Menu

Ecclesiastes 6:10 — Word Study

Depth

WLCמַה־ שֶּֽׁהָיָ֗ה כְּבָר֙ נִקְרָ֣א שְׁמ֔וֹ וְנוֹדָ֖ע אֲשֶׁר־ ה֣וּא אָדָ֑ם וְלֹא־ יוּכַ֣ל לָדִ֔ין עִ֥ם שֶׁתַּקִּ֖יף מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

BSAWhatevermâh [that which hath been, all things] existshâyâh [has been] was namedqârâʼ [given a name, designated] long agokᵉbâr [already, from the beginning] and it is knownyâdaʻ whatʼăsher man [is]ʼâdâm [human, mortal] but hehûwʼ [mankind, humanity] cannotlôʼ [is not able, has no power] contenddîyn [strive, argue] withʻim one strongertâqaph [him, anyone, mightier, more powerful] than hemin [him, himself]

Word
Listen & take awayEcclesiastes 6
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 10 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 (mi.Me.nu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Ecclesiastes 6:10quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse reflects on the inevitability of existence and the limitations of humanity in the face of greater power.
Who is speakingThe author of Ecclesiastes, reflecting on the nature of life and human limitations.
Where we areIn the context of a broader discourse on the futility of human pursuits.
The hard wordתַּקִּיף
Take awayHumanity is limited in its ability to contend against greater powers.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectהוּא verbקָרָא The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

1 of 15 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Ecclesiastes 6:10

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 — Reflections on Life's Inevitabilitygenerated

9Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
10Whatever exists was named long ago, and what happens to a man is foreknown; but he cannot contend with one stronger than he.
11For the more words, the more futility—and how does that profit anyone?
12For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 6:10 discusses the nature of existence and the foreknowledge of events concerning humanity. It emphasizes that everything that exists has been designated long ago, and what happens to a person is already known. Yet, despite this knowledge, humanity cannot contend with powers greater than itself, highlighting the limits of human agency and understanding.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Ecclesiastes 1:9–11What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
2Ecclesiastes 3:15What exists has already been, and what will be has already been, for God will call to account what has passed.
3Genesis 3:9–17But the LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?”
4Job 14:1–4“Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble.
5Psalm 39:6Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up riches not knowing who will haul them away.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 13 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word נִקְרָא, nik.Ra'generated

The verb נִקְרָא (nikra') is a Niphal participle meaning 'it has been named.' This indicates that something has been designated or called by a name, emphasizing the established nature of existence.

The passive form suggests that the act of naming is done by an unnamed agent, which in the context of creation implies divine authority. This word underscores the theme of predetermined existence present throughout Ecclesiastes.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

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


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main clause is centered around the verb הָיָה, has been, which governs the entire sentence. The structure includes a noun phrase that identifies what has been named, followed by a clause that discusses what is known regarding humanity.

The sentence flows logically from the established existence to the limitations of humanity, emphasizing the contrast between the known and the unknown.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates נִקְרָא as κέκληται (keklētai), which also means 'it has been called.' This choice reflects a similar understanding of the act of naming, maintaining the emphasis on established identity.

The use of ἰσχυροῦ (ischyrou) for 'stronger' indicates a focus on might and power, aligning with the Hebrew's implications of strength.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Ecclesiastes 6:10 tells us that everything that exists has already been named, and what happens to a person is known. However, a person cannot contend with someone stronger than themselves, highlighting the limits of human power and understanding.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that whatever exists was named long ago?

This indicates that all things have a predetermined identity and purpose, established from the beginning.

Why can’t a man contend with one stronger than he?

This reflects the limitations of human strength and the recognition of greater powers that exist beyond human control.

How does this verse relate to the theme of futility in Ecclesiastes?

It emphasizes the futility of human striving against the inevitable and the recognition of one's limitations in the grand scheme of existence.

What is the significance of foreknowledge in this verse?

Foreknowledge suggests that events are known in advance, reinforcing the idea that human actions are part of a larger, predetermined order.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I recognize the limitations of my own power in my life?
  2. How can understanding the predetermined nature of existence affect my perspective on daily struggles?
  3. What does it mean for me to accept that some things are beyond my control?
  4. How can I find peace in the knowledge that there are greater powers at work in the world?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Early commentators have reflected on this verse, discussing the nature of names and humanity's limitations in relation to divine power.

Evagrius PonticusSCHOLIA ON Ecclesiastes 52:6.10-12 345–399
There are two sorts of names: some names designate those things which by nature have a body; others designate those which by nature are without a body.
Early Church Fathers on Ecclesiastes 6 →
JeromeCommentary on Ecclesiastes c. 347–420
"What has been was already named, and it is known that he is but a man. He cannot contend with one who is mightier than him." Clearly this is predicting the arrival of the Saviour, since he writes 'he will be';
Early Church Fathers on Ecclesiastes 6 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Ecclesiastes 6:10 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it [is] man,.... Which may be understood of the first man Adam, who has been, has existed, was produced by the immediate power of God,

Read John Gill on Ecclesiastes 6 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he. Part II. here begins. Since man's toils are vain, what is the chief good?

Read Robert Jamieson on Ecclesiastes 6 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

This verse is added either as a proof of what he last said concerning the vanity and wandering of insatiable desires, or as a timber instance of the vanity of all things in this life. That which hath been (or, is, for the Hebrew verb) may be rendered either way, to wit, man considered with all his endowments and enjoyments, whether he be wise or foolish, rich or poor; man, who is the chief of all visible and sublunary beings, for whom they all were made) is named already, to wit, by God, who, presently after his creation, gave him the following name, to signify what his nature and condition was or would be. Heb. What is that which hath been, or is, it is, or hath been named already. Others…

Read Matthew Poole on Ecclesiastes 6 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ecclesiastes 6:10 That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it [is] man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.Ver. 10. That which hath been is named already.] Or thus, That which is the name of it, hath been named already, and it is known that it is Adam, or earthly man. The very notation of his name argues him mortal and miserable; whether he be wise or foolish, rich or poor, that alters not the case: - Homo sum, said one, humanum nihil a me alienum puto: I am a man, and therefore may not think strange of misery, whereunto I am born, as the sparks fly upward; he that forgets not that he is a man, will not take it ill that evil befalls him, saith…

Read John Trapp on Ecclesiastes 6 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(10) Of this difficult verse I prefer the translation, “What he is his name has been called long ago, and it is known that it is man; neither may he strive,” &c—i.e., the name given long ago to man (Genesis 2:7) indicates his weakness; neither can he contend with the Almighty. There may be a reference to Genesis 6:3, where a kindred word is used. Mightier.—The word here used is found only in the Chaldee books of the Bible and in later Hebrew.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Ecclesiastes 6 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 10. That which hath been is named already] The Hebrew of this verse might be translated, "Who is he who is? His name has been already called. And it is known that he is Adam; and that he cannot contend in judgment with him who is stronger than he." "What is more excellent than man; yet can he not, in the lawe, get the victory of him that is mightier than he." - COVERDALE. ADAM is his name; and it at once points out, 1. His dignity; he was made in the image of God. 2. His fall; he sinned against his Maker and was cast out of Paradise. And 3. His recovery by Christ; the second man (Adam) was the Lord from heaven, and a quickening Spirit.

Read AdamClarke on Ecclesiastes 6 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

10. That which hath been is named already] The maxim is enigmatic. As viewed by many commentators, it asserts that man is the creature of a destiny, which he cannot resist. Long ago, in the far eternity, his name has been written, and what he will be. He cannot plead against the Power that is mightier than himself, i.e. against God. There is nothing left but submission. So taken, the words have a parallel in all utterances in the Bible, or out of it, that assert, or seem to assert, an absolutely predestinating fatalism (Isaiah 45:9; Acts 15:18; Romans 9:20). In such a fatalism, reconciled in some way or other with man’s freedom and responsibility, both the Stoics and Pharisees believed, and…

Read Cambridge on Ecclesiastes 6 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Or, “That which has been named - i. e., events past or current, either Ecclesiastes 1:9 as they present themselves to man, or Ecclesiastes 3:15 as they are ordered by God - was long ago (i.

Read Albert Barnes on Ecclesiastes 6 →

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

Whatever exists was named long ago, and what happens to a man is foreknown; but he cannot contend with one stronger than he.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Whatever has been, its name was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him who is mightier than he.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Whatever exists was named long ago, and it is known what man is; but he cannot contend with one stronger than he.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Whatever has happened was foreordained, and what happens to a person was also foreknown. It is useless for him to argue with God about his fate because God is more powerful than he is.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Whatsoever hath been, the name thereof was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him that is mightier than he.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Whatsoever hath been, the name thereof was given long ago, and it is known that it is man: neither can he contend with him that is mightier than he.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

What is that that hath bene? the name thereof is nowe named: and it is knowen that it is man: and he cannot striue with him that is stronger then he.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

That which is hath already been named; and what man is, is known, and that he cannot contend with him that is mightier than he.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

What [is] that which hath been? already is its name called, and it is known that it [is] man, and he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

What [is] that which has been? Already is its name called, and it is known that it [is] man, || And he is not able to contend with him who is stronger than he.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

That which hath been is already called by its name, and it is known that he is a man: and he is not able to contend with him that is mightier than he.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Whatever has existed has already been given its name, and what mankind is like has already been known. So it has become useless to dispute with the one who is the mighty judge of all.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

He that shall be, his name is already called: and it is known, that he is man, and cannot contend in judgment with him that is stronger than himself.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Everything that exists has already been described . Everyone knows what people are like, and that you can't win an argument with a superior.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

That which is, has been named before, and of what man is there is knowledge. He has no power against one stronger than he.

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.

clauseclausenoun phraseמַהwhateverrelpשֶּֽׁ(that).itclauseverbהָיָ֗הhas.beenclauseadverbialכְּבָר֙alreadyverbנִקְרָ֣אit.has.been.namednoun phrase · subjectשְׁמ֔nameוֹitsוְandclauseverbנוֹדָ֖ע[it.is].knownnoun phrase · subjectrelpאֲשֶׁר(cmp)clausesubjectה֣וּאhepredicateאָדָ֑ם[is].humanוְandclauseadverbialלֹאnotverbיוּכַ֣לhe.is.ableprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָtoclauseverbדִ֔יןcontendprepositional phrase · prepositionalעִ֥םwithnoun phraserelpשֶׁ[one].who.[is]clausepredicateתַּקִּ֖יףmightyprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִמֶּֽmoreנּוּthan.him

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


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

The Masoretic Text of Ecclesiastes 6:10 states that whatever exists was named long ago and that a man cannot contend with someone stronger than himself. The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in terms of the overall meaning and content, as all 15 words match in a word-by-word correspondence, although the word order and articles differ due to the nature of Greek syntax. There are no significant differences noted in the Samaritan Pentateuch or the Dead Sea Scrolls for this verse, indicating a strong consistency among the ancient witnesses.

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

מַה־ שֶּֽׁהָיָ֗ה כְּבָר֙ נִקְרָ֣א שְׁמ֔וֹ וְנוֹדָ֖ע אֲשֶׁר־ ה֣וּא אָדָ֑ם וְלֹא־ יוּכַ֣ל לָדִ֔ין עִ֥ם שֶׁתַּקִּ֖יף מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
מַה־εἴשֶּֽׁהָיָ֗הἐγένετοכְּבָר֙ἤδηנִקְרָ֣אκέκληταιשְׁמ֔וֹαὐτοῦוְנוֹדָ֖עἐγνώσθηאֲשֶׁר־ה֣וּאἐστινאָדָ֑םἄνθρωποςוְלֹא־οὐיוּכַ֣לδυνήσεταιלָדִ֔יןκριθῆναιעִ֥םμεταשֶׁתַּקִּ֖יףἰσξυροῦמִמֶּֽנּוּ׃αὐτόν

15 of the 15 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.

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.

Ecclesiastes 6:10מָהwhateverwhateverמָההָיָה[that] whic[that] which haהָיָהכְּבָרalreadyalreadyכְּבָרקָרָאit has beenit has been namקָרָאשֵׁםname itsname itsשֵׁםיָדַעand [is] knand [is] knownיָדַעאֲשֶׁר[that] whic[that] whichאֲשֶׁרהוּאheheהוּאאָדָםhumankind [humankind [is]אָדָםלֹאand notand notלֹאיָכֹלhe is ablehe is ableיָכֹלדִּיןto contendto contendדִּיןעִםwithwithעִםתַּקִּיף[one] who [[one] who [is] תַּקִּיףמִן־more than hmore than himמִן־כָּבַרto multiplto multiplyכָּבַרשׂוּםto set: mato set: makeשׂוּםאָדֹםto reddento reddenאָדֹםעָמַםto darkento darkenעָמַםתָּקֵףto prevailto prevailתָּקֵףהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאקָרָאto encountto encounter: mקָרָאמֵןstringstringמֵןכָּ֫כָהthusthusכָּ֫כָהפָּעַלto workto workפָּעַלעוֹלָםforever: aforever: antiquעוֹלָםמָהwhat?what?מָהצוֹםfastfastצוֹםשֵׁםnamenameשֵׁםקָרָאto call: cto call: call tקָרָאיָדָהto give thto give thanksיָדָהאֲנִיIIאֲנִיבִּיןto understto understandבִּין
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 Ecclesiastes 6:10

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.

whatever [that] which has been already it has been named name its and [is] known [that] which he humankind [is] and not he is able to contend with [one] who [is] mighty more than him
מַה־mah- whatever H4100 Pronoun
753× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means what or how, often used to ask questions or express surprise, like in Genesis when God asks Adam what he has done. It can also mean why or when, and is used in various ways throughout the Old Testament. It appears in many KJV translations, including how or what.
Amplified meaning
that which hath been, all things
Tyndale gloss
what?
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָה (mah) is a Hebrew word primarily used as an interrogative particle meaning 'what?' or 'how?'. It can also function as an indefinite pronoun, encompassing meanings like 'anything' or 'whatever'. The word is versatile, appearing in various adverbial forms and often used with prefixes to express different nuances, such as reason or manner.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַה‍ּ, מֶה, מַ‍ּ, מָ—pron.interrog. and indef. what? how? aught

interrog. what?

Used adverbially

Indef. pron.

With preps.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4100 מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַה‍ּ, מֶה, מַ‍ּ, מָ—pron. interrog. and indef. what? how? aught . interrog. what?

. Used adverbially

. Indef. pron.

. With preps.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4100 mah maw

or mah {mah}; or ma {maw}; or ma {mah}; also meh {meh}; a

primitive particle; properly, interrogative what? (including

how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including

how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even

relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various

adverbial or conjunctive senses:--how (long, oft, (-

soever)), (no-)thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing),

whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָה (mah) — what?.

interr pron

1) what, how, of what kind

1a) (interrogative)

1a1) what?

1a2) of what kind

1a3) what? (rhetorical)

1a4) whatsoever, whatever, what

1b) (adverb)

1b1) how, how now

1b2) why

1b3) how! (exclamation)

1c) (with prep)

1c1) wherein?, whereby?, wherewith?, by what means?

1c2) because of what?

1c3) the like of what?

1c3a) how much?, how many?, how often?

1c3b) for how long?

1c4) for what reason?, why?, to what purpose?

1c5) until when?, how long?, upon what?, wherefore?

indef pron

2) anything, aught, what may

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part — Pronoun
HPi
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
whatever [that] which has been already it has been named name its and [is] known [that] which he humankind [is] and not he is able to contend with [one] who [is] mighty more than him
שֶּֽׁהָיָ֗הshe.ha.Yah [that] which has been H1961 Particle · verb qal perfect third person masculine singular
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Amplified meaning
has been
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

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

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

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

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

Come into being, become

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

sq. prep.

become

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

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

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

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

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

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

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

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

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

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

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

. sq. prep.

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

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

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

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

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

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

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

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

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

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

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

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

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

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

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

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

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

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

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

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Rel | V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Particle · verb qal perfect third person masculine singular
HTr/Vqp3ms
whatever [that] which has been already it has been named name its and [is] known [that] which he humankind [is] and not he is able to contend with [one] who [is] mighty more than him
כְּבָר֙ke.Var already H3528 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
9× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Already refers to something that has happened in the past or has been true for a long time, such as in Genesis where it says God had already created the world.
Amplified meaning
already, from the beginning
Tyndale gloss
already
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כְּבָר (kbar) is an adverb meaning 'already' or 'long ago,' indicating a significant passage of time. It is derived from the root word for 'extent of time.' The entries suggest it is used to convey the idea of something that has occurred previously or has been the case for some time.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כְּבָר adv. (late) already

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3528 כְּבָר

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3528 kbar keb-awr'

from 3527; properly, extent of time, i.e. a great while;

hence, long ago, formerly, hitherto:--already, (seeing that

which), now.

see HEBREW for 03527

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כְּבָר (ke.var) — already.

already, long ago, a great while

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adv — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
whatever [that] which has been already it has been named name its and [is] known [that] which he humankind [is] and not he is able to contend with [one] who [is] mighty more than him
נִקְרָ֣אnik.Ra' it has been named H7121 Verb · Niphal · participle (active) masculine singular
733× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to call out to someone or something, often by name. It's used in many situations, like calling for help or reading aloud. In Genesis, God calls out to Adam in the Garden.
Amplified meaning
given a name, designated
Tyndale gloss
to call: call to
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word קָרָא (qara') is a primitive root meaning to call, proclaim, or read. It encompasses a range of actions including calling out, crying for help, reading aloud, and summoning. The word can also imply being called or named in various contexts. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קָרָא 724 vb. call, proclaim, read

Qal

call, cry, utter a loud sound

call, cry

call unto some one

cry for help

proclaim

read aloud

read to oneself

summon

call = name

Niph.

reflex.

pass. be called

Pu. be called

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7121 קָרָא call, proclaim, read .. . call, cry, utter a loud sound

. call, cry

. . call unto some one

. cry for help

. proclaim

. . read aloud

. read to oneself

. summon

. call = name

. . reflex.

. pass. be called

. be called

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7121 qara' kaw-raw'

a primitive root (rather identical with 7122 through the idea

of accosting a person met); to call out to (i.e. properly,

address by name, but used in a wide variety of

applications):--bewray (self), that are bidden, call (for,

forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest, invite,

mention, (give) name, preach, (make) proclaim(- ation),

pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say.

see HEBREW for 07122

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָרָא (qa.ra) — to call: call to.

: call_to/invite/entreat

1) to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to call, cry, utter a loud sound

1a2) to call unto, cry (for help), call (with name of God)

1a3) to proclaim

1a4) to read aloud, read (to oneself), read

1a5) to summon, invite, call for, call and commission, appoint, call and endow

1a6) to call, name, give name to, call by

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to call oneself

1b2) to be called, be proclaimed, be read aloud, be summoned, be named

1c) (Pual) to be called, be named, be called out, be chosen

קָרָא (qa.ra) — to call: call by.

: call_by/name

1) to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to call, cry, utter a loud sound

1a2) to call unto, cry (for help), call (with name of God)

1a3) to proclaim

1a4) to read aloud, read (to oneself), read

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Niphal — Verb · Niphal · participle (active) masculine singular
HVNrmsa
whatever [that] which has been already it has been named name its and [is] known [that] which he humankind [is] and not he is able to contend with [one] who [is] mighty more than him
שְׁמ֔וֹshe.Mo name its H8034 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
864× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, a name represents a person's identity, honor, and character, like God's name symbolizing His power and authority. It appears in Genesis and other books, often referring to God's name or a person's reputation. This concept is central to understanding biblical identity.
Tyndale gloss
name
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֵׁם (shem) means 'name' and encompasses various meanings such as reputation, fame, and glory. It can refer to the designation of God and is often associated with memorials or monuments. The word is built from a primitive root and highlights individuality and honor. There is a mention of its use in relation to false gods, which is forbidden.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֵׁם 864 n.m. name (√ unknown)

of river, beasts, city, i.e. exact designation of it

usu. of pers.

= reputation

esp. as giving a man a kind of posthumous life, esp. in his sons

name, as designation of God

of false gods, use forbidden

= memorial, monument

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8034 שֵׁם name (√ unknown)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8034 shem shame

a primitive word (perhaps rather from 7760 through the idea

of definite and conspicuous position; compare 8064); an

appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by

implication honor, authority, character:--+ base,

(in-)fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.

see HEBREW for 07760

see HEBREW for 08064

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֵׁם (shem) — name.

1) name

1a) name

1b) reputation, fame, glory

1c) the Name (as designation of God)

1d) memorial, monument

Aramaic equivalent: shum (שֻׁם "name" H8036)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcmsc/Sp3ms — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp3ms
whatever [that] which has been already it has been named name its and [is] known [that] which he humankind [is] and not he is able to contend with [one] who [is] mighty more than him
וְנוֹדָ֖עve.no.Da' and [is] known H3045 Conjunction · verb niphal participle (active) masculine singular
945× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to know means to ascertain by seeing, and is used in many senses, including to learn, perceive, and recognize, as seen in various KJV translations.
Tyndale gloss
to know
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָדַע (yada`) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to know,' encompassing a wide range of senses including perception, recognition, and experience. It can refer to knowing someone intimately or being skilled in a task. The word has various forms, indicating actions such as making known or being made known. Lexicons note its use in both literal and figurative contexts, but there is no significant disagreement among them.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָדַע 943 vb. know

Qal

know, learn to know

perceive

perceive and see; find out and discern

discriminate, distinguish

know by experience

recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

consider

not know = not expect

know a person, be acquainted with

know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

be skilful in

abs. have knowledge, be wise

Niph.

be made known, be or become known, of things

make oneself known of pers.

be perceived

be instructed

Pi. cause to know

Pu. known

Hiph. make known, declare

Hoph. made known

Hithp. make oneself known

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3045 יָדַע know .. . know, learn to know

. perceive

. perceive and see; find out and discern

. discriminate, distinguish

. know by experience

. recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess

. consider

. not know = not expect

. know a person, be acquainted with

. know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse

. . know how, to do a thing, be able to do it

. be skilful in

. abs. have knowledge, be wise

. . be made known, be or become known, of things

. make oneself known of pers.

. be perceived

. be instructed

. cause to know

. known

. make known, declare

. made known

. make oneself known

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3045 yada` yaw-dah'

a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing);

used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally,

euphemistically and inferentially (including observation,

care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation,

punishment, etc.) (as follow):--acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted

with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware,

(un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, X

could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to)

discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel,

can have, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause

to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have

(knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be

learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, X

prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man

of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell,

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָדַע (ya.da) — to know.

1) to know

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to know

1a1a) to know, learn to know

1a1b) to perceive

1a1c) to perceive and see, find out and discern

1a1d) to discriminate, distinguish

1a1e) to know by experience

1a1f) to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess

1a1g) to consider

1a2) to know, be acquainted with

1a3) to know (a person carnally)

1a4) to know how, be skilful in

1a5) to have knowledge, be wise

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be made known, be or become known, be revealed

1b2) to make oneself known

1b3) to be perceived

1b4) to be instructed

1c) (Piel) to cause to know

1d) (Poal) to cause to know

1e) (Pual)

1e1) to be known

1e2) known, one known, acquaintance (participle)

1f) (Hiphil) to make known, declare

1g) (Hophal) to be made known

1h) (Hithpael) to make oneself known, reveal oneself

Aramaic equivalent: ye.da (יְדַע "to know" H3046)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Niphal — Conjunction · verb niphal participle (active) masculine singular
HC/VNrmsa
whatever [that] which has been already it has been named name its and [is] known [that] which he humankind [is] and not he is able to contend with [one] who [is] mighty more than him
אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher- [that] which H834 Particle
5,500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Tyndale gloss
which
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֲשֶׁר (*asher*) is a relative pronoun that can mean 'who,' 'which,' or 'that.' It serves various grammatical functions, including as an adverb or conjunction, indicating relationships between clauses, places, or conditions. Variants like בַאֲשֶׁר (*ba-asher*), מֵאֲשֶׁר (*me-asher*), and כַּאֲשֶׁר (*ka-asher*) expand its usage to specific contexts such as location, causation, and time.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.

base

בַאֲשֶׁר

in (that) which

adv. in (the place) where

conj. in that, inasmuch as

on account of whom?

base

מֵאֲשֶׁר

from (or than) that which

adv. from (the place) where

conj. from (the fact) that …, since

base

כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when

according to that which, according as, as

with a causal force, in so far as, since

with a temporal force, when

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H834a אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause. H834b בַאֲשֶׁר . in (that) which

. adv. in (the place) where

. conj. in that, inasmuch as

. on account of whom?

H834c מֵאֲשֶׁר . from (or than) that which

. adv. from (the place) where

. conj. from (the fact) that …, since

H834d כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when . according to that which, according as, as

. with a causal force, in so far as, since

. with a temporal force, when

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

834 'aher ash-er'

a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction)

when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X

alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, +

from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which,

wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where

(+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, +

whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is

indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun

expletively, used to show the connection.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) — which.

A: 1) (relative part.)

1a) which, who

1b) that which

2) (conj)

2a) that (in obj clause)

2b) when

2c) since

2d) as

2e) conditional if

B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

D: Kaph+

1) (conj.), according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since

1c) with a temporal force: when

בַאֲשֶׁר (ba.a.sher) — in which.

1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

מֵאֲשֶׁר (me.a.sher) — whence.

1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka.a.sher) — as which.

conj

1) according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Rel — Particle
HTr
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
whatever [that] which has been already it has been named name its and [is] known [that] which he humankind [is] and not he is able to contend with [one] who [is] mighty more than him
ה֣וּאhu' he H1931 Pronoun
1,879× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word is a pronoun meaning 'he', 'she', or 'it', used to refer to a person or thing. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a subject or make it clear who is being talked about.
Amplified meaning
mankind, humanity
Tyndale gloss
he/she/it
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הוּא (hu) is a third-person singular pronoun meaning he, she, or it, used for emphasis or when no verb is present. It can also refer to oneself or serve as a demonstrative pronoun. The word has various nuances, including resuming the subject with emphasis or expressing it unobtrusively. It can indicate 'that' or 'those' when used with the definite article.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it

an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

It resumes the subj. with emph.

Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

As an emph. predicate, of God

In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1931 הוּא, הִיא he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it . an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)

. It resumes the subj. with emph.

. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible

. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject

. As an emph. predicate, of God

. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)

. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1931 huw' hoo

of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a

primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or

it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also

(intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same;

sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally

(instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self),

it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they,

this, those, which (is), who.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.

pron 3p s

1) he, she, it

1a) himself (with emphasis)

1b) resuming subj with emphasis

1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)

1d) (anticipating subj)

1e) (emphasising predicate)

1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron

2) that (with article)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron — Pronoun
HPp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ha: The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; transliterated in this Encyclopedia as "h." It came also to be used for the number 5. For name, etc., see ALPHABET.

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
whatever [that] which has been already it has been named name its and [is] known [that] which he humankind [is] and not he is able to contend with [one] who [is] mighty more than him
אָדָ֑ם'a.Dam humankind [is] H120 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
551× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Adam was the first human, created by God and mentioned in Genesis 2:19, who married Eve and had sons including Cain, Abel, and Seth.
Amplified meaning
human, mortal
Tyndale gloss
the man (Adam)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָדָם (adam) refers to 'man' or 'mankind,' encompassing both individual humans and the species as a whole. It is also the name of the first man in the Bible, Adam, who is mentioned in various verses, including Genesis 2:19. The term can denote a city in the Jordan valley as well. The entries indicate a range of meanings, but there is no significant disagreement among them.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָדָם 560 n.m. Gn 1:27 man, mankind

a man = human being

coll. man, mankind

n.pr.m. Adam, first man (without art.)

n.pr.loc. city in Jordan valley (as built?)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H120 אָדָם man, mankind . a man = human being

. coll. man, mankind

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

120 'adam aw-dawm'

from 119; ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the

species, mankind, etc.):--X another, + hypocrite, + common

sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person.

see HEBREW for 0119

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָדָם (a.dam) — man.

1) man, mankind

1a) man, human being

1b) man, mankind (much more frequently intended sense in OT)

1c) Adam, first man

1d) city in Jordan valley

אָדָם (a.dam) — the man (Adam).

The first named man living at the time before the Flood, first mentioned at Gen.2.19;

married to Eve (H2332);

father of: Cain (H7014B), Abel (H1893) and Seth (H8352); also translated "man" at Gen.2.19,21,23; 3.8,9,20; 5.2; "mankind" at Deu.32.8; "others" at Job.31.33;

Another spelling of a.dam (אָדָם "Adam" H0121)

man, human being

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
whatever [that] which has been already it has been named name its and [is] known [that] which he humankind [is] and not he is able to contend with [one] who [is] mighty more than him
וְלֹא־ve.lo'- and not H3808 Conjunction · 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.
Amplified meaning
is not able, has no power
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
Conj | Part — Conjunction · particle
HC/Tn
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
whatever [that] which has been already it has been named name its and [is] known [that] which he humankind [is] and not he is able to contend with [one] who [is] mighty more than him
יוּכַ֣לyu.Khal he is able H3201 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
194× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to be able or have power, used in various contexts, such as overcoming or enduring, and is translated as 'be able' or 'have power' in the KJV.
Tyndale gloss
be able
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָכֹל (yakol) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to be able' or 'to have power.' It encompasses a range of abilities, including physical, moral, and constitutional strength, as well as the capacity to endure or prevail. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, but do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָכֹל, יָכוֹל 193 vb. be able, have power, prevail, endure

Qal

be able, to do a thing,, whether ability be physical, moral, constitutional, or dependent on external authority

prevail

abs. have ability, strength, only neg.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3201 יָכֹל, יָכוֹל be able, have power, prevail, endure .. be able, to do a thing,, whether ability be physical, moral, constitutional, or dependent on external authority

. prevail

. abs. have ability, strength, only neg.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3201 yakol yaw-kole'

or (fuller) yakowl {yaw-kole'}; a primitive root; to be able,

literally (can, could) or morally (may, might):--be able, any

at all (ways), attain, can (away with, (-not)), could, endure,

might, overcome, have power, prevail, still, suffer.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָכֹל (ya.khol) — be able.

1) to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, be able

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be able, be able to gain or accomplish, be able to endure, be able to reach

1a2) to prevail, prevail over or against, overcome, be victor

1a3) to have ability, have strength

Aramaic equivalent: ye.khel (יְכִל "be able" H3202)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqi3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singular
HVqi3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a'-b'-l: The Greek dunamai, "to have power," may refer either to inherent strength, or to the absence of in external obstacles, or to what may be allowable or permitted. The Greek ischuo, as in Lu 13:24; Joh 21:6, refers always to the first of the above meanings. The use of the word as an adjective the King James Version of 2Co 3:6, is misleading, and has been properly changed in the Revised Version (British and American) into "sufficient as ministers," i.e. "hath fitted us to be ministers."

whatever [that] which has been already it has been named name its and [is] known [that] which he humankind [is] and not he is able to contend with [one] who [is] mighty more than him
לָדִ֔יןla.Din to contend H1777 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
24× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To judge or plead a cause is the meaning of this Hebrew word, used to describe acting as a judge or governing.
Amplified meaning
strive, argue
Tyndale gloss
to judge
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דִּין (diyn) means to judge or govern, encompassing actions like executing judgment, pleading a cause, and contending. The verb appears in various forms, including Qal and Niphal, indicating both active and passive roles in judgment and strife. Strong's entry also notes a connection to a straight course, particularly in Genesis 6:3.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דִּין vb. judge

Qal

act as judge, minister judgment

plead the cause

execute judgment, vindicate

execute judgment, requite

govern

he cannot contend with one mightier than he

Niph. and all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1777 דִּין judge .. act as judge, minister judgment

. plead the cause

. execute judgment, vindicate

. execute judgment, requite

. govern

. he cannot contend with one mightier than he

. and all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1777 diyn deen

or (Gen. 6:3) duwn {doon}; a primitive roy a straight course,

i.e. sail direct:--(come) with a straight course.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דִּין (din) — to judge.

1) to judge, contend, plead

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to act as judge, minister judgment

1a2) to plead a cause

1a3) to execute judgment, requite, vindicate

1a4) to govern

1a5) to contend, strive

1b) (Niphal) to be at strife, quarrel

Aramaic equivalent: din (דִּין "to judge" H1778)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
HR/Vqcc
whatever [that] which has been already it has been named name its and [is] known [that] which he humankind [is] and not he is able to contend with [one] who [is] mighty more than him
עִ֥ם'im with H5973 Preposition
1,052× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means with or together, like when God is with his people in Exodus 33:14-15. It's used to describe accompaniment or association, and can also mean against or beside. The word is used to convey a sense of relationship or proximity between people or things.
Tyndale gloss
with
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עִם (im) is a preposition meaning 'with' and covers a range of relationships, including companionship, locality, and possession. It can imply actions done jointly, equality, or even opposition in contexts like combat. The related form מֵעִם (me.im) means 'from with' or 'beside.' The entries reflect various nuances but do not present significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִם prep. with

of fellowship and companionship

of aid

Of actions done jointly with another

If the common action be of the nature of a contest or combat, with in the sense of against

Of dealing with a person, or of the relation in which one stands with, or towards, another

Of a common lot together with the wicked

Of equality or resemblance generally aid

Of time, as long as

Of a locality, close to, beside

Of persons, עִם is spec.

in the house or family or service of

In possession of

In the custody or care of

Beside = except

With = friendly with

Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one

Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding

base

מֵעִם 72 from with or beside

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5973a עִם with . of fellowship and companionship

. Of a locality, close to, beside

. Of persons, עִם is spec. . in the house or family or service of

. In possession of

. In the custody or care of

. Beside = except

. With = friendly with

. Idiom. of a thought or purpose present with one

. Metaph. together with = in spite of, notwithstanding

H5973b מֵעִם from with, beside

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5973 `im eem

from 6004; adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction

with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with;

often with prepositional prefix (and then usually

unrepresented in English):--accompanying, against, and, as (X

long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from

(among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-)to,

with(-al).

see HEBREW for 06004

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִם (im) — with.

1) with

1a) with

1b) against

1c) toward

1d) as long as

מֵעִם (me.im) — from with.

1a) beside, except

1b) in spite of

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
whatever [that] which has been already it has been named name its and [is] known [that] which he humankind [is] and not he is able to contend with [one] who [is] mighty more than him
שֶׁתַּקִּ֖יףshe.hat.kif [one] who [is] mighty H8623 Particle
1× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

תַּקִּיף adj. mighty;—Ec 10:6.

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8623 תַּקִּיף

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8623 taqqiyph tak-keef'

from 8630; powerful:--mightier.

see HEBREW for 08630

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תַּקִּיף (taq.qiph) — mighty.

mighty

Aramaic equivalent: taq.qiph (תַּקִּיף "strong" H8624)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTr/Aamsa — Particle
HTr/Aamsa
whatever [that] which has been already it has been named name its and [is] known [that] which he humankind [is] and not he is able to contend with [one] who [is] mighty more than him
מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃mi.Me.nu more than him H4480 Preposition · suffix
1,189× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means a portion or part of something, and is often used to show the relationship between things, like from or out of something.
Amplified meaning
him, himself
Tyndale gloss
from
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מִן־ (*min*) is a preposition meaning 'from' or 'out of,' indicating separation or origin. It covers various uses, including temporal references, comparisons, and causal relationships. Additionally, it can denote a portion when used as a noun מֵן (*men*). The entries highlight its versatility in expressing different nuances of separation and position.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִן־, and מִ, before יְ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not

with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal

from, against

מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

of position, off, on the side of, on

Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

Partitively

Of time—

as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

towards, to

(וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

In comparisons, beyond, above

מן is prefixed to an infin.:

with causal force, from, on account of, through

after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

with a temporal force, since, after

Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

In compounds:

base

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4480a מִן־, מִ, prep. expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not . with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal . from, against

. מן also, without a verb of similar significance, sometimes expresses the idea of separation, away from, far from

. of position, off, on the side of, on

. Out of, Gk. ἐκ, Lat. ex

. Partitively

. Of time— . as marking the terminus a quo, the anterior limit of a continuous period from, since

. as marking the period immediately succeeding the limit after

. towards, to

. (וְעַד) עַד … מִן from … even to

. In comparisons, beyond, above

. מן is prefixed to an infin.: . with causal force, from, on account of, through

. after verbs implying restraint, prevention, cessation, etc.

. with a temporal force, since, after

. Once as a conj. before a finite verb. that

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4480 min min

or minniy {min-nee'}; or minney (constructive plural)

{min-nay'}; (Isaiah 30:11); for 4482; properly, a part of;

hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses (as

follows):--above, after, among, at, because of, by (reason

of), from (among), in, X neither, X nor, (out) of, over,

since, X then, through, X whether, with.

see HEBREW for 04482

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִן־ (min) — from.

prep

1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than

1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of

1b) out of

1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling)

1b2) (of material from which something is made)

1b3) (of source or origin)

1c) out of, some of, from (partitively)

1d) from, since, after (of time)

1e) than, more than (in comparison)

1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or

1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons)

1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive)

conj

2) that

Aramaic equivalent: min (מִן־ "from" H4481)

מֵן (men) — portion.

n.m.

portion

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp3ms
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.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate