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Deuteronomy 25:3 — Word Study

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WLCאַרְבָּעִ֥ים יַכֶּ֖נּוּ לֹ֣א יֹסִ֑יף פֶּן־ יֹסִ֨יף לְהַכֹּת֤וֹ עַל־ אֵ֙לֶּה֙ מַכָּ֣ה רַבָּ֔ה וְנִקְלָ֥ה אָחִ֖יךָ לְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃ ס

BSAHe may receivenâkâh nolôʼ moreyâçaph than forty {lashes}ʼarbâʻîym lestpên [beware that, be cautious] your brotherʼâch [male sibling, close relative, or friend] be beatennâkâh [struck, hit] any moreyâçaph thanʻal thatʼêl-leh [beyond these forty] and be degradedqâlâh [treated with contempt, dishonored] in your sightʻayin [before your eyes, in your presence]

Word
Listen & take awayDeuteronomy 25
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 3 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (le.'ei.Nei.kha) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Deuteronomy 25:3quick helps
In a sentenceThis verse sets limits on punishment to prevent excessive harm to a fellow Israelite.
Who is speakingMoses, delivering God's laws to the Israelites.
Where we areIn a section detailing laws about justice and treatment of others.
The hard wordמַכָּה
Take awayThe law aims to ensure fairness and dignity in punishment.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbיָסַף 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 25:3

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 — Laws Regarding Punishmentgenerated

2If the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall have him lie down and be flogged in his presence with the number of lashes his crime warrants.
3He may receive no more than forty lashes, lest your brother be beaten any more than that and be degraded in your sight.
4Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.
5When brothers dwell together and one of them dies without a son, the widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother is to take her as his wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law for her.

Deuteronomy 25:3 establishes limits on the number of lashes a person may receive, emphasizing the importance of treating fellow Israelites with dignity and respect. This law serves to prevent excessive punishment that could lead to humiliation and degradation, reflecting God's concern for justice and mercy in the community. The surrounding verses outline the responsibilities of judges and the treatment of individuals within the legal system, highlighting the need for fairness and compassion.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
12 Corinthians 11:24–25Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
2Job 18:3Why are we regarded as cattle, as stupid in your sight?
3Luke 15:30But when this son of yours returns from squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
4Luke 18:9–12To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable:
5James 2:2–3Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.

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


The Key Word אַרְבָּעִ֥ים, 'ar.ba.'Imgenerated

The Hebrew word אַרְבָּעִים ('arba'im) signifies the number forty, a figure often associated with significant periods in biblical narratives, such as the forty years in the wilderness or the forty days of rain during the flood. Its parsing as a masculine plural noun indicates it is used here to denote a specific quantity of lashes.

This word is consistently defined across lexicons, with no significant disagreements about its meaning. The use of forty lashes as a maximum reflects a legal standard meant to limit punishment and prevent cruelty.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses forty lashes consistently with the KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse consists of a main clause governed by the finite verb יַכֶּ֖נּוּ, he will strike him, with several phrases elaborating on the conditions and consequences of that action. The structure emphasizes the prohibition against exceeding the limit of lashes, which is crucial for maintaining the dignity of the punished.

The order of the words reflects a legal formula, where the subject and verb are followed by conditions and consequences, underscoring the seriousness of adhering to this law.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word אַרְבָּעִים is rendered as τεσσαράκοντα, which also means 'forty.' This choice maintains the numerical significance while aligning with the Greek audience's understanding.

The translation choices reflect a direct correspondence to the Hebrew text, emphasizing the importance of the number forty in legal contexts.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Deuteronomy 25:3 states that a person may receive no more than forty lashes for punishment. This law is intended to prevent excessive beating, which could dishonor a fellow Israelite in the eyes of others. The focus is on maintaining dignity and fairness in the treatment of individuals within the community.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What is the significance of limiting lashes to forty?

Limiting the number of lashes to forty serves to protect individuals from excessive punishment and humiliation, ensuring justice is administered fairly.

How does this law reflect God's character?

This law reflects God's concern for justice and mercy, emphasizing the importance of treating others with dignity and respect.

What happens if the punishment exceeds forty lashes?

Exceeding the limit would violate the law and could lead to dishonor for both the punisher and the punished.

How do these laws apply to modern justice systems?

While the specific practices may differ, the principles of fairness, dignity, and proportionality in punishment remain relevant in contemporary justice systems.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways can I ensure that my actions towards others reflect dignity and respect?
  2. How do laws like this one help maintain a sense of community and justice?
  3. What lessons can I learn about fairness from this verse?
  4. How can I apply the principles of mercy and justice in my own life?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 25:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed,.... And that this number might not be exceeded, it is ordered by the Jewish canons that only thirty nine should be given; for it is asked (b), "with how

Read John Gill on Deuteronomy 25 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.

Read Robert Jamieson on Deuteronomy 25 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Not exceed: it seems not superstition, but prudent caution, when the Jews would not exceed thirty-nine stripes, , lest through mistake or forgetfulness or eagerness they should go beyond their bounds, which they were commanded to keep, but they were not obliged to go to the utmost extent of them. Thy brother, who, though faulty and chastised, yet still is thy brother by nation, and probably by religion too. Should seem vile unto thee, i.e. should be made contemptible to his brethren, either by this cruel usage of him, as if he were a slave or brute beast; or by the deformity or infirmity of body which excessive beating might produce.

Read Matthew Poole on Deuteronomy 25 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Deuteronomy 25:3 Forty stripes he may give him, [and] not exceed: lest, [if] he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.Ver. 3. Should seem vile unto thee.] There is an honour due to all men, and though we must hate the sin, yet not the sinner.

Read John Trapp on Deuteronomy 25 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

XXV. Deuteronomy 25:1-3. IN .(1) They shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.—“I will not justify the wicked” (Exodus 23:7). “He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 17:15). It should be noticed that justify is here used forensically, not meaning to make righteous, but to treat as righteous. Those who object to this sense in St. Paul’s Epistles, will find it hard to put any other sense upon the word in the rest of Holy Scripture. (2) If the wicked man be worthy to be beaten.—Literally, a son of beating, or of Haccôth, according to the Hebrew. The treatise called Maccôth, in the Talmud, describes the…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Deuteronomy 25 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 3. Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed] According to God's institution a criminal may receive forty stripes; not one more! But is the institution from above or not, that for any offence sentences a man to receive three hundred, yea, a thousand stripes? What horrible brutality is this! and what a reproach to human nature, and to the nation in which such shocking barbarities are exercised and tolerated! Most of the inhabitants of Great Britain have heard of Lord Macartney's embassy to the emperor of China, and they have also heard of its complete failure; but they have not heard the cause. It appears to have been partly occasioned by the following circumstance: A soldier had…

Read AdamClarke on Deuteronomy 25 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

3. Forty stripes] By later law the number was fixed at ‘forty less one’ (Mishna,’ Makkoth,’ Deuteronomy 3:10 ff., cp. 2 Corinthians 11:24, Josephus, IV. Antt. viii. 21, 23) they were now inflicted with a lash. Ḫ ?ammurabi decrees in one case ‘sixty blows of an ox-hide scourge’ (§ 202). thy brother should seem vile unto thee] Rather, be dishonoured (Deuteronomy 27:16), publicly (lit. to thine eyes). To give him the due punishment of his crime (Deuteronomy 25:2) was not to take away his honour as a brother, i.e. Israelite; but to flog him indiscriminately was to treat him like an animal.

Read Cambridge on Deuteronomy 25 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Jews to keep within the letter of the law fixed 39 stripes as the maximum (compare the marginal reference.).

Read Albert Barnes on Deuteronomy 25 →

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

He may receive no more than forty lashes, lest your brother be beaten any more than that and be degraded in your sight.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

He may sentence him to no more than forty stripes. He shall not give more, lest if he should give more and beat him more than that many stripes, then your brother will be degraded in your sight.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

He may receive no more than forty lashes, lest your brother be beaten any more than that and be degraded in your sight.

NETBNew English Translation2006

The judge may sentence him to forty blows, but no more. If he is struck with more than these, you might view your fellow Israelite with contempt.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Forty stripes he may give him, he shall not exceed; lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Forty stripes he may give him, he shall not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile to thee.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Fortie stripes shall he cause him to haue and not past, lest if he should exceede and beate him aboue that with many stripes, thy brother should appeare despised in thy sight.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

With forty [stripes] shall they beat him; they shall not exceed, lest, if they continue to beat him with many stripes above these, thy brother become despicable in thine eyes.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

forty [times] he doth smite him — he is not adding, lest, he is adding to smite him above these — many stripes, and thy brother is lightly esteemed in thine eyes.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

he strikes him forty [times]; he is not adding, lest he is adding to strike him above these many stripes, and your brother be lightly esteemed in your eyes.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Forty stripes may he give him, not more; so that he shall not exceed to have him beaten above these with too many stripes, and thy brother be thus rendered vile before thy eyes.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

The judge may give him forty blows, but he may not exceed that number; for if he should exceed that number and beat him with many more blows, then your fellow Israelite would be humiliated before your eyes.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Yet so, that they exceed not the number of forty: lest thy brother depart shamefully torn before thy eyes.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

They are not to receive more than forty lashes. More than that would be to publicly humiliate them.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

He may be given forty blows, not more; for if more are given, your brother may be shamed before you.

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.

clauseadverbialאַרְבָּעִ֥יםforty.[times]verbיַכֶּ֖heobjectנּוּwill.strike.himclauseadverbialלֹ֣אnotverbיֹסִ֑יףhe.will.increaseפֶּןlestclauseverbיֹסִ֨יףhe.should.increaseprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtoclauseverbהַכֹּת֤strikeobjectוֹhimprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַלtoאֵ֨לֶּה֙thesenoun phrase · objectמַכָּ֣הa.blowרַבָּ֔הmuchוְandclauseverbנִקְלָ֥הhe.will.be.dishonorednoun phrase · subjectאָחִ֖יcountrymanךָyourprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtonoun phraseעֵינֶֽיeyesךָyour

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 matches twelve of the fourteen words. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs in four words, altering the verbs related to adding and striking, while the Dead Sea Scrolls show partial agreement with the Masoretic Text, indicating some restoration by editors.

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

אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יַכֶּ֖נּוּ לֹ֣א יֹסִ֑יף פֶּן־ יֹסִ֨יף לְהַכֹּת֤וֹ עַל־ אֵ֙לֶּה֙ מַכָּ֣ה רַבָּ֔ה וְנִקְלָ֥ה אָחִ֖יךָ לְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃ ס

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
אַרְבָּעִ֥יםτεσσαράκονταיַכֶּ֖נּוּαὐτόνלֹ֣אοὐיֹסִ֑יףπροσθήσουσινיֹסִ֨יףπροσθῶσινעַל־ὑπὲρאֵ֙לֶּה֙ταύταςמַכָּ֣הπληγὰςרַבָּ֔הπλείουςוְנִקְלָ֥הἀσξημονήσειאָחִ֖יךָσουלְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃ סσου

12 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

ארבעים יכנו לא יסף פן יסף להכותו על אלה מכה רבה ונקל אחיך לעיניך

4 words differ from the Masoretic Text: יסף (add), יסף (add), הכותו (strike), נקל (be slight)

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q34a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ארבעים] [יכ׳נו] [לא] [יסיף] [פן] [יסיף] [להכת׳ו] [על] [אלה] [מכה] [רבה] [ונקלה] אחי׳ך לעיני׳ך

1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 12 supplied entire by an editor.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q33a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[אחי׳ך] [לעיני׳ך]

2 words of the verse are on this fragment — 2 supplied entire by an editor.

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


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

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

Deuteronomy 25:3אַרְבָּעִיםforty [timeforty [times]אַרְבָּעִיםנָכָהhe will strhe will strike נָכָהלֹאnotnotלֹאיָסַףhe will inche will increasיָסַףפֶּן־lestlestפֶּן־יָסַףhe should ihe should increיָסַףנָכָהto strike hto strike himנָכָהעַלtotoעַלאֵ֫לֶּהthesetheseאֵ֫לֶּהמַכָּהstrikingstrikingמַכָּהרַבmuchmuchרַבקָלָהand he willand he will be קָלָהאָחcountryman countryman yourאָחעַ֫יִןto eyes youto eyes yourעַ֫יִןפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָהאֵלthesetheseאֵלנָכָהto smiteto smiteנָכָהרָבַבto multiplto multiplyרָבַבאַרְבַּעfourfourאַרְבַּעעַלheightheightעַלאָבfatherfatherאָבמַכָּהwoundwoundמַכָּהפְּלִשְׁתִּי(Sea of th(Sea of the) Phפְּלִשְׁתִּיחֲמִישִׁיfifthfifthחֲמִישִׁיעֹלyokeyokeעֹללַ֫יְלָהnightnightלַ֫יְלָהיָכֹלbe ablebe ableיָכֹלעוֹדstillstillעוֹדפָּגַעto fall onto fall onפָּגַעשָׁכַחto forgetto forgetשָׁכַחכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּא
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 25:3

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.

forty [times] he will strike him not he will increase lest he should increase to strike him to these striking much and he will be dishonored countryman your to eyes your
אַרְבָּעִ֥ים'ar.ba.'Im forty [times] H705 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
136× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The number forty is what this Hebrew word represents, often used in the Bible to mark significant periods of time, like the 40 days of rain in Genesis or the 40 years of Israel's wilderness journey.
Tyndale gloss
forty
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַרְבָּעִים (arba`iym) simply means 'forty' in Hebrew. It is a multiple of the number 702 and is consistently defined across various lexicons. There are no significant disagreements among the entries regarding its meaning.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַרְבָּעִים a forty

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H705 אַרְבָּעִים a forty

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

705 'arba`iym ar-baw-eem'

multiple of 702; forty:---forty.

see HEBREW for 0702

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַרְבָּעִים (ar.ba.im) — forty.

forty

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
forty [times] he will strike him not he will increase lest he should increase to strike him to these striking much and he will be dishonored countryman your to eyes your
יַכֶּ֖נּוּya.Ke.nu he will strike him H5221 Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to strike or hit something, and it's used in many different ways, like in Exodus when God strikes down the Egyptians. It can also mean to punish or destroy, as seen in Isaiah. The word is used to describe God's judgment.
Tyndale gloss
to smite
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָכָה (nakah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to strike or smite, encompassing a range of actions from lightly hitting to fatal blows. It appears in various forms, indicating actions like attacking, punishing, or causing disease. The entries suggest its use in both literal and figurative contexts, including divine judgment and applause. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָכָה] 501 vb. smite (not in Qal)

Niph. and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

Pu. both be smitten down by the hail

Hiph.

lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

smite repeatedly, beat a man

and they clapped hands (in applause)

give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

smite, of sun

Smite fatally

Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

Of God

smite with a plague, disease, etc.

smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

of God’s destroying palaces

Hoph. be smitten

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5221 נָכָה smite (not in Qal) . and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

. both be smitten down by the hail

. . . lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

. smite repeatedly, beat a man

. and they clapped hands (in applause)

. give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

. rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

. smite, of sun

. Smite fatally

. Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

. Of God . smite with a plague, disease, etc.

. smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

. of God’s destroying palaces

. be smitten

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5221 nakah naw-kaw'

a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally

or figuratively):--beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), X

go forward, X indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer,

punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike,

be stricken, (give) stripes, X surely, wound.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָכָה (na.khah) — to smite.

1) to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill

1a)(Niphal) to be stricken or smitten

1b) (Pual) to be stricken or smitten

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to smite, strike, beat, scourge, clap, applaud, give a thrust

1c2) to smite, kill, slay (man or beast)

1c3) to smite, attack, attack and destroy, conquer, subjugate, ravage

1c4) to smite, chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy

1d) (Hophal) to be smitten

1d1) to receive a blow

1d2) to be wounded

1d3) to be beaten

1d4) to be (fatally) smitten, be killed, be slain

1d5) to be attacked and captured

1d6) to be smitten (with disease)

1d7) to be blighted (of plants)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms | Suff — Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine singular · suffix
HVhi3ms/Sp3ms
forty [times] he will strike him not he will increase lest he should increase to strike him to these striking much and he will be dishonored countryman your to eyes your
לֹ֣אlo' 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
forty [times] he will strike him not he will increase lest he should increase to strike him to these striking much and he will be dishonored countryman your to eyes your
יֹסִ֑יףyo.Sif he will increase H3254 Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine singular
212× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To add means to increase or do something again, like adding more of something or continuing an action. This word is used in the Bible to describe growth or repetition.
Tyndale gloss
to add
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָסַף (yacaph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to add or increase. It can denote actions like joining oneself to something or continuing to do a task. The entries indicate its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, with nuances of doing something again or augmenting an amount.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָסַף 214 vb. add

Qal add

Niph.

join (intr.), join oneself to

be joined, added to

Hiph.

add

sq. inf. add to do = do again or more

sq. Impf.

sq. Impf. asynd.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3254 יָסַף add . add

. . join (intr.), join oneself to

. be joined, added to

. . add

. . sq. inf. add to do = do again or more

. sq. Impf.

. sq. Impf. asynd.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3254 yacaph yaw-saf'

a primitive root; to add or augment (often adverbial, to

continue to do a thing):--add, X again, X any more, X cease, X

come more, + conceive again, continue, exceed, X further, X

gather together, get more, give more-over, X henceforth,

increase (more and more), join, X longer (bring, do, make,

much, put), X (the, much, yet) more (and more), proceed

(further), prolong, put, be (strong-) er, X yet, yield.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָסַף (ya.saph) — to add: again.

: again/continue/more[instances]

1) to add, increase, do again

1a) (Qal) to add, increase, do again

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to join, join oneself to

1b2) to be joined, be added to

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to cause to add, increase

1c2) to do more, do again

יָסַף (ya.saph) — to add.

: add/more[amount]

1) to add, increase, do again

1a) (Qal) to add, increase, do again

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to join, join oneself to

1b2) to be joined, be added to

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to cause to add, increase

1c2) to do more, do again

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVhi3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

in'-kres, (noun), in-kres' (verb): Employed in the English Bible both as verb and as noun, and in both cases to represent a number of different words in the original. As a verb it is used in the ordinary sense of the term. As a noun it is usually used of plant life, or of the herds and flocks, to denote the fruitage or the offspring; more rarely of money, to denote the interest. As examples of the different terms translated by this word, students who read Hebrew or Greek may compare De 7:22; Pr 16:21; Job 10:16 the King James Version; Job 12:23; Nu 18:30; De 7:13

forty [times] he will strike him not he will increase lest he should increase to strike him to these striking much and he will be dishonored countryman your to eyes your
פֶּן־pen- lest H6435 Particle
133× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is used to express caution or warning, similar to saying 'lest' or 'beware that'. It is often used in the Bible to advise against certain actions or to warn of potential consequences.
Amplified meaning
beware that, be cautious
Tyndale gloss
lest
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פֶּן־ (pen) is a conjunction meaning 'lest' or 'not,' often used to express a warning or fear of a potential negative outcome. It is derived from a root meaning 'removal' and is typically found in constructions that indicate a precautionary context. The entries consistently emphasize its adverbial use in cautionary statements.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פֶּן־ 133 (alw. with Makkeph) conj. (adverting or deprecating), lest

with impf.

with Pf., the result feared being conceived as having possibly already taken place

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6435 פֶּן־ (alw. with Makkeph) (adverting or deprecating), lest . with impf.

. with Pf., the result feared being conceived as having possibly already taken place

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6435 pen pane

from 6437; properly, removal; used only (in the construction)

adverb as conjunction, lest:--(lest) (peradventure),

that...not.

see HEBREW for 06437

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פֶּן־ (pen) — lest.

conj

1) lest, not, beware lest

adv

2) lest

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj — Particle
HTc
forty [times] he will strike him not he will increase lest he should increase to strike him to these striking much and he will be dishonored countryman your to eyes your
יֹסִ֨יףyo.Sif he should increase H3254 Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine singular
212× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To add means to increase or do something again, like adding more of something or continuing an action. This word is used in the Bible to describe growth or repetition.
Tyndale gloss
to add
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָסַף (yacaph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to add or increase. It can denote actions like joining oneself to something or continuing to do a task. The entries indicate its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, with nuances of doing something again or augmenting an amount.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָסַף 214 vb. add

Qal add

Niph.

join (intr.), join oneself to

be joined, added to

Hiph.

add

sq. inf. add to do = do again or more

sq. Impf.

sq. Impf. asynd.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3254 יָסַף add . add

. . join (intr.), join oneself to

. be joined, added to

. . add

. . sq. inf. add to do = do again or more

. sq. Impf.

. sq. Impf. asynd.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3254 yacaph yaw-saf'

a primitive root; to add or augment (often adverbial, to

continue to do a thing):--add, X again, X any more, X cease, X

come more, + conceive again, continue, exceed, X further, X

gather together, get more, give more-over, X henceforth,

increase (more and more), join, X longer (bring, do, make,

much, put), X (the, much, yet) more (and more), proceed

(further), prolong, put, be (strong-) er, X yet, yield.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָסַף (ya.saph) — to add: again.

: again/continue/more[instances]

1) to add, increase, do again

1a) (Qal) to add, increase, do again

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to join, join oneself to

1b2) to be joined, be added to

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to cause to add, increase

1c2) to do more, do again

יָסַף (ya.saph) — to add.

: add/more[amount]

1) to add, increase, do again

1a) (Qal) to add, increase, do again

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to join, join oneself to

1b2) to be joined, be added to

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to cause to add, increase

1c2) to do more, do again

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVhi3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

in'-kres, (noun), in-kres' (verb): Employed in the English Bible both as verb and as noun, and in both cases to represent a number of different words in the original. As a verb it is used in the ordinary sense of the term. As a noun it is usually used of plant life, or of the herds and flocks, to denote the fruitage or the offspring; more rarely of money, to denote the interest. As examples of the different terms translated by this word, students who read Hebrew or Greek may compare De 7:22; Pr 16:21; Job 10:16 the King James Version; Job 12:23; Nu 18:30; De 7:13

forty [times] he will strike him not he will increase lest he should increase to strike him to these striking much and he will be dishonored countryman your to eyes your
לְהַכֹּת֤וֹle.ha.ko.To to strike him H5221 Preposition · verb hiphil infinitive construct common · suffix
500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to strike or hit something, and it's used in many different ways, like in Exodus when God strikes down the Egyptians. It can also mean to punish or destroy, as seen in Isaiah. The word is used to describe God's judgment.
Amplified meaning
struck, hit
Tyndale gloss
to smite
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָכָה (nakah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to strike or smite, encompassing a range of actions from lightly hitting to fatal blows. It appears in various forms, indicating actions like attacking, punishing, or causing disease. The entries suggest its use in both literal and figurative contexts, including divine judgment and applause. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[נָכָה] 501 vb. smite (not in Qal)

Niph. and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

Pu. both be smitten down by the hail

Hiph.

lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

smite repeatedly, beat a man

and they clapped hands (in applause)

give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

smite, of sun

Smite fatally

Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

Of God

smite with a plague, disease, etc.

smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

of God’s destroying palaces

Hoph. be smitten

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5221 נָכָה smite (not in Qal) . and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

. both be smitten down by the hail

. . . lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

. smite repeatedly, beat a man

. and they clapped hands (in applause)

. give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

. rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

. smite, of sun

. Smite fatally

. Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

. Of God . smite with a plague, disease, etc.

. smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

. of God’s destroying palaces

. be smitten

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5221 nakah naw-kaw'

a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally

or figuratively):--beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), X

go forward, X indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer,

punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike,

be stricken, (give) stripes, X surely, wound.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָכָה (na.khah) — to smite.

1) to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill

1a)(Niphal) to be stricken or smitten

1b) (Pual) to be stricken or smitten

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to smite, strike, beat, scourge, clap, applaud, give a thrust

1c2) to smite, kill, slay (man or beast)

1c3) to smite, attack, attack and destroy, conquer, subjugate, ravage

1c4) to smite, chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy

1d) (Hophal) to be smitten

1d1) to receive a blow

1d2) to be wounded

1d3) to be beaten

1d4) to be (fatally) smitten, be killed, be slain

1d5) to be attacked and captured

1d6) to be smitten (with disease)

1d7) to be blighted (of plants)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Hiphil-Inf-a | Suff — Preposition · verb hiphil infinitive construct common · suffix
HR/Vhcc/Sp3ms
forty [times] he will strike him not he will increase lest he should increase to strike him to these striking much and he will be dishonored countryman your to eyes your
עַל־'al- to 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
Prep — Preposition
HR
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
forty [times] he will strike him not he will increase lest he should increase to strike him to these striking much and he will be dishonored countryman your to eyes your
אֵ֙לֶּה֙'e.leh these H428 Particle
746× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is used to point out specific people or things, like saying 'these' or 'those'. It appears in the book of Genesis, where God says 'let there be light' and separates the light from the darkness.
Amplified meaning
beyond these forty
Tyndale gloss
these
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵ֫לֶּה (el-leh) means 'these' and is used in various grammatical contexts, often in apposition to a noun with a pronoun suffix. It can appear with or without the definite article and is sometimes paired with other terms like וְאֵלֶּה (and these). The word conveys a sense of proximity or specification, referring to particular items or people.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵ֫לֶּה pr.pl.m. & f. these

in appos. to a subst. with a pron. suff. (always without the article)

repeated, אלה … ואלה, these … those

with the art. (but only after a subst. determined likewise by the art.)

with preps.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H428 אֵ֫לֶּה these . in appos. to a subst. with a pron. suff. (always without the article)

. repeated, אלה … ואלה, these … those

. with the art. (but only after a subst. determined likewise by the art.)

. with preps.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

428 'el-leh ale'-leh

prolonged from 411; these or those:--an- (the) other; one

sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those,

thus, which, who(-m).

see HEBREW for 0411

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵ֫לֶּה (el.leh) — these.

1) these

1a) used before antecedent

1b) used following antecedent

Aramaic equivalent: el.leh (אֵלֶּה "these" H0429)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Particle
HTm
forty [times] he will strike him not he will increase lest he should increase to strike him to these striking much and he will be dishonored countryman your to eyes your
מַכָּ֣הma.Kah striking H4347 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
48× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A wound or blow, also referring to carnage, pestilence, or defeat. It can describe physical harm, like a beating, or widespread suffering, like a plague.
Tyndale gloss
wound
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַכָּה (makkah) refers to a blow or wound, encompassing meanings such as slaughter and pestilence. It is derived from a root meaning to strike and can imply defeat or conquest. The term appears in contexts like 2 Chronicles 2:10, where it relates to a physical blow, and can also refer to figurative concepts like carnage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַכָּה n.f. blow, wound, slaughter

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4347 מַכָּה blow, wound, slaughter

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4347 makkah mak-kaw'

or (masculine) makkeh {muk-keh'}; (plural only) from 5221; a

blow (in 2 Chronicles 2:10, of the flail); by implication, a

wound; figuratively, carnage, also pestilence:--beaten, blow,

plague, slaughter, smote, X sore, stripe, stroke,

wound((-ed)).

see HEBREW for 05221

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַכָּה (mak.kah) — wound.

1) blow, wound, slaughter

1a) blow, stripe

1b) beating, scourging

1c) wound

1d) slaughter

1e) defeat, conquest

1f) plague

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
forty [times] he will strike him not he will increase lest he should increase to strike him to these striking much and he will be dishonored countryman your to eyes your
רַבָּ֔הra.Bah much H7227
454× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a chief or captain, someone in charge. It is used in 2 Samuel 23:19 to describe a great and powerful man. The idea is one of leadership and authority.
Tyndale gloss
many
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רַב (rav) means much, many, or great, often used in contrast to מְעַט (me'at). It can describe abundance in quantity or rank and is also used as a noun for chief or captain. The word conveys a range of meanings from numerous to exceedingly, and it can function as both an adjective and a noun.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רַב 429 adj. much, many, great

(oft. opp. מְעַט)

much: of substances

esp. of collectives, numerous

pl. many

רַב as subst. coll. pers.

cstr. = abounding in

מִן comp. = more numerous than

רַב = abundant, enough

as adv. much, exceedingly

less oft. great

base

רַב 49 n.m. chief

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7227a רַב much, many, great . (oft. opp. מְעַט) . . much: of substances

. esp. of collectives, numerous

. pl. many

. רַב as subst. coll. pers.

. cstr. = abounding in

. + מִן comp. = more numerous than

. רַב = abundant, enough

. as adv. much, exceedingly

. less oft. great

H7227b רַב chief

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7227 rab rab

by contracted from 7231; abundant (in quantity, size, age,

number, rank, quality):--(in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly),

captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man,

one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold,

things, a time), ((ship-))master, mighty, more, (too, very)

much, multiply(-tude), officer, often(-times), plenteous,

populous, prince, process (of time), suffice(-lent).

see HEBREW for 07231

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רַב (rav) — many.

adj

1) much, many, great

1a) much

1b) many

1c) abounding in

1d) more numerous than

1e) abundant, enough

1f) great

1g) strong

1h) greater than

adv

1i) much, exceedingly

רַב (rav) — chief.

captain, chief

Aramaic equivalent: rav.re.van (רַבְרְבָן "noble" H7261)

רַב (rav) — (Sidon) the Great.

Combined with tsi.don (צִידוֹן "Sidon" H6721H)

§ captain, chief

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HAafsa
HAafsa
forty [times] he will strike him not he will increase lest he should increase to strike him to these striking much and he will be dishonored countryman your to eyes your
וְנִקְלָ֥הve.nik.Lah and he will be dishonored H7034 Verb · Niphal · sequential perfect third person masculine singular
6× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
It means to dishonor or treat with contempt, like the way David felt when he was despised by his brothers in 1 Samuel 17:28 or how God feels when people disobey him in Malachi 1:6.
Amplified meaning
treated with contempt, dishonored
Tyndale gloss
to dishonor
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קָלָה (qalah) is a Hebrew verb that conveys the idea of dishonor or contempt. It can mean to be lightly esteemed or to treat someone with disgrace. The word appears in both the Niphal and Hiphil forms, indicating a passive state of being dishonored and an active state of treating someone shamefully, respectively.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[קָלָה] vb. Niph. be lightly esteemed, dishonoured

Hiph. treat with contempt, dishonour

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7034 [קָלָה] Niph. be lightly esteemed, dishonoured . treat with contempt, dishonour

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7034 qalah kaw-law'

a primitive root; to be light (as implied in rapid motion),

but figuratively, only (be (causatively, hold) in

contempt):--base, contemn, despise, lightly esteem, set

light, seem vile.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָלָה (qa.lah) — to dishonor.

1) to disgrace, dishonour, be lightly esteemed, be dishonoured, be despised

1a) (Niphal) to be dishonoured, be despised, be lightly esteemed

1b) (Hiphil) to treat with contempt, dishonour, treat shamefully

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Niphal-3ms — Verb · Niphal · sequential perfect third person masculine singular
Hc/VNq3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
forty [times] he will strike him not he will increase lest he should increase to strike him to these striking much and he will be dishonored countryman your to eyes your
אָחִ֖יךָ'a.Chi.kha countryman your H251 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
630× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means a brother or male sibling, but it can also refer to a close relative, friend, or someone with a similar relationship. It is used to describe the bond between brothers, like the relationship between Cain and Abel in Genesis.
Amplified meaning
male sibling, close relative, or friend
Tyndale gloss
brother: male-sibling
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָח (ach) means 'brother' and encompasses a broad range of relationships, including literal siblings, half-brothers, and metaphorical kinship. It can refer to any male relative or compatriot, and it may also imply resemblance or reciprocal relationships. The term is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, highlighting both familial and figurative connections.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָח 630 n.m. brother

brother, born of same mother (& father)

indef. = relative

fig. of resemblance

in phr. one … another

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H251 אָח brother

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

251 'ach awkh

a primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of

literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance

(like 1)):--another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other.

Compare also the proper names beginning with "Ah-" or "Ahi-".

see HEBREW for 01

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָח (ach) — brother: male-sibling.

: male-sibling

1) brother

1a) brother of same parents

1b) half-brother (same father)

1c) relative, kinship, same tribe

1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)

1e) (fig.) of resemblance

אָח (ach) — brother: male-relative.

: male-relative

1) brother

1a) brother of same parents

1b) half-brother (same father)

1c) relative, kinship, same tribe

1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)

1e) (fig.) of resemblance

אָח (ach) — brother: compatriot.

: compatriot

1) brother

1a) brother of same parents

1b) half-brother (same father)

1c) relative, kinship, same tribe

1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)

1e) (fig.) of resemblance

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp2ms
forty [times] he will strike him not he will increase lest he should increase to strike him to these striking much and he will be dishonored countryman your to eyes your
לְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃ סle.'ei.Nei.kha to eyes your H5869 Preposition · noun common feminine dual construct · suffix
887× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word can mean a spring or fountain, but also refers to the eye or a source of something. It is often translated as affliction, outward appearance, or countenance, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible.
Amplified meaning
before your eyes, in your presence
Tyndale gloss
eye
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַ֫יִן (*'ayin*) means 'eye' and can refer to both the physical organ and its figurative uses, such as mental qualities and desires. It also denotes a 'spring' or 'fountain' of water. The entries highlight various phrases and contexts, including appearances and expressions of emotion, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַ֫יִן 859 n.f. eye

lit. as physical organ

eyes as showing mental qualities

desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes

Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states

Transferred mngs.:

visible surface of earth

appearance

gleam, sparkle

Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead

base

עַ֫יִן n.f. spring (of water). Particular springs are:

ע׳ חֲרֹר Ju 7:1

ע׳ הַקּוֹרֵא (partridge-spring) Ju 15:19

ע׳ רֹגֵל near Jerus.

ע׳ הַתַּנִּין (dragon-spring)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5869a עַ֫יִן eye . lit. as physical organ

. . eyes as showing mental qualities

. desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes

. Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states

. Transferred mngs.: . visible surface of earth

. appearance

. gleam, sparkle

. Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead

H5869b עַ֫יִן spring (of water)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5869 `ayin ah'-yin

probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or

figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the

landscape):--affliction, outward appearance, + before, +

think best, colour, conceit, + be content, countenance, +

displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, + favour,

fountain, furrow (from the margin), X him, + humble,

knowledge, look, (+ well), X me, open(-ly), + (not) please,

presence, + regard, resemblance, sight, X thee, X them, +

think, X us, well, X you(-rselves).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye.

: eye

1) eye

1a) eye

1a1) of physical eye

1a2) as showing mental qualities

1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain (Gate).

§ spring, fountain

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain of.

§ spring, fountain

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: seeing.

: seeing

1) eye

1a) eye

1a1) of physical eye

1a2) as showing mental qualities

1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: appearance.

: appearance

1) eye

1a) eye

1a1) of physical eye

1a2) as showing mental qualities

1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: before(the eyes).

: before(the_eyes)

1) eye

1a) eye

1a1) of physical eye

1a2) as showing mental qualities

1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)

עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: sin.

: sin

1) eye

1a) eye

1a1) of physical eye

1a2) as showing mental qualities

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cd | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine dual construct · suffix
HR/Ncfdc/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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