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Deuteronomy 33:4 — Word Study

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WLCתּוֹרָ֥ה צִוָּה־ לָ֖נוּ מֹשֶׁ֑ה מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה קְהִלַּ֥ת יַעֲקֹֽב׃

BSAthe lawtôwrâh [instruction, divine guidance] that MosesMôsheh [the Israelite leader, prophet] gavetsâvâh the possessionmôwrâshâh [inheritance, heritage] of the assemblyqᵉhillâh [congregation, gathering] of JacobYaʻăqôb [the people of God, descendants of Jacob]

Word
Listen & take awayDeuteronomy 33
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 4 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 (ya.'a.Ko) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Deuteronomy 33:4quick helps
In a sentenceMoses gave the law to Israel, which is their inheritance as a community.
Who is speakingThe verse reflects on Moses, the leader of the Israelites.
Where we areThis verse concludes a poetic blessing on the tribes of Israel.
The hard wordמוֹרָשָׁ֖ה
Take awayThe law is both a gift and a legacy for the people.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectמֹשֶׁה verbצָוָה 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 33:4

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Blessing of Mosesgenerated

3Surely You love the people; all the holy ones are in Your hand, and they sit down at Your feet; each receives Your words—
4the law that Moses gave us, the possession of the assembly of Jacob.
5So the LORD became King in Jeshurun when the leaders of the people gathered, when the tribes of Israel came together.
6Let Reuben live and not die, nor his men be few.”

Deuteronomy 33:4 reflects on the law given by Moses, emphasizing its significance as an inheritance for the people of Israel. This verse is part of a larger blessing where Moses addresses the tribes of Israel, reminding them of their unique relationship with God and the importance of the law in guiding their community life. The law serves as a foundation for their identity and moral conduct, shaping their community as they journey together.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1John 1:17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
2John 7:19Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps it. Why are you trying to kill Me?”
3Deuteronomy 9:26–29And I prayed to the LORD and said, “O Lord GOD, do not destroy Your people, Your inheritance, whom You redeemed through Your greatness and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.
4Psalm 119:72–111The law from Your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.

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


The Key Word מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה, mo.ra.Shahgenerated

The word מוֹרָשָׁה (mo.ra.Shah) means 'a possession' or 'inheritance.' It is a feminine noun that refers to something that is passed down or owned, highlighting the significance of the law as a heritage for the Israelites. This term emphasizes that the law is not just a set of rules but a vital part of their identity and legacy.

In this context, it underscores the idea that the law is a gift from God through Moses, establishing a covenantal relationship with the people. The law is their inheritance, shaping their community and guiding their moral and spiritual life.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

All translations agree on the rendering of מוֹרָשָׁה as 'possession' or 'inheritance,' emphasizing its significance in the context of the law given by Moses.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The verse is structured around a main clause with a subject, verb, and object: מֹשֶׁ֑ה (Moses) is the subject, צִוָּה (he commanded) is the verb, and תּוֹרָ֥ה (the law) is the object, followed by a predicate מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה (inheritance).

The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the law as the primary focus, indicating its importance as a command from Moses to the people.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, תּוֹרָ֥ה is rendered as νόμον (nomon), which means 'law.' This translation maintains the legal aspect of the Hebrew term, emphasizing the authority and guidance the law provides to the people.

The choice of νόμον also reflects the understanding of the law as a foundational element of the community's identity and moral framework.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Deuteronomy 33:4 highlights that Moses gave the law to the people of Israel, which serves as their inheritance. This law is a guiding principle for their community and reflects their identity as God's chosen people.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the law is a possession?

The law as a possession signifies that it is a gift from God to the people, shaping their identity and guiding their moral conduct.

Why is Moses significant in this context?

Moses is the leader who received the law from God and delivered it to the Israelites, making him a central figure in their history and covenant with God.

How does this verse relate to the identity of Israel?

This verse emphasizes that the law is integral to Israel's identity as God's chosen people, providing direction and establishing their communal values.

What role does the assembly play in this verse?

The assembly represents the collective community of Israel, highlighting that the law is for all of them as a guiding principle for their lives together.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can understanding the law as a possession change my view of its role in my life?
  2. In what ways do I see the law guiding my community today?
  3. What does it mean for me to inherit the teachings of the Bible?
  4. How can I share the importance of God's guidance with others in my community?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 33:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Moses commanded us a law,.... The law was of God, it came forth from his right hand, Deuteronomy 33:2; it is of his enacting, a declaration of his will, and has his authority stamped upon it, who is

Read John Gill on Deuteronomy 33 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount

Read Robert Jamieson on Deuteronomy 33 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Moses speaks this of himself in the third person, which is very usual in the Hebrew language. The law is called their inheritance, partly because the obligation of it was hereditary, passing from parents to their children, and partly because this was the best part of all their inheritance and possessions, the greatest of all those gifts and favours which God bestowed upon them.

Read Matthew Poole on Deuteronomy 33 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Deuteronomy 33:4 Moses commanded us a law, [even] the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.Ver. 4. Moses commanded us a law.] These are the words of those saints above mentioned, expressing their good affection to the law and to Moses, by whose mediation they received it. Even the inheritance.] For perpetual use to us and our posterity. Indeed, the law lies not upon the righteous, nor urgeth them, as it doth upon the wicked. To these the law is as chains and shackles; to those as belts and garters, which gird up their loins, and expedite their course the better. It confines them to live in that element where they would live, as if one should be confined to Paradise, where he would be…

Read John Trapp on Deuteronomy 33 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4,5) “[Of] the law which Moses commanded us, The inheritance of the congregation of Jacob, When he (Moses) was king in Jeshurun, In the gathering of the heads of the people, The tribes of Israel together.” This fourth verse, from its form, is evidently not what Moses said, but an explanatory parenthesis, inserted by the writer, who was probably Joshua. Upon “He was king in Jeshurun,” Rashi says, “The Holy One, blessed be He! the yoke of His kingdom is upon them for ever.” It may be so. “When the Lord your God was your king,” is Samuel’s description of the whole history of Israel previous to himself. The certainty that the King of kings, the Messiah of Israel, was and is the Lawgiver and…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Deuteronomy 33 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

(2–9). Four Laws: Of Right to Enter the Congregation There shall not enter any eunuch (Deuteronomy 33:1); nor the son of an unlawful marriage, nor descendants (Deuteronomy 33:2); nor Ammonite, nor Moabite, nor descendants (Deuteronomy 33:3-6); but the third generation of Edomite or Egyptian may enter (Deuteronomy 33:7 f.).—These laws have negative openings like the preceding and like the series which follow in Deuteronomy 33:15-20 (Deuteronomy 33:16-21) after the interrupting law, Deuteronomy 33:9-14 (Deuteronomy 33:10-15); hence possibly their position just here. The form of address to Israel does not appear till Deuteronomy 33:4 a (Deuteronomy 33:5 a) where it is Pl., but in Deuteronomy…

Read Cambridge on Deuteronomy 33 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

4. Moses commanded us a law — The law was given by God through Moses, and was a possession for the people.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Deuteronomy 33 →

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

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

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

the law that Moses gave us, the possession of the assembly of Jacob.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Moses commanded us a law, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

the law that Moses gave us, the possession of the assembly of Jacob.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Moses delivered to us a law, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Moses commanded us a law, An inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Moses commanded us a law, An inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Moses commanded us a law; even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Moses commanded vs a Lawe for an inheritance of the Congregation of Iaakob.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Moses commanded us a law, The inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

A law hath Moses commanded us, A possession of the assembly of Jacob.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Moses has commanded a law for us, || A possession of the assembly of Jacob.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

“The law which Moses commanded us, is the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.”

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Moses commanded us a law, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Moses commanded us a law, the inheritance of the multitude of Jacob.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

the law that Moses delivered to us that belongs to all the Israelites.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Moses gave us a law, a heritage for the people of Jacob.

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.

clauseobjectתּוֹרָ֥הa.lawverbצִוָּהhe.commandedprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָ֖toנוּussubjectמֹשֶׁ֑הMosesclausepredicateמוֹרָשָׁ֖הa.possessionnoun phrase · subjectקְהִלַּ֥תthe.assemblyיַעֲקֹֽבof.Jacob

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Samaritan Pentateuch agree word for word on this verse, affirming the consistency of the text. The Dead Sea Scrolls show some restoration by an editor, but the key terms align with the Masoretic Text.

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

תּוֹרָ֥ה צִוָּה־ לָ֖נוּ מֹשֶׁ֑ה מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה קְהִלַּ֥ת יַעֲקֹֽב׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
תּוֹרָ֥הνόμονצִוָּה־ἐνετείλατοלָ֖נוּἡμῖνמֹשֶׁ֑הμωυσῆςמוֹרָשָׁ֖הκληρονομίανקְהִלַּ֥תσυναγωγαῖςיַעֲקֹֽב׃ιακωβ

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

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

תורה צוה לנו משׁה מורשׁה קהלת יעקב

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

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

[תורה] [צוה] [ל׳נו] [משה] [מורשה] [קהלת] [יעקב]

nothing on the leather here — 7 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 33:4תּוֹרָהa lawa lawתּוֹרָהצָוָהhe commandehe commandedצָוָהנוּto usto usנוּמֹשֶׁהMosesMosesמֹשֶׁהמוֹרָשָׁהa possessioa possessionמוֹרָשָׁהקְהִלָּה[the] assem[the] assembly קְהִלָּהיַעֲקֹבJacobJacobיַעֲקֹביָרָאto shootto shootיָרָאמָשָׁהto drawto drawמָשָׁהקָהַלto gatherto gatherקָהַלעָקַבto assailto assailעָקַבמוֹרָשׁpossessionpossessionמוֹרָשׁסֵ֫פֶרscroll: doscroll: documenסֵ֫פֶרכָּתַבto writeto writeכָּתַבמֹשֶׁהMosesMosesמֹשֶׁהמִצְוָהcommandmencommandmentמִצְוָהאַהֲרֹןAaronAaronאַהֲרֹןצָוָהto commandto commandצָוָהיַעֲקֹבJacobJacobיַעֲקֹבנָתַןto give: gto give: giveנָתַןלָבָןLabanLabanלָבָןיִצְחָקIsaacIsaacיִצְחָק
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 33:4

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.

a law he commanded to us Moses a possession [the] assembly of Jacob
תּוֹרָ֥הto.Rah a law H8451 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
219× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for instruction or law, referring to the Ten Commandments or the first five books of the Bible, guiding human behavior and moral code.
Amplified meaning
instruction, divine guidance
Tyndale gloss
instruction
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תּוֹרָה (towrah) encompasses concepts of direction, instruction, and law, particularly relating to divine or human guidance. It refers to legal directives, customs, and teachings, including the Decalogue and the Pentateuch. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, such as prophetic and priestly instruction, but do not present significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

תּוֹרָה n.f. direction, instruction, law

instruction

law (prop. direction)

custom, manner

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8451 תּוֹרָה direction, instruction, law . instruction

. law (prop. direction)

. custom, manner

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8451 towrah to-raw'

or torah {to-raw'}; from 3384; a precept or statute,

especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch:--law.

see HEBREW for 03384

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תּוֹרָה (to.rah) — instruction.

1) law, direction, instruction

1a) instruction, direction (human or divine)

1a1) body of prophetic teaching

1a2) instruction in Messianic age

1a3) body of priestly direction or instruction

1a4) body of legal directives

1b) law

1b1) law of the burnt offering

1b2) of special law, codes of law

1c) custom, manner

1d) the Deuteronomic or Mosaic Law

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Law

A rule of action. (1.) The Law of Nature is the will of God as to human conduct, founded on the moral difference of things, and discoverable by natural light (Rom. 1:20; 2:14, 15). This law binds all men at all times. It is generally designated by the term conscience, or the capacity of being influenced by the moral relations of things.

(2.) The Ceremonial Law prescribes under the Old Testament the rites and ceremonies of worship. This law was obligatory only till Christ, of whom these rites were typical, had finished his work (Heb. 7:9, 11; 10:1; Eph. 2:16). It was fulfilled rather than abrogated by the gospel.

(3.) The Judicial Law, the law which directed the civil policy of the Hebrew nation.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The word is properly used, in Scripture as elsewhere, to express a definite commandment laid down by any recognized authority; but when the word is used with the article, and without any words of limitation, it refers to the expressed will to God, and in nine cases out of ten to the Mosaic law, or to the Pentateuch of which it forms the chief portion. The Hebrew word torah (law) lays more stress on its moral authority, as teaching the truth and guiding in the right way; the Greek nomos (law), on its constraining power as imposed and enforced by a recognized authority. The sense of the word, however, extends its scope and assumes a more abstracts character in the writings of St. Paul. Nomos , when used by him with the article, still refers in general to the law of Moses; but when used without the article, so as to embrace any manifestation of "law," it includes all powers which act on…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

In the Bible, signifies sometimes the whole word of God, Ps 19:7-11 119:1-176 Isa 8:20; sometimes the Old Testament, Joh 10:34 15:25, and sometimes the five books of Moses, which formed the first of the three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures, Lu 24:44 Ac 13:15. The Pentateuch was probably "the law," a copy of which every king was to transcribe for himself and study, and which was to be made known to young and old, in public and in private, De 6:7 17:18,19 31:9-19,26. In other places the Mosaic institutions as a whole are intend by "the law," in distinction from the…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ General scriptures concerning Ps 19:7-9; 119:1-8; Pr 28:4,5; Mt 22:21; Lu 16:17; 20:22-25; Ro 2:14,15; 7:7,12,14; 13:10; 1Ti 1:5,8-10; Jas 1:25; 1Jo 3:4; 5:3

→ See LITIGATION

→ See COMMANDMENTS

→ See DUTY TO GOD

→ OF MOSES

→ (Contained in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy)

Given at Sinai Ex 19; De 1:1; 4:10-13; 33:2; Hab 3:3

a law he commanded to us Moses a possession [the] assembly of Jacob
צִוָּה־tzi.vah- he commanded H6680 Verb · Piel · perfect third person masculine singular
494× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To command or give orders, as seen in the Bible when God gives charge to his people. It can also mean to appoint or ordain someone for a task. This word is used in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
Tyndale gloss
to command
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צָוָה (tsavah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to command or give orders. It is built from a primitive root and primarily used in the Piel form, indicating actions like appointing or charging someone with a task. The entries highlight its various applications, including laying charges and sending messengers. There are no noted disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[צָוָה] 485 vb. Pi. lay charge (upon), give charge (to), charge, command, order

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6680 צָוָה Pi. lay charge (upon), give charge (to), charge, command, order

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6680 tsavah tsaw-vaw'

a primitive root; (intensively) to constitute,

enjoin:--appoint, (for-)bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give

in, send with) command(-er, -ment), send a messenger, put,

(set) in order.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צָוָה (tsa.vah) — to command.

1) to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order

1a)(Piel)

1a1) to lay charge upon

1a2) to give charge to, give command to

1a3) to give charge unto

1a4) to give charge over, appoint

1a5) to give charge, command

1a6) to charge, command

1a7) to charge, commission

1a8) to command, appoint, ordain (of divine act)

1b) (Pual) to be commanded

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Piel-Perf-3ms — Verb · Piel · perfect third person masculine singular
HVpp3ms
a law he commanded to us Moses a possession [the] assembly of Jacob
לָ֖נוּLa.nu to us H9035 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נוּ (nu) — us.

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HRd/Sp1bp — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp1bp
English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

US, pronoun objective case of we.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Us , pron. [OE. us, AS. s; akin to OFries. & OS. s, D. ons, G. uns, Icel. & Sw. oss, Dan. os, Goth. uns, L. nos we, us, Gr. we, Skr. nas us. . Cf. Nostrum, Our.] The persons speaking, regarded as an object; ourselves; — the objective case of we. See We. “Tell us a tale.” Chaucer.

Give us this day our daily bread. Matt. vi. 11.

Us, pron. oblique case of we

a law he commanded to us Moses a possession [the] assembly of Jacob
מֹשֶׁ֑הmo.Sheh Moses H4872 Noun proper masculine
766× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Moses, the Israelite leader, was born to Amram and Jochebed and led the Exodus from Egypt. He received the law from God and is considered a key figure in the Bible. Moses means 'drawn' in Hebrew.
Amplified meaning
the Israelite leader, prophet
Tyndale gloss
Moses
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh) refers to Moses, the prominent Hebrew leader, prophet, and lawgiver. The name is derived from the root meaning 'drawing out,' indicating his rescue from water. He is a key figure in the Old Testament, first mentioned in Exodus 2:10, and is known for leading the Israelites during the Exodus.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֹשֶׁה 767 n.pr.m. Moses, the great Hebrew leader, prophet and lawgiver

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4872 מֹשֶׁה Moses, the great Hebrew leader, prophet and lawgiver

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4872 Mosheh mo-sheh'

from 4871; drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh,

the Israelite lawgiver:--Moses.

see HEBREW for 04871

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֹשֶׁה (mo.sheh) — Moses.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.2.10;

son of: Amram (H6019) and Jochebed (H3115);

brother of: Aaron (H0175) and Miriam (H4813); married to Zipporah (H6855);

father of: Gershom (H1647) and Eliezer (H0461H); also called Manasseh at Jdg.18.30(?)

§ Moses = "drawn"

the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus

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

mo'-zez, mo'-ziz (mosheh; Egyptian mes, "drawn out," "born"; Septuagint Mouse(s)). The great Hebrew national hero, leader, author, law-giver and prophet.

I. LIFE

1. Son of Levi

2. Foundling Prince

3. Friend of the People

4. Refuge in Midian

5. Leader of Israel

II. WORK AND CHARACTER

1. The Author

2. The Lawgiver

3. The Prophet

LITERATURE

The traditional view of the Jewish church and of the Christian church, that Moses was a person and that the narrative with which his life-story is interwoven is real history, is in the main sustained by commentators and critics of all classes.

It is needless to mention the old writers among whom these questions were hardly under discussion. Among the advocates of the current radical criticism may be mentioned Stade and Renan, who minimize the historicity of the Bible narrative at this point. Renan thinks the narrative "may be very probable." Ewald, Wellhausen…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Moses

Drawn (or Egypt. mesu, “son;” hence Rameses, royal son). On the invitation of Pharaoh (Gen. 45:17-25), Jacob and his sons went down into Egypt. This immigration took place probably about 350 years before the birth of Moses. Some centuries before Joseph, Egypt had been conquered by a pastoral Semitic race from Asia, the Hyksos, who brought into cruel subjection the native Egyptians, who were an African race. Jacob and his retinue were accustomed to a shepherd’s life, and on their arrival in Egypt were received with favour by the king, who assigned them the “best of the land”, the land of Goshen, to dwell in. The Hyksos or “shepherd” king who thus showed favour to Joseph and his family was in all probability the Pharaoh Apopi (or Apopis).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(Heb. Mosheh , "drawn," i.e. from the water; in the Coptic it means "saved from the water"), the legislator of the Jewish people, and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion. The immediate pedigree of Moses is as follows: Levi was the father of: Gershon -- Kohath -- Merari Kohath was the father of: Amram = Jochebed Amram = Jochebed was the father of: Hur = Miriam -- Aaron = Elisheba -- Moses = Zipporah Aaron = Elisheba was the father of: Nadab -- Abihu -- Eleazar -- Ithamar Eleazar was the father of: Phineas Moses = Zipporah was the father of: Gershom -- Eliezer Gershom was the father of: Jonathan The history of Moses naturally divides itself into three periods of 40 years each. Moses was born at Goshen, In Egypt, B.C. 1571. The story of his birth is thoroughly Egyptian in its scene. His mother made extraordinary efforts for his preservation from the general destruction of…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The name of the illustrious prophet and legislator of the Hebrews, who led them from Egypt to the Promised Land. Having been originally imposed by a native Egyptian princess, the word is no doubt Egyptian in its origin, and Josephus gives its true derivation—from the two Egyptian words, MO, water, and USE, saved. With this accords the Septuagint form, MOUSES. The Hebrews by a slight change accommodated it to their own language, as they did also in the case of some other foreign words; calling it MOSHIE, from the verb MASHA, to draw. See Ex 2:10. Moses was born about 15.71 B. C., the son of Amram and Jochebed, of the tribe of Levi, and the younger brother of Miriam and Aaron. His history is too extensive to permit insertion here, and in general too well known to need it. It is enough simply to remark, that it is divided into three…

a law he commanded to us Moses a possession [the] assembly of Jacob
מוֹרָשָׁ֖הmo.ra.Shah a possession H4181 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
9× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means a possession or inheritance, referring to something that is passed down or owned. In the Bible, it is used to describe a heritage or legacy, such as a family's land or traditions.
Amplified meaning
inheritance, heritage
Tyndale gloss
possession
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מוֹרָשָׁה (mowrashah) is a feminine noun meaning 'a possession.' It is derived from the root word for inheritance or heritage. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to ownership or possession, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מוֹרָשָׁה n.f. a possession

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4181 מוֹרָשָׁה a possession

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4181 mowrashah mo-raw-shaw'

feminine of 4180; a possession:--heritage, inheritance,

possession.

see HEBREW for 04180

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מוֹרָשָׁה (mo.ra.shah) — possession.

a possession

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Smith's Bible Dictionary

[DEMONIACS]

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
a law he commanded to us Moses a possession [the] assembly of Jacob
קְהִלַּ֥תke.hi.Lat [the] assembly of H6952 Noun common · feminine singular construct
2× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A meeting of people, such as the assembly of Israelites in the wilderness or a congregation in a synagogue.
Amplified meaning
congregation, gathering
Tyndale gloss
assembly
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קְהִלָּה (qhillah) refers to an assembly or congregation, derived from the root word for gathering. The term is consistently used across lexicons to denote a group of people coming together, particularly in a religious context.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קְהִלָּה n.f. assembly, congregation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6952 קְהִלָּה assembly, congregation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6952 qhillah keh-hil-law'

from 6950; an assemblage:--assembly, congregation.

see HEBREW for 06950

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קְהִלָּה (qe.hil.lah) — assembly.

assembly, congregation

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

ov:

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

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

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

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

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

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

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

Lamentations 3:1.

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

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

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

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

a law he commanded to us Moses a possession [the] assembly of Jacob
יַעֲקֹֽב׃ya.'a.Ko Jacob H3290 Noun proper masculine
350× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is the name of a person, Jacob, a key figure in the Bible. He was the son of Isaac and Rebekah, and the father of many tribes of Israel. The KJV simply translates it as Jacob.
Amplified meaning
the people of God, descendants of Jacob
Tyndale gloss
Jacob
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יַעֲקֹב (i.e. *Ya`aqob*) refers to Jacob, a key figure in the Old Testament. The word is derived from a root meaning 'heel-catcher' or 'supplanter.' Jacob is the son of Isaac and Rebekah, brother of Esau, and father of the twelve tribes of Israel. He is also known as Israel, highlighting his significance in biblical history.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יַעֲקֹב 344, יַעֲקוֹב 6 n.pr.m. et gent. Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, father of tribes of Isr.

as n.pr.m.

as n.pr.gent.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3290 יַעֲקֹב, יַעֲקוֹב Jacob

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3290 Ya`aqob yah-ak-obe'

from 6117; heel-catcher (i.e. supplanter); Jaakob, the

Israelitish patriarch:--Jacob.

see HEBREW for 06117

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יַעֲקֹב (ya.a.qov) — Jacob.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26;

son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259);

brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A);

father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently

Another name of yis.ra.el (יִשְׂרָאֵל "Israel" H3478)

§ Jacob = "heel holder" or "supplanter"

son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 12 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Jacob

One who follows on another’s heels; supplanter, (Gen. 25:26; 27:36; Hos. 12:2-4), the second born of the twin sons of Isaac by Rebekah. He was born probably at Lahai-roi, when his father was fifty-nine and Abraham one hundred and fifty-nine years old. Like his father, he was of a quiet and gentle disposition, and when he grew up followed the life of a shepherd, while his brother Esau became an enterprising hunter. His dealing with Esau, however, showed much mean selfishness and cunning (Gen. 25:29-34).

When Isaac was about 160 years of age, Jacob and his mother conspired to deceive the aged patriarch (Gen. 27), with the view of procuring the transfer of the birthright to himself. The birthright secured to him who…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(supplanter), the second son of Isaac and Rebekah. He was born with Esau, probably at the well of Lahai-roi, about B.C. 1837. His history is related in the latter half of the book of Genesis. He bought the birthright from his brother Esau, and afterward acquired the blessing intended for Esau, by practicing a well-known deceit on Isaac. (Jacob did not obtain the blessing because of his deceit, but in spite of it. That which was promised he would have received in some good way; but Jacob and his mother, distrusting God’s promise, sought the promised blessing in a wrong way, and received with it trouble and sorrow. --ED.) Jacob, in his 78th year, was sent from the family home to avoid his brother, and to seek a wife among his kindred in Padan-aram. As he passed through Bethel, God appeared to him. After the lapse of twenty-one years he returned from Padan-aram with two wives, two…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Son of Isaac and Rebekah, and twin-brother to Esau. As at his birth he held his brother’s heel, he was called Jacob, that is, the heelholder, one who comes behind and catches the heel of his adversary, a supplanter, Ge 25:26. This was a king of predictive intimation of his future conduct in life. Jacob was meek and peaceable, living a shepherd life at home. Esau was more turbulent and fierce, and passionately fond of hunting. Isaac was partial to Esau, Rebekah to Jacob. Jacob having taken advantage of his brother’s absence and his father’s infirmity to obtain the blessing of the birthright, or primogeniture, was compelled to fly into Mesopotamia to avoid the consequences of his brother’s wrath, Ge 27:1-28:22. On his journey the Lord appeared to him in a dream, (see LADDER,)…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

that supplants, undermines; the heel

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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