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Ezekiel 41:10 — Word Study

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WLCוּבֵ֨ין הַלְּשָׁכ֜וֹת רֹ֣חַב עֶשְׂרִ֥ים אַמָּ֛ה סָבִ֥יב לַבַּ֖יִת סָבִ֥יב׀ סָבִֽיב׃

BSAand the outer chamberslishkâh [between the rooms, a row of rooms] [was] twentyʻesrîym [a score, two tens] cubitsʼammâh [a unit of measurement, about the length of a forearm] widerôchab [broad, having a certain breadth] all aroundçâbîyb [encompassing, surrounding] the templebayith [house, a dwelling place, the Lord's house]

Word
Listen & take awayEzekiel 41
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 10 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 (sa.Viv) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Ezekiel 41:10quick helps
In a sentenceEzekiel describes the dimensions of the outer chambers surrounding the temple.
Where we areA description of the temple structure, focusing on the outer chambers.
The hard wordעֶשְׂרִ֥ים
Take awayThe outer chambers are specified as being twenty cubits wide all around the temple.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Ezekiel 41:10

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 Dimensions of the Templegenerated

9The outer wall of the side rooms was five cubits thick, and the open area between the side rooms of the temple
10and the outer chambers was twenty cubits wide all around the temple.
11The side rooms opened into this area, with one entrance on the north and another on the south. The open area was five cubits wide all around.
12Now the building that faced the temple courtyard on the west was seventy cubits wide, and the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, with a length of ninety cubits.

Ezekiel 41:10 provides a detailed account of the temple's structure, specifically the outer chambers that surround it. This description is part of a broader vision Ezekiel received about the temple and its significance, emphasizing the careful measurements and design intended for the Lord's dwelling place. The context highlights the importance of the temple as a sacred space for worship and divine presence.


Cross References


The Key Word עֶשְׂרִ֥ים, 'es.Rimgenerated

The word עֶשְׂרִים ('esriym) means 'twenty' and is derived from the root word for 'ten.' It can also refer to the ordinal 'twentieth.' This word is used here to specify the measurement of the outer chambers, indicating a precise quantity.

In this verse, it functions as an adjective describing the width of the outer chambers. The parsing indicates it is in the plural form, which is consistent with the context of measuring space.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main clause is governed by the verb הַלְּשָׁכ֜וֹת, the rooms — with the subject being the outer chambers, and the predicate describing their width. The structure emphasizes the measurement of the chambers surrounding the temple.

The Hebrew word order places the dimensions first, highlighting their importance in the description of the temple's layout.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates עֶשְׂרִים as πηξῶν, which means 'twenty.' This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew, maintaining the numerical value without alteration.

The consistency in translation indicates a shared understanding of the measurement's significance in both texts.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Ezekiel 41:10 states that the outer chambers were twenty cubits wide all around the temple. This measurement is important as it describes the layout and dimensions of the temple, emphasizing its structure and design.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does 'twenty cubits wide' mean in this context?

It refers to the width of the outer chambers surrounding the temple, indicating a specific measurement used in ancient construction.

Why are the dimensions of the temple significant?

The dimensions reflect the careful planning and design intended for the Lord's dwelling place, emphasizing its holiness and importance.

How does this verse relate to the overall vision Ezekiel received?

This verse is part of a detailed description of the temple, which represents God's presence among His people and the restoration of worship.

What does the term 'outer chambers' refer to?

Outer chambers refer to the rooms adjacent to the main temple structure, which served various functions in the temple complex.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How do the measurements of the temple reflect God's desire for order and beauty in worship?
  2. What significance do the outer chambers hold in the context of the temple's overall function?
  3. In what ways can we see the importance of structure and design in our places of worship today?
  4. How does understanding the physical layout of the temple enhance our appreciation for its spiritual significance?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 41:10 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And between the chambers was the wideness of twenty cubits,.... Not the side chambers before mentioned, as if there was the space of twenty cubits between each chamber; for another word is used; more

Read John Gill on Ezekiel 41 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And between the chambers was the wideness of twenty cubits round about the house on every side.

Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 41 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Between the chambers that on one side joined to the temple, and were public repositories for offerings, and tithes, &c., and those other chambers, which were built on the wall of this inner court, and were lodgings for the priests, there was a void space, or pavement, in the open air, twenty cubits broad, and these round about on all sides of the court, and probably some rails, or balusters, or low wall round too before them enclosing this space.

Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 41 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Ezekiel 41:10 And between the chambers [was] the wideness of twenty cubits round about the house on every side.Ver. 10. And between the chambers.] Vulgate, The treasuries. In the Church much more room is taken up by such as are void of the treasure of God’ s grace than by better men, "rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom of Christ."

Read John Trapp on Ezekiel 41 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(10) Between the chambers.—There was a space of twenty cubits (I) between the foundation on which the chambers and the Temple stood and the wall of the court on all three sides on which the chambers extended.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Ezekiel 41 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Ch. Ezekiel 41:5-11. The side chambers or annexe to the house The text in some places is confused, but the general meaning is clear. Round about the wall of the house on three sides (N., W. and S.) were built side-chambers in three stories, thirty chambers in each story, Fig. 2, D. The chamber on the ground floor was 4 cubits wide (N. to S.), but in the second story the width was greater than in the first, and in the third story greater than in the second. The reason of this greater wideness of the upper stories was that the wall of the house on which the chambers were built diminished in thickness as it ascended. This wall was 6 cubits thick at the base (Ezekiel 41:5), but it was let in at…

Read Cambridge on Ezekiel 41 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

5-11. Various details in this description of the side chambers (compare 1 Kings 6:5-10; 1 Kings 7:51) are uncertain, but Toy’s rendering makes plain the general meaning: “He measured the wall of the temple six cubits thick.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Ezekiel 41 →

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

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

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

and the outer chambers was twenty cubits wide all around the temple.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Between the rooms was a width of twenty cubits around the house on every side.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

and the outer chambers was twenty cubits wide all around the temple.

NETBNew English Translation2006

and the chambers of the court was 35 feet in width all around the temple on every side.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And between the chambers was the wideness of twenty cubits round about the house on every side.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And between the chambers was a breadth of twenty cubits round about the house on every side.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And between the chambers was a breadth of twenty cubits round about the house on every side.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And between the chambers was the width of twenty cubits around the house on every side.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And betweene the chambers was the widenes of twentie cubites round about the House on euery side.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And between the cells [and the house] was a width of twenty cubits round about the house on every side.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And between the chambers [is] a breadth of twenty cubits round about the house, all round about.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and between the chambers—[is] a breadth of twenty cubits around the house, all around.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And between the chambers there was a width of twenty cubits round about the house on every side.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

On the other side of this open space were the priests' outer side rooms; this space was twenty cubits in width all around the sanctuary.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And between the chambers was the breadth of twenty cubits round about the house on every side.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

and the outer chambers that measured twenty cubits wide all round the Temple.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And between the rooms was a space twenty cubits wide all round the house.

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.

וּandclauseprepositional phrase · predicateבֵ֨יןbetweennoun phraseהַtheלְּשָׁכ֜וֹתroomsnoun phrase · subjectרֹ֣חַב[the].breadthnoun phraseעֶשְׂרִ֥ים[was].twentyאַמָּ֛הcubit[s]prepositional phrase · prepositionalסָבִ֥יבaroundprepositional phraseלַ(to)noun phrasetheבַּ֖יִתhouseadverb phrase · adverbialסָבִ֥יבall.aroundסָבִֽיבall.around

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 this verse, with seven of the nine words matched. The Septuagint's word order differs, but the essential information about the outer chambers' dimensions remains intact.

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

וּבֵ֨ין הַלְּשָׁכ֜וֹת רֹ֣חַב עֶשְׂרִ֥ים אַמָּ֛ה סָבִ֥יב לַבַּ֖יִת סָבִ֥יב׀ סָבִֽיב׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וּבֵ֨יןμέσονהַלְּשָׁכ֜וֹתἐχεδρῶνרֹ֣חַבεὖροςעֶשְׂרִ֥יםπηξῶνאַמָּ֛הεἴκοσιלַבַּ֖יִתοἴκῳסָבִ֥יב׀κύκλῳ

7 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.

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 41:10בַּ֫יִןand betweenand betweenבַּ֫יִןלִשְׁכָּהthe roomsthe roomsלִשְׁכָּהרֹ֫חַב[the] bread[the] breadthרֹ֫חַבעֶשְׂרִים[was] twent[was] twentyעֶשְׂרִיםאַמָּהcubit[s]cubit[s]אַמָּהסָבִיבaroundaroundסָבִיבבֵּיתthe housethe houseבֵּיתסָבִיבall aroundall aroundסָבִיבסָבִיבall aroundall aroundסָבִיבסָבַבto turn: tto turn: turnסָבַבבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהבִּיןto understto understandבִּיןרָחַבto enlargeto enlargeרָחַבעֶשֶׂרtentenעֶשֶׂראֵםmothermotherאֵםנִשְׁכָּהchamberchamberנִשְׁכָּהאֵילָםarchesarchesאֵילָםחַלּוֹןwindowwindowחַלּוֹןאוֹצָרtreasuretreasureאוֹצָראֹ֫רֶךְlengthlengthאֹ֫רֶךְאַמָּהcubitcubitאַמָּהרֹ֫חַבwidthwidthרֹ֫חַבבָּדַלto separatto separateבָּדַלחִיצוֹןouterouterחִיצוֹן
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 41:10

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and between the rooms [the] breadth [was] twenty cubit[s] around the house all around all around
וּבֵ֨יןu.Vein and between H996 Conjunction
407× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Between is the meaning of this preposition, used to show a location or a choice, like either or, as seen in Exodus where it describes the space between two objects.
Tyndale gloss
between
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בַּ֫יִן (beyn) is a noun meaning 'interval' or 'space between.' It primarily functions as a preposition meaning 'between' or 'among,' and can also indicate distinctions or choices. The dual form בֵּנַ֫יִם refers specifically to the space between two entities, such as armies. The entries do not indicate any significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בַּ֫יִן subst. prop. interval, space between

always (exc. dual) as prep. in the interval of, between

Dual בֵּנַ֫יִם space between two armies

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H996 בַּ֫יִן subst. prop. interval, space between . always (exc. dual) as prep. in the interval of, between

. Dual בֵּנַ֫יִם space between two armies

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

996 beyn bane

(sometimes in the plural masculine or feminine); properly,

the constructive form of an otherwise unused noun from 995; a

distinction; but used only as a prep, between (repeated before

each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction,

either...or:--among, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), +

from (the widest), X in, out of, whether (it be...or), within.

see HEBREW for 0995

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בַּ֫יִן (ba.yin) — between.

: between

between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between

בַּ֫יִן (ba.yin) — between: among.

: among

between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between

A sub-meaning of ben (בַּ֫יִן ": between" H0996)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Acmsc — Conjunction
HC/Acmsc
and between the rooms [the] breadth [was] twenty cubit[s] around the house all around all around
הַלְּשָׁכ֜וֹתha.le.sha.Khot the rooms H3957 Particle · noun common feminine plural absolute
47× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A room or chamber in a building, like a storage room or a bedroom. This word is used in 1 Kings 20:30 to describe a room in the king's palace.
Amplified meaning
between the rooms, a row of rooms
Tyndale gloss
chamber
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לִשְׁכָּה (lishkah) refers to a room or chamber within a building, which can serve various purposes such as storage, eating, or lodging. The word is derived from an unused root of uncertain meaning and is synonymous with terms for hall or cell. It appears in contexts related to physical spaces.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לִשְׁכָּה n.f. room, chamber, hall, cell, lishka

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3957 לִשְׁכָּה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3957 lishkah lish-kaw'

from an unused root of uncertain meaning; a room in a

building (whether for storage, eating, or lodging):--chamber,

parlour. Compare 5393.

see HEBREW for 05393

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לִשְׁכָּה (lish.kah) — chamber.

room, chamber, hall, cell

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-fp — Particle · noun common feminine plural absolute
HTd/Ncfpa
and between the rooms [the] breadth [was] twenty cubit[s] around the house all around all around
רֹ֣חַבRo.chav [the] breadth H7341 Noun common · masculine singular construct
101× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means width or breadth, used to describe physical size or space. It appears in the Bible to describe the width of the earth or a room. In the KJV, it is translated as breadth or broad.
Amplified meaning
broad, having a certain breadth
Tyndale gloss
width
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֹ֫חַב (rochab) refers to width or breadth, encompassing both literal and figurative uses. It is derived from the root word meaning to be wide. The term appears in various contexts, indicating expanse or largeness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֹ֫חַב 101 n.[m.] breadth, width

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7341 רֹ֫חַב breadth, width

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7341 rochab ro'-khab

from 7337; width (literally or figuratively):--breadth,

broad, largeness, thickness, wideness.

see HEBREW for 07337

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֹ֫חַב (ro.chav) — width.

breadth, width, expanse

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bredth (rochabh, the root idea being to make wide, spacious): A term of expanse or measurement used of the ark (Ge 6:15); of the tabernacle (Ex 27:13); of Solomon's temple (1Ki 6:2). platos, "breadth," as of the celestial city (Re 21:16). Figuratively, of the comprehensiveness of God's law (Ps 119:96); of the heart (1Ki 4:29, rendered "largeness of heart" English Versions); of God's immeasurable love (Eph 3:18).

and between the rooms [the] breadth [was] twenty cubit[s] around the house all around all around
עֶשְׂרִ֥ים'es.Rim [was] twenty H6242 Adj
315× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means twenty, and is also used as an ordinal number, like twentieth, as seen in Genesis 31:38. It can refer to a specific age or quantity.
Amplified meaning
a score, two tens
Tyndale gloss
twenty
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֶשְׂרִים (esriym) means 'twenty' and can also refer to the ordinal 'twentieth.' It is derived from the root word for 'ten' and has an Aramaic equivalent, עֶשְׂרִין (es.rin). The entries consistently define the term without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6242 עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6242 `esriym es-reem'

from 6235; twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth:--(six-)score,

twenty(-ieth).

see HEBREW for 06235

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֶשְׂרִים (es.rim) — twenty.

twenty, twentieth

Aramaic equivalent: es.rin (עֶשְׂרִין "twenty" H6243)

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

twen'-ti.

See NUMBER.

and between the rooms [the] breadth [was] twenty cubit[s] around the house all around all around
אַמָּ֛ה'a.Mah cubit[s] H520 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
247× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A cubit is a unit of measurement, about the length of a forearm, used in the Bible to describe the size of objects like the Ark of the Covenant in Exodus. It is also used to describe a foundation or a door-base.
Amplified meaning
a unit of measurement, about the length of a forearm
Tyndale gloss
cubit
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַמָּה (ammah) primarily means 'cubit,' a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 0.5 meters, derived from the word for 'mother' or 'forearm.' It can also refer to a foundation or base, as noted in Isaiah 6:4. The lexicons mention different types of cubits used in the Old Testament, including the common cubit and the legal cubit.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַמָּה 246 n.f. ell, cubit

cubit

† measure, full measure, limit

base

[אַמָּה] n.f. (etym. & mng. dub.; Thes foundation) only Is 6:4.

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H520a אַמָּה ell, cubit H520b אַמָּה

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

520 'ammah am-maw'

prolonged from 517; properly, a mother (i.e. unit of measure,

or the fore-arm (below the elbow), i.e. a cubit; also a

door-base (as a bond of the entrance):--cubit, + hundred (by

exchange for 3967), measure, post.

see HEBREW for 0517

see HEBREW for 03967

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַמָּה (am.mah) — cubit.

cubit-a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 18 in (. 5m). There are several cubits used in the OT, the cubit of a man or common cubit (De 3:11), the legal cubit or cubit of the sanctuary (Eze 40:5) plus others. See a Bible Dictionary for a complete treatment.

Aramaic equivalent: am.mah (אַמָּה "cubit" H0521)

אַמָּה (am.mah) — foundation.

foundation

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
and between the rooms [the] breadth [was] twenty cubit[s] around the house all around all around
סָבִ֥יבsa.Viv around H5439 Noun common · both singular absolute
336× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes something that surrounds or encompasses, like a circle or neighborhood, and can also mean around or about, as in on every side. It is used to describe physical locations and proximity. The KJV translates it as about or circuit.
Amplified meaning
encompassing, surrounding
Tyndale gloss
around
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סָבִיב (cabiyb) primarily means 'around' and is used as a noun, adverb, and preposition. It denotes a circle, neighbors, or the surrounding area, often implying a sense of being on every side or in a circuit. The entries consistently emphasize its usage in contexts of proximity and encirclement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סָבִיב 336 subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5439 סָבִיב subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5439 cabiyb saw-beeb'

or (feminine) cbiybah {seb-ee-baw'}; from 5437; (as noun) a

circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with

or without preposition) around:--(place, round) about,

circuit, compass, on every side.

see HEBREW for 05437

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around.

: around/border

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: side.

: side

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: whole.

: whole

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: neighours.

: neighours

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cs — Noun common · both singular absolute
HNcbsa
and between the rooms [the] breadth [was] twenty cubit[s] around the house all around all around
לַבַּ֖יִתla.Ba.yit the house H1004 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
2,049× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for house refers to a dwelling place, including a family home, temple, or even the human body. It appears in various contexts, such as the temple in Jerusalem or the household of a family. In the Bible, it is often used to describe a place of worship or a family's living space.
Amplified meaning
house, a dwelling place, the Lord's house
Tyndale gloss
place
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בַּיִת (*bayith*) means 'house' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including dwelling, family, and place. It can refer to physical structures, such as homes and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like the body or household affairs. The word is built from the root related to 'between' and appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between

base

בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house

house

place

receptacle

of house as containing a family

household, family (592 t.)

house, including household affairs

lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards

מִבַּיִת

adv. on the inside

prep. within

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1004a בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between H1004b בַּ֫יִת house

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1004 bayith bah'-yith

probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest

variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court,

daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as

would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold),

inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet,

temple, web, + within(-out).

see HEBREW for 01129

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית (bet) — place.

nm

place, origin, between

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — house: home.

: home/temple/building

nm

1) house

1a) house, dwelling habitation

1b) shelter or abode of animals

1c) human bodies (fig.)

1d) of Sheol

1e) of abode of light and darkness

1f) of land of Ephraim

2) place

3) receptacle

4) home, house as containing a family

5) household, family

5a) those belonging to the same household

5b) family of descendants, descendants as organized body

6) household affairs

7) inwards (metaph.)

8) (TWOT) temple

adv

9) on the inside

prep

10) within

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(ashbea).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with ash.be.a (אַשְׁבֵּעַ "Ashbea" H0791)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth (Haggan).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with hag (גַּן "Haggan" H1588)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(togarmah).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

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

hous (bayith; oikos, in classical Greek generally "an estate," oikia, oikema (literally, "habitation"), in Ac 12:1, "prison"):

I. CAVE DWELLINGS

II. STONE-BUILT AND MUD/BRICK-BUILT HOUSES

1. Details of Plan and Construction

(1) Corner-Stone

(2) Floor

(3) Gutter

(4) Door

(5) Hinge

(6) Lock and Key

(7) Threshold

(8) Hearth

(9) Window

(10) Roof

2. Houses of More than One Story

(1) Upper Chambers and Stairs

(2) Palaces and Castles

3. Internal Appearance

III. OTHER MEANINGS

LITERATURE

I. Cave Dwellings.

The earliest permanent habitations of the prehistoric inhabitants of Palestine were the natural caves which abound throughout the country. As the people increased and grouped themselves into communities, these abodes were supplemented by systems of artificial caves which, in some cases, developed into extensive burrowings of many adjoining compartments, having…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

House

Till their sojourn in Egypt the Hebrews dwelt in tents. They then for the first time inhabited cities (Gen. 47:3; Ex. 12:7; Heb. 11:9). From the earliest times the Assyrians and the Canaanites were builders of cities. The Hebrews after the Conquest took possession of the captured cities, and seem to have followed the methods of building that had been pursued by the Canaanites. Reference is made to the stone (1 Kings 7:9; Isa. 9:10) and marble (1 Chr. 29:2) used in building, and to the internal wood-work of the houses (

The houses of the rural poor in Egypt, as well as in most parts of Syria, Arabia and Persia, are generally mere huts of mud or sunburnt bricks. In some parts of Palestine and Arabia stone is used, and in certain districts caves in the rocks are used as dwellings. (Amos 5:11) The houses are usually of one story only, viz., the ground floor, and often contain only one apartment. Sometimes a small court for the cattle is attached; and in some cases the cattle are housed in the same building, or the live in a raised platform, and, the cattle round them on the ground. (1 Samuel 28:24) The windows are small apertures high up in the walls, sometimes grated with wood. The roofs are commonly but not always flat, and are usually formed of plaster of mud and straw laid upon boughs or…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Is often put for dwelling, residence; and hence the temple, and even the tabernacle, are called the house of God.

The universal mode of building houses in the East, is in the form of a hollow square, with an open court or yard in the center; which is thus entirely shut in by the walls of the house around it. Into this court all the windows open, there being usually no windows towards the street. Some houses of large size require several courts, and these usually communicate with each other. These courts are commonly paved; and in many large houses parts of them are planted with shrubs and trees, Ps 84:3 128:3; they have also, when possible, a fountain in them, often with a jet d’ eau, 2Sa 17:18. It is customary in many houses to extend an awning over the whole court in hot…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and between the rooms [the] breadth [was] twenty cubit[s] around the house all around all around
סָבִ֥יב׀sa.Viv all around H5439 Noun common · both singular absolute
336× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes something that surrounds or encompasses, like a circle or neighborhood, and can also mean around or about, as in on every side. It is used to describe physical locations and proximity. The KJV translates it as about or circuit.
Tyndale gloss
around
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סָבִיב (cabiyb) primarily means 'around' and is used as a noun, adverb, and preposition. It denotes a circle, neighbors, or the surrounding area, often implying a sense of being on every side or in a circuit. The entries consistently emphasize its usage in contexts of proximity and encirclement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סָבִיב 336 subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5439 סָבִיב subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5439 cabiyb saw-beeb'

or (feminine) cbiybah {seb-ee-baw'}; from 5437; (as noun) a

circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with

or without preposition) around:--(place, round) about,

circuit, compass, on every side.

see HEBREW for 05437

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around.

: around/border

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: side.

: side

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: whole.

: whole

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: neighours.

: neighours

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcbsa — Noun common · both singular absolute
HNcbsa
and between the rooms [the] breadth [was] twenty cubit[s] around the house all around all around
סָבִֽיב׃sa.Viv all around H5439 Noun common · both singular absolute
336× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word describes something that surrounds or encompasses, like a circle or neighborhood, and can also mean around or about, as in on every side. It is used to describe physical locations and proximity. The KJV translates it as about or circuit.
Tyndale gloss
around
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סָבִיב (cabiyb) primarily means 'around' and is used as a noun, adverb, and preposition. It denotes a circle, neighbors, or the surrounding area, often implying a sense of being on every side or in a circuit. The entries consistently emphasize its usage in contexts of proximity and encirclement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סָבִיב 336 subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5439 סָבִיב subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5439 cabiyb saw-beeb'

or (feminine) cbiybah {seb-ee-baw'}; from 5437; (as noun) a

circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with

or without preposition) around:--(place, round) about,

circuit, compass, on every side.

see HEBREW for 05437

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around.

: around/border

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: side.

: side

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: whole.

: whole

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: neighours.

: neighours

subst

1) places round about, circuit, round about

adv

2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about

prep

3) in the circuit, from every side

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcbsa — Noun common · both singular absolute
HNcbsa
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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