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Deuteronomy 10:16 — Word Study

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WLCוּמַלְתֶּ֕ם אֵ֖ת עָרְלַ֣ת לְבַבְכֶ֑ם וְעָ֨רְפְּכֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תַקְשׁ֖וּ עֽוֹד׃

BSACircumcisemûwl [dedicate, remove the foreskin of] your hearts, thereforelêbâb [the innermost part of your being, including mind, will, and emotions] and stiffenqâshâh [harden, be stubborn] your necksʻôreph [the back of the neck] nolôʼ moreʻôwd [not again, still]

Word
Listen & take awayDeuteronomy 10
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 16 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 (od) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Deuteronomy 10:16quick helps
In a sentenceMoses calls the Israelites to a deeper commitment to God, urging them to remove their spiritual barriers.
Who is speakingMoses, addressing the Israelites with a call to transformation.
Where we areIn the midst of Moses' exhortation to the people, encouraging them to turn back to God.
The hard wordמַלְתֶּם
Take awayThe call is to change one's heart and stop resisting God's ways.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbמוּל 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 — Deuteronomy 10:16

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 — Moses' Exhortation to the Israelitesgenerated

15Yet the LORD has set His affection on your fathers and loved them. And He has chosen you, their descendants after them, above all the peoples, even to this day.
16Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and stiffen your necks no more.
17For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe.
18He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing.

Deuteronomy 10:16 is part of Moses' speech, where he emphasizes the need for the Israelites to renew their commitment to God. He urges them to circumcise their hearts and stop being stubborn, highlighting the importance of inner transformation in their relationship with God. This call reflects the broader theme of covenant faithfulness found throughout the book of Deuteronomy.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Deuteronomy 30:6The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.
2Leviticus 26:41and I acted with hostility toward them and brought them into the land of their enemies—and if their uncircumcised hearts will be humbled and they will make amends for their iniquity,
3Jeremiah 4:4–14Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and remove the foreskins of your hearts, O men of Judah and people of Jerusalem. Otherwise, My wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it, because of your evil deeds.”
4Romans 2:28–29A man is not a Jew because he is one outwardly, nor is circumcision only outward and physical.
5Colossians 2:11In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word מַלְתֶּם, u.mal.Temgenerated

The verb מוּל (muwl) means to circumcise, derived from a root that implies cutting off or separation. In this context, it suggests a spiritual act of dedication, urging the Israelites to remove the barriers of their hearts that prevent them from fully following God.

This command is not merely about physical circumcision but signifies a deeper, spiritual commitment. It reflects the necessity of inner change, as the heart represents the core of a person's being, encompassing thoughts, emotions, and will.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as 'Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and stiffen your necks no more.' This wording is consistent across the KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE, indicating a shared understanding of the call to inner transformation.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb מַלְתֶּם (u.mal.Tem) governs the main action of the verse, with two phrases following: the object marker אֵת ('et) and the noun phrase עָרְלַ֣ת לְבַבְכֶ֑ם ('orlat levavkhem) describing what is to be circumcised.

The second part of the verse contains another finite verb תַקְשׁ֖וּ (tak.Shu), which connects with the adverbial phrases indicating the negation of stiffening their necks again.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates מוּל as περιτεμεῖσθε (peritemeisthe), which means 'to circumcise' and carries the same connotation of cutting away. This choice aligns with the Hebrew intent of spiritual dedication.

The Greek translation emphasizes the act of circumcision as a significant spiritual commitment, consistent with the original Hebrew meaning.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Deuteronomy 10:16 calls the Israelites to 'circumcise' their hearts, meaning they should remove spiritual barriers and stop being stubborn. This verse emphasizes the importance of inner change in their relationship with God, urging them to commit fully to Him.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to circumcise your heart?

To circumcise your heart means to remove the spiritual barriers that prevent you from fully committing to God and to embrace a life of obedience and faithfulness.

Why does Moses mention stiffening your neck?

Stiffening the neck is a metaphor for stubbornness and resistance to God's guidance. Moses urges the Israelites to stop being obstinate and to submit to God's will.

How does this verse relate to the covenant?

This verse emphasizes the need for the Israelites to renew their covenant commitment to God by transforming their hearts and attitudes, which is essential for maintaining their relationship with Him.

What are some examples of spiritual barriers we might need to remove?

Examples of spiritual barriers include pride, unforgiveness, and doubt, which can hinder our relationship with God and our ability to follow His commands.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What are some spiritual barriers in my life that I need to address to draw closer to God?
  2. How can I practice humility and submission to God in my daily life?
  3. In what ways can I encourage others to circumcise their hearts and turn back to God?
  4. What does it look like to have a heart dedicated to God in practical terms?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 10:16 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart,.... Content not yourselves with, nor put your confidence in outward circumcision of the flesh, but be concerned for the circumcision of the heart; for

Read John Gill on Deuteronomy 10 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And I stayed in the mount, according to the first time, forty days and forty nights; and the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also, and the LORD would not destroy thee.

Read Robert Jamieson on Deuteronomy 10 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Rest not in your bodily circumcision, but seriously set upon that substantial work which is signified and designed thereby: cleanse your hearts from all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, which is fitly compared to the foreskin, which if not cut off, made persons profane, unclean, and odious in the sight of God. Compare 9:25 ,29 Colossians 2:11.

Read Matthew Poole on Deuteronomy 10 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Deuteronomy 10:16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.Ver. 16. Circumcise therefore.] Deus iubendo iuvat. Set about this work in God’ s strength, and pray that the heaven may answer the earth. For it is a work that must be done "without hands." Beg of God to thrust his holy hand into our bosom, and to pull off that filthy foreskin; urge him with his promise; doubt not of his power: lex iubet, gratia iuvat, &c. August, in Exod., quaest. 55.

Read John Trapp on Deuteronomy 10 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(16) Circumcise . . . your heart.—“For circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter” (Romans 2:29). The verse literally runs thus: Circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and ye will harden your neck no more. It is the same line of thought as St. Paul’s (Galatians 5:16) “Walk in the Spirit, and (then) ye will not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (17,18) A great God, a mighty, and a terrible . . . he doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow.—“Behold (says Rashi) His might! And close beside His might thou mayest find His humility.” It is not otherwise in later passages of Scripture: “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He telleth…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Deuteronomy 10 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 16. Circumcise - the foreskin of your heart] A plain proof from God himself that this precept pointed out spiritual things, and that it was not the cutting away a part of the flesh that was the object of the Divine commandment, but the purification of the soul, without which all forms and ceremonies are of no avail. Loving God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength, the heart being circumcised to enable them to do it, was, from the beginning, the end, design, and fulfilment of the whole law.

Read AdamClarke on Deuteronomy 10 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16–19. The form of address changes to Pl., and a qualification is made of the great statement just given. Though God has elected (for reasons of His own) to love Israel’s fathers and to choose their posterity after them out of all peoples to be His peculiar people, He is not one that regards persons, but as He takes the part of the helpless within Israel so He loves also the foreigner resident among them, and therefore Israel must love the foreign sojourner, having themselves been sojourners in Egypt. No doubt all this is more or less relevant to the main theme of the discourse, but it is outside it, and as its introduction is coincident with the change to the Pl. address, the passage must…

Read Cambridge on Deuteronomy 10 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

On “circumcision” see Genesis 17:10. This verse points to the spiritual import of circumcision.

Read Albert Barnes on Deuteronomy 10 →

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

Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and stiffen your necks no more.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and stiffen your necks no more.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Therefore, cleanse your heart and stop being so stubborn!

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and harden your neckes no more.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Circumcise then the foreskin of your heart, and stiffen your neck no more.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and ye have circumcised the foreskin of your heart, and your neck ye do not harden any more;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And you have circumcised the foreskin of your heart, and you do not harden your neck anymore.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Remove therefore the obduracy of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stubborn no longer.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and stiffen your neck no more.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Dedicate yourselves to God. Don't be stubborn and hard-hearted anymore.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Let your circumcision be of the heart, and put away your pride.

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.

וּandclauseverbמַלְתֶּ֕םyou.will.circumcisenoun phrase · objectאֵ֖ת(et)noun phraseעָרְלַ֣תthe.foreskinnoun phraseלְבַבְyour.heartכֶ֑םyourוְandclausenoun phrase · objectעָ֨רְפְּneckכֶ֔םyouradverbialלֹ֥אnotverbתַקְשׁ֖וּyou.will.stiffenadverbialעֽוֹדagain

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


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

The Masoretic Text is supported by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word. The Dead Sea Scrolls show variations due to restoration, but the core message remains intact across the witnesses.

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

וּמַלְתֶּ֕ם אֵ֖ת עָרְלַ֣ת לְבַבְכֶ֑ם וְעָ֨רְפְּכֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תַקְשׁ֖וּ עֽוֹד׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וּמַלְתֶּ֕םπεριτεμεῖσθεעָרְלַ֣תτὴνלְבַבְכֶ֑םὑμῶνוְעָ֨רְפְּכֶ֔םὑμῶνלֹ֥אοὐתַקְשׁ֖וּσκληρυνεῖτεעֽוֹד׃ἔτι

7 of the 8 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.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

ומלתם את ערלת לבבכם וערפכם לא תקשׁו עוד

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q150a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ומלתם] [את] [ערלת] [לבב] ׳כם וערפ׳כם לא תקשו [עוד]

4 words on the leather — 5 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q128a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ומלתם] [את] [ערלת] [לבב׳כם] [וערפ׳כם] [לא] [תקשו] [עוד]

nothing on the leather here — 8 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q138a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

ומלתמה [את] עורלת לבב׳כמה ועורפ׳כמה לוא תקשו עוד

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

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q151a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ומלתם] את ערלת [לבב׳כם] [וערפ׳כם] [לא] [תקשו] [עוד]

1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 6 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 8Q3a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ומלתם] את ערל לבב׳כם [וערפ׳כם] [לא] תקשו עוד

3 words on the leather — 2 partly restored, 3 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 8Q4a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ומלתם] את ערלות לבב׳כם וערפ׳כם לא [תקשו] [עוד]

5 words on the leather — 3 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — Xq1a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

ומלתם את ערלת לבב׳כם וערפ׳כם לא תקשו עוד

8 words on the leather.

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.

Deuteronomy 10:16מוּלand you wiland you will ciמוּלאֵתthe object the object markאֵתעָרְלָה[the] fores[the] foreskin עָרְלָהלֵבָבheart yourheart yourלֵבָבעֹ֫רֶףand neck yoand neck yourעֹ֫רֶףלֹאnotnotלֹאקָשָׁהyou will mayou will make sקָשָׁהעוֹדagainagainעוֹדאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתלבבto encourato encourageלבבעָרַףto break tto break the neעָרַףעוּדto upholdto upholdעוּדעָרֵלuncircumciuncircumcisedעָרֵלעָרְלָהforeskinforeskinעָרְלָהזָכָרmalemaleזָכָרמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁמוּלto circumcto circumciseמוּלבָּשָׂרfleshfleshבָּשָׂרשָׁלֵםcompletecompleteשָׁלֵםדָּרַשׁto seekto seekדָּרַשׁקָשָׁהto hardento hardenקָשָׁהקָשֶׁהseveresevereקָשֶׁהיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדעֹ֫רֶףneckneckעֹ֫רֶףעֹלyokeyokeעֹל
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 Deuteronomy 10:16

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 you will circumcise the object marker [the] foreskin of heart your and neck your not you will make stiff again
וּמַלְתֶּ֕םu.mal.Tem and you will circumcise H4135 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine plural
37× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Circumcision is the literal meaning of this word, but it can also imply destruction or cutting off. In Genesis 17:10, God commands Abraham to circumcise all males as a sign of covenant. It represents a physical and spiritual separation.
Amplified meaning
dedicate, remove the foreskin of
Tyndale gloss
to circumcise
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מוּל (muwl) is a Hebrew verb meaning to circumcise, with various forms indicating different grammatical aspects, such as being circumcised or causing circumcision. It also carries connotations of cutting off or destruction. The entries note its use in contexts like Joshua 5:2 and Genesis 17:11, where it specifically refers to the act of circumcision.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מוּל] vb. circumcise

Qal circumcise

Niph. be circumcised

Hiph. in the name of י׳, yea I will make them to be circumcised

Hithp. be cut off, of arrows, i.e. made blunt.

base

[מָלַל] vb. circumcise

Qal Jos 5:2.

Niph. Gn 17:11

Hithpo. be cut off: ψ 58:8.

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4135a מוּל circumcise H4135b מָלַל circumcise

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4135 muwl mool

a primitive root; to cut short, i.e. curtail (specifically

the prepuce, i.e. to circumcise); by implication, to blunt;

figuratively, to destroy:--circumcise(-ing), selves), cut

down (in pieces), destroy, X must needs.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מוּל (mul) — to circumcise.

1) to circumcise, let oneself be circumcised, cut, be cut off

1a) (Qal) to circumcise

1b) (Niphal) to be circumcised, circumcise oneself

1c) (Hiphil) to cause to be circumcised

1c1) of destruction (fig.)

1d) (Hithpolel) to be cut off

1e) (Polel) cut down

מָלַל (ma.lal) — to circumcise.

1) to circumcise

1a) (Qal)

1b) (Niphal)

2) (Hithpolel) to be cut off

Also means: mul (מוּל "to circumcise" H4135A)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-2mp — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine plural
Hc/Vqq2mp
and you will circumcise the object marker [the] foreskin of heart your and neck your not you will make stiff again
אֵ֖ת'et the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and you will circumcise the object marker [the] foreskin of heart your and neck your not you will make stiff again
עָרְלַ֣ת'a.re.Lat [the] foreskin of H6190 Noun common · feminine singular construct
16× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for foreskin, referring to being uncircumcised. It appears in various Bible translations as foreskin or uncircumcised, emphasizing the physical and spiritual significance of circumcision in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
foreskin
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָרְלָה (orlah) refers to the foreskin or the state of being uncircumcised. It is a feminine noun derived from the root word for foreskin. The term appears in contexts related to circumcision, particularly in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָרְלָה 16 n.f. foreskin

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6190 עָרְלָה foreskin

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6190 `orlah or-law'

feminine of 6189; the prepuce:--foreskin, + uncircumcised.

see HEBREW for 06189

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עׇרְלָה (or.lah) — (Gilgal)-haaraloth.

Combined with gil.gal (גִּלְגָּל "Gilgal" H1537)

§ foreskin, uncircumcised

עׇרְלָה (or.lah) — foreskin.

foreskin, uncircumcised

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

ov:

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

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

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

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

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

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

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

Lamentations 3:1.

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

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

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

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

and you will circumcise the object marker [the] foreskin of heart your and neck your not you will make stiff again
לְבַבְכֶ֑םle.vav.Khem heart your H3824 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
252× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The heart is the innermost part of a person, including their mind, will, and emotions. In the book of Psalms, David talks about his heart being heavy with sorrow, while in the book of Proverbs, it discusses the importance of guarding one's heart.
Amplified meaning
the innermost part of your being, including mind, will, and emotions
Tyndale gloss
heart
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֵבָב (lebab) refers to the inner man, encompassing the mind, will, and heart. It highlights aspects like emotions, moral character, and conscience, often contrasting the inner self with the outer. The term is used primarily for humans and can also denote courage and appetites.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֵבָב 251 n.m. inner man, mind, will, heart

seldom of things in the midst of the seas

usu. of men

the inner man in contrast with the outer

the inner man, indef. the soul, comprehending mind, affections and will

specific ref. to mind

spec. ref. to inclinations, resolutions, determinations of the will

spec. ref. to conscience

spec. ref. to moral character

= the man himself

spec. as seat of appetites

spec. of seat of the emotions and passions

seat of courage

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3824 לֵבָב inner man, mind, will, heart . seldom of things in the midst of the seas

. usu. of men . the inner man in contrast with the outer

. the inner man, indef. the soul, comprehending mind, affections and will

. specific ref. to mind

. spec. ref. to inclinations, resolutions, determinations of the will

. spec. ref. to conscience

. spec. ref. to moral character

. = the man himself

. spec. as seat of appetites

. spec. of seat of the emotions and passions

. seat of courage

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3824 lebab lay-bawb'

from 3823; the heart (as the most interior organ); used also

like 3820:--+ bethink themselves, breast, comfortably,

courage, ((faint), (tender-)heart((-ed)), midst, mind, X

unawares, understanding.

see HEBREW for 03823

see HEBREW for 03820

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֵבָב (le.vav) — heart.

1) inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding

1a) inner part, midst

1a1) midst (of things)

1a2) heart (of man)

1a3) soul, heart (of man)

1a4) mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory

1a5) inclination, resolution, determination (of will)

1a6) conscience

1a7) heart (of moral character)

1a8) as seat of appetites

1a9) as seat of emotions and passions 1a10) as seat of courage

Aramaic equivalent: le.vav (לְבַב "heart" H3825)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp2mp
and you will circumcise the object marker [the] foreskin of heart your and neck your not you will make stiff again
וְעָ֨רְפְּכֶ֔םve.'A.re.pe.Khem and neck your H6203 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
33× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The neck or back of the neck represents a turning point, like the back of a fleeing enemy or a stubborn person with a stiff neck.
Amplified meaning
the back of the neck
Tyndale gloss
neck
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֹ֫רֶף (oreph) refers to the back of the neck, and can also denote the back generally, both literally and figuratively. It is associated with concepts like obstinacy and apostasy. The word is derived from a related term, עָרַף (araf), and is mentioned in contexts describing a stiff neck or a fleeing foe.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֹ֫רֶף n.m. back of neck, neck

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6203 עֹ֫רֶף back of neck, neck

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6203 `oreph o-ref'

from 6202; the nape or back of the neck (as declining);

hence, the back generally (whether literal or figurative):--

back ((stiff-)neck((-ed).

see HEBREW for 06202

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֹ֫רֶף (o.reph) — neck.

1) neck, back of the neck, back

1a) back of the neck

1a1) of fleeing foe

1a2) of apostasy (fig.)

1b) stiff of neck, obstinate (fig.)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-ms | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HC/Ncmsc/Sp2mp
and you will circumcise the object marker [the] foreskin of heart your and neck your not you will make stiff again
לֹ֥אlo' not H3808 Particle
5,170× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Tyndale gloss
not
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3808 lo' lo

or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often

used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,

ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,

no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out

of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +

of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֹא (lo) — not.

1) not, no

1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)

1b) not (with modifier-negation)

1c) nothing (subst)

1d) without (with particle)

1e) before (of time)

Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Particle
HTn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and you will circumcise the object marker [the] foreskin of heart your and neck your not you will make stiff again
תַקְשׁ֖וּtak.Shu you will make stiff H7185 Verb · Hiphil · imperfect second person masculine plural
28× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means to be hard or severe, like when Pharaoh's heart was hardened against the Israelites in Exodus.
Amplified meaning
harden, be stubborn
Tyndale gloss
to harden
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קָשָׁה (qashah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be hard, severe, or fierce. It can describe difficulty or harshness in various contexts, including labor and obstinacy. The word has different forms, such as Qal (to be hard), Niphal (to be ill-treated), and Hiphil (to make difficult or burdensome).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[קָשָׁה] vb. be hard, severe, fierce

Qal

be hard, difficult

be hard, severe

Niph. hardly bestead, hard pressed

Pi. she made hard in her bearing (had severe labour)

Hiph.

make difficult, difficulty

make severe, burdensome, yoke imposed by king

make hard, stiff, stubborn, fig. of obstinacy

shew stubbornness

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7185 קָשָׁה be hard, severe, fierce .. be hard, difficult

. be hard, severe

. hardly bestead, hard pressed

. . make difficult, difficulty

. make severe, burdensome, yoke imposed by king

. . make hard, stiff, stubborn, fig. of obstinacy

. shew stubbornness

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7185 qashah kaw-shaw'

a primitive root; properly, to be dense, i.e. tough or severe

(in various applications):--be cruel, be fiercer, make

grievous, be ((ask a), be in, have, seem, would) hard(-en,

(labour), -ly, thing), be sore, (be, make) stiff(-en,

(-necked)).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָשָׁה (qa.shah) — to harden.

1) to be hard, be severe, be fierce, be harsh

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be hard, be difficult

1a2) to be hard, be severe

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be ill-treated

1b2) to be hard pressed

1c) (Piel) to have severe labour (of women)

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to make difficult, make difficulty

1d2) to make severe, make burdensome

1d3) to make hard, make stiff, make stubborn

1d3a) of obstinacy (fig)

1d4) to show stubbornness

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Imperf-2mp — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect second person masculine plural
HVhi2mp
and you will circumcise the object marker [the] foreskin of heart your and neck your not you will make stiff again
עֽוֹד׃od again H5750 Adv
490× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The word 'still' means something continues or happens again, like in Genesis 29:26 and Isaiah 2:11. It can also mean 'more' or 'additionally'.
Amplified meaning
not again, still
Tyndale gloss
still
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עוֹד (owd) primarily denotes a sense of iteration or continuance, functioning mostly as an adverb meaning 'still,' 'yet,' or 'again.' It can also imply addition or repetition, as in 'more' or 'besides.' The word appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, emphasizing persistence or continuation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עוֹד and (14 t.) עֹד subst. a going round, continuance, but used mostly as adv. acc. still, yet, again, besides

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5750 עוֹד and (14 t.) עֹד subst. a going round, continuance, but used mostly as adv. acc. still, yet, again, besides

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5750 `owd ode

or rod {ode}; from 5749; properly, iteration or continuance;

used only adverbially (with or without preposition), again,

repeatedly, still, more:--again, X all life long, at all,

besides, but, else, further(-more), henceforth, (any) longer,

(any) more(-over), X once, since, (be) still, when, (good,

the) while (having being), (as, because, whether, while) yet

(within).

see HEBREW for 05749

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עוֹד (od) — still.

subst

1) a going round, continuance

adv

2) still, yet, again, besides

2a) still, yet (of continuance or persistence)

2b) still, yet, more (of addition or repetition)

2c) again

2d) still, moreover, besides

Aramaic equivalent: od (עוֹד "still" H5751)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adv — Adv
HAcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a-gen': Advb. denoting repetition; in New Testament, generally for palin, "back," "once more." Occasionally, it has the force of a connective, synonymous with "moreover," as in Ro 15:10 ff; 1Co 3:20, etc. The expression "born again" of the King James Version, Joh 3:3,7; 1Pe 1:23, translating the Greek "anothen" and "ana" in composition, becomes in the Revised Version (British and American) "anew," i.e. "over again." As these particles mean "from above" and "up," their use as indicating repetition is sometimes disputed, but without further foundation than that "again" does not exhaust the meaning.

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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