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Ezekiel 14:15 — Word Study

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WLCלֽוּ־ חַיָּ֥ה רָעָ֛ה אַעֲבִ֥יר בָּאָ֖רֶץ וְשִׁכְּלָ֑תָּה וְהָיְתָ֤ה שְׁמָמָה֙ מִבְּלִ֣י עוֹבֵ֔ר מִפְּנֵ֖י הַחַיָּֽה׃

BSAOr iflûwʼ I send wildraʻ [evil, noisome, or wild] beastschay [living creatures, animals] through the landʼerets [country, territory, or region] to leave it childlessshâkôl [make it, barren, without offspring] [and]hâyâh desolateshᵉmâmâh [wasted, devastated] with no manbᵉlîy passing through itʻâbar [crossing, transitioning] for fearpânîym [because of the presence] of the beastschay [animals, living creatures]

Word
Listen & take awayEzekiel 14
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 15 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 (ha.chai.Yah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Ezekiel 14:15quick helps
In a sentenceEzekiel warns of the consequences of sin, using wild beasts as a metaphor for devastation.
Who is speakingThe Lord GOD, speaking through the prophet Ezekiel.
Where we areA warning about impending judgment — part of a larger discourse on the consequences of sin.
The hard wordרָעָ֛ה
Take awayThe land will become desolate, with no one left to pass through it.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectעָבַר verbעָבַר 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 — Ezekiel 14:15

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 Judgment of Israelgenerated

14then even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in it, their righteousness could deliver only themselves, declares the Lord GOD.
15Or if I send wild beasts through the land to leave it childless and desolate, with no man passing through it for fear of the beasts,
16then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if these three men were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate.
17Or if I bring a sword against that land and say, ‘Let a sword pass through it,’ so that I cut off from it both man and beast,

Ezekiel 14:15 is part of a series of warnings from the Lord through Ezekiel, where God describes various forms of judgment that could come upon the land due to the people's unfaithfulness. This verse specifically addresses the use of wild beasts as an instrument of devastation, emphasizing the severity of the consequences for sin, similar to other warnings found in Ezekiel 5:17 and Leviticus 26:22.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Ezekiel 5:17I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring a sword against you. I, the LORD, have spoken.”
2Leviticus 26:22I will send wild animals against you to rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and reduce your numbers, until your roads lie desolate.
31 Kings 20:36Then the prophet said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, as soon as you depart from me a lion will kill you.” And when he left, a lion found him and killed him.
42 Kings 17:25Now when the settlers first lived there, they did not worship the LORD, so He sent lions among them, which killed some of them.
5Jeremiah 15:3I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the LORD: the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, and the birds of the air and beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word רָעָ֛ה, ra.'Ahgenerated

The word רָעָ֛ה (ra'ah) is an adjective meaning 'wild' or 'evil.' It conveys a sense of harm or danger, often associated with moral or natural evil. In this context, it describes the wild beasts that God may send as a form of judgment, illustrating the destructive force they represent.

This word is commonly used in the Hebrew Bible to denote not just wild animals, but also the concept of evil or badness in a broader sense. Here, it emphasizes the threat posed by these beasts to the land and its inhabitants.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses wild for רָעָ֛ה. The KJV and others use evil, while some versions like the ASV and WEB opt for noisome.

Where they part company is רָעָ֛ה — see How Translations Differ.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb אַעֲבִ֥יר ('a.'a.Vir, I will cause to pass) governs the structure of the verse, with a series of phrases describing the consequences of God's action. The sentence is complex, with multiple clauses detailing the results of sending wild beasts.

The main clause is supported by several subordinate clauses and phrases, creating a layered structure that emphasizes the severity of the judgment being described.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint uses θηρία (thēria) for חַיָּה, indicating a focus on the wild nature of the beasts. This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning but may also imply a broader interpretation of the creatures' ferocity.

The Greek term suggests a more general category of wild animals, emphasizing their danger and the threat they pose to the land.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Ezekiel 14:15 warns of God's judgment, stating that if He sends wild beasts through the land, it will become desolate and childless, with no one left to pass through it. This reflects the consequences of the people's unfaithfulness and serves as a dire warning.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the land will be childless?

This refers to the devastation that will leave the land empty and without inhabitants, emphasizing the severity of God's judgment.

Why does God mention wild beasts?

Wild beasts symbolize destruction and chaos, representing the consequences of sin and the judgment that can come upon the land.

How does this verse connect with other warnings in Ezekiel?

It parallels other warnings in Ezekiel about the consequences of sin, showing that judgment can come in various forms, including through nature.

What is the significance of no man passing through?

This signifies total desolation and abandonment of the land, illustrating the extent of the devastation that will occur.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What are some ways I see the consequences of sin in the world around me today?
  2. How can I better understand the seriousness of God's warnings in Scripture?
  3. What does it mean for me to live in a way that avoids the desolation described in this verse?
  4. How can I share the message of God's judgment and mercy with others?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 14:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land,.... Evil and hurtful ones; not so much those that are poisonous as pernicious; such, as lions, tigers, foxes, wolves, and bears, that are very

Read John Gill on Ezekiel 14 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts: The argument is cumulative.

Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 14 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Noisome beasts are one of the great plagues or armies that God hath always at his command. To pass through the land; to range over the land, and spoil their cattle, devour their servants and children, and destroy travellers, and make it as a wilderness. No man may pass through without much danger, and great guards that may repel the wild ravening beasts.

Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 14 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ezekiel 14:15 If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:Ver. 15. If I cause noisome beasts.] As lions, wolves, bears, serpents, &c. Great hurt hath been done not only by such, as Numbers 21:6 2 Kings 2:24; 2 Kings 17:25-26 Joshua 24:12; but also by tamer creatures when set on by God. Rebellis facta est, quia homo numini, creatura homini. Rats, conies, frogs, wasps, moths, have done much mischief. Augustine.

Read John Trapp on Ezekiel 14 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(15-20) In these verses the same declaration is repeated, for the sake of emphasis, with each one of three other instruments of punishment, with only such variations of phraseology as are required for rhetorical reasons. The phrase “their own souls” is here also simply equivalent to “themselves.” The judgments mentioned are all taken from the warnings in Leviticus 26, the famine from Leviticus 26:26, the wild beasts from Leviticus 26:22, the sword and also the pestilence from Leviticus 26:25.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Ezekiel 14 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12–23. The presence of righteous men among a sinful people will not save the sinners The passage may be in answer to thoughts which the prophet felt might rise in the minds of those to whom he spoke. He threatened destruction to people and prophets alike, a destruction indiscriminate and universal. Were not these threats exaggeration? Were they in harmony with God’s former ways of dealing with his people? Would he slay the righteous with the wicked? would he not rather spare the wicked on the intercession of the righteous and for their sake, as often in former times? (Genesis 18:23; Numbers 14:15). To this the prophet replies after Jeremiah 15 that righteous men among the people shall not…

Read Cambridge on Ezekiel 14 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

15. Noisome beasts — Remembering that serpents, according to Scripture language, were included among these “hurtful beasts” (Genesis 3:14), it is a suggestive circumstance that over twenty thousand

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Ezekiel 14 →

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

Or if I send wild beasts through the land to leave it childless and desolate, with no man passing through it for fear of the beasts,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

“If I cause evil animals to pass through the land, and they ravage it and it is made desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the animals—

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Or if I send wild beasts through the land to leave it childless and desolate, with no man passing through it for fear of the beasts,

NETBNew English Translation2006

“Suppose I were to send wild animals through the land and kill its children, leaving it desolate, without travelers due to the wild animals.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

If I cause evil beasts to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the beasts;

RVARevised Version, American1894

If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts;

NWBWebster's Bible1833

If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they lay it waste, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:

GNVGeneva Bible1599

If I bring noysome beastes into the lande and they spoyle it, so that it bee desolate, that no man may passe through, because of beastes,

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

If I cause evil beasts to pass through the land, and they bereave it, and it become a desolation, so that no one passeth through because of the beasts;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

'If an evil beast I cause to pass through the land, and it hath bereaved, and it hath been a desolation, without any passing through because of the beast —

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

“If I cause an evil beast to pass through the land, and it has bereaved, and it has been a desolation, without any passing through because of the beast—

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they depopulate it, and it becometh desolate, without any one to pass through because of the beasts:

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

If I send evil beasts through the land and make it barren so that it becomes a wasteland where no man may pass through because of the beasts,

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And if I shall bring mischievous beasts also upon the land to waste it, and it be desolate, so that there is none that can pass because of the beasts:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

I could send wild animals rampaging through the country, so they would leave it uninhabited and desolate, a place no one would travel through for fear of such animals.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Or if I send evil beasts through the land causing destruction and making it waste, so that no man may go through because of the beasts:

Word by word, the decisions they made

רָעָ֛הra.'Ah wild H7451 3 different renderings
evilASV BBE DBY LSV ULB WEB YLT
wildBSB FBV ILT MSB NETB
noisomeKJV NWB RVA

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.

clauseלֽוּifclauseclausenoun phrase · objectחַיָּ֥הanimal[s]רָעָ֛הwildverbאַעֲבִ֥ירI.will.cause.to.passprepositional phrase · prepositionalבָּinnoun phrasetheאָ֖רֶץlandוְandclauseverbשִׁכְּלָ֑תָּitobjectהwill.make.it.childlessוְandclauseverbהָיְתָ֤הit.will.beobjectשְׁמָמָה֙a.desolationprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִfromclausepredicateבְּלִ֣יnotsubjectעוֹבֵ֔ר[one.who].passes.byprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִbecausenoun phraseפְּנֵ֖יofnoun phraseהַtheחַיָּֽהanimal[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 and the Septuagint largely agree in content, with 9 out of 12 words matched. The differences in word order and article usage reflect the distinct linguistic styles of Hebrew and Greek.

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

לֽוּ־ חַיָּ֥ה רָעָ֛ה אַעֲבִ֥יר בָּאָ֖רֶץ וְשִׁכְּלָ֑תָּה וְהָיְתָ֤ה שְׁמָמָה֙ מִבְּלִ֣י עוֹבֵ֔ר מִפְּנֵ֖י הַחַיָּֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
לֽוּ־ἐὰνחַיָּ֥הθηρίαרָעָ֛הπονηρὰאַעֲבִ֥ירἐπάγωבָּאָ֖רֶץγῆνוְשִׁכְּלָ֑תָּהαὐτὴνוְהָיְתָ֤הἔσταιמִפְּנֵ֖יπροσώπουהַחַיָּֽה׃θηρίων

9 of the 12 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Ezekiel 14:15לוּififלוּחַיanimal[s]animal[s]חַירַעwildwildרַעעָבַרI will causI will cause toעָבַראֶ֫רֶץin the landin the landאֶ֫רֶץשָׁכֹלand it willand it will makשָׁכֹלהָיָהand it willand it will beהָיָהשְׁמָמָהa desolatioa desolationשְׁמָמָהבְּלִיbecause notbecause notבְּלִיעָבַר[one who] p[one who] passeעָבַרפָּנֶהbecause ofbecause ofפָּנֶהחַיthe animal[the animal[s]חַיחָיָהto liveto liveחָיָהרָעַעbe evilbe evilרָעַעבָּלָהto become to become oldבָּלָהפָּנָהCorner (GaCorner (Gate)פָּנָההָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאשָׁמֵםdevastateddevastatedשָׁמֵםעוֹףbirdbirdעוֹףשָׂדַיfieldfieldשָׂדַייַרְדֵןJordanJordanיַרְדֵןחָלַץto rescueto rescueחָלַץשָׁקַלto weighto weighשָׁקַלגָּוַעto dieto dieגָּוַעמַעֲלָלdeeddeedמַעֲלָלנחםto be sorrto be sorry: coנחםכְּנַ֫עַןCanaanCanaanכְּנַ֫עַןמִצְרַ֫יִם(Sea of) E(Sea of) Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםחֶ֫רֶבswordswordחֶ֫רֶבעוֹדstillstillעוֹד
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 Ezekiel 14:15

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.

if animal[s] wild I will cause to pass in the land and it will make childless it and it will be a desolation because not [one who] passes by because of the animal[s]
לֽוּ־lu- if H3863 Conjunction
22× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means if or wish, used in phrases like if only or would that, expressing a desire or unlikely condition, as seen in Jeremiah and Daniel.
Tyndale gloss
if
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לוּ (lu) is a conditional particle meaning 'if' and expresses a wish, as in 'O that!' or 'if only!'. It indicates unlikely conditions or hypothetical situations. The entries consistently highlight its use in expressing desires or wishes, with no significant disagreement among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לוּ 17 and לוּא conj. if, O that

if (stating a case which has not been, or is not likely to be, realized)

If only …! i.e. O that! would that!

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3863 לוּ, לוּא if, O that

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3863 luw' loo

or lu {loo}; or luw {loo}; a conditional particle; if; by

implication (interj. as a wish) would that!:--if (haply),

peradventure, I pray thee, though, I would, would God (that).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לוּ (lu) — if.

1) if, oh that!, if only!

1a) if (unlikely condition)

1b) if only!, oh that!, would that!

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj — Conjunction
HC
if animal[s] wild I will cause to pass in the land and it will make childless it and it will be a desolation because not [one who] passes by because of the animal[s]
חַיָּ֥הchai.Yah animal[s] H2416 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
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
living creatures, animals
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-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
if animal[s] wild I will cause to pass in the land and it will make childless it and it will be a desolation because not [one who] passes by because of the animal[s]
רָעָ֛הra.'Ah wild H7451 Adj
662× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Ra means bad or evil, referring to moral or natural harm. It describes adversity, affliction, or distress, and is often used to convey a sense of misery or injury.
Amplified meaning
evil, noisome, or wild
Tyndale gloss
bad: harmful
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רַע (ra) is a Hebrew word meaning bad or evil, encompassing a range of negative qualities such as distress, misery, and ethical wrongdoing. It can describe unpleasantness, harm, or low value, and is used in various contexts, including emotional states and moral judgments. The entries also note its comparative form, indicating worse than or worst. The word has feminine forms, such as רָעָה (ra.ah), which similarly convey concepts of evil and distress.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רַע 228 adj. bad, evil

bad, disagreeable, malignant

bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery

evil, displeasing

bad of its kind

bad, , i.e. of low value

מִן comp., worse than

sad, unhappy

devise evil (hurtful) device

bad, unkind, vicious in disposition or temper

ethically bad, evil, wicked

base

רַע 126 n.m. evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity

evil, distress, adversity

evil, injury, wrong

ethical evil

base

רָעָה 310 n.f. evil, misery, distress, injury

evil, misery, distress

evil, injury, wrong

ethical evil

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7451a רַע bad, evil . bad, disagreeable, malignant

. bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery

. evil, displeasing

. bad of its kind

. bad, , i.e. of low value

. + מִן comp., worse than

. sad, unhappy

. devise evil (hurtful) device

. bad, unkind, vicious in disposition or temper

. ethically bad, evil, wicked

H7451b רַע evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity . evil, distress, adversity

. evil, injury, wrong

. ethical evil

H7451c רָעָה evil, misery, distress, injury . evil, misery, distress

. evil, injury, wrong

. ethical evil

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7451 ra` rah

from 7489; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral):--

adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease(-ure),

distress, evil((- favouredness), man, thing), + exceedingly, X

great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured),

+ mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, + not

please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex,

wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong.

(Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).

see HEBREW for 07489

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רַע (ra) — bad: harmful.

: harmful

adj

1) bad, evil

1a) bad, disagreeable, malignant

1b) bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)

1c) evil, displeasing

1d) bad (of its kind-land, water, etc)

1e) bad (of value)

1f) worse than, worst (comparison)

1g) sad, unhappy

1h) evil (hurtful)

1i) bad, unkind (vicious in disposition)

1j) bad, evil, wicked (ethically)

1j1) in general, of persons, of thoughts

1j2) deeds, actions

רַע (ra) — bad: evil.

1) evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity

1a) evil, distress, adversity

1b) evil, injury, wrong

1c) evil (ethical)

רָעָה (ra.ah) — distress: harm.

: harm

1) evil, misery, distress, injury

1a) evil, misery, distress

1b) evil, injury, wrong

1c) evil (ethical)

רַע (ra) — bad: evil.

: evil

adj

1) bad, evil

1a) bad, disagreeable, malignant

1b) bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)

1c) evil, displeasing

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAafsa
if animal[s] wild I will cause to pass in the land and it will make childless it and it will be a desolation because not [one who] passes by because of the animal[s]
אַעֲבִ֥יר'a.'a.Vir I will cause to pass H5674 Verb · Hiphil · imperfect first person common singular
556× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb can mean to cross over or transition from one thing to another, and is sometimes used to describe being arrogant or crossing a boundary.
Amplified meaning
crossing, transitioning
Tyndale gloss
to pass
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עָבַר (abar) is a versatile verb meaning to pass over, through, or by, and it encompasses a range of actions including crossing, traversing, and alienating. It can also imply causing something to pass or be transferred, as well as emotional states like anger in its Hithpael form. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, though they do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָבַר 648 vb. pass over, through, by, pass on

Qal

pass over

Pass beyond

Pass through, traverse

pass along by

pass by

sweep by, of scourge

be past, over, of time

pass along (from hand to hand)

Pass on, go on

Pass away

Niph. Impf. a stream which cannot be forded

Pi.

his bull impregnateth

cause one to cross river

cause something to pass over

make over to

devote children to (לְ) heathen god

pass along (from hand to hand)

cause to pass through

let pass through

cause to pass by

let pass by

cause arrow to pass beyond

cause to pass under rod, for counting

cause to pass away, take away

Hiph.

cause to pass over, bring over

he made to pass across with chains of gold

base

[עָבַר] vb. denom. Hithp. be arrogant, infuriate oneself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5674a עָבַר pass over, through, by, pass on .. pass over

. Pass beyond

. Pass through, traverse

. . pass along by

. pass by

. sweep by, of scourge

. be past, over, of time

. pass along (from hand to hand)

. Pass on, go on

. Pass away

. Impf. a stream which cannot be forded

. . his bull impregnateth . cause one to cross river

. cause something to pass over

. make over to

. devote children to (לְ) heathen god

. pass along (from hand to hand)

. . cause to pass through

. let pass through

. . cause to pass by

. let pass by

. cause arrow to pass beyond

. cause to pass under rod, for counting

. cause to pass away, take away

. . cause to pass over, bring over

. he made to pass across with chains of gold

H5674b עָבַר vb. denom. Hithp. be arrogant, infuriate oneself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5674 `abar aw-bar'

a primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any

transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive,

intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in

copulation):--alienate, alter, X at all, beyond, bring (over,

through), carry over, (over-)come (on, over), conduct (over),

convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail,

gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way,

in, on, over, through), have away (more), lay, meddle,

overrun, make partition, (cause to, give, make to, over)

pass(-age, along, away, beyond, by, -enger, on, out, over,

through), (cause to, make) + proclaim(-amation), perish,

provoke to anger, put away, rage, + raiser of taxes, remove,

send over, set apart, + shave, cause to (make) sound, X

speedily, X sweet smelling, take (away), (make to)

transgress(-or), translate, turn away, (way-)faring man, be

wrath.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָבַר (a.var) — to pass.

1) to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to pass over, cross, cross over, pass over, march over, overflow, go over

1a2) to pass beyond

1a3) to pass through, traverse

1a3a) passers-through (participle)

1a3b) to pass through (the parts of victim in covenant)

1a4) to pass along, pass by, overtake and pass, sweep by

1a4a) passer-by (participle)

1a4b) to be past, be over

1a5) to pass on, go on, pass on before, go in advance of, pass along, travel, advance

1a6) to pass away

1a6a) to emigrate, leave (one's territory)

1a6b) to vanish

1a6c) to perish, cease to exist

1a6d) to become invalid, become obsolete (of law, decree)

1a6e) to be alienated, pass into other hands

1b) (Niphal) to be crossed

1c) (Piel) to impregnate, cause to cross

1d) (Hiphil)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect first person common singular
HVhi1cs
if animal[s] wild I will cause to pass in the land and it will make childless it and it will be a desolation because not [one who] passes by because of the animal[s]
בָּאָ֖רֶץba.'A.retz in the land H776 Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
2,504× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Amplified meaning
country, territory, or region
Tyndale gloss
land: soil
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land

earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

earth, opp. to heaven, sky

earth = inhabitants of earth

land =

country, territory

district, region

trial territory

piece of ground

specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

= inhabitants of land

used even of Shᵉʼôl

ground, surface of ground

soil, as productive

אֶרֶץ in phrases

people of the land

in measurements of distance

the country of the plain, level or plain country

land of the living

end(s) of the earth

pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

. earth, opp. to heaven, sky

. earth = inhabitants of earth

. land = . country, territory

. district, region

. trial territory

. piece of ground

. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

. = inhabitants of land

. used even of Shᵉʼôl

. . ground, surface of ground

. soil, as productive

. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land

. in measurements of distance

. the country of the plain, level or plain country

. land of the living

. end(s) of the earth

. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

776 'erets eh'-rets

from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth

(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,

field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.

: country/field

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

1b2) district, region

1b3) tribal territory

1b4) piece of ground

1b5) land of Canaan, Israel

1b6) inhabitants of land

1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world

1b8) city (-state)

1c) ground, surface of the earth

1c1) ground

1c2) soil

1d) (in phrases)

1d1) people of the land

1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)

1d3) level or plain country

1d4) land of the living

1d5) end(s) of the earth

1e) (almost wholly late in usage)

1e1) lands, countries

1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.

: soil

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absolute
HRd/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

((1) 'erets;

(2) 'adhamah;

(3) sadheh,

"a piece of land";

(4) ge, "earth";

(5) agros, "field";

(6) chora, "region";

(7) chorion, diminutive of chora;

(8) xeros, "dry land";

(9) 'ezrach, "native" the King James Version "born in the land," "born among you," the Revised Version (British and American) "home-born" (Le 19:34; 14:16; Nu 15:30); "like a green tree in its native soil" (Ps 37:35)):

'Erets occurs hundreds of times and is used in much the same way as 'adhamah, which also occurs often: e.g. "land of Egypt," 'erets mitsrayim (Ge 13:10), and 'adhmath mitsrayim (Ge 47:20). The other words occur less often, and are used in the…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Appeared on the third creative day Ge 1:9

→ Original title to, from God Ge 13:14-17; 15:7; Ex 23:31; Le 25:23

→ Bought and sold Ge 23:3-18; 33:19; Ac 4:34; 5:1-8

→ Sale and redemption of, laws concerning Le 25:15,16,23-33; 27:17-24; Nu 36:4; Jer 32:7-16,25,44; Eze 46:18

if animal[s] wild I will cause to pass in the land and it will make childless it and it will be a desolation because not [one who] passes by because of the animal[s]
וְשִׁכְּלָ֑תָּהve.shi.ke.La.tah and it will make childless it H7921 Verb piel sequential perfect third person feminine singular · suffix
23× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Barrenness refers to the inability to have children. In the Bible, this word is used to describe someone who has lost a child or is unable to conceive, like Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:5-6.
Amplified meaning
make it, barren, without offspring
Tyndale gloss
be bereaved
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁכֹל (shakol) primarily means 'to be bereaved' or 'to miscarry,' indicating loss or childlessness. It can refer to causing barrenness or abortion and includes related forms like שָׁכוּל (shakul), meaning 'childless.' The entries reflect a range of meanings associated with loss of children, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׁכֹל, שָׁכַל] vb. be bereaved

Qal be bereaved

Pi.

make childless

cause barrenness, or abortion

shew barrenness, or abortion

Hiph. miscarrying womb

base

[שָׁכוּל] adj. childless (through bereavement);—fs. Is 49:21

ref

מְשַׁכֶּ֫לֶת n.f.abstr. barrenness, 2 K 2:21

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7921a שָׁכֹל, שָׁכַל be bereaved .be bereaved

. . make childless

. . cause barrenness, or abortion

. shew barrenness, or abortion

. miscarrying womb

H7921b שָׁכוּל childless H7921c מְשַׁכֶּ֫לֶת n. f. abstr. childless (through bereavement)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7921 shakol shaw-kole'

a primitive root; properly, to miscarry, i.e. suffer

abortion; by analogy, to bereave (literally or

figuratively):--bereave (of children), barren, cast calf

(fruit, young), be (make) childless, deprive, destroy, X

expect, lose children, miscarry, rob of children, spoil.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁכֹל (sha.khol) — be bereaved.

1) to be bereaved, make childless, miscarry

1a) (Qal) to be bereaved

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to make childless

1b2) to cause barrenness, show barrenness or abortion

1b3) to miscarry

1c) (Hiphil) miscarrying (participle)

שָׁכוּל (sha.khul) — childless.

adj

childless (through bereavement)

Also means: shak.kul (שַׁכּוּל "childless" H7909)

מְשַׁכֶּ֫לֶת (me.sha.ke.let) — barenness.

barrenness

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Piel-3fs | Suff — Verb piel sequential perfect third person feminine singular · suffix
Hc/Vpq3fs/Sp3fs
if animal[s] wild I will cause to pass in the land and it will make childless it and it will be a desolation because not [one who] passes by because of the animal[s]
וְהָיְתָ֤הve.ha.ye.Tah and it will be H1961 Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person feminine singular
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

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

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

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

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

Come into being, become

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

sq. prep.

become

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

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

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

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

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

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

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

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

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

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

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

. sq. prep.

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

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

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

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

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

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

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

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

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

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

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

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

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

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

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

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

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

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

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

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-3fs — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect third person feminine singular
Hc/Vqq3fs
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See TESTAMENT.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ THE MENTAL FACULTY

Freedom of, recognized by God Ge 4:6-10; De 5:29; 1Ki 20:42; Isa 1:18-20; 43:26; Jer 36:3,7; Joh 7:17

See BLESSINGS, CONTINGENT UPON OBEDIENCE

See CHOICE

See CONTINGENCY

→ OF GOD, THE SUPREME RULE OF DUTY Mt 6:10; 12:50; 26:39,42; Mr 3:35; 14:36; Lu 11:2; 22:42; Joh 4:34; 5:30; 6:38-40; Ac…

if animal[s] wild I will cause to pass in the land and it will make childless it and it will be a desolation because not [one who] passes by because of the animal[s]
שְׁמָמָה֙she.ma.Mah a desolation H8077 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
57× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to the state of being devastated or wasted, often used to describe the results of war or God's judgment. In Ezekiel 33:28, it describes the desolation of Israel. It's about a place being left empty and destroyed.
Amplified meaning
wasted, devastated
Tyndale gloss
Desolate
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שְׁמָמָה (shmamah) refers to devastation or waste, often implying desolation. It is a feminine form derived from a related root, and can also denote astonishment. The entries indicate that it encompasses meanings of both devastation and desolation, with variations in spelling noted. The term appears in contexts related to destruction.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שְׁמָמָה 55 n.f. a devastation, waste

base

שִׁמָמָה v. foregoing [v.ea.ac]

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8077a שְׁמָמָה a devastation, waste H8077b שִׁמָמָה v. foregoing [8077a]

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8077 shmamah shem-aw-maw'

or shimamah {shee-mam-aw'}; feminine of 8076; devastation;

figuratively, astonishment:--(laid, X most) desolate(- ion),

waste.

see HEBREW for 08076

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁמָמָה (she.ma.mah) — devastation.

devastation, waste, desolation

Also means: shi.me.mah (שִֽׁמְמָה "desolation" H8077B)

שִֽׁמְמָה (shi.me.mah) — desolation.

devastation, waste, desolation

Another spelling of she.ma.mah (שְׁמָמָה "devastation" H8077A)

שִֽׁמְמָה (shi.me.mah) — Desolate.

devastation, waste, desolation

Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Thompson Chain Reference topics

as a result of sin

(1) Of Israel

Isa 1:8; 24:12; Jer 2:15; 9:11; 12:11; 19:8; La 1:4; 5:18

Eze 20:26; 33:28; Am 7:9; Mic 3:12; Mt 23:38

--SEE Barrenness,

Wicked Forsaken, SIN

(2) Of Heathen Nations

Isa 13:9; 15:1; Jer 25:12; 49:9; 49:17; Eze 25:13; 29:12; 30:14

if animal[s] wild I will cause to pass in the land and it will make childless it and it will be a desolation because not [one who] passes by because of the animal[s]
מִבְּלִ֣יmi.be.Li because not H1097 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
58× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means without or nothing, often used for negation. It appears in various forms, such as without or not yet, in the Old Testament.
Tyndale gloss
without
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בְּלִי (bli) refers to a state of wearing out or destruction, and serves as an adverb of negation meaning 'without' or 'not.' It is derived from the root meaning failure and can indicate absence or lack in various contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בְּלִי subst. wearing out, hence

fig. destruction

defect, failure, hence adv. of negation

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1097 בְּלִי subst. wearing out, hence . fig. destruction

. defect, failure, hence adv. of negation

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1097 bliy bel-ee'

from 1086; properly, failure, i.e. nothing or destruction;

usually (with preposition) without, not yet, because not, as

long as, etc.:--corruption, ig(norantly), for lack of, where

no...is, so that no, none, not, un(awares), without.

see HEBREW for 01086

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בְּלִי (be.li) — without.

subst

1) wearing out

adv of negation

2) without, no, not

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HR/Ncmsa
if animal[s] wild I will cause to pass in the land and it will make childless it and it will be a desolation because not [one who] passes by because of the animal[s]
עוֹבֵ֔רo.Ver [one who] passes by H5674 Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
556× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb can mean to cross over or transition from one thing to another, and is sometimes used to describe being arrogant or crossing a boundary.
Tyndale gloss
to pass
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עָבַר (abar) is a versatile verb meaning to pass over, through, or by, and it encompasses a range of actions including crossing, traversing, and alienating. It can also imply causing something to pass or be transferred, as well as emotional states like anger in its Hithpael form. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, though they do not provide specific verse references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָבַר 648 vb. pass over, through, by, pass on

Qal

pass over

Pass beyond

Pass through, traverse

pass along by

pass by

sweep by, of scourge

be past, over, of time

pass along (from hand to hand)

Pass on, go on

Pass away

Niph. Impf. a stream which cannot be forded

Pi.

his bull impregnateth

cause one to cross river

cause something to pass over

make over to

devote children to (לְ) heathen god

pass along (from hand to hand)

cause to pass through

let pass through

cause to pass by

let pass by

cause arrow to pass beyond

cause to pass under rod, for counting

cause to pass away, take away

Hiph.

cause to pass over, bring over

he made to pass across with chains of gold

base

[עָבַר] vb. denom. Hithp. be arrogant, infuriate oneself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5674a עָבַר pass over, through, by, pass on .. pass over

. Pass beyond

. Pass through, traverse

. . pass along by

. pass by

. sweep by, of scourge

. be past, over, of time

. pass along (from hand to hand)

. Pass on, go on

. Pass away

. Impf. a stream which cannot be forded

. . his bull impregnateth . cause one to cross river

. cause something to pass over

. make over to

. devote children to (לְ) heathen god

. pass along (from hand to hand)

. . cause to pass through

. let pass through

. . cause to pass by

. let pass by

. cause arrow to pass beyond

. cause to pass under rod, for counting

. cause to pass away, take away

. . cause to pass over, bring over

. he made to pass across with chains of gold

H5674b עָבַר vb. denom. Hithp. be arrogant, infuriate oneself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5674 `abar aw-bar'

a primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any

transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive,

intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in

copulation):--alienate, alter, X at all, beyond, bring (over,

through), carry over, (over-)come (on, over), conduct (over),

convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail,

gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way,

in, on, over, through), have away (more), lay, meddle,

overrun, make partition, (cause to, give, make to, over)

pass(-age, along, away, beyond, by, -enger, on, out, over,

through), (cause to, make) + proclaim(-amation), perish,

provoke to anger, put away, rage, + raiser of taxes, remove,

send over, set apart, + shave, cause to (make) sound, X

speedily, X sweet smelling, take (away), (make to)

transgress(-or), translate, turn away, (way-)faring man, be

wrath.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָבַר (a.var) — to pass.

1) to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to pass over, cross, cross over, pass over, march over, overflow, go over

1a2) to pass beyond

1a3) to pass through, traverse

1a3a) passers-through (participle)

1a3b) to pass through (the parts of victim in covenant)

1a4) to pass along, pass by, overtake and pass, sweep by

1a4a) passer-by (participle)

1a4b) to be past, be over

1a5) to pass on, go on, pass on before, go in advance of, pass along, travel, advance

1a6) to pass away

1a6a) to emigrate, leave (one's territory)

1a6b) to vanish

1a6c) to perish, cease to exist

1a6d) to become invalid, become obsolete (of law, decree)

1a6e) to be alienated, pass into other hands

1b) (Niphal) to be crossed

1c) (Piel) to impregnate, cause to cross

1d) (Hiphil)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HVqrmsa — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singular
HVqrmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

In the sense of "against" which survives only in dialectal English (compare Wright, Dialect Dict., I, 470, for examples) is the King James Version rendering of the dative emauto of 1Co 4:4 (the American Standard Revised Version renders this "against"). In classical Greek the same idiom sunoida with dative = "be conscious" or "be cognizant of" a thing.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

By

In the expression “by myself” (A.V., 1 Cor. 4:4), means, as rendered in the Revised Version, “against myself.”

if animal[s] wild I will cause to pass in the land and it will make childless it and it will be a desolation because not [one who] passes by because of the animal[s]
מִפְּנֵ֖יmi.pe.Nei because of H6440 Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct
2,127× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means face or presence, like being in front of someone or something. It's used in many contexts, like in Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, to describe interactions and relationships.
Amplified meaning
because of the presence
Tyndale gloss
face
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces

face, faces

presence, person

technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

face of seraphim

face of animals

face (= surface) of ground

as adv.loc. before

for other phrases

with prepositions

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces

. . presence, person

. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

. face of seraphim

. face of animals

. face (= surface) of ground

. as adv. loc. before

. for other phrases

. with prepositions

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6440 paniym paw-neem'

plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh

{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);

used in a great variety of applications (literally and

figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a

preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),

against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),

+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,

face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er

time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +

honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +

meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,

open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,

presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right

forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,

X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)

Read the full entry →
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.

: before/to/front

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of

פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.

: face

1) face

1a) face, faces

1b) presence, person

1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)

1d) face (of animals)

1e) face, surface (of ground)

1f) as adv of loc/temp

1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before

1g) with prep

1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct
HR/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…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
if animal[s] wild I will cause to pass in the land and it will make childless it and it will be a desolation because not [one who] passes by because of the animal[s]
הַחַיָּֽה׃ha.chai.Yah the animal[s] H2416 Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
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
animals, living creatures
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
Art | N-fs — Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
HTd/Ncfsa
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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