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Exodus 6:16 — Word Study

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WLCוְאֵ֨לֶּה שְׁמ֤וֹת בְּנֵֽי־ לֵוִי֙ לְתֹ֣לְדֹתָ֔ם גֵּרְשׁ֕וֹן וּקְהָ֖ת וּמְרָרִ֑י וּשְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י לֵוִ֔י שֶׁ֧בַע וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֛ים וּמְאַ֖ת שָׁנָֽה׃

BSATheseʼêl-leh [specific, particular] were the namesshêm [identities, reputations] of the sonsbên [descendants, offspring] according to their recordstôwlᵉdâh [genealogical history, family line] GershonGêrᵉshôwn [the firstborn] KohathQᵉhâth [the second son] and MerariMᵉrârîy [the third son] LeviLêvîy livedchay [was alive, had life, a hundred and thirty-seven, one hundred thirty seven] 137shebaʻ yearsshâneh [periods of time, years of life]

Word
Listen & take awayExodus 6
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 16 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 (sha.Nah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Exodus 6:16quick helps
In a sentenceThis verse lists the names of Levi's sons and notes Levi's lifespan.
Who is speakingThe narrator, recounting the genealogy of Levi.
Where we areIn the genealogical section of Exodus, detailing the lineage of the Levites.
The hard wordתּוֹלְדֹתָם
Take awayThe verse provides a concise record of Levi's descendants and his age.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause 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 6:16

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 Genealogy of Levigenerated

15The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon.
16These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.
17The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimei, by their clans.
18The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.

Exodus 6:16 presents the names of Levi's sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, as part of the genealogical records of the Israelites. This verse emphasizes the importance of lineage in Israelite culture, particularly for the Levites, who were set apart for priestly duties. The mention of Levi's age at death further contextualizes this genealogy within the broader narrative of the Exodus.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Genesis 46:11The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
2Numbers 3:17These were the sons of Levi by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
31 Chronicles 6:1–16The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
4Numbers 26:57Now these were the Levites numbered by their clans: The Gershonite clan from Gershon, the Kohathite clan from Kohath, and the Merarite clan from Merari.
51 Chronicles 23:6Then David divided the Levites into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word אֵלֶּה, ve.'E.lehgenerated

The word אֵלֶּה (el-leh) means 'these' and is used to specify particular individuals or items. It indicates proximity or specification, often appearing in lists or genealogies.

In this verse, it introduces the names of Levi's sons, highlighting their significance in the family line. The construction emphasizes that these are the specific descendants being referred to in the genealogical context.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations generally agree on the wording of this verse.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb in this verse is implicit, with the structure focusing on the subject and its attributes. The phrase structure includes a noun phrase for the subject, a prepositional phrase indicating the relationship, and a numeral phrase describing Levi's age.

The order of the Hebrew words emphasizes the genealogical aspect, leading with the names of Levi's sons followed by Levi's age, which serves to conclude the genealogical record.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates אֵלֶּה as ταῦτα, indicating a direct correspondence in meaning. This choice maintains the specificity of the individuals being named.

The Greek term does not alter the sense of the Hebrew, preserving the focus on the particular descendants of Levi.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Exodus 6:16 lists the names of Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. It also notes that Levi lived for 137 years. This verse is part of the genealogical records that are important for understanding the lineage of the Levites.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What significance do the names of Levi's sons hold?

The names represent the founding figures of the Levitical families, which played a crucial role in Israel's religious life.

Why is Levi's age mentioned?

Levi's age provides context for the historical timeline of the Israelite genealogies and emphasizes the longevity of the patriarchs.

How does this verse fit into the overall narrative of Exodus?

This verse contributes to the understanding of the Levitical priesthood and the importance of lineage in the context of Israel's history and identity.

What does the term 'generations' imply in this context?

It refers to the descendants of Levi and their historical lineage, emphasizing the continuity of the Levitical line.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How does understanding Levi's lineage help us appreciate the role of the Levites in Israel's history?
  2. What can we learn from the ages of the patriarchs mentioned in the genealogies?
  3. In what ways does this genealogical record shape our understanding of identity in biblical narratives?
  4. Why do you think the Bible places such emphasis on genealogies?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Exodus 6:16 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And these are the names of the sons of Levi, according to their generations,.... Whose sons, according to the order of their birth, were as follow: Gershom, and Kohath, and Merari; see Genesis 46:11:

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

And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman: these are the families of Simeon. No JFB commentary on these verses.

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

1619 From each of which proceeded a distinct generation or family called by their father’ s name.

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

Exodus 6:16 And these [are] the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi [were] an hundred thirty and seven years.Ver. 16. Of the sons of Levi.] Upon this family he insists, and therefore hastens to it. Speak ever to the purpose.

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

(16) Gershon, Kohath, and Merari were all born before Levi went into Egypt (Genesis 46:8; Genesis 46:11; Genesis 46:27), which was when he was about forty or fifty years of age. It is not unlikely that they were at that time all grown up. If Levi lived to be “an hundred thirty and seven years” old, he would probably before he died have seen his descendants of the fifth generation. Attempts have been made to show that the present genealogy is complete, and that Moses was Levi’s great-grandson. But in Joshua’s case there were ten generations (at least) between him and Jacob (1 Chronicles 7:23-27); so that three generations only between Jacob and Moses are scarcely possible. The Israelites…

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

Verse 16. The years of the life of Levi] "Bishop Patrick observes that Levi is thought to have lived the longest of all Jacob's sons, none of whose ages are recorded in Scripture but his and Joseph's, whom Levi survived twenty-seven years, though he was much the elder brother. By the common computation this would be twenty-three years: by Kennicott's computation at the end of Gen. xxxi., (See Clarke on Genesis 31:55) Levi's birth is placed twenty-four years before that of Joseph; his death, therefore, would be only three years later. But this is not the only difficulty in ancient chronologies. Kohath, the second son of Levi, according to Archbishop Usher was thirty years old when Jacob came…

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

16a. See Genesis 46:11, Numbers 26:57. Gershon, Kohath, and Merari were the reputed ancestors of the corresponding clans, who, according to Numbers 3:21-33, 1 Chronicles 23:6 ff., and other late passages, exercised menial duties in connexion with the sanctuary. according to their generations (lit. begettings)] referring specially to their ages. So v. 19 (cf. Exodus 28:10), Genesis 10:32; Genesis 25:13 (all P), 1 Chronicles 5:7; 1 Chronicles 7:2; 1 Chronicles 7:4; 1 Chronicles 7:9; 1 Chronicles 8:28; 1 Chronicles 9:9; 1 Chronicles 9:34; 1 Chronicles 26:31. The word, in whatever connexion, is found only in P, Rth 4:18, and Chronicles. 16b. The age of Levi is not mentioned elsewhere.

Read Cambridge on Exodus 6 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

13-19. Since Israel is now to be led forth as a nation, Moses and Aaron, their leaders, are fully set before us according to their genealogy.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Exodus 6 →

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

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

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven years.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Now these are the names of the sons of Levi, according to their records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. (The length of Levi’s life was 137 years.)

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were a hundred thirty and seven years.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And these are the names of the sons of Levi, according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were a hundred and thirty-seven years.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

These also are the names of the sonnes of Leui in their generations: Gershon and Kohath and Merari (and the yeres of the life of Leui were an hundreth thirtie and seuen yere)

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And these are the names of the sons of Levi, according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were a hundred and thirty-seven years.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And these [are] the names of the sons of Levi, as to their births: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi [are] a hundred and thirty and seven years.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And these [are] the names of the sons of Levi, as to their births: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi [are] one hundred and thirty-seven years.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kehath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred and thirty and seven years.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Here are listed the names of the sons of Levi, together with their descendants. They were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived until he was 137 years old.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And these are the names of the sons of Levi by their kindreds: Gerson, and Caath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were a hundred and thirty seven.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their genealogical records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived for 137 years.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And these are the names of the sons of Levi in the order of their generations: Gershon and Kohath and Merari: and the years of Levi's life were a hundred and thirty-seven.

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.

וְandclausepredicateאֵ֨לֶּהthesenoun phrase · subjectשְׁמ֤וֹת[were].the.namesnoun phraseבְּנֵֽיof.the.sonsלֵוִי֙of.Leviprepositional phrase · prepositionalלְtonoun phraseתֹ֣לְדֹתָ֔descendantsםtheirclausenoun phrase · predicateגֵּרְשׁ֕וֹןGershonוּandקְהָ֖תKohathוּandמְרָרִ֑יMerariוּandclausenoun phrase · subjectשְׁנֵי֙the.yearsnoun phraseחַיֵּ֣יof.the.lifeלֵוִ֔יof.Levinoun phrase · predicatenumeral phraseשֶׁ֧בַע[were].sevenוּandשְׁלֹשִׁ֛יםthirtyוּandמְאַ֖תone.hundredשָׁנָֽהyear[s]

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


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

The Masoretic Text is supported by the Septuagint, which matches 14 of the 15 words. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs by one word, using תולדתם (generations) instead of the Masoretic form. The Dead Sea Scrolls show partial restoration, with some words supplied by an editor, indicating a similar structure but with some textual variations.

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

וְאֵ֨לֶּה שְׁמ֤וֹת בְּנֵֽי־ לֵוִי֙ לְתֹ֣לְדֹתָ֔ם גֵּרְשׁ֕וֹן וּקְהָ֖ת וּמְרָרִ֑י וּשְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י לֵוִ֔י שֶׁ֧בַע וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֛ים וּמְאַ֖ת שָׁנָֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְאֵ֨לֶּהταῦταשְׁמ֤וֹתὀνόματαבְּנֵֽי־υἱῶνלֵוִי֙λευιלְתֹ֣לְדֹתָ֔םαὐτῶνגֵּרְשׁ֕וֹןγεδσωνוּקְהָ֖תκααθוּמְרָרִ֑יμεραριוּשְׁנֵי֙καὶחַיֵּ֣יζωῆςלֵוִ֔יλευιשֶׁ֧בַעἑπτάוּשְׁלֹשִׁ֛יםτριάκονταוּמְאַ֖תἑκατὸν

14 of the 15 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

ואלה שׁמות בני לוי לתולדתם גרשׁון קהת ומררי ושׁני חיי לוי שׁבע ושׁלשׁים ומאת שׁנה

1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: תולדתם (generations)

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q1a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

ואלה [שמות] [בני] [לוי] [לתלדת׳ם] [גרשון] [וקהת] ומררי ושני חיי לוי שבע [ושלשים] [ומאת] [שנה]

3 words on the leather — 3 partly restored, 9 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 6:16אֵ֫לֶּהand theseand theseאֵ֫לֶּהשֵׁם[were] [the[were] [the] naשֵׁםבֵּן[the] sons [the] sons ofבֵּןלֵוִיLeviLeviלֵוִיתּוֹלֵדוֹתto descendato descendants תּוֹלֵדוֹתגֵּרְשׁוֹןGershonGershonגֵּרְשׁוֹןקְהָתand Kohathand Kohathקְהָתמְרָרִיand Merariand Merariמְרָרִישָׁנָהand [the] yand [the] yearsשָׁנָהחַי[the] life [the] life ofחַילֵוִיLeviLeviלֵוִישֶׁ֫בַע[were] seve[were] sevenשֶׁ֫בַעשְׁלֹשִׁיםand thirtyand thirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםמֵאָהand one hunand one hundredמֵאָהשָׁנָהyear[s]year[s]שָׁנָהשָׁנָהto changeto changeשָׁנָהאֵלthesetheseאֵלשׂוּםto set: mato set: makeשׂוּםבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהלֵוִיLeviLeviלֵוִייָלַדto begetto begetיָלַדגָּרַשׁto drive oto drive out: dגָּרַשׁמָרַרto provoketo provokeמָרַרחָיָהto liveto liveחָיָהלָוָהto jointo joinלָוָהשָׁבַעto swearto swearשָׁבַעשָׁלֹשׁthreethreeשָׁלֹשׁשָׁלִthirdthirdשָׁלִקְהָתKohathKohathקְהָתמָלַךְto reignto reignמָלַךְעֶשְׂרִיםtwentytwentyעֶשְׂרִיםתּוֹלֵדוֹתgenerationgenerationתּוֹלֵדוֹתאַלּוּףtametameאַלּוּף
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 6:16

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 these [were] [the] names of [the] sons of Levi to descendants their Gershon and Kohath and Merari and [the] years of [the] life of Levi [were] seven and thirty and one hundred year[s]
וְאֵ֨לֶּהve.'E.leh and these H428 Conjunction · particle
746× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is used to point out specific people or things, like saying 'these' or 'those'. It appears in the book of Genesis, where God says 'let there be light' and separates the light from the darkness.
Amplified meaning
specific, particular
Tyndale gloss
these
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵ֫לֶּה (el-leh) means 'these' and is used in various grammatical contexts, often in apposition to a noun with a pronoun suffix. It can appear with or without the definite article and is sometimes paired with other terms like וְאֵלֶּה (and these). The word conveys a sense of proximity or specification, referring to particular items or people.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵ֫לֶּה pr.pl.m. & f. these

in appos. to a subst. with a pron. suff. (always without the article)

repeated, אלה … ואלה, these … those

with the art. (but only after a subst. determined likewise by the art.)

with preps.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H428 אֵ֫לֶּה these . in appos. to a subst. with a pron. suff. (always without the article)

. repeated, אלה … ואלה, these … those

. with the art. (but only after a subst. determined likewise by the art.)

. with preps.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

428 'el-leh ale'-leh

prolonged from 411; these or those:--an- (the) other; one

sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those,

thus, which, who(-m).

see HEBREW for 0411

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵ֫לֶּה (el.leh) — these.

1) these

1a) used before antecedent

1b) used following antecedent

Aramaic equivalent: el.leh (אֵלֶּה "these" H0429)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Pron — Conjunction · particle
HC/Tm
and these [were] [the] names of [the] sons of Levi to descendants their Gershon and Kohath and Merari and [the] years of [the] life of Levi [were] seven and thirty and one hundred year[s]
שְׁמ֤וֹתshe.Mot [were] [the] names of H8034 Noun common · feminine plural construct
864× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, a name represents a person's identity, honor, and character, like God's name symbolizing His power and authority. It appears in Genesis and other books, often referring to God's name or a person's reputation. This concept is central to understanding biblical identity.
Amplified meaning
identities, reputations
Tyndale gloss
name
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֵׁם 864 n.m. name (√ unknown)

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

usu. of pers.

= reputation

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

name, as designation of God

of false gods, use forbidden

= memorial, monument

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8034 שֵׁם name (√ unknown)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8034 shem shame

a primitive word (perhaps rather from 7760 through the idea

of definite and conspicuous position; compare 8064); an

appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by

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

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

see HEBREW for 07760

see HEBREW for 08064

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֵׁם (shem) — name.

1) name

1a) name

1b) reputation, fame, glory

1c) the Name (as designation of God)

1d) memorial, monument

Aramaic equivalent: shum (שֻׁם "name" H8036)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · feminine plural construct
HNcfpc
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 these [were] [the] names of [the] sons of Levi to descendants their Gershon and Kohath and Merari and [the] years of [the] life of Levi [were] seven and thirty and one hundred year[s]
בְּנֵֽי־be.nei- [the] sons of H1121 Noun common · masculine plural construct
4,943× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Amplified meaning
descendants, offspring
Tyndale gloss
son: child
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

son, male child, born of a woman

children (male and female)

youth, young men

the young of animals

of plant shoots

fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

member of a guild, order or class

of animals son of (the) herd

ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

n. relat. of age

base

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman

. children (male and female)

. youth, young men

. the young of animals

. of plant shoots

. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

. . member of a guild, order or class

. of animals son of (the) herd

. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

. n. relat. of age

H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1121 ben bane

from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the

widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,

including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,

etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)

(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,

(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,

bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X

came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of

first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +

kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)

people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +

spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous

one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

see HEBREW for 01129

see HEBREW for 01

see HEBREW for 0251

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּן (ben) — son: child.

: child/son

בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;

son of: Jaaziah (H3269);

brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)

§ Beno = "his son"

the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)

בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.

: descendant, people, tribe, nation

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : child/son

בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.

: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : descendant

בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.

: rebel/son(Belial)

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

§ : people/men/nation/tribe

בֵּן (ben) — son.

: [inheriting]son/heir

A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)

בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.

: warrior/son(strong)

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

See SON, SONS.

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 these [were] [the] names of [the] sons of Levi to descendants their Gershon and Kohath and Merari and [the] years of [the] life of Levi [were] seven and thirty and one hundred year[s]
לֵוִי֙le.Vi Levi H3881 Noun proper masculine
291× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A Levite is a descendant of Levi, one of Jacob's 12 sons, mentioned in Genesis 29:34. Levi's brothers include Reuben, Simeon, and Judah. His descendants played a key role in Israel's spiritual life.
Tyndale gloss
Levi
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֵוִי (Leviy) refers to a Levite, a member of the tribe of Levi, which is the third son of Jacob and Leah. This term encompasses the descendants of Levi, who were set apart for religious duties. The word is linked to the Hebrew root for 'joining,' reflecting the tribe's special role in service to God. It first appears in Genesis 29:34.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֵוִי 291 adj.gent. Levite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3881 לֵוִי Levite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3881 Leviyiy lay-vee-ee'

or Leviy {lay-vee'}; patronymically from 3878; a Levite or

descendant of Levi:--Leviite.

see HEBREW for 03878

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֵוִי (le.viy.yi) — Levi.

Someone from the tribe of Levi living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.34;

son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812);

brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Judah (H3063), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);

half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144);

father of: Gershon (H1648), Kohath (H6955), Merari (H4847) and Jochebed (H3115)

Another name of le.vi (לֵוִי "Levi" H3878)

§ Levite, of Levi "joined to"

1) the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah

1a) the tribe descended from Levi specially set aside by God for His service

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNpm — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Levi

Adhesion. (1.) The third son of Jacob by Leah. The origin of the name is found in Leah’s words (Gen. 29:34), “This time will my husband be joined [Heb. yillaveh] unto me.” He is mentioned as taking a prominent part in avenging his sister Dinah (Gen. 34:25-31). He and his three sons went down with Jacob (46:11) into Egypt, where he died at the age of one hundred and thirty-seven years (Ex. 6:16).

(2.) The father of Matthat, and son of Simeon, of the ancestors of Christ (Luke 3:29).

(3.) Luke 3:24.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(joined). The name of the third son of Jacob by his wife Leah. (B.C. about 1753.) The name, derived from lavah , "to adhere," gave utterance to the hope of the mother that the affections of her husband, which had hitherto rested on the favored Rachel, would at last be drawn to her: "This time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have borne him three sons." (Genesis 29:34) Levi, with his brother Simeon, avenged with a cruel slaughter the outrage of their sister Dinah. [DINAH] Levi, with his three sons, Gershon, Kohath and Merari, went down to Egypt with his father Jacob. (Genesis 47:11) When Jacob’s death draws near, and the sons are gathered round him, Levi and Simeon hear the old crime brought up again to receive its sentence. They no less than Reuben, the incestuous…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. The third son of Jacob and Leah, born in Mesopotamia; and father of three sons, and of Jochebed the mother of Moses, Ge 29:34 Ex 6:16-20. For his share in the treacherous massacre of the Shechemites, Ge 34:1-31, his father at death foreboded evil to his posterity, Ge 49:5-7; but as they afterwards stood forth on the Lord’s side, Moses was charged to bless them, Ex 32:26-29 De 33:8-11. The tribe of Levi was, according to Jacob’s prediction, scattered over all Israel, having no share in the cities in the portions of other tribes. All the tithes, first fruits, and…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

associated with him

and these [were] [the] names of [the] sons of Levi to descendants their Gershon and Kohath and Merari and [the] years of [the] life of Levi [were] seven and thirty and one hundred year[s]
לְתֹ֣לְדֹתָ֔םle.To.le.do.Tam to descendants their H8435 Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
39× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to a family's history or descendants, like a genealogy list. It appears in the Bible to describe a person's heritage or the passage of time. In 1 Chronicles, it's used to list the generations of Israelites.
Amplified meaning
genealogical history, family line
Tyndale gloss
generation
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תּוֹלֵדוֹת (towldah) refers to generations, particularly in genealogical contexts, encompassing a man's descendants and their history. It is derived from the root meaning of descent and can also imply a broader historical account. The term is used in plural form and highlights familial lineage and genealogical lists.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[תּוֹלֵדוֹת] 39 n.f.pl. generations, esp. in genealogies = account of a man and his descendants

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8435 תּוֹלֵדוֹת generations, esp. in genealogies = account of a man and his descendants

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8435 towldah to-led-aw'

or toldah {to-led-aw'}; from 3205; (plural only) descent,

i.e. family; (figuratively) history:--birth, generations.

see HEBREW for 03205

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תּוֹלֵדוֹת (to.le.dah) — generation.

1) descendants, results, proceedings, generations, genealogies

1a) account of men and their descendants

1a1) genealogical list of one's descendants

1a2) one's contemporaries

1a3) course of history (of creation etc)

1b) begetting or account of heaven (metaph)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-fp | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffix
HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp
and these [were] [the] names of [the] sons of Levi to descendants their Gershon and Kohath and Merari and [the] years of [the] life of Levi [were] seven and thirty and one hundred year[s]
גֵּרְשׁ֕וֹןge.re.Shon Gershon H1648 Noun proper masculine
18× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Gershon was a son of Levi and an ancestor of the tribe of Levi, which played a key role in the priesthood and worship of the Israelites. He is mentioned in books like Genesis and Chronicles, and his name means 'exile'.
Amplified meaning
the firstborn
Tyndale gloss
Gershon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גֵּרְשׁוֹן (Gershon) refers to the son of Levi, a figure from the Israelite tribes. The name is associated with the meaning 'refugee' or 'exile.' He is first mentioned in Genesis 46:11 and is noted as the brother of Kohath and Merari, and the father of Libni and Shimei. Gershon is also referred to as Gershom in several passages.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גֵּרְשׁוֹן n.pr.m. son of Levi

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1648 גֵּרְשׁוֹן son of Levi

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1648 Gershown gay-resh-one'

or Gershowm {gay-resh-ome'}; from 1644; a refugee; Gereshon

or Gereshom, an Israelite:--Gershon, Gershom.

see HEBREW for 01644

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גֵּרְשׁוֹן (ge.re.shon) — Gershon.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.11;

son of: Levi (H3878);

brother of: Kohath (H6955), Merari (H4847) and Jochebed (H3115);

father of: Libni (H3845) and Shimei (H8096); also called Gershom at 1Ch.6.16,17,20,43,62,71; 15.7;

§ Gershon or Gershom = "exile"

firstborn son of Levi born before Jacob's family went to Egypt

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Gershon

=Ger’shom expulsion, the eldest of Levi’s three sons (Gen. 46:11; Ex. 6:16).

In the wilderness the sons of Gershon had charge of the fabrics of the tabernacle when it was moved from place to place, the curtains, veils, tent-hangings (Num. 3: 21-26). Thirteen Levitical cities fell to the lot of the Gershonites (Josh. 21:27-33).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(exile). The eldest of the three sons of Levi, born before the descent of Jacob’s family into Egypt. (Genesis 46:11; Exodus 6:16) (B.C. before 1706.) But, though the eldest born, the families of Gershon were outstripped in fame by their younger brethren of Kohath, from whom sprang Moses and the priestly line of Aaron.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The eldest son of Levi, and head of one of the three branches of the Levitical tribe, Ge 46:11; Ex 6:16. The Gershonites encamped west of the tabernacle in the wilderness, and carried its curtains and other parts form station to station, Nu 3:17,25; 4:24-28,38- 41; 10:17. Thirteen cities were assigned to them in northern Canaan, Jos 21:6; 1Ch 6:62,71.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

his banishment; the change of pilgrimage

and these [were] [the] names of [the] sons of Levi to descendants their Gershon and Kohath and Merari and [the] years of [the] life of Levi [were] seven and thirty and one hundred year[s]
וּקְהָ֖תu.ke.Hat and Kohath H6955 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
32× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Kohath was a man from the tribe of Levi, son of Levi and brother of Gershon and Merari, first mentioned in Genesis 46:11. He was the father of Amram and others. His name means assembly.
Amplified meaning
the second son
Tyndale gloss
Kohath
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קְהָת (Qhath) refers to Kohath, a son of Levi and an important figure in the Israelite lineage. He is noted as the progenitor of a family within the tribe of Levi, with connections to other significant figures such as Gershon and Merari. The name is associated with the concept of assembly.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קְהָת 30 n.pr.m. son of Levi

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6955 קְהָת son of Levi

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6955 Qhath keh-hawth'

from an unused root meaning to ally oneself; allied; Kehath,

an Israelite:--Kohath.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קְהָת (qe.hat) — Kohath.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.11;

son of: Levi (H3878);

brother of: Gershon (H1648), Merari (H4847) and Jochebed (H3115);

father of: Amram (H6019), Izhar (H3324), Hebron (H2275B) and Uzziel (H5816)

Also named: qo.ha.ti (קְהָתִי "Kohathite" H6956)

§ Kohath = "assembly"

the 2nd of the 3 sons of Levi and progenitor of a family in the tribe of Levi

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Kohath

Assembly, the second son of Levi, and father of Amram (Gen. 46:11). He came down to Egypt with Jacob, and lived to the age of one hundred and thirty-three years (Ex. 6:18).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(assembly), second of the three sons of Levi, from whom the three principal divisions of the Levites derived their origin and their name. (Genesis 46:11; Exodus 6:16) In the journeyings of the tabernacle of the sons of Kohath (Kohathites) had charge of the most holy portions of the vessels. (Numbers 4:1) ... Of the personal history of Kohath we know nothing, except that he came down to Egypt with Levi and Jacob, (Genesis 46:11) that his sister was Jochebed, (Exodus 6:20) and that he lived to the age of 133 years. (Exodus 6:18) (B.C. about 1491.)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Son of Levi, Ge 46:11, and father of the Kohathites, who were appointed to carry the ark and sacred utensils of the tabernacle during the journeyings of the Israelites in the desert, Ex 6:16- 24; Nu 4:4-15.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

congregation; wrinkle; bluntness

and these [were] [the] names of [the] sons of Levi to descendants their Gershon and Kohath and Merari and [the] years of [the] life of Levi [were] seven and thirty and one hundred year[s]
וּמְרָרִ֑יu.me.ra.Ri and Merari H4847 Conjunction · noun proper masculine
36× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Merari was a man in the Bible, the third son of Levi and head of a family of Levites. His name means 'bitter' and he's mentioned in Genesis as an ancestor of the tribe of Levi.
Amplified meaning
the third son
Tyndale gloss
Merari
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מְרָרִי (Merari) refers to a son of Levi and the head of a prominent Levitical family. The name is derived from a root meaning 'bitter.' Merari is mentioned in the context of the Israelite tribes, specifically in Genesis 46:11, and is noted as the brother of Gershon and Kohath, and the father of Mahli and Mushi.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מְרָרִי n.pr.m. a son of Levi, and head of a chief Levit. family

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4847 מְרָרִי a son of Levi, and head of a chief Levit. family

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4847 Mrariy mer-aw-ree'

from 4843; bitter; Merari, an Israelite:--Merari. See also

4848.

see HEBREW for 04843

see HEBREW for 04848

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מְרָרִי (me.ra.ri) — Merari.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.11;

son of: Levi (H3878);

brother of: Gershon (H1648), Kohath (H6955) and Jochebed (H3115);

father of: Mahli (H4249), Mushi (H4187) and Jaaziah (H3269)

Also named: me.ra.ri (מְרָרִי "Merari" H4848)

§ Merari = "bitter"

the 3rd son of Levi and head of a Levitical family

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun proper masculine
HC/Npm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

me-ra'-ri (merari, "bitter"; Mararei):

(1) The 3rd son of Levi, his brothers, Gershon and Kohath, being always mentioned together with him (Ge 46:11; Ex 6:16). He was among those 70 who went down to Egypt with Jacob (Ge 46:8,11; compare 46:26 and Ex 1:5).

(2) The family of Merari, descendants of above, and always (with one exception, for which see MERARITES) spoken of as "sons of Merari" in numerous references, such as 1Ch 6:1,16,19,29, which only repeat without additional information the references to be found in the body of this article. We early find them divided into two families, the Mahli and Mushi (

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The youngest of Levi’s three sons, born in Canaan, and head of a family of the Levites, Ge 46:11; Ex 6:16; Nu 3:17; 1Ch 6:1. In the journey through the wilderness they were charged with the framework of the tabernacle, to carry from one place of encampment to another, and there set it up, Nu 4:29-33; 7:8. Twelve cities were assigned to them beyond Jordan, Jos 21:7,34-40.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

bitter; to provoke

and these [were] [the] names of [the] sons of Levi to descendants their Gershon and Kohath and Merari and [the] years of [the] life of Levi [were] seven and thirty and one hundred year[s]
וּשְׁנֵי֙u.she.Nei and [the] years of H8141 Conjunction · noun common masculine plural construct
877× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word also means a year, like when Abraham was 100 years old in Genesis 21. It is used to describe a period of time, age, or a lifetime.
Amplified meaning
periods of time, years of life
Tyndale gloss
year
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁנָה (shaneh) means 'year' and is derived from the root meaning to change or revolve. It encompasses various aspects of time, including divisions of time, measures of age, and even a lifetime. The Aramaic equivalent is שְׁנָה (she.nah), also meaning 'year'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁנָה 877 n.f. year (etym. v. √[v.ek.aa])

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8141 שָׁנָה year (etym. v. √[8138a])

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8141 shaneh shaw-neh'

(in plura or (feminine) shanah {shaw-naw'}; from 8138; a year

(as a revolution of time):--+ whole age, X long, + old,

year(X -ly).

see HEBREW for 08138

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁנָה (sha.neh) — year.

1) year

1a) as division of time

1b) as measure of time

1c) as indication of age

1d) a lifetime (of years of life)

Aramaic equivalent: she.nah (שְׁנָה "year" H8140)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural construct
HC/Ncmpc
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 these [were] [the] names of [the] sons of Levi to descendants their Gershon and Kohath and Merari and [the] years of [the] life of Levi [were] seven and thirty and one hundred year[s]
חַיֵּ֣יchai.Yei [the] life of H2416 Noun common · masculine plural construct
498× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means life or being alive. It can refer to physical life, like in Genesis 1:20, or spiritual life, like in Psalm 30:5.
Amplified meaning
was alive, had life, a hundred and thirty-seven, one hundred thirty seven
Tyndale gloss
alive
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word חַי (*chay*) means 'alive' or 'living' and covers a range of meanings related to life, including living beings, vitality, and freshness. It can refer to God, animals, vegetation, and even concepts like appetite and community. Variants include חַיָּה (*chayyah*), meaning 'living thing' or 'animal,' and חַיִּים (*chayim*), which emphasizes life and sustenance.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חַי adj. alive, living

of God, as the living one, the fountain of life

of man

of animals, alive, living

animals and man

(dub.) of vegetation, as thorns, green

of water, fresh

(dub.) lively, active

reviving

base

[חַי] n.[m.] kinsfolk, pl. sf. 1 S 18:18

ref

חַיָּה n.f. living thing, animal

animal

in general

wild animals, on account of their vital energy and activity

living beings, of the cherubic chariot

life, only in late poetry

appetite, activity of hunger

revival, renewal

base

חַיָּה n.f. community

base

חַיִּים n.m. pl. abstr. emph. life

life: physical

life: as welfare and happiness in king's presence

sustenance, maintenance

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2416a חַי alive, living . . of God, as the living one, the fountain of life

. of man

. of animals, alive, living

. animals and man

. (dub.) of vegetation, as thorns, green

. of water, fresh

. (dub.) lively, active

. reviving

H2416b חַי kinsfolk H2416c חַיָּה living thing, animal . animal . in general

. wild animals, on account of their vital energy and activity

. living beings, of the cherubic chariot

. life, only in late poetry

. appetite, activity of hunger

. revival, renewal

H2416d חַיָּה community H2416e חַיִּים pl. abstr. emph. life . life: physical

. life: as welfare and happiness in king's presence

. sustenance, maintenance

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2416 chay khah'-ee

from 2421; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water,

year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine

singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether

literally or figuratively:--+ age, alive, appetite, (wild)

beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living

(creature, thing), maintenance, + merry, multitude, + (be)

old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.

see HEBREW for 02421

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חַי (chay) — alive.

adj

1) living, alive

1a) green (of vegetation)

1b) flowing, fresh (of water)

1c) lively, active (of man)

1d) reviving (of the springtime)

Aramaic equivalent: chay (חַי "living" H2417)

חַי (chay) — kinsfolk.

kinsfolk

חַיָּה (chay.yah) — living thing.

1) living thing, animal

1a) animal

1b) life

1c) appetite

1d) revival, renewal

Aramaic equivalent: che.va (חֵיוָא "beast" H2423)

חַיָּה (chay.yah) — community.

community

חַיִּים (chay.yim) — life.

1) life (abstract emphatic)

1a) life

1b) sustenance, maintenance

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 these [were] [the] names of [the] sons of Levi to descendants their Gershon and Kohath and Merari and [the] years of [the] life of Levi [were] seven and thirty and one hundred year[s]
לֵוִ֔יle.Vi Levi H3878 Noun proper masculine
59× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Levi was a son of Jacob and Leah, mentioned in Genesis 29:34. He was a brother of Reuben, Simeon, and Judah, and the father of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi's name is significant in the tribe of Levi.
Tyndale gloss
Levi
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֵוִי (Levi) refers to a man from the tribe of Levi, the third son of Jacob and Leah. The name means 'attached' or 'joined to.' He is the father of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, and is first mentioned in Genesis 29:34. The entries indicate his significance as the progenitor of the Levites.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֵוִי n.pr.m. Levi

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3878 לֵוִי Levi

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3878 Leviy lay-vee'

from 3867; attached; Levi, a son of Jacob:--Levi. See also

3879, 3881.

see HEBREW for 03867

see HEBREW for 03879

see HEBREW for 03881

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֵוִי (le.vi) — Levi.

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.34;

son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812);

brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Judah (H3063), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783);

half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144);

father of: Gershon (H1648), Kohath (H6955), Merari (H4847) and Jochebed (H3115)

§ Levi = "joined to"

the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah and progenitor of tribe of Levites

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Levi

Adhesion. (1.) The third son of Jacob by Leah. The origin of the name is found in Leah’s words (Gen. 29:34), “This time will my husband be joined [Heb. yillaveh] unto me.” He is mentioned as taking a prominent part in avenging his sister Dinah (Gen. 34:25-31). He and his three sons went down with Jacob (46:11) into Egypt, where he died at the age of one hundred and thirty-seven years (Ex. 6:16).

(2.) The father of Matthat, and son of Simeon, of the ancestors of Christ (Luke 3:29).

(3.) Luke 3:24.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(joined). The name of the third son of Jacob by his wife Leah. (B.C. about 1753.) The name, derived from lavah , "to adhere," gave utterance to the hope of the mother that the affections of her husband, which had hitherto rested on the favored Rachel, would at last be drawn to her: "This time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have borne him three sons." (Genesis 29:34) Levi, with his brother Simeon, avenged with a cruel slaughter the outrage of their sister Dinah. [DINAH] Levi, with his three sons, Gershon, Kohath and Merari, went down to Egypt with his father Jacob. (Genesis 47:11) When Jacob’s death draws near, and the sons are gathered round him, Levi and Simeon hear the old crime brought up again to receive its sentence. They no less than Reuben, the incestuous…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. The third son of Jacob and Leah, born in Mesopotamia; and father of three sons, and of Jochebed the mother of Moses, Ge 29:34 Ex 6:16-20. For his share in the treacherous massacre of the Shechemites, Ge 34:1-31, his father at death foreboded evil to his posterity, Ge 49:5-7; but as they afterwards stood forth on the Lord’s side, Moses was charged to bless them, Ex 32:26-29 De 33:8-11. The tribe of Levi was, according to Jacob’s prediction, scattered over all Israel, having no share in the cities in the portions of other tribes. All the tithes, first fruits, and…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

associated with him

and these [were] [the] names of [the] sons of Levi to descendants their Gershon and Kohath and Merari and [the] years of [the] life of Levi [were] seven and thirty and one hundred year[s]
שֶׁ֧בַעShe.va' [were] seven H7651 Adj
395× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means the number seven, which was considered a special or sacred number. It can also mean seven times or a week, and is used in the Bible to describe completeness or perfection. The KJV translates it as seven or sevenfold.
Tyndale gloss
seven
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֶׁ֫בַע (sheba`) means 'seven' and is a cardinal number. It can also imply 'seven times' or refer to a week. The term appears in various contexts, including combinations like 17 or 700. Its Aramaic equivalent is שִׁבְעָה (shiv.ah), also meaning 'seven'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה 394 n.m. et f. seven

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7651 שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה seven

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7651 sheba` sheh'-bah

or (masculine) shibrah {shib-aw'}; from 7650; a primitive

cardinal number; seven (as the sacred full one); also

(adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by

extension, an indefinite number:--(+ by) seven(-fold),-s,

(-teen, -teenth), -th, times). Compare 7658.

see HEBREW for 07650

see HEBREW for 07658

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֶׁ֫בַע (she.va) — seven.

1) seven (cardinal number)

1a) as ordinal number

1b) in combination-17, 700 etc

Aramaic equivalent: shiv.ah (שִׁבְעָה "seven" H7655)

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

sev'-'-n (shebha`; hepta).

See NUMBER.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Seven

This number occurs frequently in Scripture, and in such connections as lead to the supposition that it has some typical meaning. On the seventh day God rested, and hallowed it (Gen. 2:2, 3). The division of time into weeks of seven days each accounts for many instances of the occurrence of this number. This number has been called the symbol of perfection, and also the symbol of rest. “Jacob’s seven years’ service to Laban; Pharaoh’s seven fat oxen and seven lean ones; the seven branches of the golden candlestick; the seven trumpets and the seven priests who sounded them; the seven days’ siege of Jericho; the seven churches, seven spirits, seven stars, seven seals, seven vials, and many others, sufficiently prove the importance of this sacred number” (see Lev. 25:4;

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The frequent recurrence of certain numbers in the sacred literature of the Hebrews is obvious to the most superficial reader, but seven so far surpasses the rest, both in the frequency with which it recurs and in the importance of the objects with which it is associated, that it may fairly be termed the representative symbolic number. The influence of the number seven was not restricted to the Hebrews; it prevailed among the Persians, ancient Indians, Greeks and Romans. The peculiarity of the Hebrew view consists in the special dignity of the seventh, and not simply in that of seen. The Sabbath being the seventh day suggested the adoption of seven as the coefficient, so to say, for their appointment of all sacred periods; and we thus find the 7th month ushered in by the Feast of Trumpets, and signalized by the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Great Day of Atonement; 7…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

As from the beginning this was the number of days in the week, so it often has in Scripture a sort of emphasis attached to it, and is very generally used as a round or perfect number. Clean beasts were taken into the ark by sevens, Ge 7:1-24. The years of plenty and famine in Egypt were marked by sevens, Ge 41:1-57. With the Jews, not only was there a seventh day Sabbath, but every seventh year was a Sabbath, and after every seven times seven years came a jubilee. Their great feasts of unleavened bread and of tabernacles were observed for seven days; the number of animals in many of their sacrifices was limited to seven. The golden candlestick had seven branches. Seven priests with seven trumpets went around the walls of Jericho seven days, and seven times on the seventh day. In…

and these [were] [the] names of [the] sons of Levi to descendants their Gershon and Kohath and Merari and [the] years of [the] life of Levi [were] seven and thirty and one hundred year[s]
וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֛יםu.she.lo.Shim and thirty H7970 Conjunction
173× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Thirty is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which can also be used as an ordinal to describe something as thirtieth. It is used to count quantities in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
thirty
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׁלֹשִׁים (*shlowshiym*) means 'thirty' and can also refer to 'thirtieth' as an ordinal number. It is an indeclinable noun and is derived from the root word for 'three.' The entries indicate that it is used in various contexts, but there are no significant disagreements among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׁלֹשִׁים (very seldom שְׁלוֹשִׁים, שְׁלֹשִׁם) 174 n.indecl. thirty

bef. n. sg.

as ordin.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7970 שְׁלֹשִׁים (very seldom שְׁלוֹשִׁים, שְׁלֹשִׁם) n. indecl. thirty . bef. n. sg.

. as ordin.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7970 shlowshiym shel-o-sheem'

or shloshiym {shel-o-sheem'}; multiple of 7969; thirty; or

(ordinal) thirtieth:--thirty, thirtieth. Compare 7991.

see HEBREW for 07969

see HEBREW for 07991

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁלֹשִׁים (she.lo.shim) — thirty.

thirty, thirtieth

Aramaic equivalent: te.la.tin (תְּלָתִין "thirty" H8533)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Acmpa — Conjunction
HC/Acmpa
and these [were] [the] names of [the] sons of Levi to descendants their Gershon and Kohath and Merari and [the] years of [the] life of Levi [were] seven and thirty and one hundred year[s]
וּמְאַ֖תu.me.'At and one 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/Acfsc — Conjunction
HC/Acfsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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

See NUMBER.

and these [were] [the] names of [the] sons of Levi to descendants their Gershon and Kohath and Merari and [the] years of [the] life of Levi [were] seven and thirty and one hundred year[s]
שָׁנָֽה׃sha.Nah year[s] H8141 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
877× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word also means a year, like when Abraham was 100 years old in Genesis 21. It is used to describe a period of time, age, or a lifetime.
Tyndale gloss
year
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁנָה (shaneh) means 'year' and is derived from the root meaning to change or revolve. It encompasses various aspects of time, including divisions of time, measures of age, and even a lifetime. The Aramaic equivalent is שְׁנָה (she.nah), also meaning 'year'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁנָה 877 n.f. year (etym. v. √[v.ek.aa])

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8141 שָׁנָה year (etym. v. √[8138a])

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8141 shaneh shaw-neh'

(in plura or (feminine) shanah {shaw-naw'}; from 8138; a year

(as a revolution of time):--+ whole age, X long, + old,

year(X -ly).

see HEBREW for 08138

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁנָה (sha.neh) — year.

1) year

1a) as division of time

1b) as measure of time

1c) as indication of age

1d) a lifetime (of years of life)

Aramaic equivalent: she.nah (שְׁנָה "year" H8140)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfsa — 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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