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Deuteronomy 23:13 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוְיָתֵ֛ד תִּהְיֶ֥ה לְךָ֖ עַל־ אֲזֵנֶ֑ךָ וְהָיָה֙ בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֣ ח֔וּץ וְחָפַרְתָּ֣ה בָ֔הּ וְשַׁבְתָּ֖ וְכִסִּ֥יתָ אֶת־ צֵאָתֶֽךָ׃

BSAAnd you must havehâyâh

Word
Listen & take awayDeuteronomy 23
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 13 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 (tze.'a.Te.kha) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Deuteronomy 23:13quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse instructs on the necessity of having a digging tool for sanitation purposes while in the camp.
Who is speakingMoses, conveying God's laws to the Israelites.
Where we areThis instruction is part of the laws regarding cleanliness and order within the camp.
The hard wordיָתֵד
Take awayThe emphasis is on maintaining cleanliness and holiness in the camp.
6 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectיָד verbהָיָה The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

1 of 14 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.

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 23:13

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 — Instructions for Cleanliness in the Campgenerated

12You must have a place outside the camp to go and relieve yourself.
13And you must have a digging tool in your equipment so that when you relieve yourself you can dig a hole and cover up your excrement.
14For the LORD your God walks throughout your camp to protect you and deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, lest He see anything unclean among you and turn away from you.
15Do not return a slave to his master if he has taken refuge with you.

Deuteronomy 23:13 provides guidelines for the Israelites on maintaining cleanliness while encamped. This verse specifically addresses the need for a digging tool to ensure that when one needs to relieve oneself, they can do so in a manner that keeps the camp clean and holy, as God walks among them. This instruction highlights the importance of hygiene and respect for the presence of God in their midst.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Ezekiel 24:6–8Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed, to the pot now rusted, whose rust will not come off! Empty it piece by piece; cast no lots for its contents.

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

cover thatEzekiel 24:6–8

The Key Word יָתֵד, ya.Tedgenerated

The word יָתֵד (yathed) refers to a spade or digging tool, which is essential for the task of digging a hole. It is derived from a root meaning to fasten or pin through, indicating its use in securing or holding.

In this context, the use of a digging tool is not just practical but also reflects a deeper concern for cleanliness and holiness in the camp, aligning with the broader theme of purity in the laws given to the Israelites.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb תִּהְיֶ֥ה (tiheyeh), meaning 'it will belong', governs the sentence. The structure is straightforward, with the subject יָתֵד (yathed) and several phrases that provide context and detail.

The word order emphasizes the necessity of the digging tool, placing it at the forefront of the instruction, followed by the conditions under which it is to be used.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָתֵד as τόπος (topos), meaning 'place'. This choice suggests a broader interpretation of the term, focusing on the location for the act rather than the tool itself.

This translation reflects a different emphasis on the act of relieving oneself in a designated area, indicating a concern for maintaining cleanliness in a specific place.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Deuteronomy 23:13 instructs the Israelites to have a digging tool for sanitation when they relieve themselves. This tool is necessary to dig a hole and cover up their excrement, ensuring cleanliness in the camp, which is important as God is present among them.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Why is it important to have a digging tool?

The digging tool is essential for maintaining cleanliness in the camp, as it allows individuals to properly dispose of waste.

What does this verse say about cleanliness?

This verse emphasizes that cleanliness is crucial for the community, especially in the presence of God, who walks among them.

How does this instruction reflect on the Israelites' relationship with God?

It shows that God cares about their physical and spiritual cleanliness, which is vital for maintaining a holy environment.

What can we learn from this instruction today?

We can learn the importance of cleanliness and respect for our surroundings, reflecting a broader principle of living in a way that honors God.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What practices do I have in my life that reflect cleanliness and respect for my environment?
  2. How can I ensure that my actions align with the principles of holiness and respect for God?
  3. In what ways can I teach others about the importance of maintaining cleanliness in our communities?
  4. How do I see the connection between physical cleanliness and spiritual purity in my life?

Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 23:13 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon,.... A nail or spike, some kind of instrument to make a hole in the ground with, which was fastened to the sword upon their loins; which was to be instead

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

And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee: Thou shalt have

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

A paddle; the nature of which may be known from the use, which here follows. Cover that which cometh from thee; partly, to prevent the annoyance of ourselves or others; partly, to preserve and exercise modesty and natural honesty; and principally, that by such outward rites they might be inured to the greater reverence of the Divine Majesty, and the greater caution to avoid all real and moral uncleanness, especially now when it was most necessary so to do.

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

Deuteronomy 23:13 And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:Ver. 13. Thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp.] Where he is both van and rear. And to give up thine enemies.] Hence the Philistines were so frighted at the sight of the ark. "Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fighteth for them," said those Egyptians. That he see no unclean thing.] Hereby God taught his people holy conversation, that they should keep themselves from their iniquity, as David did - that is, from such sins as either by their constitution, calling, company, or…

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

Deuteronomy 23:9-14. PURITY OF THE CAMP.(9) When the host goeth forth against thine enemies . . . keep thee.—“Because Satan maketh his accusations in the hour of danger” (Rashi). (10) Uncleanness that chanceth him by night. As in Leviticus 15:16. (11) When the sun is down.—“No man is clean (after ceremonial uncleanness) except at the going down of the sun” (Rashi). (12) Without the camp.—It must not be forgotten that this is the camp of the army, not the whole encampment of Israel in the wilderness. The entire passage is continuous from Deuteronomy 23:9. Hence the whole discussion raised, after the appearance of Dr. Colenso’s work, on the size of the camp of Israel and the possibility of…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Deuteronomy 23 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

9-14. When the host goeth forth — The purity of life in the camp, when they shall be engaged in future wars, is provided for in this passage.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Deuteronomy 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

And you must have a digging tool in your equipment so that when you relieve yourself you can dig a hole and cover up your excrement.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

You shall have a trowel among your weapons. It shall be, when you relieve yourself, you shall dig with it, and shall turn back and cover your excrement;

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

And you must have a digging tool in your equipment so that when you relieve yourself you can dig a hole and cover up your excrement.

NETBNew English Translation2006

You must have a spade among your other equipment and when you relieve yourself outside you must dig a hole with the spade and then turn and cover your excrement.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

and thou shalt have a paddle among thy weapons; and it shall be, when thou sittest down abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:

RVARevised Version, American1894

and thou shalt have a paddle among thy weapons; and it shall be, when thou sittest down abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon: and it shall be when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig with it, and shalt turn back, and cover that which cometh from thee:

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And thou shalt haue a paddle among thy weapons, and when thou wouldest sit downe without, thou shalt shalt digge therewith, and returning thou shalt couer thine excrements.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And thou shalt have a shovel amongst thy weapons, and it shall be, when thou sittest down abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which is come from thee.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and a nail thou hast on thy staff, and it hath been, in thy sitting without, that thou hast digged with it, and turned back, and covered thy filth;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and you have a peg on your staff, and it has been, in your sitting outside, that you have dug with it, and turned back, and covered your filth.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

(23:14) And a spade shalt thou have with thy weapons: and it shall be, when thou sittest abroad, that thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt afterward cover that which cometh from thee;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

and you will have something among your tools to dig with; when you squat down to relieve yourself, you must dig with it and then put back the earth and cover up what has come out from you.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Carrying a paddle at thy girdle. And when thou sittest down, thou shalt dig round about, and with the earth that is dug up thou shalt cover

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

You need to have a spade as part of your equipment so that you can dig a hole, and then when you're finished you can cover up your excrement.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And have among your arms a spade; and when you have been to that place, let that which comes from you be covered up with earth:

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.

וְandclausesubjectיָתֵ֛דa.spadeverbתִּהְיֶ֥הit.will.belongprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtoךָ֖youprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַלwithnoun phraseאֲזֵנֶ֑equipmentךָyourוְandclauseverbהָיָה֙it.will.beprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּwhenclauseverbשִׁבְתְּyousubjectךָ֣sit.downadverbialח֔וּץoutsideוְandclauseverbחָפַרְתָּ֣הyou.will.digprepositional phrase · prepositionalבָ֔withהּitוְandclauseverbשַׁבְתָּ֖you.will.turnוְandclauseverbכִסִּ֥יתָyou.will.covernoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseצֵאָתֶֽexcrementךָyour

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 Septuagint, which contains some matching words but presents them in a different order. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs in four words, emphasizing the concept of being outside the camp. The Dead Sea Scrolls fragments also support the general instruction but include additional supplied words.

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

וְיָתֵ֛ד תִּהְיֶ֥ה לְךָ֖ עַל־ אֲזֵנֶ֑ךָ וְהָיָה֙ בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֣ ח֔וּץ וְחָפַרְתָּ֣ה בָ֔הּ וְשַׁבְתָּ֖ וְכִסִּ֥יתָ אֶת־ צֵאָתֶֽךָ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְיָתֵ֛דτόποςתִּהְיֶ֥הἔσταιלְךָ֖σοιאֲזֵנֶ֑ךָτῆςוְהָיָה֙καὶבְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֣ἐκεῖח֔וּץἔχω

7 of the 14 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

ויד יהיה לך מחוץ למחנה ויצאת שׁם החוצה

4 words differ from the Masoretic Text: יהיה (be), שׁם (there), ה (the), חוצה (outside)

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q36a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ויד] [תהיה] [ל׳ך] [מחוץ] [למחנה] ויצאת שמ׳ה חוץ

8 words of the verse are on this fragment — 5 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q45a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ויד] [תהיה] [ל׳ך] [מחוץ] [למחנה] ויצאת שמ׳ה [חוץ]

8 words of the verse are on this fragment — 2 partly restored, 6 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.

Deuteronomy 23:13יָתֵדand a spadeand a spadeיָתֵדהָיָהit will belit will belongהָיָהךָּto youto youךָּעַלwithwithעַלאָזֵןequipment yequipment yourאָזֵןהָיָהand it willand it will beהָיָהיָשַׁבwhen sittinwhen sitting doיָשַׁבחוּץoutsideoutsideחוּץחָפַרand you wiland you will diחָפַרהָwith itwith itהָשׁוּבand you wiland you will tuשׁוּבכָּסָהand you wiland you will coכָּסָהאֵתthe object the object markאֵתצֵאָהexcrement yexcrement yourצֵאָההָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאאָזַןto listento listenאָזַןאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתיָצָאto come outo come out: coיָצָאעַלheightheightעַלכָּשָׂהbe satedbe satedכָּשָׂהמֵיתָרcordcordמֵיתָרכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּאבֶּ֫טַחsecuritysecurityבֶּ֫טַחכְּנַעֲנִיCanaanitesCanaanitessכְּנַעֲנִימַחֲנֶהcampcampמַחֲנֶהרְחוֹבstreet/plastreet/plazaרְחוֹבבְּאֵרwellwellבְּאֵרכוּרto digto digכוּרשְׁבִיתcaptivitycaptivityשְׁבִיתחָרוֹןburning anburning angerחָרוֹןשַׂקsackclothsackclothשַׂק
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 23:13

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 a spade it will belong to you with equipment your and it will be when sitting down you outside and you will dig with it and you will turn and you will cover the object marker excrement your
וְיָתֵ֛דve.ya.Ted and a spade H3489 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absolute
25× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A peg or nail is a small, pointed piece of metal used to hold things together, like the pegs used in the tabernacle in Exodus.
Tyndale gloss
peg
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָתֵד (yathed) refers to a pin or peg, often used for securing items like tents. It can also mean a nail or a pin in a figurative sense, and has applications in weaving. The word is built from an unused root meaning to fasten or pin through.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָתֵד n.f. pin, peg

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3489 יָתֵד pin, peg

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3489 yathed yaw-thade'

from an unused root meaning to pin through or fast; a

peg:--nail, paddle, pin, stake.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָתֵד (ya.ted) — peg.

1) pin, stake, peg, nail

1a) pin, peg, tent pin, tent stake

1b) nail, pin (fig.)

1c) pin (used in weaving)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Ncfsa — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absolute
HC/Ncfsa
and a spade it will belong to you with equipment your and it will be when sitting down you outside and you will dig with it and you will turn and you will cover the object marker excrement your
תִּהְיֶ֥הtih.Yeh it will belong H1961 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine singular
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3fs — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine singular
HVqi3fs
and a spade it will belong to you with equipment your and it will be when sitting down you outside and you will dig with it and you will turn and you will cover the object marker excrement your
לְךָ֖le.Kha to you H9031 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

ךָּ (ka) — you.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HRd/Sp2ms — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp2ms
and a spade it will belong to you with equipment your and it will be when sitting down you outside and you will dig with it and you will turn and you will cover the object marker excrement your
עַל־'al- with 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.
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
HR — Preposition
HR
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and a spade it will belong to you with equipment your and it will be when sitting down you outside and you will dig with it and you will turn and you will cover the object marker excrement your
אֲזֵנֶ֑ךָ'a.ze.Ne.kha equipment your H240 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
1× 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)

[אָזֵן] n.[m.]coll. implements, tools

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H240 [אָזֵן] implements, tools

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

240 'azen aw-zane'

from 238; a spade or paddle (as having a broad

end):--weapon.

see HEBREW for 0238

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָזֵן (a.zen) — weapon.

tools, implements, weapons

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsc/Sp2ms — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp2ms
and a spade it will belong to you with equipment your and it will be when sitting down you outside and you will dig with it and you will turn and you will cover the object marker excrement your
וְהָיָה֙ve.ha.Yah and it will be H1961 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person masculine singular
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

Come into being, become

abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

sq. prep.

become

sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen

. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

. sq. prep.

. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,

come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or

auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,

committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,

fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)

1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about

1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Hc/Vqq3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqq3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See TESTAMENT.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ THE MENTAL FACULTY

Freedom of, recognized by God Ge 4:6-10; De 5:29; 1Ki 20:42; Isa 1:18-20; 43:26; Jer 36:3,7; Joh 7:17

See BLESSINGS, CONTINGENT UPON OBEDIENCE

See CHOICE

See CONTINGENCY

→ OF GOD, THE SUPREME RULE OF DUTY Mt 6:10; 12:50; 26:39,42; Mr 3:35; 14:36; Lu 11:2; 22:42; Joh 4:34; 5:30; 6:38-40; Ac…

and a spade it will belong to you with equipment your and it will be when sitting down you outside and you will dig with it and you will turn and you will cover the object marker excrement your
בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֣be.shiv.te.Kha when sitting down you H3427 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common · suffix
1,079× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to sit or dwell, and can also mean to remain or abide. It's used in the Bible to describe people living in a place or staying with someone, like in the book of Genesis.
Tyndale gloss
to dwell
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָשַׁב (yashab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to sit, remain, or dwell. It encompasses a range of actions from simply sitting down to more complex ideas like establishing a home or causing a place to be inhabited. The entries indicate various forms, including Qal (to sit), Niphal (to be inhabited), and Hiphil (to cause to dwell). There is an Aramaic equivalent, יְתִב (ye.tiv), meaning 'to dwell'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell

Qal

sit

sit, sit down

sit down

sit = be set (as a jewel)

remain, stay, tarry

with special emphasis of qualifying phr.

dwell, have one’s abode

of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited

Niph. be inhabited, of land

Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee

Hiph.

cause to sit

cause to abide

cause to dwell

cause cities to be inhabited

marry (prop. give a dwelling to)

Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3427 יָשַׁב sit, remain, dwell

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3427 yashab yaw-shab'

a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as

judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to

remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to)

abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease

self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to)

inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing),

(bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle),

(down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate),

take, tarry.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָשַׁב (ya.shav) — to dwell.

1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to sit, sit down

1a2) to be set

1a3) to remain, stay

1a4) to dwell, have one's abode

1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited

1c) (Piel) to set, place

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to cause to sit

1d2) to cause to abide, set

1d3) to cause to dwell

1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited

1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to)

1e) (Hophal)

1e1) to be inhabited

1e2) to make to dwell

Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Vqcc/Sp2ms — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common · suffix
HR/Vqcc/Sp2ms
and a spade it will belong to you with equipment your and it will be when sitting down you outside and you will dig with it and you will turn and you will cover the object marker excrement your
ח֔וּץChutz outside H2351 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
164× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means outside or outdoors, referring to something beyond a wall or boundary. It can also mean a street or highway, as seen in various KJV translations, including abroad, field, and without.
Tyndale gloss
outside
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חוּץ (chuwts) refers to the concept of being outside or outward, often associated with streets or highways. It is derived from a root meaning to sever, indicating separation by a wall. The term covers various contexts, including outdoors and fields.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חוּץ n.[m.] the outside, sts., esp. in pl., spec. a street

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2351 חוּץ

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2351 chuwts khoots

or (shortened) chuts {khoots}; (both forms feminine in the

plural) from an unused root meaning to sever; properly,

separate by a wall, i.e. outside, outdoors:--abroad, field,

forth, highway, more, out(-side, -ward), street, without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חוּץ (chuts) — outside.

outside, outward, street, the outside

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
and a spade it will belong to you with equipment your and it will be when sitting down you outside and you will dig with it and you will turn and you will cover the object marker excrement your
וְחָפַרְתָּ֣הve.cha.far.Tah and you will dig H2658 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine singular
22× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word châphar means to search or dig, often used to describe seeking something deeply. In Psalm 139:1, David asks God to search him, knowing God already knows everything. It implies a thorough examination.
Tyndale gloss
to search
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָפַר (chaphar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to dig or search for. It is a primitive root that conveys the idea of prying into something, exploring, or delving deeper. The entries consistently highlight its use in contexts related to digging and searching.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָפַר vb. dig, search for

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2658 חָפַר dig, search for

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2658 chaphar khaw-far'

a primitive root; properly, to pry into; by implication, to

delve, to explore:--dig, paw, search out, seek.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָפַר (cha.phar) — to search.

1) to dig, search for

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to dig

1a2) to search, search out, explore

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Hc/Vqq2ms — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine singular
Hc/Vqq2ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(qur, "to dig", chathar; diorusso, "to dig through"): "I have digged (dug) and drunk strange waters" (2Ki 19:24). In his campaigns on foreign soil, where the enemy had stopped up the watersprings, Sennacherib would at once dig fresh wells for his armies. "They dig through houses" (Job 24:16; Mt 6:19,20 margin). Walls of eastern houses are often made of mud or clay, and frequently have no windows; and as the threshold of a Syrian house is sacred, the thief breaks in through the wall (see Trumbull, The Threshold Covenant).

M. O. Evans

and a spade it will belong to you with equipment your and it will be when sitting down you outside and you will dig with it and you will turn and you will cover the object marker excrement your
בָ֔הּVah with it H9034 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָ (ha) — her.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person feminine singular

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HRd/Sp3fs — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp3fs
and a spade it will belong to you with equipment your and it will be when sitting down you outside and you will dig with it and you will turn and you will cover the object marker excrement your
וְשַׁבְתָּ֖ve.shav.Ta and you will turn H7725 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine singular
1,057× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to return or turn back, and can be used literally or figuratively. It is often used to describe someone returning to God or repenting from sin, as seen in the book of Psalms and the prophets.
Tyndale gloss
to return: return
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שׁוּב (shuwb) means to turn back or return, covering a wide range of contexts including physical, spiritual, and relational. It can denote returning to a previous state, repenting, or even apostatizing. The entries describe various forms and uses, including bringing back, restoring, and refreshing. Notably, it can also imply a change in course of action.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שׁוּב 1056 vb. turn back, return

Qal 683;—turn back, return:

turn back

return, come or go back

esp. return unto

of dying

of revival from death

fig. of human relations:

return to leader, king

= change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)

turn, i.e. resort to

return to a physical condition

abs. = change course of action

fig., specif. of spiritual relations:

turn back from God = apostatize

of י׳, turn away

turn back to God (= seek penitently)

abs. repent

turn back from evil

of י׳

of י׳, return (to shew favour)

of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):

denoting repetition, etc.

trans.

Pō‛l.

bring back

fig. restore, refresh

restore, repair

lead away (enticingly)

shew turning = apostatize

Hiph. 353 cause to return, bring back

bring back into bondage

put back

= draw back

= give back, restore

= relinguish

= give in payment, requital

bring one back (from dead)

bring back heart

= refresh

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7725 שׁוּב turn back, return .—turn back, return: . turn back

. return, come or go back

. esp. return unto

. . of dying

. of revival from death

. fig. of human relations: . return to leader, king

. = change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)

. turn, i.e. resort to

. return to a physical condition

. abs. = change course of action

. fig., specif. of spiritual relations: . turn back from God = apostatize

. of י׳, turn away

. turn back to God (= seek penitently)

. abs. repent

. turn back from evil

. of י׳

. of י׳, return (to shew favour)

. of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):

. denoting repetition, etc.

. trans.

. . bring back

. . fig. restore, refresh

. restore, repair

. lead away (enticingly)

. shew turning = apostatize

. cause to return, bring back . . bring back into bondage

. put back

. = draw back

. = give back, restore

. = relinguish

. = give in payment, requital

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7725 shuwb shoob

a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or

intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily

with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to

retreat; often adverbial, again:--((break, build, circumcise,

dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge,

make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) X again, (cause to) answer

(+ again), X in any case (wise), X at all, averse, bring

(again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back),

cease, X certainly, come again (back), X consider, +

continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back,

fetch home again, X fro, get (oneself) (back) again, X give

(again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see)

more, X needs, be past, X pay, pervert, pull in again, put

(again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh,

relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שׁוּב (shuv) — to return: return.

: return

1) to return, turn back

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to turn back, return

1a1a) to turn back

1a1b) to return, come or go back

1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back

1a1d) of dying

1a1e) of human relations (fig)

1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig)

1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise

1a1f2) to turn away (of God)

1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent

1a1f4) turn back (from evil)

1a1g) of inanimate things

1a1h) in repetition

1b) (Polel)

1b1) to bring back

1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig)

1b3) to lead away (enticingly)

1b4) to show turning, apostatise

1c) (Pual) restored (participle)

1d) (Hiphil) to cause to return, bring back

1d1) to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, restore, relinquish, give in payment

1d2) to bring back, refresh, restore

1d3) to bring back, report to, answer

1d4) to bring back, make requital, pay (as recompense)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Hc/Vqq2ms — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine singular
Hc/Vqq2ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and a spade it will belong to you with equipment your and it will be when sitting down you outside and you will dig with it and you will turn and you will cover the object marker excrement your
וְכִסִּ֥יתָve.khi.Si.ta and you will cover H3680 Verb · Piel · sequential perfect second person masculine singular
152× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To cover something means to fill up hollows or hide something from view, as seen in many biblical stories. This verb is used in various forms throughout the Bible, such as to cover oneself with clothing or to conceal something for protection. It can also mean to overwhelm or spread over something.
Tyndale gloss
to cover
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word כָּסָה (*kacah*) primarily means to cover or conceal. It encompasses a range of meanings, including to clothe, hide, or overwhelm. The entries describe various forms of the verb, such as being covered or covering oneself, and its use in contexts like protection or sin. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[כָּסָה] vb. cover

Qal

conceal

pass. (cstr.) covered in respect of sin (by God, which he thus puts out of sight)

Niph. covered

Pi.

cover, clothe

cover, conceal blood

cover (with covering of protection)

cover, spread over

cover, overwhelm

cover over

Pual.

be covered

be clothed

Hithp. cover, clothe oneself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3680 כָּסָה cover .. conceal

. pass. (cstr.) covered in respect of sin (by God, which he thus puts out of sight)

. covered

. . cover, clothe

. cover, conceal blood

. cover (with covering of protection)

. cover, spread over

. cover, overwhelm

. cover over

. . be covered

. be clothed

. cover, clothe oneself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3680 kacah kaw-saw'

a primitive root; properly, to plump, i.e. fill up hollows;

by implication, to cover (for clothing or secrecy):--clad

self, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self), (flee to) hide,

overwhelm. Compare 3780.

see HEBREW for 03780

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כָּסָה (ka.sah) — to cover.

1) to cover, conceal, hide

1a) (Qal) conceal, covered (participle)

1b) (Niphal) to be covered

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to cover, clothe

1c2) to cover, conceal

1c3) to cover (for protection)

1c4) to cover over, spread over

1c5) to cover, overwhelm

1d) (Pual)

1d1) to be covered

1d2) to be clothed

1e) (Hithpael) to cover oneself, clothe oneself

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Hc/Vpq2ms — Verb · Piel · sequential perfect second person masculine singular
Hc/Vpq2ms
and a spade it will belong to you with equipment your and it will be when sitting down you outside and you will dig with it and you will turn and you will cover the object marker excrement your
אֶת־'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 a spade it will belong to you with equipment your and it will be when sitting down you outside and you will dig with it and you will turn and you will cover the object marker excrement your
צֵאָתֶֽךָ׃tze.'a.Te.kha excrement your H6627 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
3× 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)

[צֵאָה] n.f. filth, specif. human excrement

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6627 [צֵאָה] filth, specif. human excrement

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6627 tsa'ah tsaw-aw'

from 3318; issue, i.e. (human) excrement:--that (which)

cometh from (out).

see HEBREW for 03318

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צֵאָה (tsa.ah) — excrement.

filth, human excrement, excrement, faeces

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfsc/Sp2ms — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp2ms
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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