Menu

2 Samuel 23:2 — Word Study

Depth

WLCר֥וּחַ יְהוָ֖ה דִּבֶּר־ בִּ֑י וּמִלָּת֖וֹ עַל־ לְשׁוֹנִֽי׃

BSAThe Spiritrûwach [breath of life, divine presence] of the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] spoke throughdâbar [to communicate, to utter] His wordmillâh [speech, message] was onʻal [upon, resting on] my tonguelâshôwn [the instrument of speech, language]

Word
Listen & take away2 Samuel 23
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 2 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 (le.sho.Ni) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
2 Samuel 23:2quick helps
In a sentenceDavid declares that the Spirit of the LORD spoke through him, placing His word on David's tongue.
Who is speakingDavid, the king of Israel, is the speaker in this verse.
Where we areThis is part of David's last words, a poetic declaration of his relationship with God.
The hard wordדִּבֶּר
Take awayGod communicates through His chosen instruments.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbדָבַר 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 23:2

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 — David's Last Wordsgenerated

1These are the last words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man raised on high, the one anointed by the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.
3The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God,
4is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth.’

2 Samuel 23:2 captures David's final utterances, highlighting his acknowledgment of divine inspiration. In this moment, David reflects on the role of the Spirit of the LORD in conveying God's message through him. This passage emphasizes the connection between the divine and the human, showcasing how God communicates His will through individuals, a theme that resonates throughout the Scriptures.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Matthew 22:43Jesus said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’? For he says:
2Mark 12:36Speaking by the Holy Spirit, David himself declared: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’
3Acts 2:25–31David says about Him: ‘I saw the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
4Hebrews 3:7–8Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice,
52 Peter 1:21For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.Matthew 22:43 Mark 12:36 Acts 2:25–31 Hebrews 3:7–8 2 Peter 1:21

The Key Word דִּבֶּר, di.ber-generated

The verb דִּבֶּר (dabar) means 'to speak' and encompasses a range of actions, including declaring, commanding, and conversing. It is a Piel form, indicating an active voice, and in this context, it shows that God is actively communicating through David.

This word is significant in the Hebrew Bible, often associated with God's direct speech to His people, as seen in various instances where God gives commands or prophecies. Here, it illustrates the authority and power of God's message as it flows through David.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

In this study, the verse is examined in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the phrase spoke through me.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb דִּבֶּר governs the sentence, indicating that the Spirit of the LORD is the subject performing the action of speaking. The structure flows with a prepositional phrase that clarifies the agency — through me — followed by a noun phrase that describes what was spoken.

The order of the Hebrew words emphasizes the divine action first, highlighting the importance of God's Spirit in the communication process, followed by the instrument, David, who receives and articulates the message.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew רוּחַ is rendered as πνεῦμα (), which also means 'spirit'. This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning but may carry a broader connotation of divine presence in Greek thought.

The verb דִּבֶּר is translated as ἐλάλησεν (elalēsen), meaning 'he spoke'. This choice maintains the active voice of God communicating, similar to the Hebrew.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

2 Samuel 23:2 shows David proclaiming that the Spirit of the LORD spoke through him, placing God's word on his tongue. This highlights the divine inspiration behind David's words and the role of the Spirit in communicating God's message.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the Spirit of the LORD spoke through David?

It signifies that God used David as a vessel to convey His message, emphasizing the divine inspiration behind David's words.

How does this verse illustrate the concept of divine communication?

This verse demonstrates that God actively communicates His will through chosen individuals, highlighting the relationship between the divine and human speakers.

Why is the word 'tongue' significant in this context?

The term 'tongue' refers to the instrument of speech, emphasizing that David's ability to speak was divinely influenced, showcasing the power of God's word.

How does this verse connect to other instances of God speaking in the Bible?

Similar to other passages where God communicates with His people, this verse underscores the consistent theme of divine revelation throughout Scripture.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I experienced God's guidance in my own speech and actions?
  2. How can I be more aware of the Spirit's influence in my life as I communicate with others?
  3. What does it mean for me to be a vessel for God's message in my community?
  4. How can I ensure that my words reflect God's truth and love?

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

Cyril of Jerusalem references this verse to discuss the impartation of the Spirit, illustrating its significance in the context of baptism and grace.

Cyril of JerusalemCatechetical Lecture 16:26, 28 c. 313–386
In Moses’ day the Spirit was given by the imposition of hands; and Peter imparted the Spirit by the imposition of hands. Upon you also, who are to be baptized, the grace will come.
Early Church Fathers on 2 Samuel 23 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 2 Samuel 23:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

The Spirit of the Lord spake by me,.... The psalms and songs he composed were not the fruits of his own genius, but were written by him under the inspiration of the Spirit of God; by whom holy men of

Read John Gill on 2 Samuel 23 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

Read Robert Jamieson on 2 Samuel 23 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The following words, and consequently the other words and Psalms composed and uttered by me upon the like solemn occasions, are not to be looked upon as my private fancies or human inventions, but both the matter and the words of them are suggested and governed by God’ s Spirit, which is the great Teacher of the church.

Read Matthew Poole on 2 Samuel 23 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

2 Samuel 23:2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word [was] in my tongue.Ver. 2. The Spirit of the Lord spake by me.] Both here and in other psalms composed by me; I had from the Holy Ghost both matter and words. See Acts 4:25 Luke 24:44.

Read John Trapp on 2 Samuel 23 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) The Spirit of the Lord spake by me.—In accordance with 2 Samuel 23:1, there is here, and also in the next clause, most explicit assertion that this was spoken under the prompting and guidance of the Divine Spirit.

Read Charles John Ellicott on 2 Samuel 23 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 2. The Spirit of the Lord spake by me] Hence the matter of his writing came by direct and immediate inspiration. His word was in my tongue.] Hence the words of this writing were as directly inspired as the matter.

Read AdamClarke on 2 Samuel 23 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. the Spirit of the Lord] A direct claim of inspiration, to which Christ Himself bears witness (Matthew 22:43). Observe the parallelisms, which constitute Hebrew poetry.

Read Cambridge on 2 Samuel 23 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

2. His word is on my tongue — He was conscious of divine inspiration.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on 2 Samuel 23 →

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

The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“Yahweh’s Spirit spoke by me. His word was on my tongue.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.

NETBNew English Translation2006

The Lord’s spirit spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

The Spirit of Jehovah spake by me, And his word was upon my tongue.

RVARevised Version, American1894

The spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was upon my tongue.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and his word was on my tongue.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his worde was in my tongue.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

The Spirit of Jehovah spoke by me, And his word was on my tongue.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

The Spirit of Jehovah hath spoken by me, And His word [is] on my tongue.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

The Spirit of YHWH has spoken by me, || And His word [is] on my tongue.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me, and his word was upon my tongue.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

“The Spirit of Yahweh spoke by me, and his word was on my tongue.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

The spirit of the Lord hath spoken by me and his word by my tongue.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

“The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; my tongue gave his message.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

The spirit of the Lord had voice through me, his word was on my tongue.

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.

clausenoun phrase · subjectר֥וּחַthe.spiritיְהוָ֖הof.Yahwehverbדִּבֶּרhe.has.spokenprepositional phrase · prepositionalבִּ֑byיmeוּandclausenoun phrase · subjectמִלָּת֖speechוֹhisprepositional phrase · predicateעַל[is].onnoun phraseלְשׁוֹנִֽtongueיmy

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


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

The Masoretic Text reads ר֥וּחַ יְהוָ֖ה דִּבֶּר־ בִּ֑י וּמִלָּת֖וֹ עַל־ לְשׁוֹנִֽי׃, which aligns closely with the Septuagint, where all seven words correspond directly. The Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q51 also reflect this verse, with some words restored by an editor, indicating a high degree of consistency among these ancient witnesses.

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

ר֥וּחַ יְהוָ֖ה דִּבֶּר־ בִּ֑י וּמִלָּת֖וֹ עַל־ לְשׁוֹנִֽי׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
ר֥וּחַπνεῦμαיְהוָ֖הκυρίουדִּבֶּר־ἐλάλησενבִּ֑יἐμοίוּמִלָּת֖וֹαὐτοῦעַל־ἐπὶלְשׁוֹנִֽי׃μου

7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

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

[רוח] [יהוה] דבר ב׳י ומלת׳ו על לשונ׳י

4 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 2 supplied entire by an editor.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

2 Samuel 23:2רוּחַ[the] spiri[the] spirit ofרוּחַיהוהYahwehYahwehיהוהדָבַרhe has spokhe has spokenדָבַרנִיby meby meנִימִלָּהand speech and speech hisמִלָּהעַל[is] on[is] onעַללָשׁוֹןtongue mytongue myלָשׁוֹןרִיחַto smellto smellרִיחַהָיָהto beto beהָיָהמָלַלto speakto speakמָלַללָשַׁןto slanderto slanderלָשַׁןעַלheightheightעַלנְשָׁמָהbreathbreathנְשָׁמָהקָדִיםeasteastקָדִיםנְאֻםutteranceutteranceנְאֻםצָבָאarmyarmyצָבָאמֹשֶׁהMosesMosesמֹשֶׁהלָשׁוֹןtonguetongueלָשׁוֹןאָזַןto listento listenאָזַןאֹמֶרwordwordאֹמֶרכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּאחֵךְpalatepalateחֵךְהָגָהto mutterto mutterהָגָה
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 23:2

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.

[the] spirit of Yahweh he has spoken by me and speech his [is] on tongue my
ר֥וּחַRu.ach [the] spirit of H7307 Noun common · feminine singular construct
378× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word for spirit refers to the breath of life, the wind, or a person's mind and emotions, as seen in the book of Ezekiel.
Amplified meaning
breath of life, divine presence
Tyndale gloss
spirit
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רוּחַ (ruach) means breath, wind, or spirit. It encompasses various meanings, including the breath of life, emotional disposition, and the spirit of God. The term can refer to both physical phenomena, like wind, and abstract concepts, such as moral character or mental acts. Notably, it is used frequently in the context of divine inspiration and the Holy Spirit.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רוּחַ 378 n.f. (less oft. m.) breath, wind, spirit

breath of mouth or nostrils (33 t.)

wind (117 t.)

spirit, as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation = temper, disposition (76 t.)

spirit of the living, breathing being

spirit as seat of emotion

occasionally (and late) = seat or organ of mental acts

rarely of the will

רוּחַ esp. of moral character

spirit of God (94 t.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7307 רוּחַ breath, wind, spirit . breath of mouth or nostrils (33 t.)

. wind (117 t.)

. spirit, as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation = temper, disposition (76 t.)

. spirit of the living, breathing being

. spirit as seat of emotion

. occasionally (and late) = seat or organ of mental acts

. rarely of the will

. רוּחַ esp. of moral character

. spirit of God (94 t.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7307 ruwach roo'-akh

from 7306; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or

even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger,

unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by

resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including

its expression and functions):--air, anger, blast, breath, X

cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit((-ual)),

tempest, X vain, ((whirl-))wind(-y).

see HEBREW for 07306

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רוּחַ (ru.ach) — spirit.

: spirit

1) wind, breath, mind, spirit

1a) breath

1b) wind

1b1) of heaven

1b2) quarter (of wind), side

1b3) breath of air

1b4) air, gas

1b5) vain, empty thing

1c) spirit (as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation)

1c1) spirit, animation, vivacity, vigour

1c2) courage

1c3) temper, anger

1c4) impatience, patience

1c5) spirit, disposition (as troubled, bitter, discontented)

1c6) disposition (of various kinds), unaccountable or uncontrollable impulse

1c7) prophetic spirit

1d) spirit (of the living, breathing being in man and animals)

1d1) as gift, preserved by God, God's spirit, departing at death, disembodied being

1e) spirit (as seat of emotion)

1e1) desire

1e2) sorrow, trouble

1f) spirit

1f1) as seat or organ of mental acts

1f2) rarely of the will

1f3) as seat especially of moral character

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs — Noun common · feminine singular construct
HNcfsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

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

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

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

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

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

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

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

Lamentations 3:1.

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

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

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

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

[the] spirit of Yahweh he has spoken by me and speech his [is] on tongue my
יְהוָ֖הYah.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 covenant Name of 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
[the] spirit of Yahweh he has spoken by me and speech his [is] on tongue my
דִּבֶּר־di.ber- he has spoken H1696 Verb · Piel · perfect third person masculine singular
1,142× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To speak or communicate, like God speaking to Moses in Exodus or a king commanding his people. It can also mean to promise or warn someone.
Amplified meaning
to communicate, to utter
Tyndale gloss
to speak: speak
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דָבַר (dabar) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning 'to speak.' It encompasses a range of actions including declaring, commanding, and conversing. The root suggests a figurative use of words, with some entries noting a rare destructive sense of subduing. Various forms of the verb indicate different nuances, such as speaking with one another or making promises.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[דָבַר] 1142 vb. speak (original mng. dub.)

Qal speak

Niph. reciprocal sense, speak with one another, talk

Pi. speak

Pu. in the day when she may be spoken for

Hithp. speaking this word

Hiph. either leads subject, or puts to flight, fig. for subdues

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1696 דָבַר speak (original mng. dub.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1696 dabar daw-bar'

a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used

figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive

sense) to subdue:--answer, appoint, bid, command, commune,

declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse,

say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think,

use (entreaties), utter, X well, X work.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: speak.

: speak/tell/command

1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing

1a) (Qal) to speak

1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to speak

1c2) to promise

1d) (Pual) to be spoken

1e) (Hithpael) to speak

1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight

דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: subdue.

: subdue

1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing

1a) (Qal) to speak

1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to speak

1c2) to promise

1d) (Pual) to be spoken

1e) (Hithpael) to speak

1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight

דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: promise.

: promise/declare

1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing

1a) (Qal) to speak

1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to speak

1c2) to promise

1d) (Pual) to be spoken

1e) (Hithpael) to speak

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Perf-3ms — Verb · Piel · perfect third person masculine singular
HVpp3ms
[the] spirit of Yahweh he has spoken by me and speech his [is] on tongue my
בִּ֑יBi by me H9030 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נִי (ni) — me.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HRd/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp1bs
[the] spirit of Yahweh he has spoken by me and speech his [is] on tongue my
וּמִלָּת֖וֹu.mi.la.To and speech his H4405 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
38× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a word or speech, and can also refer to a topic or subject. It's used in the Bible to describe what people say or talk about.
Amplified meaning
speech, message
Tyndale gloss
speech
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִלָּה (millah) means 'word' or 'speech' and can refer to a discourse or topic. It is derived from a root that suggests collective speech or utterance. The term encompasses various forms of communication, including answers and by-words. The Aramaic equivalent is also מִלָּה.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִלָּה n.f. word, speech, utterance

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4405 מִלָּה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4405 millah mil-law'

from 4448 (plural masculine as if from milleh {mil-leh'}; a

word; collectively, a discourse; figuratively, a topic:--+

answer, by-word, matter, any thing (what) to say, to

speak(-ing), speak, talking, word.

see HEBREW for 04448

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִלָּה (mil.lah) — speech.

word, speech, utterance

Aramaic equivalent: mil.lah (מִלָּה "word" H4406)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-fs | Suff — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HC/Ncfsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

[the] spirit of Yahweh he has spoken by me and speech his [is] on tongue my
עַל־'al- [is] on H5921 Preposition
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Amplified meaning
upon, resting on
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

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

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

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

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

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

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

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

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

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

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

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

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

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

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

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

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

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

1h) to (as a dative)

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

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

On

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

Smith's Bible Dictionary

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

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See HELIOPOLIS.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

pain; force; iniquity

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
[the] spirit of Yahweh he has spoken by me and speech his [is] on tongue my
לְשׁוֹנִֽי׃le.sho.Ni tongue my H3956 Noun common both singular construct · suffix
117× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The tongue, used for eating, speaking, or describing a language. In the Bible, it appears in many books, including Genesis 11:1 and Acts 2:4.
Amplified meaning
the instrument of speech, language
Tyndale gloss
tongue
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word לָשׁוֹן (*lashon*) primarily means 'tongue,' referring to both the organ of speech in humans and animals. It can also denote 'language' and has figurative uses, such as a 'tongue-shaped' wedge or bay. The entries highlight its literal and metaphorical applications, but do not present any significant disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לָשׁוֹן n.m. and (more oft.) f. tongue

tongue of men

= language

tongue of animals

tongue of fire

= (tongue-shaped) wedge of gold

= (tongue-shaped) bay of sea

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3956 לָשׁוֹן tongue . tongue of men

. = language

. tongue of animals

. tongue of fire

. = (tongue-shaped) wedge of gold

. = (tongue-shaped) bay of sea

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3956 lashown law-shone'

or lashon {law-shone'}; also (in plural) feminine lshonah

{lesh-o-naw'}; from 3960; the tongue (of man or animals), used

literally (as the instrument of licking, eating, or speech),

and figuratively (speech, an ingot, a fork of flame, a cove of

water):--+ babbler,bay, + evil speaker, language, talker,

tongue, wedge.

see HEBREW for 03960

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לָשׁוֹן (la.shon) — tongue.

: tongue/words

1) tongue

1a) tongue (of men)

1a1) tongue (literal)

1a2) tongue (organ of speech)

1b) language

1c) tongue (of animals)

1d) tongue (of fire)

1e) wedge, bay of sea (tongue-shaped)

לָשׁוֹן (la.shon) — tongue: language.

: language

1) tongue

1a) tongue (of men)

1a1) tongue (literal)

1a2) tongue (organ of speech)

1b) language

1c) tongue (of animals)

1d) tongue (of fire)

1e) wedge, bay of sea (tongue-shaped)

לָשׁוֹן (la.shon) — tongue: bar.

: bar/projection/bay

1) tongue

1a) tongue (of men)

1a1) tongue (literal)

1a2) tongue (organ of speech)

1b) language

1c) tongue (of animals)

1d) tongue (of fire)

1e) wedge, bay of sea (tongue-shaped)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs | Suff — Noun common both singular construct · suffix
HNcbsc/Sp1bs
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.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate