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Exodus 36:18 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוַיַּ֛עַשׂ קַרְסֵ֥י נְחֹ֖שֶׁת חֲמִשִּׁ֑ים לְחַבֵּ֥ר אֶת־ הָאֹ֖הֶל לִֽהְיֹ֥ת אֶחָֽד׃

BSAHe also madeʻâsâh fiftychămishshîym [fifty taches, fifty hooks] bronzenᵉchôsheth [copper or something made of it] claspsqereç [to couple, to join] to join the tentʼôhel [to unite, to charm, tabernacle, nomad's home] togetherchâbar [as one, that it might be one] as a unitʼechâd [one, united]

Word
Listen & take awayExodus 36
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 18 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 ('e.Chad) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Exodus 36:18quick helps
In a sentenceThe work involves making fifty bronze clasps to connect the tent as a single unit.
Who is speakingThe narrator describes the actions of a craftsman involved in the construction of the tabernacle.
Where we areThis verse is part of the detailed instructions regarding the construction of the tabernacle.
The hard wordחֲמִשִּׁ֑ים
Take awayThe craftsmanship is precise, aiming for unity in the structure.
3 commentators on this verse Jamieson, Ellicott, Whedon & more — read them › clause verbעָשָׂה 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 36:18

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

Context — The Construction of the Tabernaclegenerated

17He made fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in the first set, and fifty loops along the edge of the corresponding curtain in the second set.
18He also made fifty bronze clasps to join the tent together as a unit.
19Additionally, he made for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of fine leather.
20Next, he constructed upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle.

Exodus 36:18 describes the meticulous work involved in creating the tabernacle, a sacred space for worship. Here, the focus is on the bronze clasps that serve to unite the tent, emphasizing the importance of cohesion in the structure. This section of Exodus details the various components and craftsmanship required for the tabernacle, reflecting the significance of each element in the overall design.


Cross References


The Key Word חֲמִשִּׁ֑ים, cha.mi.Shimgenerated

The Hebrew word חֲמִשִּׁים (chamishshiym) simply means 'fifty' and is a cardinal number. It is used in various biblical contexts to denote quantity. In this verse, it specifies the exact number of clasps made for the tent, highlighting the precision required in the construction process.

This numeral appears frequently in the Old Testament, often in contexts involving measurements or counts, reinforcing the structured nature of the tabernacle's design.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The wording of this study is based on the Berean Standard Bible, which uses fifty for the Hebrew term חֲמִשִּׁים. The KJV translates it as fifty taches, while other versions like the ASV and WEB also use fifty.

Where the translations differ is in the rendering of חֲמִשִּׁים — the KJV opts for fifty taches, while others like the BBE and YLT use fifty hooks, reflecting different interpretations of the term.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is וַיַּ֛עַשׂ (and he made), which governs the entire sentence. The structure includes a noun phrase for the object, the hooks, and a prepositional phrase describing their purpose.

The sentence is constructed to emphasize the action of making, with the details about the clasps and their function as subordinate elements that support the main action.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Exodus 36:18 tells us that the craftsman made fifty bronze clasps to connect the tent together as one unit. This detail highlights the importance of unity in the construction of the tabernacle.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What is the significance of the fifty clasps?

The fifty clasps are crucial for joining the tent together, ensuring that it remains a single, cohesive structure, which is essential for the tabernacle's function.

Why are bronze clasps used instead of another material?

Bronze is durable and strong, making it suitable for the structural needs of the tabernacle, which was designed to withstand travel and use in various conditions.

How does this verse fit into the overall narrative of the tabernacle's construction?

This verse is part of a detailed account of the tabernacle's construction, emphasizing the craftsmanship and specific instructions given for creating a holy space for worship.

What can we learn from the precision in the tabernacle's construction?

The precision reflects the importance of order and intentionality in worship, suggesting that every detail matters in the service of God.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does the number fifty symbolize in the context of the tabernacle's construction?
  2. How can the concept of unity in this verse apply to our own communities or gatherings?
  3. What materials do we use in our lives to create unity and connection with others?
  4. In what ways can we ensure that our actions contribute to a cohesive environment, similar to the clasps in the tabernacle?

Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Exodus 36:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.

Read Robert Jamieson on Exodus 36 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(14-18) The construction of the outer covering of goats’ hair follows, and is expressed in terms nearly identical with those used in Exodus 26:7-11. Exodus 36:14 is better rendered than that to which it corresponds in the previous passage (Exodus 36:7). There are two omissions of short clauses for the sake of brevity.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Exodus 36 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

AND AHOLIAB, Exodus 36:30-35. See notes on Exodus 31:1-11. OF , Exodus 36:1-7. 5.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Exodus 36 →

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

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

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

He also made fifty bronze clasps to join the tent together as a unit.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

He made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together, that it might be a unit.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

He also made fifty bronze clasps to join the tent together as a unit.

NETBNew English Translation2006

He made fifty bronze clasps to join the tent together so that it might be a unit.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And he made fifty taches of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And he made fifty clasps of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And he made fifty clasps of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And he made fifty buttons of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

He made also fiftie taches of brasse to couple the couering that it might be one.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And he made fifty clasps of copper to couple the tent, that it might be one.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and he maketh fifty hooks of brass to join the tent — to be one;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and he makes fifty hooks of bronze to join the tent—to be one;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And he made fifty hooks of copper, to couple the tent together that it might be one piece.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Bezalel made fifty bronze clasps to join the tent together so that it might be one piece.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And fifty buckles of brass wherewith the roof might be knit together, that of all the curtains there might be made one covering.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

They made fifty bronze clips to join the tent together as a single cover.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And fifty hooks of brass for joining them together to make the tent.

Word by word, the decisions they made

חֲמִשִּׁ֑יםcha.mi.Shim fifty H2572 3 different renderings
fiftyASV BSB DBY DRA FBV MSB NETB NWB RVA ULB WEB
fifty hooksBBE ILT LSV YLT
fifty tachesKJV

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.

וַandclauseverbיַּ֛עַשׂhe.madenoun phrase · objectnoun phraseקַרְסֵ֥יhooksנְחֹ֖שֶׁתof.bronzeחֲמִשִּׁ֑יםfiftyprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtoclauseverbחַבֵּ֥רjoin.togethernoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseהָtheאֹ֖הֶלtentprepositional phrase · prepositionalלִֽtoclauseverbהְיֹ֥תbeobjectאֶחָֽדone

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 confirmed by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees in meaning but differs by one word. The Septuagint does not provide a direct equivalent but matches most of the words in the Hebrew.

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

וַיַּ֛עַשׂ קַרְסֵ֥י נְחֹ֖שֶׁת חֲמִשִּׁ֑ים לְחַבֵּ֥ר אֶת־ הָאֹ֖הֶל לִֽהְיֹ֥ת אֶחָֽד׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיַּ֛עַשׂ’’קַרְסֵ֥י’’נְחֹ֖שֶׁת’’חֲמִשִּׁ֑ים’’לְחַבֵּ֥ר’’הָאֹ֖הֶל’’לִֽהְיֹ֥ת’’אֶחָֽד׃’’

8 of the 9 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

ויעשׂ קרסי נחשׁת חמשׁים לחבר את האהל להיות אחד

1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: היות (be)

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 36:18עָשָׂהand he madeand he madeעָשָׂהקֶ֫רֶסhooks ofhooks ofקֶ֫רֶסנְחֹ֫שֶׁתbronzebronzeנְחֹ֫שֶׁתחֲמִשִּׁיםfiftyfiftyחֲמִשִּׁיםחָבַרto join togto join togetheחָבַראֵתthe object the object markאֵתאֹ֫הֶלthe tentthe tentאֹ֫הֶלהָיָהto beto beהָיָהאֶחָדoneoneאֶחָדקָרַסto stoopto stoopקָרַסאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתאָהַלto shineto shineאָהַלחָדַדto go eithto go either waחָדַדנְחוּשָׁהbronzebronzeנְחוּשָׁהחָמֵשׁfivefiveחָמֵשׁהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאמְלָאכָהworkworkמְלָאכָהתּוֹעֵבַהabominatioabominationתּוֹעֵבַהחָבַרto uniteto uniteחָבַרקֶ֫רֶשׁboardboardקֶ֫רֶשׁבַּרְזֶלironironבַּרְזֶלאֶ֫דֶןsocketsocketאֶ֫דֶןמֵאָהhundredhundredמֵאָהקֶ֫רֶסclaspclaspקֶ֫רֶסיְרִיעָהcurtaincurtainיְרִיעָהמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁמוֹעֵדmeetingmeetingמוֹעֵד
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 36:18

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 he made hooks of bronze fifty to join together the object marker the tent to be one
וַיַּ֛עַשׂvai.Ya.'as and he made H6213 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
2,629× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to make or do something, and is used over 2,600 times in the Bible. It is first used in Genesis 1:7 to describe God's creation of the world and is also used in Exodus 31:5 to describe the work of skilled craftsmen.
Tyndale gloss
to make
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָשָׂה (asah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to do or make, encompassing a wide range of actions such as producing, preparing, and observing. It can refer to both concrete and abstract activities, including making offerings and attending to tasks. The verb also has forms indicating passive meanings, such as being made or offered. Notably, the Piel form refers to pressing or squeezing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָשָׂה 2622 vb. do, make

Qal 2524

do (1560 t.)

deal with

oft. in phr. do kindness with

abs. act, act with effect

make (670 t.)

produce, yield

prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food

make offering

attend to, put in order

observe, celebrate, religious festival

acquire property of various kinds

appoint priests

bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance

use

spend, pass, days of life

Niph.

97be done

be made, of concr. things

be produced from vine

be prepared, of food

be offered

be observed, passover

be used

Pu. I was made

base

[עָשָׂה] vb. Pi. press, squeeze

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6213a עָשָׂה do, make .. . do (1560 + t.)

. deal with

. oft. in phr. do kindness with

. abs. act, act with effect

. . make (670 + t.)

. produce, yield

. prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food

. make offering

. attend to, put in order

. observe, celebrate, religious festival

. acquire property of various kinds

. appoint priests

. bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance

. use

. spend, pass, days of life

. . be done

. . be made, of concr. things

. be produced from vine

. be prepared, of food

. be offered

. be observed, passover

. be used

. I was made

H6213b עָשָׂה Pi. press, squeeze

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6213 `asah aw-saw'

a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and

widest application (as follows):--accomplish, advance,

appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth,

bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal

(with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in)

execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, +

finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go

about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X

indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain,

make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare,

bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure,

provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin,

spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be

(warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make: do.

: do/perform

1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to do, work, make, produce

1a1a) to do

1a1b) to work

1a1c) to deal (with)

1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect

1a2) to make

1a2a) to make

1a2b) to produce

1a2c) to prepare

1a2d) to make (an offering)

1a2e) to attend to, put in order

1a2f) to observe, celebrate

1a2g) to acquire (property)

1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute

1a2i) to bring about

1a2j) to use

1a2k) to spend, pass

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be done

1b2) to be made

1b3) to be produced

1b4) to be offered

1b5) to be observed

1b6) to be used

1c) (Pual) to be made

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to press.

(Piel) to press, squeeze

עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make.

: make(OBJECT)

1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to do, work, make, produce

1a1a) to do

1a1b) to work

1a1c) to deal (with)

1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect

1a2) to make

1a2a) to make

1a2b) to produce

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and he made hooks of bronze fifty to join together the object marker the tent to be one
קַרְסֵ֥יkar.Sei hooks of H7165 Noun common · masculine plural construct
10× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A clasp or hook, this word refers to a knob or pin used for fastening. The Bible uses this word to describe a type of hook or fastener, often translating it as 'tache' in the KJV.
Amplified meaning
to couple, to join
Tyndale gloss
clasp
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קֶ֫רֶס (qerec) refers to a hook or clasp, specifically mentioned in the context of the curtains of the tabernacle, where it matches loops. It is derived from a root meaning to swell, indicating a knob-like shape. The entries consistently emphasize its function as a fastening element.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[קֶ֫רֶס] n.[m.] hook, on edge of curtains of tabern., matching the loops

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7165 [קֶ֫רֶס] hook, on edge of curtains of tabern., matching the loops

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7165 qerec keh'-res

from 7164; a knob or belaying-pin (from its swelling

form):--tache.

see HEBREW for 07164

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קֶ֫רֶס (qe.res) — clasp.

hook

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
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 he made hooks of bronze fifty to join together the object marker the tent to be one
נְחֹ֖שֶׁתne.Cho.shet bronze H5178 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
140× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to copper or something made of it, like a coin or chain. It can also symbolize something base or impure, as in lust or filthiness. It appears in various KJV translations, including brasen and brass.
Amplified meaning
copper or something made of it
Tyndale gloss
bronze
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נְחֹ֫שֶׁת (nechosheth) refers to copper or bronze, often indicating items made from these metals, such as fetters. It is noted for being less valuable than gold but more than wood. Additionally, it can figuratively represent a harsh sky or, in specific contexts, suggest meanings related to lust or harlotry, as seen in Ezekiel 16:36.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נְחֹ֫שֶׁת 137 n.m. copper, bronze

copper

fetters of copper or bronze

as less in value than gold but more than wood

fig. of pitiless sky

base

[נְחֹ֫שֶׁת] n.[f.] Ez 16:36 where context favours mng. lust, harlotry, or specif. sens. obscoen.

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5178a נְחֹ֫שֶׁת copper, bronze . copper

. fetters of copper or bronze

. as less in value than gold but more than wood

. fig. of pitiless sky

H5178b נְחֹ֫שֶׁת where context favours mng. lust, harlotry, or specif. sens. obscoen.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5178 nchosheth nekh-o'-sheth

for 5154; copper, hence, something made of that metal, i.e.

coin, a fetter; figuratively, base (as compared with gold or

silver):--brasen, brass, chain, copper, fetter (of brass),

filthiness, steel.

see HEBREW for 05154

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נְחֹ֫שֶׁת (ne.cho.shet) — bronze.

1) copper, bronze

1a) copper (ore), bronze (as copper alloy)

1b) fetters (of copper or bronze)

1c) copper (as value)

נְחֹ֫שֶׁת (ne.cho.shet) — lust.

lust, harlotry

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
and he made hooks of bronze fifty to join together the object marker the tent to be one
חֲמִשִּׁ֑יםcha.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.
Amplified meaning
fifty taches, fifty hooks
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 he made hooks of bronze fifty to join together the object marker the tent to be one
לְחַבֵּ֥רle.cha.Ber to join together H2266 Preposition · verb piel infinitive construct common
29× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to unite or join, and can also refer to charming or spellbinding someone. It appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament, including in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. It can also mean to make an alliance or fellowship.
Amplified meaning
as one, that it might be one
Tyndale gloss
to unite
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָבַר (chabar) means to unite or join together, often in a figurative sense, but can also refer to tying magic spells or charms. It encompasses various forms of joining, including making alliances or being in fellowship. The verb appears in different stems, indicating nuances like being allied or compacted, but no significant disagreements among lexicons are noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[חָבַר] vb. unite (usu. intr.), be joined, tie a magic knot or spell, charm

Qal

unite, be joined

tie magic knots, charm

Pi.

make an ally of, unite one with

unite, join (trans.)

Pu.

be allied with

be united to = be one of

be joined together

Hiph. I could make a joining with words

Hithp. join oneself to, make an alliance with

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2266 חָבַר unite (usu. intr.), be joined, tie a magic knot or spell, charm

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2266 chabar khaw-bar'

a primitive root; to join (literally or figuratively);

specifically (by means of spells) to fascinate:--charm(- er),

be compact, couple (together), have fellowship with, heap up,

join (self, together), league.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָבַר (cha.var) — to unite.

1) to unite, join, bind together, be joined, be coupled, be in league, heap up, have fellowship with, be compact, be a charmer

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to unite, be joined

1a2) to tie magic charms, charm

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to unite with, make an ally of

1b2) to unite, join, ally

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to be allied with, be united

1c2) to be joined together

1d) (Hiphil) to join together, pile up (words)

1e) (Hithpael) to join oneself to, make an alliance, league together

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Piel-Inf-a — Preposition · verb piel infinitive construct common
HR/Vpcc
and he made hooks of bronze fifty to join together the object marker the tent to be one
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he made hooks of bronze fifty to join together the object marker the tent to be one
הָאֹ֖הֶלha.'O.hel the tent H168 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
345× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for a tent, often used to describe the tabernacle or a nomad's home. In Exodus 33:7-11, it refers to the sacred tent where God meets with Moses.
Amplified meaning
to unite, to charm, tabernacle, nomad's home
Tyndale gloss
tent
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֹ֫הֶל (*ohel*) means 'tent' and is derived from a root meaning 'to be conspicuous.' It encompasses various meanings, including a nomad's tent, a dwelling or home, and specifically refers to the sacred tent used for worship, known as the tabernacle. The entries consistently highlight its association with transience and habitation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֹ֫הֶל 343 n.m. tent

tent of nomad

dwelling, habitation

the sacred tent used in worship of God

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H168 אֹ֫הֶל tent

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

168 'ohel o'-hel

from 166; a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a

distance):--covering, (dwelling)(place), home, tabernacle,

tent.

see HEBREW for 0166

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֹ֫הֶל (o.hel) — tent.

: tent

1) tent

1a) nomad's tent, and thus symbolic of wilderness life, transience

1b) dwelling, home, habitation

1c) the sacred tent of Jehovah (the tabernacle)

Also means: o.hel (אֹ֫הֶל ": home" H0168H)

אֹ֫הֶל (o.hel) — tent: home.

: home

1) tent

1a) nomad's tent, and thus symbolic of wilderness life, transience

1b) dwelling, home, habitation

1c) the sacred tent of Jehovah (the tabernacle)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

tent ('ohel; skene; 'ohel is a derivative of 'ahal, "to be clear," "to shine"; hence, 'ohel, "to be conspicuous from a distance"): In the great stretches of uncultivated lands in the interior of Syria or Arabia, which probably have much the same aspect today as in Abraham's time, it is an easy matter to espy an encampment of roving Bedouin, "a nation .... that dwelleth without care .... that have neither gates nor bars" (Jer 49:31). The peaks of their black (compare So 1:5) goats' hair tents stand out in contrast against the lighter colors of the soil.

There seems to be little doubt about the antiquity of the Arab tent, and one can rightly believe that-the dwelling-places of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, and their descendants were made on the same pattern and of the same materials (

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Tent

(1.) Heb. ‘ohel (Gen. 9:21, 27). This word is used also of a dwelling or habitation (1 Kings 8:66; Isa. 16:5; Jer. 4:20), and of the temple (Ezek. 41:1). When used of the tabernacle, as in 1 Kings 1:39, it denotes the covering of goat’s hair which was placed over the mishcan.

(2.) Heb. mishcan (Cant. 1:8), used also of a dwelling (Job 18:21; Ps. 87:2), the grave (

Among the leading characteristics of the nomad races, those two have always been numbered whose origin has been ascribed to Jabal the son of Lameth, (Genesis 4:20) viz., to be tent-dwellers and keepers of cattle. The same may be said of the forefathers of the Hebrew race; nor was it until the return into Canaan from Egypt that the Hebrews became inhabitants of cities. An Arab tent is called beit , "house;" its covering consists of stuff, about three quarters of a yard broad, made of black goat’s-hair, (Solomon 1:5) laid parallel with the tent’s length. This is sufficient to resist the heaviest rain. The tent-poles or columns are usually nine in number, placed in three groups; but many tents have only one pole, others two or three. The ropes which hold the tent in its place are fastened, not to the tent-cover itself, but to loops…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Dwelling in tents was very general in ancient times among Eastern nations, Ge 4:20; their way of life being pastoral, locomotion became necessary for pasturage, and dwellings adapted for such a life became indispensable, Isa 38:12. The patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwelt in tents, Ge 18:1 Heb 11:9; and on the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, throughout their peregrinations until they obtained the promised land, and to some extent afterwards, they adopted the same kind of habitation. See BOOTHS. Hence the expression. "Every man to his tents, O Israel," etc.,

and he made hooks of bronze fifty to join together the object marker the tent to be one
לִֽהְיֹ֥תlih.Yot to be H1961 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
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.
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
HR/Vqcc — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
HR/Vqcc
and he made hooks of bronze fifty to join together the object marker the tent to be one
אֶחָֽד׃'e.Chad one H259 Adj
971× 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 one or united, and is used to describe something that is single or unique. It is often translated as one, first, or alone. For example, in Genesis 1:5, God calls the light day and the darkness night, and separates them into one thing from another.
Amplified meaning
one, united
Tyndale gloss
one
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶחָד (echad) means 'one' and is derived from a numeral. It encompasses meanings such as each, every, a certain, and can serve as an indefinite article. It is also used as an ordinal to denote 'first' and appears in various combinations, including eleven. The entries consistently emphasize its numerical and qualitative aspects.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶחָד 972 adj.num. one

one

= each, every

= a certain

= indef. art.

only, & (fem.) once

one … another, one … the other

as ordinal first

in combin.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H259 אֶחָד one . one

. = each, every

. = a certain

. = indef. art.

. only, & (fem.) once

. one … another, one … the other

. as ordinal first

. in combin.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

259 'echad ekh-awd'

a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an

ordinal) first:--a, alike, alone, altogether, and,

any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), +

eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only,

other, some, together,

see HEBREW for 0258

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶחָד (e.chad) — one.

1) one (number)

1a) one (number)

1b) each, every

1c) a certain

1d) an (indefinite article)

1e) only, once, once for all

1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one

1g) first

1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)

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

wun.

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.

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