to be marred, be spoiled, be corrupted, be corrupt, be injured, be ruined, be rotted

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to spoil, ruin

1b2) to pervert, corrupt, deal corruptly (morally)

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to spoil, ruin, destroy

1c2) to pervert, corrupt (morally)

1c3) destroyer (participle)

1d) (Hophal) spoiled, ruined (participle)

Aramaic equivalent: she.chat (שְׁחַת "to corrupt" H7844)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil — Verb · Hiphil · participle (active) masculine plural
HVhrmpa
and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
לְהַפִּ֥ילle.ha.Pil to make fall H5307 Preposition · verb hiphil infinitive construct common
435× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to fall, and it's used in many ways, like falling down, failing, or being defeated. It appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah. God's people often fell away from Him, but He always offered a way back.
Amplified meaning
fall, throw down
Tyndale gloss
to fall: fall
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָפַל (naphal) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to fall,' encompassing a wide range of applications, including falling by accident, experiencing violent death, or going to ruin. It can also refer to prostrating oneself, attacking, or causing someone to fall. The term appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, often indicating physical or metaphorical downfall.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָפַל 433 vb. fall, lie

Qal 366

fall, by accident

Esp. of violent death

fig. = go to ruin, perish, etc.

fig. = experience calamity

fall, of a city

Fall prostrate

fall = prostrate oneself before

fall upon one's neck, in embrace

Fall upon = attack

desert or fall away to, go over to

Fig., of deep sleep

Other idiomatic uses

= lie; = lie prostrate

Hiph.

cause to fall

Of causing death; = overthrow, bring to destruction

Esp. of casting lot

Fig., let drop, cause to fail

cause deep sleep to fall

Other idioms

Hithp. throw, or prostrate oneself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5307 נָפַל fall, lie .. fall, by accident

. . Esp. of violent death

. fig. = go to ruin, perish, etc.

. fig. = experience calamity

. fall, of a city

. . Fall prostrate

. fall = prostrate oneself before

. fall upon one's neck, in embrace

. . Fall upon = attack

. desert or fall away to, go over to

. Fig., of deep sleep

. Other idiomatic uses

. = lie; = lie prostrate

. . cause to fall

. Of causing death; = overthrow, bring to destruction

. Esp. of casting lot

. Fig., let drop, cause to fail

. cause deep sleep to fall

. Other idioms

. throw, or prostrate oneself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5307 naphal naw-fal'

a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications

(intransitive or causative, literal or figurative):--be

accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide

(by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall

(away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have

(inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for 6419), lay

(along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be (X hast) lost,

lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make

to) rot, slay, smite out, X surely, throw down.

see HEBREW for 06419

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָפַל (na.phal) — to fall: fall.

: fall/drop/fail

1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fall

1a2) to fall (of violent death)

1a3) to fall prostrate, prostrate oneself before

1a4) to fall upon, attack, desert, fall away to, go away to, fall into the hand of

1a5) to fall short, fail, fall out, turn out, result

1a6) to settle, waste away, be offered, be inferior to

1a7) to lie, lie prostrate

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to cause to fall, fell, throw down, knock out, lay prostrate

1b2) to overthrow

1b3) to make the lot fall, assign by lot, apportion by lot

1b4) to let drop, cause to fail (fig.)

1b5) to cause to fall

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to throw or prostrate oneself, throw oneself upon

1c2) to lie prostrate, prostrate oneself

1d) (Pilel) to fall

נָפַל (na.phal) — to fall: deserting.

: deserting

1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fall

1a2) to fall (of violent death)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Hiphil-Inf-a — Preposition · verb hiphil infinitive construct common
HR/Vhcc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fol (vb.): The idea of falling is most frequently expressed in Hebrew by naphal, but also by many other words; in Greek by pipto, and its compounds. The uses of the word in Scripture are very varied. There is the literal falling by descent; the falling of the countenance in sorrow, shame, anger, etc. (Ge 4:5,6); the falling in battle (Ge 14:10; Nu 14:3, etc.); the falling into trouble, etc. (Pr 24:16,17); prostration in supplication and reverence (Ge 17:3; Nu 14:5, etc.); falling of the Spirit of Yahweh (Eze 11:5

and they came and they laid siege on him in Abel Beth Maacah and they poured out a mound against the city and it stood by the rampart and all the people which [was] with Joab [were] about to destroy to make fall the wall
הַחוֹמָֽה׃ha.cho.Mah the wall H2346 Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
133× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A wall of protection, like the walls of Jerusalem, provided safety and security for the people. It appears in the Bible as a physical barrier. The Israelites built walls around their cities for defense.
Amplified meaning
barrier, protection
Tyndale gloss
wall
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חוֹמָה (chowmah) refers to a wall, typically understood as a protective barrier. It is derived from a root meaning to join, and is often used to describe city walls or the walls of buildings. The term can also be applied figuratively, such as in reference to the waters of the Red Sea.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חוֹמָה 133 n.f. wall (as protection)

usu. term for wall of city

wall of a building

fig. of waters of Red Sea

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2346 חוֹמָה wall (as protection)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2346 chowmah kho-maw'

feminine active participle of an unused root apparently

meaning to join; a wall of protection:--wall, walled.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חוֹמָה (cho.mah) — wall.

wall

חוֹמָה (cho.mah) — (Broad) Wall.

wall

Combined with ra.chav (רָחָב "Broad" H7342)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
HTd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wol.

See ARCHITECTURE; CITY; FORTIFICATION; HOUSE; JERUSALEM; VILLAGE.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Wall

Cities were surrounded by walls, as distinguished from “unwalled villages” (Ezek. 38:11; Lev. 25:29-34). They were made thick and strong (Num. 13:28; Deut. 3:5). Among the Jews walls were built of stone, some of those in the temple being of great size (1 Kings 6:7; 7:9-12; 20:30; Mark 13:1, 2). The term is used metaphorically of security and safety (Isa. 26:1; 60:18; Rev. 21:12-20). (See FENCE.)

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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