Menu

Exodus 30:23 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוְאַתָּ֣ה קַח־ לְךָ֮ בְּשָׂמִ֣ים רֹאשׁ֒ מָר־ דְּרוֹר֙ חֲמֵ֣שׁ מֵא֔וֹת וְקִנְּמָן־ בֶּ֥שֶׂם מַחֲצִית֖וֹ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים וּמָאתָ֑יִם וּקְנֵה־ בֹ֖שֶׂם חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּמָאתָֽיִם׃

BSATakelâqach the finestrôʼsh [choicest, principal] spicesbesem 500 shekelschâmêsh of liquiddᵉrôwr [flowing, pure] myrrhmôr [a bitter resin used in perfume and sacred oil] half [that amount]machătsîyth (250 shekels)chămishshîym of fragrantbesem [sweet] cinnamonqinnâmôwn [a fragrant bark used as a spice] 250 shekelschămishshîym of fragrantbesem [sweet, aromatic] caneqâneh [a type of reed or calamus]

Word
Listen & take awayExodus 30
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 23 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 (u.ma.Ta.yim) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Exodus 30:23quick helps
In a sentenceGod instructs Moses to take specific quantities of fine spices for sacred anointing oil.
Who is speakingThe LORD, giving detailed instructions to Moses.
Where we areInstructions for the preparation of anointing oil, part of the laws given to Israel.
The hard wordמָר־, mor-
Take awayThe specific ingredients and their quantities highlight the care in preparing sacred items.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Ellicott & more — read them › clause subjectאַתָּה verbלָקַח 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 — Exodus 30:23

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

Context — Instructions for the Anointing Oilgenerated

22Then the LORD said to Moses,
23“Take the finest spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half that amount (250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane,
24500 shekels of cassia —all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil.
25Prepare from these a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be a sacred anointing oil.

Exodus 30:23 details God's command to Moses regarding the preparation of anointing oil, which was to include specific spices. This instruction is part of a broader set of laws concerning worship and the sanctuary, emphasizing the importance of purity and intentionality in offerings. The anointing oil was significant for consecrating priests and sacred objects, marking them as set apart for God's service.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Exodus 37:29He also made the sacred anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense, the work of a perfumer.
2Psalm 45:8All your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces of ivory the harps make you glad.
3Proverbs 7:17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, with aloes, and with cinnamon.
4Song of Solomon 1:3–13
5Song of Solomon 4:14

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word מָר־, mor-generated

The word מָר (mor) refers to myrrh, a bitter resin valued for its fragrance and use in sacred oil. It signifies a precious commodity in ancient Israel and is often associated with rituals and anointing.

In this context, myrrh is one of the key ingredients in the anointing oil, indicating its importance in the sacred practices of worship. The use of myrrh reflects both its aromatic qualities and its symbolic significance in setting apart the holy items.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is presented in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the term myrrh for מָר.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The sentence begins with the verb קַח, kach, meaning take, addressing Moses directly. This imperative form sets the tone for the command.

The structure lists the spices in a series, emphasizing the quantities and types, which are crucial for the preparation of the anointing oil. The use of conjunctions connects the various elements, creating a clear and organized instruction.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates מָר as σμύρνης, indicating a direct correspondence to myrrh, maintaining the aromatic and sacred qualities of the substance.

This choice reflects the understanding of myrrh's significance in both Hebrew and Greek traditions, emphasizing its role in sacred rituals.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Exodus 30:23 records God's command to Moses to take specific spices for making anointing oil. The ingredients include 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, 250 shekels of fragrant cinnamon, and 250 shekels of fragrant cane. These instructions highlight the care and detail involved in preparing sacred items for worship.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What is the significance of the spices mentioned?

The spices are essential for creating a sacred anointing oil, which is used to consecrate priests and holy objects, emphasizing their importance in worship.

Why is myrrh specifically mentioned?

Myrrh is valued for its fragrance and is associated with sacred rituals, making it a critical component in the preparation of anointing oil.

How does this command relate to the overall laws given to Israel?

This command is part of a larger set of instructions regarding worship and the sanctuary, highlighting the importance of purity and intentionality in offerings.

What other biblical references relate to these spices?

Other references include Psalm 45:8 and Song of Solomon 4:14, which also mention spices and fragrances in the context of beauty and sacredness.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What can I learn about the importance of preparation in my own life from this command?
  2. How do the specific ingredients reflect the nature of worship in ancient Israel?
  3. In what ways can I apply the concept of being set apart for a purpose in my daily life?
  4. How does understanding the significance of these spices enhance my appreciation for the rituals in the Bible?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Exodus 30:23 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Take thou also unto thee principal spices,.... To make the anointing oil with, and are as follow: of pure myrrh five hundred shekels; it is strange that Saadiah, and so Maimonides (f), should take

Read John Gill on Exodus 30 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take thou also ... Oil is frequently mentioned in Scripture as an emblem of sanctification (cf.

Read Robert Jamieson on Exodus 30 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Take thou also unto thee: the words are very emphatical, and the Jews from hence do rightly infer, that this ointment was but once made, and that by Moses’ s own hands. Spices: see ; and compare . Pure myrrh, Heb. myrrh of liberty; either, 1. Free from adulteration or mixture; or rather, 2. Freely dropping from the tree, which is esteemed better than that which is forced out of it. Calamus; a sweet reed, of which see .

Read Matthew Poole on Exodus 30 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(23) Principal spices.—The East is productive of a great variety of spices; but of these some few have always been regarded with especial favour. Herodotus (iii. 107-112) mentions five “principal spices” as furnished by Arabia to other countries, whereof two at least appear to be identical with those here spoken of. Pure myrrh.—Heb., myrrh of freedom. The shrub which produces myrrh is the balsamodendron myrrha. The spice is obtained from it in two ways. That which is purest and best exudes from it naturally (Theophrast. De Odoribus, § 29; Plin., H. N., xii. 35), and is here called “myrrh of freedom,” or “freely flowing myrrh.” The other and inferior form is obtained from incisions made in…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Exodus 30 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 23. Take - unto thee principal spices] From this and the following verse we learn that the holy anointing oil was compounded of the following ingredients: - Pure myrrh, מר דרור mar deror 500 shekels - Myrrh is the produce of an oriental tree not well known, and is collected by making an incision in the tree. What is now called by this name is precisely the same with that of the ancients. Sweet cinnamon, קנמן בשם kinnemon besem, (probably from Arabia) 250 shekels. Sweet calamus, קנה בשם keneh bosem, or sweet cane, Jeremiah 6:20. - Calamus aromaticus. Cassia, קדה kildah, (cassia lignea,) brought also from Arabia. 500 shekels. Olive oil, שמן זית shemen sayith, one hin, about... 5 quarts.…

Read AdamClarke on Exodus 30 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

23. Take thou also] And thou (emph.), take: cf. on Exodus 27:20. spices] such as were brought to Solomon by the Queen of Sheba, and others (1 Kings 10:2; 1 Kings 10:10; 1 Kings 10:15), and prized by the Hebrews (Son 4:10; Son 4:14; Son 4:16; Son 5:13; Isaiah 39:2). For chief (i.e. finest, best), cf. Son 4:14, Ezekiel 27:22; and for the Heb. idiom here, G.-K. § 131d. flowing myrrh] cf. Son 5:5; Son 5:13, which likewise imply a liquid. Modern ‘myrrh’ (the produce of Balsamodendron Myrrha, indigenous in Yemen and E. Africa) is, however, a solid, and also devoid, or nearly so, of aroma: the liquid mτr of the Hebrews appears to have been what is now called the ‘Balsam of Mecca,’ a ‘greenish…

Read Cambridge on Exodus 30 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

THE OIL, Exodus 30:22-23. 89504e470d0a1a0a0000000d49484452000000a6000000fe08020000003f37e9ba000000097048597300000ec400000ec401

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Exodus 30 →

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

“Take the finest spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half that amount (250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“Also take fine spices: of liquid myrrh, five hundred shekels; and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, even two hundred and fifty; and of fragrant cane, two hundred and fifty;

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

“Take the finest spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half that amount (250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane,

NETBNew English Translation2006

“Take choice spices: twelve and a half pounds of free-flowing myrrh, half that – about six and a quarter pounds – of sweet-smelling cinnamon, six and a quarter pounds of sweet-smelling cane,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Take thou also unto thee the chief spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty,

RVARevised Version, American1894

Take thou also unto thee the chief spices, of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty,

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Take thou also to thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels , and of sweet cinnamon half as much, even two hundred and fifty shekels , and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels ,

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Take thou also vnto thee, principall spices of the most pure myrrhe fiue hundreth shekels, of sweete cinamon halfe so much, that is, two hundreth and fiftie, and of sweete calamus, two hundreth, and fiftie:

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And thou, take best spices — of liquid myrrh five hundred [shekels], and of sweet cinnamon the half — two hundred and fifty, and of sweet myrtle two hundred and fifty,

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

'And thou, take to thyself principal spices, wild honey five hundred [shekels]; and spice-cinnamon, the half of that, two hundred and fifty; and spice-cane two hundred and fifty;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

“And you, take [these] principal spices for yourself: five hundred [shekels] of liquid myrrh, and the half of that—two hundred and fifty [shekels]—of spice-cinnamon, and two hundred and fifty [shekels] of spice-cane,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And thou, take unto thyself principal spices: of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon, its half shall be two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

“Take these fine spices: five hundred shekels of flowing myrrh, 250 shekels of sweet-smelling cinnamon, 250 shekels of sweet-smelling cane,

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Saying: Take spices, of principal and chosen myrrh five hundred sicles, and of cinnamon half so much, that is, two hundred and fifty sicles, of calamus in like manner two hundred and fifty.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

“Take the best quality spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, 250 shekels of sweet-smelling cinnamon, 250 shekels of aromatic reed,

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Take the best spices, five hundred shekels' weight of liquid myrrh, and of sweet cinnamon half as much, that is, two hundred and fifty shekels, and two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet calamus,

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.

וְandclausesubjectאַתָּ֣הyouverbקַחtakeprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְforךָ֮yourselfnoun phrase · objectnoun phraseבְּשָׂמִ֣יםspicesרֹאשׁ֒[the].bestnoun phrasenoun phrasenoun phraseמָרmyrrhדְּרוֹר֙of.flowingnumeral phraseחֲמֵ֣שׁfiveמֵא֔וֹתhundred(s)וְandnoun phrasenoun phrasenoun phraseקִנְּמָןcinnamonבֶּ֥שֶׂםof.spicenoun phraseמַחֲצִית֖halfוֹitsnumeral phraseחֲמִשִּׁ֣יםfiftyוּandמָאתָ֑יִםtwo.hundredוּandnoun phrasenoun phraseקְנֵהcaneבֹ֖שֶׂםof.spicenumeral phraseחֲמִשִּׁ֥יםfiftyוּandמָאתָֽיִםtwo.hundred

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 in many respects, although the Samaritan Pentateuch differs in four words, notably using מרדרור (liquid myrrh) and קנמון (cinnamon). The Dead Sea Scrolls show partial restoration but align closely with the Masoretic Text.

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

וְאַתָּ֣ה קַח־ לְךָ֮ בְּשָׂמִ֣ים רֹאשׁ֒ מָר־ דְּרוֹר֙ חֲמֵ֣שׁ מֵא֔וֹת וְקִנְּמָן־ בֶּ֥שֶׂם מַחֲצִית֖וֹ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים וּמָאתָ֑יִם וּקְנֵה־ בֹ֖שֶׂם חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּמָאתָֽיִם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְאַתָּ֣הσὺקַח־λαβὲבְּשָׂמִ֣יםἡδύσματαמָר־σμύρνηςדְּרוֹר֙ἐκλεκτῆςמֵא֔וֹתπεντακοσίουςוְקִנְּמָן־κινναμώμουבֶּ֥שֶׂםεὐώδουςמַחֲצִית֖וֹἥμισυחֲמִשִּׁ֣יםπεντήκονταוּקְנֵה־καλάμουבֹ֖שֶׂםεὐώδουςחֲמִשִּׁ֥יםπεντήκοντα

13 of the 18 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

ואתה קח לך בשׂמים ראשׁ מרדרור חמשׁ מאות וקנמון בשׂם מחציתו חמשׁים ומאתים וקנה בשׂם חמשׁים ומאתים

4 words differ from the Masoretic Text: מרדרור (liquid myrrh), קנמון (cinnamon), בשׂם (balsam-tree), בשׂם (balsam-tree)

Dead Sea Scrolls — 2Q2a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ואתה] [קח] [ל׳ך] [בשמים] [רואש] [מור] [דרור] [חמש] [מאות] [וקנמון] בשם מחצית׳ו [חמשים] [ומאתים] [וקנה] [בושם] [חמשים] [ומאתים]

nothing on the leather here — 2 partly restored, 16 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.

Exodus 30:23אַתָּ֫הand youand youאַתָּ֫הלָקַחtaketakeלָקַחךָּfor yourselfor yourselfךָּבֹּ֫שֶׂםspicesspicesבֹּ֫שֶׂםרֹאשׁ[the] best[the] bestרֹאשׁמֹרmyrrh ofmyrrh ofמֹרדְּרוֹרflowingflowingדְּרוֹרחָמֵשׁfivefiveחָמֵשׁמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהקִנָּמוֹןand cinnamoand cinnamon ofקִנָּמוֹןבֹּ֫שֶׂםspicespiceבֹּ֫שֶׂםמַחֲצִיתhalf itshalf itsמַחֲצִיתחֲמִשִּׁיםfiftyfiftyחֲמִשִּׁיםמֵאָהand two hunand two hundredמֵאָהקָנֶהand cane ofand cane ofקָנֶהבֹּ֫שֶׂםspicespiceבֹּ֫שֶׂםחֲמִשִּׁיםfiftyfiftyחֲמִשִּׁיםמֵאָהand two hunand two hundredמֵאָהבֹּ֫שֶׂםspicespiceבֹּ֫שֶׂםמָרַרto provoketo provokeמָרַרחָצָהto divideto divideחָצָהחָמֵשׁfivefiveחָמֵשׁקָנָהto buyto buyקָנָהיָקָרpreciouspreciousיָקָרגַּןgardengardenגַּןאֶ֫לֶףthousandthousandאֶ֫לֶףחֲמִשִּׁיםfiftyfiftyחֲמִשִּׁיםמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהיָרַשׁto possessto possess: posיָרַשׁמוּסָרdisciplinedisciplineמוּסָראִשָּׁהwomanwomanאִשָּׁהעֲטָרָהcrowncrownעֲטָרָהנָשִׂיאleaderleaderנָשִׂיאאהלaloealoeאהלנָטַףto drip/prto drip/prophesנָטַףפְּקַח־קוֹחַwide, or cwide, or compleפְּקַח־קוֹחַ
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 Exodus 30:23

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
וְאַתָּ֣הve.'a.Tah and you H859 Conjunction · pronoun
1,094× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
You is the translation of a Hebrew word used to address someone directly, like when God says you to someone in the Bible. It can be singular or plural, and is often translated as thee, thou, or ye.
Tyndale gloss
you(m.s.)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַתָּ֫ה (attah) is a second-person pronoun in Hebrew, used to address someone directly. It has masculine and feminine forms: אַתָּה for singular masculine, אַתְּ for singular feminine, אַתֶּם for plural masculine, and אַתֵּן for plural feminine. The entries indicate variations in form and usage, reflecting the pronoun's grammatical complexity.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַתָּ֫ה, אָ֑תָּה pron. 2 s. m. thou

base

אתי, i.e. אתִּי, the older & more original form of אַתְּ thou (fem.)

base

אַתְּ, אָ֑תְּ pron. 2 s. f. thou (fem.)

base

אַתֶּם pron. 2 m. pl. you (masc.)

base

אַתֵּן pron. 2 f. pl. you (fem.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H859a אַתָּ֫ה, אָ֑תָּה pron. 2 s. m. thou H859b אתי, i.e. אתִּי, the older & more original form of אַתְּ thou (fem.) H859c אַתְּ, אָ֑תְּ pron. 2 s. f. thou (fem.) H859d אַתֶּם pron. 2 m. pl. you (masc.) H859e אַתֵּן pron. 2 f. pl. you (fem.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

859 'attah at-taw'

or (shortened); aatta {at-taw'}; or wath {ath}; feminine

(irregular) sometimes nattiy {at-tee'}; plural masculine attem

{at- tem'}; feminine atten {at-ten'}; or oattenah

{at-tay'naw}; or fattennah {at-tane'-naw}; a primitive pronoun

of the second person; thou and thee, or (plural) ye and

you:--thee, thou, ye, you.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַתָּ֫ה (at.tah) — you(m.s.).

you (second pers. sing. masc.)

אתִּי (ti) — you(f.s.).

you (second pers. sing. fem.)

A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)

אַתְּ (at.te) — you(f.s.).

you (second pers. sing. fem.)

A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)

אַתֶּם (at.tem) — you(m.p.).

you (second pers. pl. masc.)

Aramaic equivalent: an.tun (אַנְתּוּן "you" H0608)

אַתֵּן (at.ten) — you(f.p.).

you (second pers. pl. fem.)

A grammatical form of at.tah (אַתָּ֫ה "you(m.s.)" H0859A)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Pp2ms — Conjunction · pronoun
HC/Pp2ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
קַח־kach- take H3947 Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine singular
966× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to take or get something, and it is used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to take a wife, to take possession of something, or to receive a gift. For example, in Genesis 2:22, God takes a rib from Adam to create Eve.
Tyndale gloss
to take: take
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word לָקַח (*laqach*) means 'to take' and encompasses a wide range of actions, including to receive, seize, capture, and carry away. It can refer to taking something in hand, taking a wife, or even taking vengeance. The verb has various forms indicating different nuances, such as being taken away or captured.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לָקַח 965 vb. take

Qal

take, take in hand

take and carry along with oneself

take from, or out of

take, carry away

take away from, so as to deprive of

esp. take away life

take to or for a person

take up, upon = put upon

= fetch

take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)

take = capture, seize

take = carry off

in phr. take vengeance

Niph.

be captured, of ark

be taken away, removed

be taken, brought unto

Pu.

be taken from, out of

= be stolen from

be taken captive

be taken away, removed

Hoph.

be taken, brought unto

be taken out of

be taken away from

Hithp. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3947 לָקַח take .. take, take in hand

. take and carry along with oneself

. . take from, or out of

. take, carry away

. take away from, so as to deprive of

. esp. take away life

. take to or for a person

. take up, upon = put upon

. = fetch

. take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)

. take = capture, seize

. take = carry off

. in phr. take vengeance

. . be captured, of ark

. be taken away, removed

. be taken, brought unto

. . be taken from, out of

. = be stolen from

. be taken captive

. be taken away, removed

. . be taken, brought unto

. be taken out of

. be taken away from

. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3947 laqach law-kakh'

a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of

applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch,

get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve,

seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לָקַח (la.qach) — to take: take.

: take

1) to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to take, take in the hand

1a2) to take and carry along

1a3) to take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away

1a4) to take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of, select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept

1a5) to take up or upon, put upon

1a6) to fetch

1a7) to take, lead, conduct

1a8) to take, capture, seize

1a9) to take, carry off 1a10) to take (vengeance)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be captured

1b2) to be taken away, be removed

1b3) to be taken, brought unto

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to be taken from or out of

1c2) to be stolen from

1c3) to be taken captive

1c4) to be taken away, be removed

1d) (Hophal)

1d1) to be taken unto, be brought unto

1d2) to be taken out of

1d3) to be taken away

1e) (Hithpael)

1e1) to take hold of oneself

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Impv-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine singular
HVqv2ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

tak: Most of the very numerous examples of this word are still in good use and only a few call for special attention. "To take" in the sense of "capture" is still common, but when a person or living animal is in point, modern English usually adds "prisoner" or "captive." English Versions of the Bible not infrequently has this addition (Ge 14:14, etc.), but more commonly "take" is used without it (Jos 10:39; Job 5:13; Sirach 23:21; Joh 7:30, etc.). An occasional obscurity is thus caused, as in Ge 27:3, "take me venison" for "hunt venison for me." "To take advice" (2Ch…

and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
לְךָ֮le.Kha for yourself H9031 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

ךָּ (ka) — you.

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HRd/Sp2ms — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp2ms
and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
בְּשָׂמִ֣יםbe.sa.Mim spices H1314 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
29× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes a pleasant smell, like a sweet perfume or fragrance. It can also refer to the balsam plant or tree, which was known for its sweet odor.
Tyndale gloss
spice
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֹּ֫שֶׂם (besem) refers to spice, specifically balsam and the balsam tree, with connotations of fragrance and sweet odor. The word is built from a root related to scent and encompasses meanings like perfume and spicery. It appears in contexts discussing pleasant aromas.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֹּ֫שֶׂם n.m. spice, balsam, balsam-tree

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1314 בֹּ֫שֶׂם spice, balsam, balsam-tree

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1314 besem beh'-sem

or bosem {bo'-sem}; from the same as 1313; fragrance; by

implication, spicery; also the balsam plant:--smell, spice,

sweet (odour).

see HEBREW for 01313

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֶּ֫שֶׂם (be.sem) — spice.

1) spice, balsam, balsam tree, perfume

2) (TWOT) sweet, sweet smell, sweet odour

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Spices

Aromatic substances, of which several are named in Ex. 30. They were used in the sacred anointing oil (Ex. 25:6; 35:8; 1 Chr. 9:29), and in embalming the dead (2 Chr. 16:14; Luke 23:56; 24:1; John 19:39, 40). Spices were stored by Hezekiah in his treasure-house (2 Kings 20:13; Isa. 39:2).

Nave's Topical Bible

→ In the formula for the sacred oil Ex 25:6; 35:8

→ Stores of 2Ki 20:13

→ Used in the temple 1Ch 9:29

→ Exported from Gilead Ge 37:25

→ Sent as a present by Jacob to Joseph Ge 43:11

→ Presented by the Queen of Sheba to Solomon 1Ki 10:2,10

→ Sold in the marketplaces of Tyre Eze 27:22

→ Used in the embalming of Asa 2Ch 16:14

Thompson Chain Reference topics
and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
רֹאשׁ֒roSh [the] best H7218 Noun common · masculine singular construct
600× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means chief or prince, and is used to describe leaders in the Bible, such as in the book of 1 Samuel. It signifies a position of authority and importance.
Amplified meaning
choicest, principal
Tyndale gloss
head
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֹאשׁ (ro'sh) means 'head' and encompasses various meanings related to position and rank. It can refer to the head of a person or animal, the top of a mountain, or a chief in various contexts, such as a city or nation. The word also signifies beginnings and sums, appearing in phrases related to enumeration. Additionally, it serves as a proper noun for 'Rosh,' a title for a chief or prince.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֹאשׁ 599 n.m.

(c. 230 t.) head, of human being

head, of animals

top (88 t.)

height, of stars

head = chief (man)

= chief (city)

chief nation

= chief (place, position)

= chief priest

= head of a family

head = front, leader's place

of time, beginning, of night watch

of things, river-heads

chief, choicest, best, of spices

head = division of army, company, band

= sum, esp. in phr. take sum of, enumerate

other phr.

base

רֹאשׁ n.pr.gent. Rôsh

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7218a רֹאשׁ . . (c. 230 t.) head, of human being

. head, of animals

. . top (88 t.)

. height, of stars

. . head = chief (man)

. = chief (city)

. chief nation

. = chief (place, position)

. = chief priest

. = head of a family

. . head = front, leader's place

. of time, beginning, of night watch

. of things, river-heads

. chief, choicest, best, of spices

. head = division of army, company, band

. = sum, esp. in phr. take sum of, enumerate

. other phr.

H7218b רֹאשׁ n. pr. gent. Rôsh

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7218 ro'sh roshe

from an unused root apparently meaning to shake; the head (as

most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many

applications, of place, time, rank, itc.):--band, beginning,

captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company,

end, X every (man), excellent, first, forefront, ((be-))head,

height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), X lead, X poor,

principal, ruler, sum, top.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head.

: head

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

1b) top, tip (of mountain)

1c) height (of stars)

1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest)

1e) head, front, beginning

1f) chief, choicest, best

1g) head, division, company, band

1h) sum

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — prince.

Rosh, a tite for a chief or prince

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head: leader.

: leader

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

1b) top, tip (of mountain)

1c) height (of stars)

1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest)

1e) head, front, beginning

1f) chief, choicest, best

1g) head, division, company, band

1h) sum

רֹאשׁ (rosh) — head: top.

: top/best

1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning

1a) head (of man, animals)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Of five Hebrew originals the chief is Tobh, "good," expressing quality, character. Variously used of objects pleasing to the senses, feelings, mind, moral sense, e.g. "best of the land" (Ge 47:6); "of sheep" (1Sa 15:9); of persons "married to whom they think best" (Nu 36:6); of abode, "where it liketh (the Revised Version (British and American) "pleaseth") him best" (De 23:16).

In Nu 18:12 the revenues of the priests were to be "holy gifts," e.g. the "best of the oil," etc. (chelebh, "fat"); also 18:29,30,32, the gifts of the heave-offering were to be "of all the best," indicating that the richest elements of life were…

and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
מָר־mor- myrrh of H4753 Noun common · masculine singular construct
12× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Mor is the Hebrew word for myrrh, a bitter resin used in perfume and sacred oil. It is mentioned in the Bible as a valuable commodity.
Amplified meaning
a bitter resin used in perfume and sacred oil
Tyndale gloss
myrrh
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מֹר (mor) refers to myrrh, a gum from a tree's bark, known for its bitter taste and used in sacred oil and perfume. The entries indicate that it is associated with distillation and has a connection to the Hebrew root for bitterness. It appears in contexts such as Song of Solomon 6:5.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֹר, מוֹר n.m. Ct 6:5 myrrh (fr. bitter taste)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4753 מֹר, מוֹר

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4753 more mor

or mowr {more}; from 4843; myrrh (as distilling in drops, and

also as bitter):--myrrh.

see HEBREW for 04843

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֹר (mor) — myrrh.

1) myrrh

1a) an Arabian gum from the bark of a tree, used in sacred oil and in perfume

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

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

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

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

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

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

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

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

Lamentations 3:1.

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

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

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

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

and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
דְּרוֹר֙de.rOr flowing H1865 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
8× 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 freedom or liberty, like a flowing stream, and is used to describe a clear and spontaneous outflow. It appears in Leviticus 25:10, where God commands the Israelites to proclaim liberty throughout the land. This concept is also seen in Isaiah 61:1.
Amplified meaning
flowing, pure
Tyndale gloss
liberty
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

דְּרוֹר (drowr) refers to concepts of flowing and liberty. It is associated with a spontaneous outflow, suggesting freedom in movement. The term is linked to myrrh, indicating a fine, flowing quality, and is used in contexts that proclaim liberty.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

דְּרוֹר n.[m.] a flowing; free run, liberty;—

myrrh of flowing, fine-flowing m.

proclaim liberty

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1865 דְּרוֹר a flowing; free run, liberty

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1865 drowr der-ore'

from an unused root (meaning to move rapidly); freedom;

hence, spontaneity of outflow, and so clear:--liberty, pure.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

דְּרוֹר (de.ror) — liberty.

1) a flowing, free run, liberty

1a) flowing (of myrrh)

1b) liberty

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
חֲמֵ֣שׁcha.Mesh five H2568 Adj
343× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word simply means the number five. It is used throughout the Bible to describe quantities of five, such as five loaves of bread in Matthew 14:17. It can also mean a multiple of five.
Tyndale gloss
five
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָמֵשׁ (chamesh) means 'five' in Hebrew. It serves as both a cardinal number and can indicate a multiple of five when combined with another number. The word also has an ordinal form, 'fifth.' The entries consistently define this numeral without any noted disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָמֵשׁ, חֲמִשָּׁה 342 n.m. and f. five

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2568 חָמֵשׁ, חֲמִשָּׁה five

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2568 chamesh khaw-maysh'

masculine chamishshah {kham-ish-shaw}; a primitive numeral;

five:--fif(-teen), fifth, five (X apiece).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָמֵשׁ (cha.mesh) — five.

1) five

1a) five (cardinal number)

1b) a multiple of five (with another number)

1c) fifth (ordinal number)

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

fiv (chamesh; pente).

See NUMBER.

and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
מֵא֔וֹתme.'ot hundred H3967
581× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means a hundred, used as a simple number or part of a larger number in the Bible. It appears in various forms, including fractions like one one-hundredth. Found in books like Genesis and Psalms.
Tyndale gloss
hundred
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מֵאָה (me'ah) means 'hundred' in Hebrew. It can refer to a simple number, a component of a larger number, or a fraction representing one one-hundredth. The entries consistently describe its use as a numeral without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֵאָה 583 n.f. hundred

as simple number

as part of larger number

a hundredth part

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3967 מֵאָה hundred . as simple number

. as part of larger number

. a hundredth part

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3967 me'ah may-aw'

or metyah {may-yaw'}; properly, a primitive numeral; a

hundred; also as a multiplicative and a

fraction:--hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֵאָה (me.ah) — hundred.

1) hundred

1a) as simple number

1b) as part of larger number

1c) as a fraction-one one-hundredth (1/100)

Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְאָה "hundred" H3969)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HAcfpa
HAcfpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).

See NUMBER.

and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
וְקִנְּמָן־ve.ki.ne.mon- and cinnamon of H7076 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
3× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to cinnamon, a fragrant bark used as a spice, often rolled up and used for flavoring. It is mentioned in the Bible as a valuable commodity. The KJV translates it simply as cinnamon.
Amplified meaning
a fragrant bark used as a spice
Tyndale gloss
cinnamon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קִנָּמוֹן (qinnamown) refers to cinnamon, specifically the fragrant bark used as a spice. The word is thought to come from a foreign origin and is associated with the idea of upright rolls, possibly due to its form. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meaning.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קִנָּמוֹן n.m. cinnamon (prob. foreign wd., coming with the thing from remote E.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7076 קִנָּמוֹן

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7076 qinnamown kin-naw-mone'

from an unused root (meaning to erect); cinnamon bark (as in

upright rolls):--cinnamon.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קִנָּמוֹן (qin.na.mon) — cinnamon.

1) cinnamon

1a) fragrant bark used as spice

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
HC/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

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

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

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

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

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

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

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

Lamentations 3:1.

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

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

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

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

and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
בֶּ֥שֶׂםBe.sem spice H1314 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
29× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes a pleasant smell, like a sweet perfume or fragrance. It can also refer to the balsam plant or tree, which was known for its sweet odor.
Amplified meaning
sweet
Tyndale gloss
spice
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֹּ֫שֶׂם (besem) refers to spice, specifically balsam and the balsam tree, with connotations of fragrance and sweet odor. The word is built from a root related to scent and encompasses meanings like perfume and spicery. It appears in contexts discussing pleasant aromas.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֹּ֫שֶׂם n.m. spice, balsam, balsam-tree

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1314 בֹּ֫שֶׂם spice, balsam, balsam-tree

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1314 besem beh'-sem

or bosem {bo'-sem}; from the same as 1313; fragrance; by

implication, spicery; also the balsam plant:--smell, spice,

sweet (odour).

see HEBREW for 01313

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֶּ֫שֶׂם (be.sem) — spice.

1) spice, balsam, balsam tree, perfume

2) (TWOT) sweet, sweet smell, sweet odour

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
מַחֲצִית֖וֹma.cha.tzi.To half its H4276 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
16× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to something that is divided in half or the middle of something, like in 1 Kings 16:21 where the kingdom is divided. It can also refer to the middle of the day or noon, as in Acts 22:6.
Tyndale gloss
half
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַחֲצִית (machatsiyth) refers to a concept of halving or being in the middle, covering meanings such as 'half' and 'midday' or 'noon.' It is derived from the root word for halving. The entries consistently highlight its use in contexts related to division and time.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מַחֲצִית n.f. half, middle

half of a shekel

middle = midday, noon

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4276 מַחֲצִית

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4276 machatsiyth makh-ats-eeth'

from 2673; a halving or the middle:--half (so much),

mid(-day).

see HEBREW for 02673

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַחֲצִית (ma.cha.tsit) — half.

1) half, middle

1a) half

1b) middle, midday, noon

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp3ms
and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
חֲמִשִּׁ֣יםcha.mi.Shim fifty H2572 Adj
163× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word simply means the number fifty, used in various biblical contexts like measurements and quantities. It appears in Leviticus and Numbers.
Tyndale gloss
fifty
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֲמִשִּׁים (chamishshiym) means 'fifty' and is a cardinal number. It can also refer to a multiple of fifty or the ordinal number 'fiftieth.' The entries consistently define it as a numerical term without significant variation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֲמִשִּׁים 164 n.pl. (a) fifty

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2572 חֲמִשִּׁים (a) fifty

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2572 chamishshiym kham-ish-sheem'

multiple of 2568; fifty:--fifty.

see HEBREW for 02568

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֲמִשִּׁים (cha.mish.shim) — fifty.

1) fifty

1a) fifty (cardinal number)

1b) a multiple of fifty (with other numbers)

1c) fiftieth (ordinal number)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAcmpa
and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
וּמָאתָ֑יִםu.ma.Ta.yim and two hundred H3967 Conjunction
581× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means a hundred, used as a simple number or part of a larger number in the Bible. It appears in various forms, including fractions like one one-hundredth. Found in books like Genesis and Psalms.
Tyndale gloss
hundred
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מֵאָה (me'ah) means 'hundred' in Hebrew. It can refer to a simple number, a component of a larger number, or a fraction representing one one-hundredth. The entries consistently describe its use as a numeral without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֵאָה 583 n.f. hundred

as simple number

as part of larger number

a hundredth part

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3967 מֵאָה hundred . as simple number

. as part of larger number

. a hundredth part

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3967 me'ah may-aw'

or metyah {may-yaw'}; properly, a primitive numeral; a

hundred; also as a multiplicative and a

fraction:--hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֵאָה (me.ah) — hundred.

1) hundred

1a) as simple number

1b) as part of larger number

1c) as a fraction-one one-hundredth (1/100)

Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְאָה "hundred" H3969)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Acfda — Conjunction
HC/Acfda
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).

See NUMBER.

and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
וּקְנֵה־u.ke.neh- and cane of H7070 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
62× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes a branch or reed, and is used to represent measurement, strength, or support. In the Bible, it is used to describe objects like the rod of a steelyard or the branches of a lampstand.
Amplified meaning
a type of reed or calamus
Tyndale gloss
branch
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word קָנֶה (*qaneh*) refers to a stalk or reed, often associated with plants like calamus. It has various derived meanings, including measuring-rod and unit of measure (6 cubits), as well as applications in scales and lampstands. The word is built from a root that implies an erect structure, covering a range of uses from botanical to functional.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קָנֶה 62 n.m. stalk, reed

stalk of grain

water-plant, reed

calamus, aromatic reed

derived meanings:

measuring-rod

unit of measure, reed (of 6 cubits)

beam of scales, for scales themselves

shaft of lamp-stand

branches thereof

shoulder-joint

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7070 קָנֶה stalk, reed . stalk of grain

. water-plant, reed

. calamus, aromatic reed

. derived meanings: . measuring-rod

. unit of measure, reed (of 6 cubits)

. beam of scales, for scales themselves

. shaft of lamp-stand

. branches thereof

. shoulder-joint

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7070 qaneh kaw-neh'

from 7069; a reed (as erect); by resemblance a rod

(especially for measuring), shaft, tube, stem, the radius (of

the arm), beam (of a steelyard):--balance, bone, branch,

calamus, cane, reed, X spearman, stalk.

see HEBREW for 07069

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָנֶה (qa.neh) — branch.

: branch

1) reed, stalk, bone, balances

1a) stalk

1b) water-plant, reed

1c) calamus (aromatic reed)

1d) derived meanings

1d1) measuring-rod

1d2) reed (as unit of measure-6 cubits)

1d3) beam (of scales-for scales themselves)

1d4) shaft (of lampstand)

1d5) branches (of lampstand)

1d6) shoulder-joint

קָנֶה (qa.neh) — branch: stem.

: stem/reed

1) reed, stalk, bone, balances

1a) stalk

1b) water-plant, reed

1c) calamus (aromatic reed)

1d) derived meanings

1d1) measuring-rod

1d2) reed (as unit of measure-6 cubits)

1d3) beam (of scales-for scales themselves)

1d4) shaft (of lampstand)

1d5) branches (of lampstand)

1d6) shoulder-joint

קָנֶה (qa.neh) — branch: measuring rod.

: measuring_rod

1) reed, stalk, bone, balances

1a) stalk

1b) water-plant, reed

1c) calamus (aromatic reed)

1d) derived meanings

1d1) measuring-rod

1d2) reed (as unit of measure-6 cubits)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
HC/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

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

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

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

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

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

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

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

Lamentations 3:1.

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

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

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

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

and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
בֹ֖שֶׂםVo.sem spice H1314 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
29× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes a pleasant smell, like a sweet perfume or fragrance. It can also refer to the balsam plant or tree, which was known for its sweet odor.
Amplified meaning
sweet, aromatic
Tyndale gloss
spice
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֹּ֫שֶׂם (besem) refers to spice, specifically balsam and the balsam tree, with connotations of fragrance and sweet odor. The word is built from a root related to scent and encompasses meanings like perfume and spicery. It appears in contexts discussing pleasant aromas.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֹּ֫שֶׂם n.m. spice, balsam, balsam-tree

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1314 בֹּ֫שֶׂם spice, balsam, balsam-tree

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1314 besem beh'-sem

or bosem {bo'-sem}; from the same as 1313; fragrance; by

implication, spicery; also the balsam plant:--smell, spice,

sweet (odour).

see HEBREW for 01313

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֶּ֫שֶׂם (be.sem) — spice.

1) spice, balsam, balsam tree, perfume

2) (TWOT) sweet, sweet smell, sweet odour

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
חֲמִשִּׁ֥יםcha.mi.Shim fifty H2572 Adj
163× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word simply means the number fifty, used in various biblical contexts like measurements and quantities. It appears in Leviticus and Numbers.
Tyndale gloss
fifty
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֲמִשִּׁים (chamishshiym) means 'fifty' and is a cardinal number. It can also refer to a multiple of fifty or the ordinal number 'fiftieth.' The entries consistently define it as a numerical term without significant variation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֲמִשִּׁים 164 n.pl. (a) fifty

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2572 חֲמִשִּׁים (a) fifty

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2572 chamishshiym kham-ish-sheem'

multiple of 2568; fifty:--fifty.

see HEBREW for 02568

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֲמִשִּׁים (cha.mish.shim) — fifty.

1) fifty

1a) fifty (cardinal number)

1b) a multiple of fifty (with other numbers)

1c) fiftieth (ordinal number)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAcmpa
and you take for yourself spices [the] best myrrh of flowing five hundred and cinnamon of spice half its fifty and two hundred and cane of spice fifty and two hundred
וּמָאתָֽיִם׃u.ma.Ta.yim and two hundred H3967 Conjunction
581× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means a hundred, used as a simple number or part of a larger number in the Bible. It appears in various forms, including fractions like one one-hundredth. Found in books like Genesis and Psalms.
Tyndale gloss
hundred
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מֵאָה (me'ah) means 'hundred' in Hebrew. It can refer to a simple number, a component of a larger number, or a fraction representing one one-hundredth. The entries consistently describe its use as a numeral without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֵאָה 583 n.f. hundred

as simple number

as part of larger number

a hundredth part

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3967 מֵאָה hundred . as simple number

. as part of larger number

. a hundredth part

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3967 me'ah may-aw'

or metyah {may-yaw'}; properly, a primitive numeral; a

hundred; also as a multiplicative and a

fraction:--hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֵאָה (me.ah) — hundred.

1) hundred

1a) as simple number

1b) as part of larger number

1c) as a fraction-one one-hundredth (1/100)

Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְאָה "hundred" H3969)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Acfda — Conjunction
HC/Acfda
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).

See NUMBER.

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