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Ezekiel 4:17 — Word Study

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WLCלְמַ֥עַן יַחְסְר֖וּ לֶ֣חֶם וָמָ֑יִם וְנָשַׁ֙מּוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ וְאָחִ֔יו וְנָמַ֖קּוּ בַּעֲוֹנָֽם׃ פ

BSASomaʻan they will lackchâçêr [lack and be without] foodlechem [bread, grain, or sustenance] and watermayim [a source of refreshment] they will be appalledshâmêm [desolate, devastated, and astonished] [at the sight of] oneʼîysh anotherʼâch [each man, brother, or individual] wasting awaymâqaq [rotting, decaying, or pining away] in their iniquityʻâvôn [moral evil, sin, or wickedness]

Word
Listen & take awayEzekiel 4
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 17 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 (ba.'a.vo.Nam) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Ezekiel 4:17quick helps
In a sentenceEzekiel warns of a coming time of scarcity and despair among the people.
Who is speakingThe prophet Ezekiel, conveying God's message.
Where we areIn a prophecy about the consequences of iniquity, specifically in Jerusalem.
The hard wordיַחְסְר֖וּ
Take awayThe people will suffer from lack and witness each other's decay.
6 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbחָסֵר 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 4:17

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 Consequences of Iniquitygenerated

14“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have not eaten anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth.”
15“Look,” He replied, “I will let you use cow dung instead of human excrement, and you may bake your bread over that.”
16Then He told me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. They will anxiously eat bread rationed by weight, and in despair they will drink water by measure.
17So they will lack food and water; they will be appalled at the sight of one another wasting away in their iniquity.

Ezekiel 4:17 presents a dire warning from God through the prophet Ezekiel about the impending famine and suffering in Jerusalem. The people will lack basic necessities like food and water, leading to a state of horror as they witness the decay of one another due to their iniquity. This reflects a broader theme in Ezekiel's prophecies regarding the consequences of turning away from God, as seen in earlier verses like Ezekiel 4:16.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Ezekiel 24:23Your turbans will remain on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep, but you will waste away because of your sins, and you will groan among yourselves.
2Leviticus 26:39Those of you who survive in the lands of your enemies will waste away in their iniquity and will decay in the sins of their fathers.

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


The Key Word יַחְסְר֖וּ, yach.se.Rugenerated

The verb חָסֵר (chacer) means to lack or be without. It conveys a state of need and is often used in contexts of hardship or deprivation. The jussive form indicates a desire or intention, suggesting that the people will experience this lack as a consequence of their actions.

In this verse, it emphasizes the severity of the situation, where the people will not only lack food and water but also face the emotional and physical toll of witnessing each other suffer.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses lack for יַחְסְר֖וּ.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb governing the verse is יַחְסְר֖וּ, they may lack, which is followed by a noun phrase indicating what is lacking (food and water) and two clauses describing the resulting state of the people (being appalled and wasting away).

The structure highlights the cause-and-effect relationship between the lack of sustenance and the emotional devastation experienced by the individuals.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יַחְסְר֖וּ with the Greek word ὅπως (hopōs), which conveys a similar sense of purpose or result. This choice indicates a continuity in the theme of lack and its consequences across the translations.

The use of ὅπως suggests an emphasis on the outcome of the people's actions, aligning with the prophetic warning.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Ezekiel 4:17 warns that the people will suffer from a lack of food and water, and they will be horrified to see each other wasting away because of their sins. This reflects the consequences of their actions and the severity of their situation.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that they will lack food and water?

This signifies a severe scarcity that will lead to suffering and desperation among the people.

Why are they appalled at one another?

They will witness the physical decay of their fellow individuals, which serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of their iniquity.

What is the significance of iniquity in this verse?

Iniquity represents the moral failures that lead to their suffering, highlighting the relationship between sin and its consequences.

How does this verse relate to the overall message of Ezekiel?

It emphasizes the dire consequences of turning away from God and the resulting suffering that comes from iniquity.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What are some ways that I see the consequences of actions in my own life or community?
  2. How can I be more aware of the impact of my choices on others?
  3. In what ways can I seek to address moral failures in my own life?
  4. How does understanding the concept of iniquity shape my view of justice and mercy?

Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 4:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

That they may want bread and water,.... Or, "because they shall want" (l) c.

Read John Gill on Ezekiel 4 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

That they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with another, and consume away for their iniquity.

Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 4 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The Lord will take away their provision, that they may die with want, punished for all their sins, and disappointed of all that their false prophets promised them; and under strangest disappointments, be filled with strangest amazements and horrors, at the woeful miseries of one another, and falling dead in each other’ s helpless sight.

Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 4 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ezekiel 4:17 That they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with another, and consume away for their iniquity.Ver. 17. And be astonied.] At their straits and disappointments. And consume away for their iniquity.] They. shall "pine away in their iniquity"; this is the last and worst of judgments there threatened, after those other dismal ones.

Read John Trapp on Ezekiel 4 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

9–17. Symbol of scarcity during the siege and pollution in the dispersion from having to eat unclean things among the Gentiles The passage continues Ezekiel 4:8. The prophet is commanded (while lying immovably on his side in siege) to take of all kinds of grain, coarse as well as fine, of everything that will still hunger, and cast them into one vessel. These are to be baked into cakes and fired with hot ashes of men’s dung, though on the prophet’s entreaty a relaxation of this repulsive condition is granted and he is allowed to substitute the dung of cows. These cakes are to be eaten sparingly in small quantity from time to time, and water drunk with them sparingly. And this use of the…

Read Cambridge on Ezekiel 4 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

16, 17. These verses explain Ezekiel 4:10-11. Staff of bread — Or, staff (of life), which is bread (Leviticus 26:26; Isaiah 3:1).

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Ezekiel 4 →

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

So they will lack food and water; they will be appalled at the sight of one another wasting away in their iniquity.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

that they may lack bread and water, be dismayed one with another, and pine away in their iniquity.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

So they will lack food and water; they will be appalled at the sight of one another wasting away in their iniquity.

NETBNew English Translation2006

because they will lack bread and water. Each one will be terrified, and they will rot for their iniquity.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

That they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with another, and consume away for their iniquity.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

that they may want bread and water, and be dismayed one with another, and pine away in their iniquity.

RVARevised Version, American1894

that they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with another, and pine away in their iniquity.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

That they may want bread and water, and be astonished one with another, and consume away for their iniquity.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Because that bread and water shall faile, they shalbe astonied one with another, and shall consume away for their iniquitie.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

because bread and water shall fail them, and they shall be astonied one with another, and waste away in their iniquity.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

so that they lack bread and water, and have been astonished one with another, and been consumed in their iniquity.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

so that they lack bread and water, and have been astonished with one another, and been consumed in their iniquity.”

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

In order that they may want bread and water, and be confounded one with the other, and pine away for their iniquity.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Because they will lack bread and water, every man will be dismayed at his brother and waste away because of their iniquity.”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

So that when bread and water fail, every man may fall against his brother, and they may pine away in their iniquities.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Running out of food and water, they will be horrified as they look at one another wasting away because of their sins.”

BBEBible in Basic English1949

So that they may be in need of bread and water and be wondering at one another, wasting away in their sin.

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.

clauseלְמַ֥עַןso.thatclauseclauseverbיַחְסְר֖וּthey.may.lacknoun phrase · objectלֶ֣חֶםbreadוָandמָ֑יִםwaterוְandclauseverbנָשַׁ֨מּוּ֙they.will.be.appallednoun phrase · adverbialאִ֣ישׁeveryoneוְandnoun phraseאָחִ֔יbrotherוhisוְandclauseverbנָמַ֖קּוּthey.will.rot.awayprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּinnoun phraseעֲוֺנָֽiniquityםtheir

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 their wording for this verse, with eight out of nine words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain two words from the verse, with the remainder supplied by an editor, indicating some textual preservation despite damage.

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

לְמַ֥עַן יַחְסְר֖וּ לֶ֣חֶם וָמָ֑יִם וְנָשַׁ֙מּוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ וְאָחִ֔יו וְנָמַ֖קּוּ בַּעֲוֹנָֽם׃ פ

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
לְמַ֥עַןὅπωςלֶ֣חֶםἄρτουוָמָ֑יִםὕδατοςוְנָשַׁ֙מּוּ֙ἀφανισθήσεταιאִ֣ישׁἄνθρωποςוְאָחִ֔יוαὐτοῦוְנָמַ֖קּוּτακήσονταιבַּעֲוֹנָֽם׃ פἀδικίαις

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

Dead Sea Scrolls — 1Q9a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[למען] [יחסרו] [לחם] [ומים] [ונשמו] [איש] [ואחי׳ו] ונמקו בעונ׳ם

2 words on the leather — 7 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.

Ezekiel 4:17מַ֫עַןso thatso thatמַ֫עַןחָסֵרthey may lathey may lackחָסֵרלֶ֫חֶםbreadbreadלֶ֫חֶםמַיand waterand waterמַישָׁמֵםand they wiand they will bשָׁמֵםאִישׁeveryoneeveryoneאִישׁאָחand brotherand brother hisאָחמָקַקand they wiand they will wמָקַקעָוֹןin iniquityin iniquity theעָוֹןעוּןto dwellto dwellעוּןלָחַםto fightto fightלָחַםאֱנוֹשׁhumanhumanאֱנוֹשׁאִשָּׁהwomanwomanאִשָּׁהאָבfatherfatherאָבעָוָהto twistto twistעָוָהאֲבַדto destroyto destroyאֲבַדאָרַךְto prolongto prolongאָרַךְיָטַבbe goodbe goodיָטַבבֶּ֫טֶןbelly: abdbelly: abdomenבֶּ֫טֶןחֲמִשִּׁיםfiftyfiftyחֲמִשִּׁיםפַּתmorselmorselפַּתשָׂבֵעַto satisfyto satisfyשָׂבֵעַרָחַץto wash: wto wash: washרָחַץשָׁתָהto drinkto drinkשָׁתָהשָׁרַקto whistleto whistleשָׁרַקנָוֶהpasturepastureנָוֶהרֵעַneighborneighborרֵעַ
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 4:17

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.

so that they may lack bread and water and they will be appalled everyone and brother his and they will waste away in iniquity their
לְמַ֥עַןle.Ma.'an so that H4616 Particle
272× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means because of something or for a specific purpose. It is used to explain why something happens or is done. In the Bible, it is used to describe God's intentions or purposes.
Tyndale gloss
because
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַ֫עַן (ma`an) is a preposition and conjunction meaning 'for the sake of' or 'on account of.' It conveys purpose or intent, indicating a motive or aim, and is used adverbially. The word is derived from a root meaning 'heed' or 'purpose' and appears in contexts that express reasons or intentions.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מַ֫עַן] subst. purpose, intent, only with לְ, in לְמַ֫עַן 271 prep. and conj. for the sake of, on account of, to the intent or in order that

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4616 מַ֫עַן prep. and conj. for the sake of, on account of, to the intent or in order that

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4616 ma`an mah'-an

from 6030; properly, heed, i.e. purpose; used only

adverbially, on account of (as a motive or an aim),

teleologically, in order that:--because of, to the end

(intent) that, for (to,... 's sake), + lest, that, to.

see HEBREW for 06030

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַ֫עַן (ma.an) — because.

1) purpose, intent prep

1a) for the sake of

1b) in view of, on account of

1c) for the purpose of, to the intent that, in order to conj

1d) to the end that

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Particle
HTc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

so (co', although the Hebrew might be pointed cewe'; Assyrian Sib'u; Septuagint Segor, Soa; Manetho, Seuechos; Latin Sevechus; Herodotus (ii. 137 ff), Sabakon): In all probability the "Sabaeo" of Herodotus, the Shabaka, who founded the Ethiopian dynasty, the XXVth of Egyptian kings. His date is given as 715-707 BC (Flinders Petrie, History of Egypt, III, 281 ff), but we may suppose that before his accession to the throne he was entitled to be designated king, as being actually regent. To this So, Hoshea, king of Israel, made an appeal for assistance to enable him to throw off the yoke of the Assyrian Shalmaneser IV (2Ki 17:3). But Hoshea's submission to So brought him no advantage, for Shalmaneser came up throughout all the land and laid siege to Samaria. Not long after the fall of Samaria, So ventured upon an eastern campaign, and…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

So

(Nubian, Sabako), an Ethiopian king who brought Egypt under his sway. He was bribed by Hoshea to help him against the Assyrian monarch Shalmaneser (2 Kings 17:4). This was a return to the policy that had been successful in the reign of Jeroboam I.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

"So, king of Egypt," is once mentioned in the Bible -- (2 Kings 17:4) So has been identified by different writers with the first and second kings of the Ethiopian twenty-fifth dynasty, called by Manetho, Sabakon (Shebek) and Sebichos (Shebetek).

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

King of Egypt, made an alliance with Hoshea king of Israel, and promised him assistance; but was unable to prevent Shalmaneser king of Assyria from taking Samaria and subverting the kingdom, B. C. 721, 2Ki 17:4. See PHARAOH.

So is believed to have been the Servetus or Sabaco II of secular history, the second king of the Ethiopian or twenty-fifth dynasty, and the predecessor of Trihakah. A singular fact has been brought to light by the recent explorations at Nineveh, corroborating the Scripture record the more forcibly, because unexpected and direct. The Bible shows that Egypt and Assyria, though remote, were often in conflict during the height of the Assyrian ruins power, and that So was at war with Shalmaneser. After war comes the treaty of peace; and as the Bible prepares us to suppose such treaties were made, the Assyrian ruins…

so that they may lack bread and water and they will be appalled everyone and brother his and they will waste away in iniquity their
יַחְסְר֖וּyach.se.Ru they may lack H2637 Verb · Qal · jussive third person masculine plural
23× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To lack or be without something is what this word means. It describes a state of need or shortage, often used in stories of struggle or hardship. The Bible talks about lack in books like Psalms and Proverbs.
Amplified meaning
lack and be without
Tyndale gloss
to lack
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חָסֵר (chacer) is a Hebrew verb meaning to lack or be without. It encompasses various nuances such as diminishing, decreasing, and causing something to be lacking. The entries indicate its use in different forms, including Qal, Piel, and Hiphil, which reflect its active and causative aspects.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חָסֵר vb. lack, need, be lacking, decrease

Qal

lack

be lacking

diminish, decrease

Pi. cause to lack

Hiph. cause to be lacking, fail

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2637 חָסֵר lack, need, be lacking, decrease .. lack

. be lacking

. diminish, decrease

. cause to lack

. cause to be lacking, fail

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2637 chacer khaw-sare'

a primitive root; to lack; by implication, to fail, want,

lessen:--be abated, bereave, decrease, (cause to) fail, (have)

lack, make lower, want.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חָסֵר (cha.ser) — to lack.

1) to lack, be without, decrease, be lacking, have a need

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to lack

1a2) to be lacking

1a3) to diminish, decrease

1b) (Piel) to cause to lack

1c) (Hiphil) to cause to be lacking

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · jussive third person masculine plural
HVqj3mp
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(forms of chacer, "to lack," ayin, "nought"): This word in its various forms has the usual meaning of "want," "need," "deficiency." There is but little change in the use of the word in the different versions. Sometimes one of the common synonyms is exchanged for the word itself, e.g. in the Old Testament, 1Sa 21:15 the Revised Version (British and American) has "lack" ("Do I lack madmen?") where the King James Version has "need of"; Pr 5:23, "for lack," instead of "without"; 6:32, "void of" for "lacketh"; 10:21, "lack" for "want"; 31:11, "lack" for "need"; Isa 59:15, "lacking" for "faileth." In the New Testament "lack" is the translation of hustereo, literally, "to be behind," and endees, "in want." In

so that they may lack bread and water and they will be appalled everyone and brother his and they will waste away in iniquity their
לֶ֣חֶםLe.chem bread H3899 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
298× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to food, especially bread or grain. It's used throughout the Bible to describe meals, sacrifices, and daily life, highlighting the importance of food in ancient Israelite culture.
Amplified meaning
bread, grain, or sustenance
Tyndale gloss
food
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֶ֫חֶם (lechem) means bread or food, encompassing items like grain and provisions for both humans and animals. It is derived from a related root and is used in various contexts, particularly in the Old Testament. The entries consistently emphasize its primary association with bread, though they also acknowledge its broader meaning as food.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֶ֫חֶם 296 n.m. and (rarely) f. bread, food

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3899 לֶ֫חֶם bread, food

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3899 lechem lekh'-em

from 3898; food (for man or beast), especially bread, or

grain (for making it):--((shew-))bread, X eat, food, fruit,

loaf, meat, victuals. See also 1036.

see HEBREW for 03898

see HEBREW for 01036

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food.

: food(eating)

1) bread, food, grain

1a) bread

1a1) bread

1a2) bread-corn

1b) food (in general)

לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food: bread.

: bread/loaf

1) bread, food, grain

1a) bread

1a1) bread

1a2) bread-corn

1b) food (in general)

לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food: allowance.

: allowance

1) bread, food, grain

1a) bread

1a1) bread

1a2) bread-corn

1b) food (in general)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bred (lechem; artos):

I. DIETARY PREEMINENCE

II. MATERIALS

1. Barley

2. Wheat

3. Three Kinds of Flour

III. BREAD-MAKING

1. Grinding

2. Kneading

3. Baking

(1) Hot Stones

(2) Baking Pans

4. Ovens

(1) The Bowl-Oven

(2) The Jar-Oven

(3) The Pit-Oven

5. Forms of Baked Bread

6. Work for Women

IV. SANCTITY AND SYMBOLISM OF BREAD

1. Sanctity

2. Symbolism

LITERATURE

The art of bread-making is very ancient. It was even known to the Egyptians at a very early day (Wilkinson, Ancient Egyptians), to the Hebrews of the Exodus (Nowack, Lehrbuch der hebr. Archaologie) and, of course, to the Greeks and Romans of a later day. Bread played a large part in the vocabulary and in the life of the ancient Hebrews.

I. Dietary Preeminence.

(1) In the East bread is primary, other articles of food merely accessory; while in the West meat and other things chiefly constitute the meal, and bread is merely secondary. Accordingly "bread" in…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Bread

Among the Jews was generally made of wheat (Ex. 29:2; Judg. 6:19), though also sometimes of other grains (Gen. 14:18; Judg. 7:13). Parched grain was sometimes used for food without any other preparation (Ruth 2:14).

Bread was prepared by kneading in wooden bowls or “kneading troughs” (Gen. 18:6; Ex. 12:34; Jer. 7:18). The dough was mixed with leaven and made into thin cakes, round or oval, and then baked. The bread eaten at the Passover was always…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The preparation of bread as an article of food dates from a very early period. (Genesis 18:6) The corn or grain employed was of various sorts. The best bread was made of wheat, but "barley" and spelt were also used. (John 6:9,13; Isaiah 28:25) The process of making bread was as follows: the flour was first mixed with water or milk; it was then kneaded with the hands (in Egypt with the feet also) in a small wooden bowl or "kneading-trough" until it became dough. (Exodus 12:34,39; 2 Samuel 13:3; Jeremiah 7:18) When the kneading was completed, leaven was generally added [LEAVEN]; but when the time for preparation was short…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A word which in Scripture is often put for food in general, Ge 3:19 18:5 28:20 Ex 2:20 Le 11:3. Manna is called bread from heaven, Ex 16:4. Bread, in the proper and literal sense, usually means cakes made of wheaten flour; barely being used chiefly by the poor and for feeding horses. The wheat was ground daily, in small stone mills; the flour was made into dough in a wooden trough, and subsequently leavened, Ex 12:34 Ho 7:4. It was then made into cakes, and baked.

so that they may lack bread and water and they will be appalled everyone and brother his and they will waste away in iniquity their
וָמָ֑יִםva.Ma.yim and water H4325 Conjunction · noun common masculine plural absolute
581× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means water, referring to a liquid or a source of refreshment. It appears in the Bible as a literal and figurative term, including references to wasting or urine. The word is used in various contexts, such as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Amplified meaning
a source of refreshment
Tyndale gloss
Water (Gate)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מַי (mayim) is a Hebrew word meaning 'water' and is used in the plural form. It encompasses various meanings, including literal water, urine, and metaphorical uses related to refreshment or danger. The entries indicate it is derived from a primitive noun and is primarily referenced in contexts involving water.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מַי] 580 n.m. only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4325 מַי only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4325 mayim mah'-yim

dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense);

water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+

piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מַי (ma.yim) — water.

1) water, waters

1a) water

1b) water of the feet, urine

1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)

מַי (ma.yim) — Water (Gate).

This name means water, refreshment

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-mp — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural absolute
HC/Ncmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wo'-ter (mayim; hudor):

(1) The Greek philosophers believed water to be the original substance and that all things were made from it. The Koran states, "From water we have made all things." In the story of the creation (Ge 1:2) water plays an elemental part.

(2) Because of the scarcity of water in Palestine it is especially appreciated by the people there. They love to go and sit by a stream of running water. Men long for a taste of the water of their native village (1Ch 11:17). A town or village is known throughout the country for the quality of its water, which is described by many adjectives, such as "light," "heavy," etc.

(3) The rainfall is the only source of supply of water for Palestine. The moisture is carried up from the sea in clouds and falls on the hills as rain or snow.…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See CISTERN and WELLS.

In Isa 35:7, the Hebrew word for "parched ground" that shall become a pool of water, is the same with the Arabic term for the mirage, a peculiar optical illusion by which travelers in hot and dry deserts think they see broad lakes and flowing waters; they seem to discern the very ripple of the waves, and the swaying of tail trees on the margin in the cool breeze; green hills and houses and city ramparts rise before the astonished sight, recede as the traveler advances, and at length melt away in the hot haze. Not so the blessings of the gospel; they are no alluring mockery, but real waters of everlasting life, Isa 55:1 Joh 4:14 Re 22:1. Compare

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Creation of Ps 148:4,5

→ Covered the whole earth Ge 1:9

→ Daily allowance of Eze 4:11

→ City waterworks 2Ki 20:20

→ Vision of, by Ezekiel Eze 47:1-5

→ Of separation Nu 19:2-22

→ Libation of 1Sa 7:6

→ Irrigation with

See IRRIGATION

→ Miraculously supplied

To the Israelites Ex 17:1,6; Nu 20:11

To Samson Jud 15:19

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- One of the elements of the world

Ge 1:2

- GOD ORIGINALLY

. Created the firmament to divide

Ge 1:6,7

. Collected into one place

Ge 1:9

. Created fowls and fishes, &c from

Ge 1:20,21

- Necessary to vegetation

Ge 2:5,6; Job 14:9; Isa 1:30

- Some plants particularly require

Job 8:11

- Necessary to the comfort and happiness of man

Isa 41:17; Zec 9:11

- COLLECTED IN

. Springs

so that they may lack bread and water and they will be appalled everyone and brother his and they will waste away in iniquity their
וְנָשַׁ֙מּוּ֙ve.na.Sha.mu and they will be appalled H8074 Verb · Niphal · sequential perfect third person common plural
86× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The word 'shamem' means to be desolate or devastated, like a place left empty and destroyed, often used to describe the aftermath of war or disaster.
Amplified meaning
desolate, devastated, and astonished
Tyndale gloss
be desolate: destroyed
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁמֵם (shamem) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be desolated or appalled. It is built from a primitive root and encompasses a range of meanings including to stun, devastate, and cause horror. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances like being made desolate or causing desolation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[שָׁמֵם] vb. be desolated, appalled

Qal

be desolated

be appalled, awestruck

Niph.

be desolated

be appalled

Pō‛.

I sat appalled

transit. appalling, causing horror

Hiph.

devastate, ravage

appal

inwardly trans., shewing horror

Hoph. all the days of (its) being desolate

Hithpō‛.

be appalled, astounded

cause oneself desolation, ruin

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8074 [שָׁמֵם] be desolated, appalled

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8074 shamem shaw-mame'

a primitive root; to stun (or intransitively, grow numb),

i.e. devastate or (figuratively) stupefy (both usually in a

passive sense):--make amazed, be astonied, (be an)

astonish(-ment), (be, bring into, unto, lay, lie, make)

desolate(-ion, places), be destitute, destroy (self), (lay,

lie, make) waste, wonder.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁמֵם (sha.mem) — be desolate: destroyed.

: destroyed/deserted

1) to be desolate, be appalled, stun, stupefy

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be desolated, be deflowered, be deserted, be appalled

1a2) to be appalled, be awestruck

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be desolated, be made desolate

1b2) to be appalled

1c) (Polel)

1c1) to be stunned

1c2) appalling, causing horror (participle)

1c2a) horror-causer, appaller (subst)

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to devastate, ravage, make desolated

1d2) to appal, show horror

1e) (Hophal) to lay desolate, be desolated

1f) (Hithpolel)

1f1) to cause to be desolate

1f2) to be appalled, be astounded

1f3) to cause oneself desolation, cause oneself ruin

שָׁמֵם (sha.mem) — be desolate: appalled.

: appalled

1) to be desolate, be appalled, stun, stupefy

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be desolated, be deflowered, be deserted, be appalled

1a2) to be appalled, be awestruck

1b) (Niphal)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Niphal-3cp — Verb · Niphal · sequential perfect third person common plural
Hc/VNq3cp
so that they may lack bread and water and they will be appalled everyone and brother his and they will waste away in iniquity their
אִ֣ישׁ'ish everyone H376 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
1,664× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for man, referring to a male person or individual, is used in the Bible to describe humans in contrast to God or animals, as seen in Genesis and Psalms. It can also mean husband or servant. In the KJV, it is translated as man or male.
Tyndale gloss
man
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אִישׁ (iysh) means 'man' and can refer to an individual male, a husband, or a human being in general. It encompasses various meanings, including champion and great man, and can also imply 'whosoever' or 'each.' The word is built from a root suggesting existence and is used throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H376 אִישׁ man (= vir)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

376 'iysh eesh

contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root

meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male

person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and

in such cases frequently not expressed in

translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, +

champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-,

husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree),

him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people,

person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.

Compare 802.

see HEBREW for 0582

see HEBREW for 0802

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אִישׁ (ish) — man.

: man

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: husband.

: husband

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

אִישׁ (ish) — man: anyone.

: anyone/someone

1) man

1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female)

1b) husband

1c) human being, person (in contrast to God)

1d) servant

1e) mankind

1f) champion

1g) great man

2) whosoever

3) each (adjective)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
so that they may lack bread and water and they will be appalled everyone and brother his and they will waste away in iniquity their
וְאָחִ֔יוve.'a.Chiv and brother his H251 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
630× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means a brother or male sibling, but it can also refer to a close relative, friend, or someone with a similar relationship. It is used to describe the bond between brothers, like the relationship between Cain and Abel in Genesis.
Amplified meaning
each man, brother, or individual
Tyndale gloss
brother: male-sibling
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָח (ach) means 'brother' and encompasses a broad range of relationships, including literal siblings, half-brothers, and metaphorical kinship. It can refer to any male relative or compatriot, and it may also imply resemblance or reciprocal relationships. The term is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, highlighting both familial and figurative connections.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָח 630 n.m. brother

brother, born of same mother (& father)

indef. = relative

fig. of resemblance

in phr. one … another

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H251 אָח brother

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

251 'ach awkh

a primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of

literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance

(like 1)):--another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other.

Compare also the proper names beginning with "Ah-" or "Ahi-".

see HEBREW for 01

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָח (ach) — brother: male-sibling.

: male-sibling

1) brother

1a) brother of same parents

1b) half-brother (same father)

1c) relative, kinship, same tribe

1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)

1e) (fig.) of resemblance

אָח (ach) — brother: male-relative.

: male-relative

1) brother

1a) brother of same parents

1b) half-brother (same father)

1c) relative, kinship, same tribe

1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)

1e) (fig.) of resemblance

אָח (ach) — brother: compatriot.

: compatriot

1) brother

1a) brother of same parents

1b) half-brother (same father)

1c) relative, kinship, same tribe

1d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)

1e) (fig.) of resemblance

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-ms | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

so that they may lack bread and water and they will be appalled everyone and brother his and they will waste away in iniquity their
וְנָמַ֖קּוּve.na.Ma.ku and they will waste away H4743 Verb · Niphal · sequential perfect third person common plural
10× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to rot or decay, like a wound festering or something molding away. It is used to describe a process of deterioration or corruption. The word is used in various contexts, including physical and moral decay.
Amplified meaning
rotting, decaying, or pining away
Tyndale gloss
to rot
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מָקַק (maqaq) is a Hebrew verb meaning to decay, rot, or fester. It describes processes of physical deterioration, such as wounds festering or flesh rotting, and can also imply a figurative sense of pining away, often as a consequence of iniquity. The entries indicate a range of uses, including both the Niphal and Hiphil forms, where the latter signifies causing something to rot.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[מָקַק] vb. decay, rot, fester, fig. pine away Niph. fester, of wounds

rot, rot away

moulder away

of pining away by reason of, as punishment for, iniquity

Hiph. a causing his flesh to rot

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4743 [מָקַק] decay, rot, fester, fig. pine away . . fester, of wounds

. rot, rot away

. moulder away

. of pining away by reason of, as punishment for, iniquity

. a causing his flesh to rot

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4743 maqaq maw-kak'

' a primitive root; to melt; figuratively, to flow, dwindle,

vanish:--consume away, be corrupt, dissolve, pine away.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מָקַק (ma.qaq) — to rot.

1) to decay, pine away, rot, fester

1a) (Niphal)

1a1) to fester (of wounds)

1a2) to rot, rot away

1a3) to moulder away

1a4) to pine away

1b) (Hiphil) to cause to rot

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Niphal-3cp — Verb · Niphal · sequential perfect third person common plural
Hc/VNq3cp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
so that they may lack bread and water and they will be appalled everyone and brother his and they will waste away in iniquity their
בַּעֲוֹנָֽם׃ פba.'a.vo.Nam in iniquity their H5771 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
233× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means moral evil or sin, like the kind God sees in people's hearts. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Psalms. This concept is key to understanding human nature.
Amplified meaning
moral evil, sin, or wickedness
Tyndale gloss
iniquity: crime
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עָוֹן (avon) refers to iniquity, guilt, or the punishment associated with iniquity. It encompasses concepts of moral evil, such as perversity and depravity, and includes the consequences or punishment for these actions. The term appears in contexts like 2 Kings 7:9 and Psalm 51:5, highlighting its significance in discussions of sin and guilt.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עָוֹן n.m. iniquity, guilt, or punishment of iniquity

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5771 עָוֹן iniquity, guilt, or punishment of iniquity

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5771 `avon aw-vone'

or oavown (2 Kings 7:9; Psalm 51:5 (7)) {aw-vone'}; from

5753; perversity, i.e. (moral) evil:--fault, iniquity,

mischeif, punishment (of iniquity), sin.

see HEBREW for 07

see HEBREW for 05753

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עָוֺן (a.van) — iniquity: crime.

: crime

1) perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity

1a) iniquity

1b) guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition)

1c) consequence of or punishment for iniquity

עָוֺן (a.van) — iniquity: guilt.

: guilt

1) perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity

1a) iniquity

1b) guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition)

1c) consequence of or punishment for iniquity

עָוֺן (a.van) — iniquity: punishment.

: punishment

1) perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity

1a) iniquity

1b) guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition)

1c) consequence of or punishment for iniquity

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-cs | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp
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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