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Exodus 38:6 — Word Study

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WLCוַיַּ֥עַשׂ אֶת־ הַבַּדִּ֖ים עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים וַיְצַ֥ף אֹתָ֖ם נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃

BSAAnd he madeʻâsâh [to create, construct, or fashion] the polesbad [staves, bars, or rods] of acaciashiṭṭâh woodʻêts [shittim wood, a strong and durable tree] and overlaidtsâphâh [to cover, plate, or overlay] themʼêth with bronzenᵉchôsheth [brass, a strong and resilient metal]

Word
Listen & take awayExodus 38
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 6 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 (ne.Cho.shet) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Exodus 38:6quick helps
In a sentenceThe construction of the poles for the altar is described, highlighting the materials used.
Who is speakingThe narrator recounts the work done by the craftsmen under Moses' direction.
Where we areThis verse is part of the instructions for the Tabernacle's construction.
The hard wordעָשָׂה
Take awayThe poles are made of acacia wood and covered with bronze.
4 commentators on this verse Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge, 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 38:6

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 Tabernacle's Constructiongenerated

5At the four corners of the bronze grate he cast four rings as holders for the poles.
6And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.
7Then he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar for carrying it. He made the altar with boards so that it was hollow.
8Next he made the bronze basin and its stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

Exodus 38:6 describes the making of the poles for the altar, emphasizing the use of acacia wood and bronze. This construction detail is part of the broader instructions given for the building of the Tabernacle, which served as the dwelling place of God among the Israelites. The materials chosen reflect both durability and significance in the context of sacred worship.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Exodus 25:6olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense;
2Deuteronomy 10:3So I made an ark of acacia wood, chiseled out two stone tablets like the originals, and went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hands.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass.Exodus 25:6 Deuteronomy 10:3

The Key Word עָשָׂה, vai.Ya.'asgenerated

The verb עָשָׂה (asah) means to make or do, and is a foundational term in Hebrew, used extensively throughout the Bible. It encompasses a wide range of actions, from creating and constructing to performing tasks.

In this verse, it indicates the act of crafting the poles, which is essential for the altar's functionality. The verb's parsing as a sequential imperfect shows that this action is part of an ongoing narrative of building and preparation.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

All translations agree on the phrase he made for עָשָׂה, indicating a straightforward rendering of the verb.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb וַיַּ֥עַשׂ (vai.Ya.'as), meaning 'and he made', governs the sentence, indicating the primary action. It is followed by a noun phrase that specifies the object of the action, הַבַּדִּ֖ים (ha.ba.Dim), which refers to 'the poles'.

The structure emphasizes the sequential nature of the actions taken in constructing the poles, with the overlaying of bronze as a subsequent action, marked by the verb וַיְצַ֥ף (vay.Tzaf).


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint does not provide a direct translation for this verse, but the Hebrew words align closely with the Greek terms used in other contexts. The absence of a direct Greek equivalent for עָשָׂה suggests a focus on the action of making rather than the materials.

This highlights the importance of the original Hebrew in conveying the specific actions and materials involved in the Tabernacle's construction.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Exodus 38:6 tells us that the poles for the altar were made from acacia wood and covered with bronze. This detail is part of the instructions for building the Tabernacle, which was a special place for worship.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What type of wood was used for the poles?

The poles were made from acacia wood, known for its strength and durability.

What does it mean to overlay the poles?

To overlay means to cover the poles with bronze, providing protection and a decorative finish.

Why is the construction of the poles significant?

The poles were essential for the altar's mobility, allowing it to be carried during the Israelites' journey.

What does the use of bronze signify?

Bronze symbolizes strength and resilience, suitable for the sacred items used in worship.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How does the choice of materials reflect the importance of the altar in worship?
  2. What can we learn from the careful construction details provided in this passage?
  3. In what ways does the Tabernacle's design influence our understanding of God's presence among His people?
  4. How can we apply the principles of careful preparation and craftsmanship in our own lives?

Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Exodus 38:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with brass. No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on Exodus 38 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(1-9) This passage corresponds to Exodus 38:1-8 of Exodus 27 in all main particulars, but is somewhat differently worded. The order of the clauses in Exodus 38:4-5 is changed, and a distinct statement is made, which was not contained in the instructims, that the rings were “for places for the staves.”

Read Charles John Ellicott on Exodus 38 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

1–7. (Exodus 27:1-8 a). The altar of burnt offering. In vv. 4, 5 there are some changes of order: Exodus 27:8 b is not repeated.

Read Cambridge on Exodus 38 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

THE ALTAR OF BURNT , Exodus 38:1-7. See notes on Exodus 27:1-7. THE LAVER, Exodus 38:8. See notes on Exodus 30:17-21. THE COURT OF THE , Exodus 38:9-20. See notes on Exodus 27:9-19.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Exodus 38 →

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

And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with bronze.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.

NETBNew English Translation2006

He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And he made the staves of acacia wood, and overlaid them with brass.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And he made the staves of acacia wood, and overlaid them with brass.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And he made the staffs of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And he made the barres of Shittim wood, and couered them with brasse.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And he made the staves of acacia-wood, and overlaid them with copper.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and he maketh the staves of shittim wood, and overlayeth them with brass;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and he makes the poles of shittim wood, and overlays them with bronze;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with copper.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Bezalel made poles of acacia wood and covered them with bronze.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And he made the bars of setim wood, and overlaid them with plates of brass:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

He made poles of acacia wood for the altar and covered them with bronze.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

The rods he made of hard wood plated with brass.

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.

וַandclauseverbיַּ֥עַשׂhe.madenoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseהַtheבַּדִּ֖יםpolesnoun phrase · adverbialעֲצֵ֣יwood(s)שִׁטִּ֑יםof.acaciaוַandclauseverbיְצַ֥ףhe.overlaidnoun phrase · objectאֹתָ֖םthemadverbialנְחֹֽשֶׁתbronze

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 Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word. Both texts convey the same construction details without variation, affirming the consistency of this verse across different manuscript traditions.

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

וַיַּ֥עַשׂ אֶת־ הַבַּדִּ֖ים עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים וַיְצַ֥ף אֹתָ֖ם נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיַּ֥עַשׂ’’הַבַּדִּ֖ים’’עֲצֵ֣י’’שִׁטִּ֑ים’’וַיְצַ֥ף’’אֹתָ֖ם’’נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃’’

7 of the 8 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 את הבדים עצי שׁטים ויצף אתם נחשׁת

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

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 38:6עָשָׂהand he madeand he madeעָשָׂהאֵתthe object the object markאֵתבַּדthe polesthe polesבַּדעֵץwood ofwood ofעֵץשִׁטָּהacaciaacaciaשִׁטָּהצָפָהand he overand he overlaidצָפָהאֵתthe object the object markאֵתנְחֹ֫שֶׁתbronzebronzeנְחֹ֫שֶׁתאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתבָּדַדbe alonebe aloneבָּדַדעָצָהto shutto shutעָצָהשֹׁטֵטשֹׁטֵטבֵּיתבֵּיתצָפָהto watchto watchצָפָהנְחוּשָׁהbronzebronzeנְחוּשָׁהמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁשִׁטָּהacaciaacaciaשִׁטָּהמְלָאכָהworkworkמְלָאכָהתּוֹעֵבַהabominatioabominationתּוֹעֵבַהתָּמִידcontinuallcontinuallyתָּמִידאֶ֫רֶזcedarcedarאֶ֫רֶזצָפָהto overlayto overlayצָפָהעֵץtree: woodtree: woodעֵץוָוhookhookוָובַּרְזֶלironironבַּרְזֶלאֶ֫דֶןsocketsocketאֶ֫דֶן
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 38:6

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 the object marker the poles wood of acacia and he overlaid the object marker them bronze
וַיַּ֥עַשׂvai.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.
Amplified meaning
to create, construct, or fashion
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 the object marker the poles wood of acacia and he overlaid the object marker them bronze
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
DirObjM | Suff — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he made the object marker the poles wood of acacia and he overlaid the object marker them bronze
הַבַּדִּ֖יםha.ba.Dim the poles H905 Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
200× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'bad' can mean alone, apart, or a separate part of something, like a branch or a bar. It's used to describe something that's only or except for something else.
Amplified meaning
staves, bars, or rods
Tyndale gloss
alone: pole
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בַּד (bad) refers to separation or being alone, often indicating a part or branch of something. It can denote physical separation, such as limbs or bars, as well as figurative uses like 'chief of a city.' The entries consistently highlight meanings related to being apart or alone, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בַּד, בָּ֑ד n.m. separation, concr. part

prop. in a state of separation, alone, by itself

concr. part

parts, specif. extended from something

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H905 בַּד, בָּ֑ד separation, concr. part . prop. in a state of separation, alone, by itself

. concr. part

. parts, specif. extended from something

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

905 bad bad

from 909; properly, separation; by implication, a part of the

body, branch of a tree, bar for carrying; figuratively, chief

of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an

adverb, apart, only, besides:--alone, apart, bar, besides,

branch, by self, of each alike, except, only, part, staff,

strength.

see HEBREW for 0909

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בַּד (bad) — alone: pole.

: pole

1) alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone

1a) separation, alone, by itself

1a1) only (adv)

1a2) apart from, besides (prep)

1b) part

1c) parts (eg limbs, shoots), bars

בַּד (bad) — alone.

: alone

1) alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone

1a) separation, alone, by itself

1a1) only (adv)

1a2) apart from, besides (prep)

1b) part

1c) parts (eg limbs, shoots), bars

בַּד (bad) — alone: each.

: each

1) alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone

1a) separation, alone, by itself

1a1) only (adv)

1a2) apart from, besides (prep)

1b) part

1c) parts (eg limbs, shoots), bars

בַּד (bad) — alone: besides.

: besides/apart from

1) alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone

1a) separation, alone, by itself

1a1) only (adv)

1a2) apart from, besides (prep)

1b) part

1c) parts (eg limbs, shoots), bars

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-mp — Particle · noun common masculine plural absolute
HTd/Ncmpa
and he made the object marker the poles wood of acacia and he overlaid the object marker them bronze
עֲצֵ֣י'a.Tzei wood of H6086 Noun common · masculine plural construct
330× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word for tree or wood refers to a strong and firm object, like a tree or a wooden plank, as seen in the carpentry work of Jesus' earthly father Joseph in Matthew 13:55.
Amplified meaning
shittim wood, a strong and durable tree
Tyndale gloss
tree: wood
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֵץ (ets) refers to a tree or wood, encompassing various forms such as timber, sticks, and planks. It can denote both singular and plural trees, as well as specific uses like gallows and firewood. The word is derived from a root meaning firmness, indicating its solid nature.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֵץ 329 n.m. tree, trees, wood

(c. 150 t.)

a standing tree

coll. trees

(c. 175 t.; c. 120 t. pl., to denote pieces [or articles] of wood)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6086 עֵץ tree, trees, wood . (c. 150 t.) . a standing tree

. coll. trees

. (c. 175 t.; c. 120 t. pl., to denote pieces [or articles] of wood)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6086 `ets ates

from 6095; a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural

sticks):--+ carpenter, gallows, helve, + pine, plank, staff,

stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.

see HEBREW for 06095

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֵץ (ets) — tree: wood.

: wood

1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows

1a) tree, trees

1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax

עֵץ (ets) — tree.

: tree

1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows

1a) tree, trees

1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax

עֵץ (ets) — tree: stick.

: stick/log

1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows

1a) tree, trees

1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax

עֵץ (ets) — tree: stake.

: stake/shaft

1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows

1a) tree, trees

1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax

עֵץ (ets) — tree: carpenter.

: carpenter/wood(worker)

1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows

1a) tree, trees

Read the full entry →
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 the object marker the poles wood of acacia and he overlaid the object marker them bronze
שִׁטִּ֑יםshi.Tim acacia H7848 Noun common · masculine plural absolute
28× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The acacia tree, known for its thorns, is described by this word, which is also used to describe the wood used to build the Tabernacle in Exodus.
Tyndale gloss
acacia
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שִׁטָּה (shittah) refers to the acacia tree and its wood. It is a feminine noun, primarily appearing in the plural form שִׁטִּים (shittim), which denotes sticks of wood. The entries consistently identify this word with the acacia, known for its thorns.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שִׁטָּה 27 n.f. acacia, tree and wood

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7848 שִׁטָּה acacia, tree and wood

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7848 shittah shit-taw'

feminine of a derivative (only in the plural shittiym

{shit-teem'}; meaning the sticks of wood) from the same as

7850; the acacia (from its scourging thorns):--shittah,

shittim. See also 1029.

see HEBREW for 07850

see HEBREW for 01029

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שִׁטָּה (shit.tah) — acacia.

acacia tree, acacia wood

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fp — Noun common · masculine plural absolute
HNcmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a-ka'-sha (shiTTah, the shittah tree of the King James Version, Isa 41:19, and `atse-shiTTah, acacia wood; shittah wood the King James Version, Ex 25:5,10,13; 26:15,26; 27:1,6; De 10:3.): ShiTTah (= shinTah) is equivalent to the Arabic sant which is now the name of the Acacia Nilotica (NO, Leguminosae), but no doubt the name once included other species of desert acacias. If one particular species is indicated in the Old Testament it is probably the Acacia Seyal--the Arabic Seyyal--which yields the well-known gum- arabic This tree, which has finely leaves ular flowers, grows to a height of twenty feet or more, and its stem may sometimes reach two feet in thickness. The tree often assumes a characteristic umbrella-like form. The…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Acacia

(Heb. shittim) Ex. 25:5, R.V. probably the Acacia seyal (the gum-arabic tree); called the “shittah” tree (Isa. 41:19). Its wood is called shittim wood (Ex. 26:15,26; 25:10,13,23,28, etc.). This species (A. seyal) is like the hawthorn, a gnarled and thorny tree. It yields the gum-arabic of commerce. It is found in abundance in the Sinaitic peninsula.

and he made the object marker the poles wood of acacia and he overlaid the object marker them bronze
וַיְצַ֥ףvay.Tzaf and he overlaid H6823 Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
47× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Tsaphah can also mean to overlay or cover something, often with metal. It involves laying something over another material, like plating or coating.
Amplified meaning
to cover, plate, or overlay
Tyndale gloss
to overlay
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צָפָה (tsaphah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to lay out, overlay, or cover. It can refer to actions like plating or laying over materials, particularly metals. The entries suggest a focus on the physical act of covering or overlaying, with examples including pillars overlaid with gold. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[צָפָה] 47 vb. lay out, lay over

Qal they lay out the rug!

Pi. overlay, plate

Pu. impure silver laid over a sherd; pillars overlaid with gold.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6823 [צָפָה] lay out, lay over .they lay out the rug!

. overlay, plate

. impure silver laid over a sherd; pillars overlaid with gold.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6823 tsaphah tsaw-faw'

a primitive root (probably identical with 6822 through the

idea of expansion in outlook, transferring to action); to

sheet over (especially with metal):--cover, overlay.

see HEBREW for 06822

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צָפָה (tsa.phah) — to overlay.

1) to lay out, lay over, overlay, cover

1a) (Piel) to overlay, plate, stud

1b) (Pual) to be laid over

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Piel · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vpw3ms
and he made the object marker the poles wood of acacia and he overlaid the object marker them bronze
אֹתָ֖ם'o.Tam the object marker them H853 Particle · suffix
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/Sp3mp — Particle · suffix
HTo/Sp3mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he made the object marker the poles wood of acacia and he overlaid the object marker them bronze
נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃ne.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
brass, a strong and resilient metal
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
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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