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Deuteronomy 8:12 — Word Study

Depth

WLCפֶּן־ תֹּאכַ֖ל וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ וּבָתִּ֥ים טוֹבִ֛ים תִּבְנֶ֖ה וְיָשָֽׁבְתָּ׃

BSAOtherwisepên when you eatʼâkal [and are filled, devour] and are satisfiedsâbaʻ [to fulfill your desire, have enough] when you buildbânâh [establish, construct] fineṭôwb [pleasant, good] housesbayith [dwelling places, homes] in which to dwellyâshab [live, reside, sit]

Word
Listen & take awayDeuteronomy 8
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 12 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 (ve.ya.Sha.ve.ta) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Deuteronomy 8:12quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse warns against forgetting the Lord after enjoying His blessings.
Who is speakingMoses, addressing the Israelites.
Where we areIn a section about remembering God's commandments.
The hard wordפֶּן
Take awayBeware of complacency after receiving abundance.
4 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them › clause verbאָכַל 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 8:12

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 — Warnings Against Forgetting Godgenerated

11Be careful not to forget the LORD your God by failing to keep His commandments and ordinances and statutes, which I am giving you this day.
12Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell,
13and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all that you have is multiplied,
14then your heart will become proud, and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Deuteronomy 8:12 is part of a larger discourse where Moses cautions the Israelites about the dangers of forgetting God after they experience prosperity in the Promised Land. He emphasizes the importance of remembering their dependence on God and adhering to His commandments, especially when they enjoy the fruits of their labor and the blessings of their new homes.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Deuteronomy 28:47Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart in all your abundance,
2Deuteronomy 31:20When I have brought them into the land that I swore to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. Then they will turn to other gods and worship them, and they will reject Me and break My covenant.
3Deuteronomy 32:15But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked— becoming fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation.
4Proverbs 30:9Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.
5Hosea 13:5–6I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 11 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word פֶּן, pen-generated

The word פֶּן (pen) serves as a cautionary particle, meaning 'lest' or 'in case.' It expresses a warning against potential negative outcomes, urging the listener to be mindful of their actions and the consequences that may follow. The parsing as a particle indicates its function in the sentence as a precautionary term.

This word is commonly used in the Hebrew Bible to signal a warning, often preceding a statement about what could happen if one does not heed the advice given. Its root suggests a sense of removal or avoidance, reinforcing the need to be cautious.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as 'Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell,' which is consistent across the KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE translations.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verbs in this verse are תֹּאכַל (you should eat), וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ (and you will be satisfied), תִּבְנֶ֖ה (you will build), and וְיָשָֽׁבְתָּ (and you will dwell), with each verb forming a clause that describes actions the Israelites will take.

The structure emphasizes a sequence of actions tied together by the cautionary particle פֶּן, indicating that these actions should be approached with awareness of their potential consequences.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates פֶּן as μὴ, meaning 'not' or 'lest,' which aligns with the cautionary nature of the Hebrew term. This choice reflects a consistent warning against complacency.

The Greek translation captures the same essence of caution as the Hebrew, emphasizing the need to remember God's commandments amidst abundance.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Deuteronomy 8:12 warns the Israelites to remember God when they enjoy their blessings. It reminds them that after they eat and are satisfied, and after they build good houses to live in, they should not forget the Lord who provided for them.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does 'lest' mean in this context?

'Lest' serves as a warning, indicating that the Israelites should be cautious not to forget God after receiving His blessings.

Why is it important to remember God during times of prosperity?

Remembering God during prosperity helps maintain a humble heart and prevents pride from leading to forgetfulness of His commandments.

What kind of houses is the verse referring to?

The verse refers to fine houses that the Israelites will build in the Promised Land, symbolizing their new life and blessings.

How does this verse relate to the overall message of Deuteronomy?

This verse emphasizes the importance of obedience to God's commandments and the need to remember Him in all circumstances, especially during times of abundance.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways can I ensure that I remember God's blessings in my life?
  2. How do I respond to God's provision when I experience abundance?
  3. What practical steps can I take to avoid complacency in my spiritual life?
  4. How can I share the importance of remembering God with others in my community?

Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 8:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Lest when thou hast eaten and art full,.... Not only once and again, but continually, day after day, being indulged with great plenty: and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt [therein]; who for forty

Read John Gill on Deuteronomy 8 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: Beware that thou forget not the Lord.

Read Robert Jamieson on Deuteronomy 8 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Deuteronomy 8:12 Lest [when] thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt [therein];Ver. 12. And hast built goodly houses.] Haec sunt quae nos invitos faciunt mori. These are the things that make us loath to die, said the Emperor Charles V, to the Duke of Venice, who had showed him the stateliness of his palace and princely furniture.

Read John Trapp on Deuteronomy 8 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) Hast built goodly houses.—One of the conditions prescribed by Jonadab the son of Rechab to his family was, “All your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers” (Jeremiah 35:7).

Read Charles John Ellicott on Deuteronomy 8 →

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

Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

lest, when you have eaten and are full, and have built fine houses and lived in them;

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell,

NETBNew English Translation2006

When you eat your fill, when you build and occupy good houses,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

lest, when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;

RVARevised Version, American1894

lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Lest when thou hast eaten, and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt in them ;

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Lest when thou hast eaten and filled thy selfe, and hast built goodly houses and dwelt therein,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built and inhabited fine houses,

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

lest thou eat, and hast been satisfied, and good houses dost build, and hast inhabited;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

lest you eat and have been satisfied, and build good houses and have inhabited [them],

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

That when thou hast eaten and art satisfied, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

otherwise, when you eat and are full, and when you build good houses and live in them, your heart will be lifted up.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Lest after thou hast eaten and art filled, hast built goodly houses, and dwelt in them,

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

For when you eat and are full, when you build beautiful houses to live in,

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And when you have taken food and are full, and have made fair houses for yourselves and are living in them;

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.

פֶּןlestclauseclauseverbתֹּאכַ֖לyou.should.eatוְandclauseverbשָׂבָ֑עְתָּyou.will.be.satisfiedוּandclausenoun phrase · objectבָתִּ֥יםhousesטוֹבִ֛יםgoodverbתִּבְנֶ֖הyou.will.buildוְandclauseverbיָשָֽׁבְתָּyou.will.dwell

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 all seven words in this verse. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs slightly with the word for 'satisfied,' using the term 'שׂבעת' (be sated). The Dead Sea Scrolls show some variations, with parts restored by editors, but generally align with the Masoretic Text.

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

פֶּן־ תֹּאכַ֖ל וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ וּבָתִּ֥ים טוֹבִ֛ים תִּבְנֶ֖ה וְיָשָֽׁבְתָּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
פֶּן־μὴתֹּאכַ֖לφαγὼνוְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּἐμπλησθεὶςוּבָתִּ֥יםοἰκίαςטוֹבִ֛יםκαλὰςתִּבְנֶ֖הοἰκοδομήσαςוְיָשָֽׁבְתָּ׃κατοικήσας

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

פן תאכל ושׂבעת ובתים טובים תבנה וישׁבת

1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: שׂבעת (be sated)

Dead Sea Scrolls — 5Q1a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[פן] [תאכל] [ושבעת] [ובתים] [טובים] תבנה וישבת ב׳ם

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

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

פן תאכל ושבעת ובתים [טובים] [תבנה] [וישבת]

3 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 3 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 8:12פֶּן־lestlestפֶּן־אָכַלyou should you should eatאָכַלשָׂבֵעַand you wiland you will beשָׂבֵעַבֵּיתand housesand housesבֵּיתטוֹבgoodgoodטוֹבבָּנָהyou will buyou will buildבָּנָהיָשַׁבand you wiland you will dwיָשַׁבבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָהטוֹבbe pleasinbe pleasingטוֹבלֶ֫חֶםfoodfoodלֶ֫חֶםפָּגַעto fall onto fall onפָּגַעשָׁכַחto forgetto forgetשָׁכַחשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָהפֶּן־lestlestפֶּן־אוֹצָרtreasuretreasureאוֹצָריָשָׁרJasharJasharיָשָׁרמַרְאֶהappearanceappearanceמַרְאֶהחוֹמָהwallwallחוֹמָהמִזְבֵּחַaltaraltarמִזְבֵּחַבֶּ֫טַחsecuritysecurityבֶּ֫טַחכְּנַעֲנִיCanaanitesCanaanitessכְּנַעֲנִי
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 8:12

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.

lest you should eat and you will be satisfied and houses good you will build and you will dwell
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.
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
lest you should eat and you will be satisfied and houses good you will build and you will dwell
תֹּאכַ֖לto.Khal you should eat H398 Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
810× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to eat or devour, and it's used in many stories, including when Jesus fed the 5000 with fish and bread in the book of Matthew. It's about taking in nourishment and being satisfied.
Amplified meaning
and are filled, devour
Tyndale gloss
to eat
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including literal consumption by humans and animals, as well as figurative uses like devouring by fire or destruction. It can describe actions such as feeding or causing to eat, and it also appears in contexts of oppression and destruction. The verb has various forms, indicating different subjects and nuances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָכַל 806 vb. eat

Qal

eat, human subject

of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

fig. of fire, devour, consume

of sword, devour, slay

in genl., devour, consume, destroy

fig. of oppression, devour the poor

Niph.

be eaten by man

be devoured by fire, consumed

be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

Pu. be consumed

Hiph.

cause to eat, feed with

cause to devoure, obj. sword

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H398 אָכַל eat .. eat, human subject

. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

. fig. of fire, devour, consume

. of sword, devour, slay

. in genl., devour, consume, destroy

. fig. of oppression, devour the poor

. . be eaten by man

. be devoured by fire, consumed

. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

. be consumed

. . cause to eat, feed with

. cause to devoure, obj. sword

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

398 'akal aw-kal'

a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at

all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up),

feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay)

meat, X quite.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָכַל (a.khal) — to eat.

1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to eat (human subject)

1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds)

1a3) to devour, consume (of fire)

1a4) to devour, slay (of sword)

1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought)

1a6) to devour (of oppression)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be eaten (by men)

1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire)

1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to cause to eat, feed with

1c2) to cause to devour

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to feed

1d2) to cause to eat

1e) (Piel)

1e1) consume

Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
HVqi2ms
lest you should eat and you will be satisfied and houses good you will build and you will dwell
וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּve.sa.Va.'e.ta and you will be satisfied H7646 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine singular
97× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To satisfy means to fill someone with enough of something, like food or desire, and can also mean to have too much of something.
Amplified meaning
to fulfill your desire, have enough
Tyndale gloss
to satisfy
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׂבֵעַ (saba`) means to be sated or satisfied, particularly in relation to food. It can also imply having one's desires fulfilled or being surfeited with excess. The verb has various forms, including Qal, Piel, and Hiphil, which cover meanings from simply being full to enriching or satisfying others. The entries indicate a focus on both literal and figurative senses of satisfaction.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׂבֵעַ], שָׂבַע 96 vb. be sated, satisfied, surfeited

Qal 79

be sated (with food), esp. human subj.

more gen., be sated, have desire satisfied

have in excess, be surfeited with

Niph. Pt. sated

Pi. satisfy

Hiph.

satisfy (esp. with material blessings), subj. י׳

c. acc. of food pers., י׳ subj.

י׳ subj.

י׳ subj., c. acc. of beasts

enrich

sate, glut (with the undesired)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7646 שָׂבֵעַ, שָׂבַע be sated, satisfied, surfeited .. be sated (with food), esp. human subj.

. more gen., be sated, have desire satisfied

. have in excess, be surfeited with

. Pt. sated

. satisfy

. . . satisfy (esp. with material blessings), subj. י׳

. c. acc. of food + pers., י׳ subj.

. י׳ subj.

. י׳ subj., c. acc. of beasts

. enrich

. sate, glut (with the undesired)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7646 saba` saw-bah'

or sabeay {saw-bay'-ah}; a primitive root; to sate, i.e. fill

to satisfaction (literally or figuratively):--have enough,

fill (full, self, with), be (to the) full (of), have plenty

of, be satiate, satisfy (with), suffice, be weary of.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׂבֵעַ (sa.va) — to satisfy.

1) to be satisfied, be sated, be fulfilled, be surfeited

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be sated (with food)

1a2) to be sated, be satisfied with, be fulfilled, be filled, have one's fill of (have desire satisfied)

1a3) to have in excess, be surfeited, be surfeited with

1a3a) to be weary of (fig)

1b) (Piel) to satisfy

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to satisfy

1c2) to enrich

1c3) to sate, glut (with the undesired)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-2ms — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine singular
Hc/Vqq2ms
lest you should eat and you will be satisfied and houses good you will build and you will dwell
וּבָתִּ֥יםu.va.Tim and houses H1004 Conjunction · noun common masculine plural absolute
2,049× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for house refers to a dwelling place, including a family home, temple, or even the human body. It appears in various contexts, such as the temple in Jerusalem or the household of a family. In the Bible, it is often used to describe a place of worship or a family's living space.
Amplified meaning
dwelling places, homes
Tyndale gloss
place
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בַּיִת (*bayith*) means 'house' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including dwelling, family, and place. It can refer to physical structures, such as homes and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like the body or household affairs. The word is built from the root related to 'between' and appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between

base

בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house

house

place

receptacle

of house as containing a family

household, family (592 t.)

house, including household affairs

lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards

מִבַּיִת

adv. on the inside

prep. within

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1004a בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between H1004b בַּ֫יִת house

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1004 bayith bah'-yith

probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest

variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court,

daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as

would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold),

inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet,

temple, web, + within(-out).

see HEBREW for 01129

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית (bet) — place.

nm

place, origin, between

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — house: home.

: home/temple/building

nm

1) house

1a) house, dwelling habitation

1b) shelter or abode of animals

1c) human bodies (fig.)

1d) of Sheol

1e) of abode of light and darkness

1f) of land of Ephraim

2) place

3) receptacle

4) home, house as containing a family

5) household, family

5a) those belonging to the same household

5b) family of descendants, descendants as organized body

6) household affairs

7) inwards (metaph.)

8) (TWOT) temple

adv

9) on the inside

prep

10) within

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(ashbea).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with ash.be.a (אַשְׁבֵּעַ "Ashbea" H0791)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth (Haggan).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with hag (גַּן "Haggan" H1588)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(togarmah).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-mp — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural absolute
HC/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- Antiquity of

Ge 12:1; 19:3

- Deep and solid foundations required for

Mt 7:24; Lu 6:48

- Sometimes built without foundation

Mt 7:26; Lu 6:49

- BUILT OF

. Clay

Job 4:19

. Bricks

Ex 1:11-14; Isa 9:10

. Stone and wood

Le 14:40,42; Hab 2:11

. Hewn or cut stone

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
lest you should eat and you will be satisfied and houses good you will build and you will dwell
טוֹבִ֛יםto.Vim good H2896 Adj
538× 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 good or welfare, describing something that is beneficial or pleasing, like a good deed or a happy time. It is used in many contexts, including Genesis and Psalms. This word is often translated as 'good' or 'beautiful'.
Amplified meaning
pleasant, good
Tyndale gloss
pleasant
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

טוֹב (tov) is a Hebrew word meaning good or pleasant, encompassing a wide range of meanings from agreeable to the senses to ethical goodness. It can function as an adjective, noun, or adverb, referring to things like welfare, happiness, and prosperity. The feminine form, טוֹבָה (tovah), specifically denotes welfare or good things.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

טוֹב adj. pleasant, agreeable, good

pleasant, agreeable to the senses

pleasant to the higher nature, giving pleasure, happiness, prosperity, and so agreeable, pleasing, well

good, excellent, of its kind

good, rich, valuable in estimation

good, appropriate, becoming

c. מִן compar. = better

of man's sensuous nature, glad, happy, prosperous

of man's intellectual nature, good understanding

good, kind, benign

good (ethical), right

base

טוֹב n.m. a good thing, benefit, welfare

welfare, prosperity, happiness

good things

good = benefit

moral good

base

טוֹבָה n.f. welfare, benefit, good things, good

welfare, prosperity, happiness

good things

bounty, good

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2896a טוֹב pleasant, agreeable, good . pleasant, agreeable to the senses

. pleasant to the higher nature, giving pleasure, happiness, prosperity, and so agreeable, pleasing, well

. good, excellent, of its kind

. good, rich, valuable in estimation

. good, appropriate, becoming

. c. מִן compar. =better

. of man's sensuous nature, glad, happy, prosperous

. of man's intellectual nature, good understanding

. good, kind, benign

. good (ethical), right

H2896b טוֹב a good thing, benefit, welfare H2896c טוֹבָה welfare, benefit, good things, good

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2896 towb tobe

from 2895; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used

likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine,

the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a

good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or

women), also as an adverb (well):--beautiful, best, better,

bountiful, cheerful, at ease, X fair (word), (be in) favour,

fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s),

graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving,

merry, X most, pleasant, + pleaseth, pleasure, precious,

prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well

((-favoured)).

see HEBREW for 02895

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

טוֹב (tov) — pleasant.

adj

1) good, pleasant, agreeable

1a) pleasant, agreeable (to the senses)

1b) pleasant (to the higher nature)

1c) good, excellent (of its kind)

1d) good, rich, valuable in estimation

1e) good, appropriate, becoming

1f) better (comparative)

1g) glad, happy, prosperous (of man's sensuous nature)

1h) good understanding (of man's intellectual nature)

1i) good, kind, benign

1j) good, right (ethical)

Aramaic equivalent: tav (טָב "fine" H2869)

טוֹב (tov) — good.

1) a good thing, benefit, welfare

1a) welfare, prosperity, happiness

1b) good things (collective)

1c) good, benefit

1d) moral good

טוֹבָה (to.vah) — welfare.

1) welfare, benefit, good things

1a) welfare, prosperity, happiness

1b) good things (collective)

1c) bounty

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAampa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

good (Tobh, Tubh, yaTabh; agathos, agathon, kalos, kalon): In English "good" is used in various senses, most of which are represented in the Bible.

(1) In the Old Testament the commonest word is Tobh, occurring very frequently and translated in a great variety of ways. Of the different shades of meaning, which frequently run into each other, the following may be distinguished:

(a) Possessing desirable qualities, beneficial, agreeable, e.g. "good for food" (Ge 2:9); "We will do thee good" (Nu 10:29); Who will show us any good?" (Ps 4:6); "good tidings of good" (Isa 52:7).

lest you should eat and you will be satisfied and houses good you will build and you will dwell
תִּבְנֶ֖הtiv.Neh you will build H1129 Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
376× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word bânâh means to build something, like a house or a family. It can also mean to establish or repair something, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible.
Amplified meaning
establish, construct
Tyndale gloss
to build
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בָּנָה (banah) means "to build" and encompasses various forms such as rebuilding, establishing, and making permanent. It can refer to physical construction, like building a house or family, as well as metaphorical uses, such as the establishment of restored exiles. The entries indicate that it can also imply being built up, particularly in the context of a childless wife becoming a mother.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בָּנָה 373 vb. build

Qal build

Niph.

be built

be rebuilt

(fig.) of restored exiles, = established

established, made permanent

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1129 בָּנָה build .build

.. . be built

. be rebuilt

. . (fig.) of restored exiles, = established

. established, made permanent

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1129 banah baw-naw'

a primitive root; to build (literally and

figuratively):--(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make,

repair, set (up), X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בָּנָה (ba.nah) — to build.

1) to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to build, rebuild

1a2) to build a house (ie, establish a family)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be built

1b2) to be rebuilt

1b3) established (of restored exiles) (fig.)

1b4) established (made permanent)

1b5) to be built up (of childless wife becoming the mother of a family through the children of a concubine)

Aramaic equivalent: be.nah (בְּנָה "to build" H1124)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singular
HVqi2ms
lest you should eat and you will be satisfied and houses good you will build and you will dwell
וְיָשָֽׁבְתָּ׃ve.ya.Sha.ve.ta and you will dwell H3427 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine singular
1,079× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to sit or dwell, and can also mean to remain or abide. It's used in the Bible to describe people living in a place or staying with someone, like in the book of Genesis.
Amplified meaning
live, reside, sit
Tyndale gloss
to dwell
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell

Qal

sit

sit, sit down

sit down

sit = be set (as a jewel)

remain, stay, tarry

with special emphasis of qualifying phr.

dwell, have one’s abode

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

Niph. be inhabited, of land

Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee

Hiph.

cause to sit

cause to abide

cause to dwell

cause cities to be inhabited

marry (prop. give a dwelling to)

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

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3427 יָשַׁב sit, remain, dwell

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3427 yashab yaw-shab'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

take, tarry.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָשַׁב (ya.shav) — to dwell.

1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to sit, sit down

1a2) to be set

1a3) to remain, stay

1a4) to dwell, have one's abode

1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited

1c) (Piel) to set, place

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to cause to sit

1d2) to cause to abide, set

1d3) to cause to dwell

1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited

1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to)

1e) (Hophal)

1e1) to be inhabited

1e2) to make to dwell

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-2ms — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine singular
Hc/Vqq2ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

dwel:

(1) In the Old Testament "dwell" is a translation of 9 words, of which by far the most frequent is yashabh, "to sit down," translated "dwell" over 400 times (Ge 4:20; Jos 20:4; 1Ch 17:1,4,5, etc.); also very frequently "sit," and sometimes "abide," "inhabit," "remain." Another word often rendered "dwell" is shakhan or shakhen ("to settle down"), from which is derived the rabbinic word shekhinah (literally, "that which dwells"), the light on the mercy-seat which symbolized the Divine presence (Ex 25:8, etc.). In order to avoid appearing to localize the Divine Being, wherever God is said to "dwell" in a place, the Targum renders that He "causes His Shekinah to dwell"…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Dwell

Tents were in primitive times the common dwellings of men. Houses were afterwards built, the walls of which were frequently of mud (Job 24:16; Matt. 6:19, 20) or of sun-dried bricks.

God “dwells in light” (1 Tim. 6:16; 1 John 1:7), in heaven (Ps. 123:1), in his church (Ps. 9:11; 1 John 4:12). Christ dwelt on earth in the days of his humiliation (John 1:14). He now dwells in the hearts of his people (Eph.…

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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