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Genesis 14:10 — Word Study

Depth

WLCוְעֵ֣מֶק הַשִׂדִּ֗ים בֶּֽאֱרֹ֤ת בֶּאֱרֹת֙ חֵמָ֔ר וַיָּנֻ֛סוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־ סְדֹ֥ם וַעֲמֹרָ֖ה וַיִּפְּלוּ־ שָׁ֑מָּה וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֖ים הֶ֥רָה נָּֽסוּ׃

BSANow the Valleyʻêmeq [lowland area, plain] of SiddimSiddîym [a field or plain in Palestine] was full of tarchêmâr pitsbᵉʼêr [slimepits, bitumen pits] and as the kingsmelek [royal rulers] of SodomÇᵉdôm [a city near the Dead Sea, known for its wickedness] and GomorrahʻĂmôrâh [a city in ancient Palestine, known for its wickedness] flednûwç [to quickly leave, escape] some men fellnâphal [were overthrown, failed] into [the pits]shâm [wells, springs] but the survivorsshâʼar [those who remained, were left] flednûwç [to quickly leave, escape] to the hill countryhar [mountain, high ground]

Word
Listen & take awayGenesis 14
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 (Na.su) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Genesis 14:10quick helps
In a sentenceThe Valley of Siddim, filled with tar pits, becomes the scene of chaos as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah flee.
Where we areThis verse describes the aftermath of a battle, highlighting the valley's treacherous terrain.
The hard wordחֵמָר
Take awayThe fleeing kings and their men encounter disaster in the valley.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbנוּס 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 — Genesis 14:10

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 Battle of the Kingsgenerated

9against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.
10Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some men fell into the pits, but the survivors fled to the hill country.
11The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food, and they went on their way.
12They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since Lot was living in Sodom.

Genesis 14:10 describes the Valley of Siddim, a lowland area filled with tar pits, where the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled in panic. This verse highlights the consequences of their defeat in battle, as some men fell into the pits while the survivors sought refuge in the hills. The narrative sets the stage for the events that follow, including the capture of Lot, Abram's nephew, as mentioned in the subsequent verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Genesis 11:3And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” So they used brick instead of stone, and tar instead of mortar.
2Joshua 8:24When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had pursued them into the field and wilderness, and when every last one of them had fallen by the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and put it to the sword as well.
3Psalm 83:10who perished at Endor and became like dung on the ground.
4Isaiah 24:18Whoever flees the sound of panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are open, and the foundations of the earth are shaken.
5Jeremiah 48:44“Whoever flees the panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For I will bring upon Moab the year of their punishment,” declares the LORD.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

slime pitsGenesis 11:3
the mountainGenesis 19:17–30

The Key Word עֵ֫מֶק, ve.'E.mekgenerated

The word עֵ֫מֶק (*'emeq*) means 'valley' or 'lowland area,' indicating a broad depression in the landscape. It is derived from a root meaning 'deepening' or 'depth.' This term is often used in proper names, such as the Valley of Elah, and covers a range of valleys mentioned in the Old Testament.

In this verse, it describes the geographical setting of the Valley of Siddim, which plays a crucial role in the narrative as the location of the battle's aftermath.


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 verb is וַיָּנֻ֛סוּ, and they fled, which governs the actions of the kings and the men. The sentence structure includes several phrases detailing the location, the condition of the valley, and the actions of the fleeing kings.

The Hebrew word order emphasizes the valley first, establishing the setting before describing the actions of the kings and the men who fell into the pits.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates עֵ֫מֶק as ἁλυκὴ, indicating a specific geographical location associated with the valley. This choice reflects a direct connection to the physical setting described in the Hebrew text.

The translation choices in the Septuagint show a consistent understanding of the valley's significance in the narrative.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Genesis 14:10 tells us about the Valley of Siddim, which was full of tar pits. As the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled from battle, some men fell into these pits, while the survivors escaped to the hills. This verse sets the scene for the consequences of their defeat.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What happened in the Valley of Siddim?

The valley was filled with tar pits, and during the flight from battle, some men fell into these pits while others escaped to the hills.

Why is the Valley of Siddim significant?

It serves as the location of a critical moment in the narrative, highlighting the chaos and danger faced by the fleeing kings.

What does the term 'tar pits' refer to?

Tar pits are natural deposits of bitumen, which can create treacherous conditions for those fleeing or traveling through the area.

Who were the kings that fled?

The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled from battle, seeking safety from their enemies.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What can we learn about the consequences of defeat from this verse?
  2. How does the setting of the Valley of Siddim contribute to the narrative?
  3. In what ways do we see the theme of escape and survival in this passage?
  4. What parallels can we draw between this story and modern situations of fleeing danger?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Genesis 14:10 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And the vale of Siddim [was full of] slimepits,.... Or "wells" or "fountains of slime" or bitumen (s); a liquid of a pitchy nature, cast out of fountains, and which was used for a cement in

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

And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.

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

The vale of Siddim was chosen by those five kings for the place of battle, that their adversaries being ignorant of the place might unawares fall into those pits, which they by their knowledge of it thought to escape. Kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, i.e. their armies; a figurative speech, frequent in Scripture and other authors; for their persons escaped: see . They either, 1. Fell into the pits which they designed for others; or rather, 2. Were slain, as this word is oft used, as ,25 Jude 8:10 12:6; and here too; for those that fell are here opposed to those that remained.

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

Genesis 14:10 And the vale of Siddim [was full of] slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.Ver. 10. And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits.] Chosen therefore on purpose by the five kings, who fled and fell there; or (as some understand the text) made haste to fall down there; skulking and scouting, till their enemies should pursue them, and so perish in those pits. But their cunning failed them; for as they had travailed with iniquity and conceived mischief, so they brought forth a lie. They "made a pit and digged it, but fell into the ditch that themselves had made". The way of this world, saith one, is like the…

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

(10) The vale of Siddim was full of slimepits.—That is, of holes whence bitumen had been excavated. Layers of this natural asphalte, well known both to the Greeks and Romans as pia Judaica, Judean pitch, still exist on the western side of the Dead Sea; and the places whence it had been dug out, and which are often very deep, formed dangerous impediments in the way of the defeated side.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Genesis 14 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 10. Slime-pits] Places where asphaltus or bitumen sprang out of the ground; this substance abounded in that country. Fell there] It either signifies they were defeated on this spot, and many of them slain, or that multitudes of them had perished in the bitumen-pits which abounded there; that the place was full of pits we learn from the Hebrew, which reads here בארת בארת beeroth beeroth, pits, pits, i.e., multitudes of pits. A bad place to maintain a fight on, or to be obliged to run through in order to escape.

Read AdamClarke on Genesis 14 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

10. full of slime pits] i.e. bitumen pits. Bitumen, or asphalt, is found in the neighbourhood of the Dead Sea. Josephus speaks of the bitumen floating upon the surface of its waters. Here we are to suppose that the bitumen came out of large holes or pits in the earth, into which the confederates fell in their flight. “Full of slime pits.” The Hebrew idiom gives be’erôth be’erôth ḥ ?êmar, “pits, pits of bitumen” = “all bitumen pits.” Cf. 2 Kings 3:16, “trenches, trenches” = “nothing but trenches.” The narrative is so fragmentary, or condensed, that only the rout is recorded. they fell] Referring to the fugitive troops generally. The king of Sodom appears again in Genesis 14:17. It is implied…

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

10. Full of slimepits — Sept., φρεαταασφαλτου, pits of asphaltum; Vulg., puteos multos bituminis, many pits of bitumen.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Genesis 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

Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some men fell into the pits, but the survivors fled to the hill country.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and some fell there. Those who remained fled to the hills.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some men fell into the pits, but the survivors fled to the hill country.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them, but some survivors fled to the hills.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Now the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there, and they that remained fled to the mountain.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Now the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there, and they that remained fled to the mountain.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And the vale of Siddim was full of slime-pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there: and they that remained fled to the mountain.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Now the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits, and the Kings of Sodom and Gomorah fled and fell there: and ye residue fled to the mountaine.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And the vale of Siddim was full of pits of asphalt. And the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there: and they that remained fled to the mountain.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And the valley of Siddim [is] full of bitumen-pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah flee, and fall there, and those left have fled to the mountain.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And the Valley of Siddim [is] full of bitumen-pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah flee, and fall there, and those left have fled to the mountain.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And the vale of Siddim was full of slime-pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell therein; and they that remained fled to the mountain.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell in there. Those who were left fled to the mountains.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Now the woodland vale had many pits of slime. And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrha turned their backs and were overthrown there: and they that remained fled to the mountain.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

There were many tar pits in the Valley of Siddim, and as the defeated kings of Sodom and Gomorrah ran away, some of their men fell into them while the rest ran to the hills.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Now the valley of Siddim was full of holes of sticky earth; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were put to flight and came to their end there, but the rest got away to the mountain.

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.

וְandclausenoun phrase · subjectעֵ֣מֶקthe.valleynoun phraseהַof.(the)שִׂדִּ֗יםSiddimnoun phrase · predicateבֶּֽאֱרֹ֤ת[was].pitsnoun phraseבֶּאֱרֹת֙pitsחֵמָ֔רof.bitumenוַandclauseverbיָּנֻ֛סוּthey.flednoun phrase · subjectמֶֽלֶךְthe.kingnoun phraseסְדֹ֥םof.Sodomוַandעֲמֹרָ֖הGomorrahוַandclauseverbיִּפְּלוּthey.felladverb phrase · adverbialשָׁ֑מָּtoה(to)וְandclausenoun phrase · subjectהַ[thoseנִּשְׁאָרִ֖יםwho].survivednoun phrase · prepositionalהֶ֥רָthe.hill.countryהtoverbנָּֽסוּthey.fled

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 agree closely on the wording of this verse, with the Samaritan Pentateuch differing in four words: it uses בְּאֵרֹת (well) twice, חִימָר (bitumen), and שָׁם (there).

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

וְעֵ֣מֶק הַשִׂדִּ֗ים בֶּֽאֱרֹ֤ת בֶּאֱרֹת֙ חֵמָ֔ר וַיָּנֻ֛סוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־ סְדֹ֥ם וַעֲמֹרָ֖ה וַיִּפְּלוּ־ שָׁ֑מָּה וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֖ים הֶ֥רָה נָּֽסוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וְעֵ֣מֶקδὲהַשִׂדִּ֗יםἁλυκὴבֶּֽאֱרֹ֤תφρέαταבֶּאֱרֹת֙φρέαταחֵמָ֔רἀσφάλτουוַיָּנֻ֛סוּἔφυγενמֶֽלֶךְ־βασιλεὺςסְדֹ֥םσοδομωνוַעֲמֹרָ֖הγομορραςוַיִּפְּלוּ־ἐνέπεσανשָׁ֑מָּהἐκεῖוְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֖יםκαταλειφθέντεςהֶ֥רָהτὴνנָּֽסוּ׃ἔφυγον

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

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

ועמק השׂדים בארות בארות חימר וינסו מלך סדם ומלך עמרה ויפלו שׁם והנשׁארים ההרה נסו

4 words differ from the Masoretic Text: בארות (well), בארות (well), חימר (bitumen), שׁם (there)

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.

Genesis 14:10עֵ֫מֶקand [the] vand [the] valleעֵ֫מֶקשִׂדִּיםSiddimSiddimשִׂדִּיםבְּאֵר[was] pits[was] pitsבְּאֵרבְּאֵרpits ofpits ofבְּאֵרחֵמָרbitumenbitumenחֵמָרנוּסand they fland they fledנוּסמֶ֫לֶךְ[the] king [the] king ofמֶ֫לֶךְסְדֹםSodomSodomסְדֹםעֲמֹרָהand Gomorraand Gomorrahעֲמֹרָהנָפַלand they feand they fellנָפַלשָׁםthere towarthere towardsשָׁםשָׁאַרand those [and those [who]שָׁאַרהַר[the] hill [the] hill counהַרנוּסthey fledthey fledנוּסבארto make plto make plainבארעָמֹקbe deepbe deepעָמֹקחָמַרto aggitatto aggitateחָמַרמָלַךְto reignto reignמָלַךְעִמֵּרto bindto bindעִמֵּרשָׂדַיfieldfieldשָׂדַיפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַלאֲשֶׁרwhichwhichאֲשֶׁרהַרmountainmountainהַרבְּאֵרwellwellבְּאֵרחָפַרto searchto searchחָפַרשָׁקָהto water: to water: waterשָׁקָהאֲרָםAramAramאֲרָםעָכוֹר(Valley of(Valley of) AchעָכוֹררָפָהRaphaRaphaרָפָהעֵ֫מֶקvalleyvalleyעֵ֫מֶקהָיָהto beto beהָיָהנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּרNebuchadneNebuchadnezzarנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר
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 Genesis 14:10

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 [the] valley of Siddim [was] pits pits of bitumen and they fled [the] king of Sodom and Gomorrah and they fell there towards and those [who] survived [the] hill country towards they fled
וְעֵ֣מֶקve.'E.mek and [the] valley of H6010 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
69× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Describes a valley or lowland area, like the Valley of Elah where David fought Goliath.
Amplified meaning
lowland area, plain
Tyndale gloss
valley
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עֵ֫מֶק (*'emeq*) means 'vale' or 'valley,' indicating a broad depression in the landscape. It is derived from the root meaning 'deepening' or 'depth.' This term is often used in proper names, such as the Valley of Achor and the Valley of Elah, and covers a range of valleys and lowlands mentioned in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֵ֫מֶק 70 n.m. vale (prop. deepening, depth)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6010 עֵ֫מֶק vale (prop. deepening, depth)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6010 `emeq ay'-mek

from 6009; a vale (i.e. broad depression):--dale, vale,

valley (often used as a part of proper names). See also 1025.

see HEBREW for 06009

see HEBREW for 01025

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֵ֫מֶק (e.meq) — Valley (of Achor).

Combined with a.khor (עָכוֹר " of Achor" H5911)

§ valley, vale, lowland, open country

עֵ֫מֶק (e.meq) — Valley (of Beracah).

Combined with be.ra.khah (בְּרָכָה " of Beracah" H1294H)

§ valley, vale, lowland, open country

עֵ֫מֶק (e.meq) — Valley (of Elah).

Combined with e.lah (אֵלָה "Elah" H0425L)

§ valley, vale, lowland, open country

עֵ֫מֶק (e.meq) — Emek.

§ valley, vale, lowland, open country

עֵ֫מֶק (e.meq) — Valley (of Hebron).

Combined with chev.ron (חֶבְרוֹן " of Hebron" H2275H)

§ valley, vale, lowland, open country

עֵ֫מֶק (e.meq) — Valley (of Topheth).

valley, vale, lowland, open country

Another name of to.phet (תֹּ֫פֶת "Topheth" H8612)

עֵ֫מֶק (e.meq) — Valley (of Jezreel).

Combined with yiz.re.el (יִזְרְעֶאל " of Jezreel" H3157L)

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

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and [the] valley of Siddim [was] pits pits of bitumen and they fled [the] king of Sodom and Gomorrah and they fell there towards and those [who] survived [the] hill country towards they fled
הַשִׂדִּ֗יםha.si.Dim Siddim H7708 Particle · noun proper
3× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Siddim refers to a valley in Palestine, also known as a field or plain. This valley is where the Dead Sea is located, and it is mentioned in the Bible as a significant geographical location.
Amplified meaning
a field or plain in Palestine
Tyndale gloss
Valley
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שִׂדִּים (sid.dim) refers to the vale of Siddim, identified with the Dead Sea. It is a plural noun derived from a root meaning 'flats' or 'fields.' The term encompasses the geographical location of a valley in Palestine.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שִׂדִּים n.[m.]pl. in n.pr.loc. vale of Siddim (identif. with Dead Sea)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7708 שִׂדִּים vale of Siddim (identif. with Dead Sea)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7708 Siddiym sid-deem'

plural from the same as 7704; flats; Siddim, a valley in

Palestine:--Siddim.

see HEBREW for 07704

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שִׂדִּים (sid.dim) — Valley.

§ Siddim = "field" or "plain"

valley where the Dead Sea is located

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-proper — Particle · noun proper
HTd/Npl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Smith's Bible Dictionary

(field, plain), The vale of, a place named only in one passage of Genesis-- (Genesis 14:3,8,10) It was one of that class of valleys which the Hebrews designated by the word emek . This term appears to have been assigned to a broad, flattish tract, sometimes of considerable width, enclosed on each side by a definite range of hills. It has so far a suitable spot for the combat between the four and five kings, ver. 8; but it contained a multitude of bitumen-pits sufficient materially to affect the issue of the battle. In this valley the kings of the five allied cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim and Bela seem to, have awaited the approach of the invaders. It is therefore probable that it was in the neighborhood of the "plain or circle of Jordan" in which those cities stood. If we could venture, as some have done, to interpret the…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See SEA 3.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

the tilled field

Nave's Topical Bible

→ (Vale of, a valley of uncertain location)

→ Scene of the defeat of the king of Sodom Ge 14:3,8,10

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and [the] valley of Siddim [was] pits pits of bitumen and they fled [the] king of Sodom and Gomorrah and they fell there towards and those [who] survived [the] hill country towards they fled
בֶּֽאֱרֹ֤תbe.'e.Rot [was] pits H875 Noun common · feminine plural construct
38× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A well or pit, like a water source, is what this word refers to. It can also mean a spring, and is often translated as a well or pit in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
slimepits, bitumen pits
Tyndale gloss
well
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בְּאֵר (be'er) refers to a well or pit, often created by digging. It can denote a spring as well. The term appears in Genesis 26:21 and is also used as a proper noun for a location in the desert, situated north of Eleutheropolis.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בְּאֵר n.f. Gn 26:21 well, pit

a well, often as made by digging

pit

as n.pr.loc.

a station of Isr. in desert

8 miles north of Eleutheropolis

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H875 בְּאֵר well, pit

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

875 'er be-ayr'

from 874; a pit; especially a well:--pit, well.

see HEBREW for 0874

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בְּאֵר (be.er) — well.

well, pit, spring

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural construct
HNcfpc
and [the] valley of Siddim [was] pits pits of bitumen and they fled [the] king of Sodom and Gomorrah and they fell there towards and those [who] survived [the] hill country towards they fled
בֶּאֱרֹת֙be.'e.Rot pits of H875 Noun common · feminine plural construct
38× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A well or pit, like a water source, is what this word refers to. It can also mean a spring, and is often translated as a well or pit in the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
well
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בְּאֵר (be'er) refers to a well or pit, often created by digging. It can denote a spring as well. The term appears in Genesis 26:21 and is also used as a proper noun for a location in the desert, situated north of Eleutheropolis.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בְּאֵר n.f. Gn 26:21 well, pit

a well, often as made by digging

pit

as n.pr.loc.

a station of Isr. in desert

8 miles north of Eleutheropolis

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H875 בְּאֵר well, pit

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

875 'er be-ayr'

from 874; a pit; especially a well:--pit, well.

see HEBREW for 0874

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בְּאֵר (be.er) — well.

well, pit, spring

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HNcfpc — Noun common · feminine plural construct
HNcfpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and [the] valley of Siddim [was] pits pits of bitumen and they fled [the] king of Sodom and Gomorrah and they fell there towards and those [who] survived [the] hill country towards they fled
חֵמָ֔רche.Mar bitumen H2564 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
3× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word means bitumen or slime, often referring to a type of asphalt. It is used in the Bible to describe the surface of the earth.
Tyndale gloss
bitumen
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֵמָר (chemar) refers to bitumen, asphalt, or slime. It is derived from a root meaning to rise to the surface. The entries consistently define it as a substance used in construction or sealing, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֵמָר n.[m.] bitumen, asphalt

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2564 חֵמָר bitumen, asphalt

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2564 chemar khay-mawr'

from 2560; bitumen (as rising to the surface):--slime(-pit).

see HEBREW for 02560

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֵמָר (che.mar) — bitumen.

slime, pitch, asphalt, bitumen

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

bi-tu'-men.

See SLIME.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Bitumen

Gen. 11:3, R.V., margin, rendered in the A.V. “slime”), a mineral pitch. With this the ark was pitched (6:14. See also Ex. 2:3.) (See SLIME.)

Nave's Topical Bible

→ (Margin R. V., slime))

An inflammable mineral Ge 11:3; 14:10; Ex 2:3

→ See PETROLEUM

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and [the] valley of Siddim [was] pits pits of bitumen and they fled [the] king of Sodom and Gomorrah and they fell there towards and those [who] survived [the] hill country towards they fled
וַיָּנֻ֛סוּvai.ya.Nu.su and they fled H5127 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
159× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To flee means to quickly leave a place, like escaping from danger, as seen in the Bible when David fled from King Saul. It can also mean to disappear or vanish. In the book of Psalms, it describes God delivering his people from harm.
Amplified meaning
to quickly leave, escape
Tyndale gloss
to flee
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נוּס (nus) is a Hebrew verb meaning to flee or escape. It encompasses various nuances, including taking flight, disappearing, or driving hastily to safety. The word appears in different forms, such as Qal, Polel, Hithpolel, and Hiphil, indicating actions like fleeing, causing to disappear, or putting to flight. An Aramaic equivalent is noted as נוּד (nud).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נוּס 160 vb. flee, escape

Qal

flee

escape

take flight, depart, disappear

fly (to the attack) on horseback.

Po‛lel the breath of י׳ driveth at it, driveth it on

Hithpo‛l. in order to take flight before the bow

Hiph.

put to flight

drive hastily to a safe place

cause to disappear, hide

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5127 נוּס flee, escape

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5127 nuwc noos

a primitive root; to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape;

causatively, chase, impel, deliver):--X abate, away, be

displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, X hide,

lift up a standard.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נוּס (nus) — to flee.

1) to flee, escape

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to flee

1a2) to escape

1a3) to take flight, m depart, disappear

1a4) to fly (to the attack) on horseback

1b) (Polel) to drive at

1c) (Hithpolel) to take flight

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to put to flight

1d2) to drive hastily

1d3) to cause to disappear, hide

Aramaic equivalent: nud (נוּד "to flee" H5111)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
and [the] valley of Siddim [was] pits pits of bitumen and they fled [the] king of Sodom and Gomorrah and they fell there towards and those [who] survived [the] hill country towards they fled
מֶֽלֶךְ־Me.lekh- [the] king of H4428 Noun common · masculine singular construct
2,526× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a king or royal person, like King David or King Saul. It can also describe something related to a king, like the King's Valley in Genesis. The Bible often uses this word to talk about the rulers of Israel.
Amplified meaning
royal rulers
Tyndale gloss
King's
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מֶ֫לֶךְ (*melek*) means 'king.' It is derived from a root that suggests royalty. The term appears in various contexts, including references to specific kings and locations, such as the 'King's Highway' in Numbers 20:17 and the 'King's Valley' in Genesis 14:17. The lexicons note its Aramaic equivalent and mention its use in the context of individuals like Hammelech in Jeremiah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4428 מֶ֫לֶךְ king

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4428 melek meh'-lek

from 4427; a king:--king, royal.

see HEBREW for 04427

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — king.

1) king

Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

הַמֶּלֶךְ (me.lekh) — `the king`.

'the king' or a name, Hammelech in KJV of Jer.36.26; 38.6- a man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

§ A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Highway) (Num.20.17)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

Another name of she.lach (שֶׁ֫לַח "Shelah" H7975A)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — Milcom.

Another name of mo.lekh (מֹ֫לֶךְ "Molech" H4432)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Valley) (Gen.14.17)

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

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and [the] valley of Siddim [was] pits pits of bitumen and they fled [the] king of Sodom and Gomorrah and they fell there towards and those [who] survived [the] hill country towards they fled
סְדֹ֥םse.Dom Sodom H5467 Noun proper
39× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Sodom was a city near the Dead Sea, known for its wickedness and corruption. According to the book of Genesis, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah as a judgment for their sins. The city has become a symbol of evil and immorality.
Amplified meaning
a city near the Dead Sea, known for its wickedness
Tyndale gloss
Sodom
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סְדֹם (sedom) refers to Sodom, a significant Canaanite city often mentioned alongside Gomorrah. The name is linked to the idea of burning, possibly due to its volcanic or bituminous landscape. It is located near the Dead Sea and is known for its destruction by divine judgment.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סְדֹם 39 n.pr.loc. Sodom, important Canaanitish name (usu.) with Gomorrah

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5467 סְדֹם Sodom, important Canaanitish name (usu.) with Gomorrah

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5467 Cdom sed-ome'

from an unused root meaning to scorch; burnt (i.e. volcanic

or bituminous) district; Sedom, a place near the Dead Sea:--

Sodom.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סְדֹם (se.dom) — Sodom.

Sodom = "burning"

a Canaanite city, usually paired with Gomorrah, located in the area of the Dead Sea and the Jordan river; both cities destroyed by God in judgment

Also named: Sodoma (Σόδομα "Sodom" G4670)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sod'-um (cedhom; Sodoma) One of the 5 CITIES OF THE PLAIN (which see), destroyed by fire from heaven in the time of Abraham and Lot (Ge 19:24). The wickedness of the city became proverbial. The sin of sodomy was an offense against nature frequently connected with idolatrous practices (see Rawlinson, History of Phoenicia). See SODOMITE. The fate of Sodom and Gomorrah is used as a warning to those who reject the gospel (Mt 10:15; 11:24; 2Pe 2:6; Jude 1:7). The word is used in a typical sense in Re 11:8. Sodom was probably located in plain South of the Dead Sea, now covered with water. The name is still preserved in Jebel…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Sodom

Burning; the walled, a city in the vale of Siddim (Gen. 13:10; 14:1-16). The wickedness of its inhabitants brought down upon it fire from heaven, by which it was destroyed (18:16-33; 19:1-29; Deut. 23:17). This city and its awful destruction are frequently alluded to in Scripture (Deut. 29:23; 32:32; Isa. 1:9, 10; 3:9; 13:19; Jer. 23:14; Ezek. 16:46-56; Zeph. 2:9; Matt. 10:15; Rom. 9:29;

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(burning), one of the most ancient cities of Syria. It is commonly mentioned in connection with Gomorrah, but also with Admah and Zeboim, and on one occasion -- (Genesis 14:1) ... --with Bela or Zoar. Sodom was evidently the chief town in the settlement. The four are first named in the ethnological records of (Genesis 10:19) as belonging to the Canaanites. The next mention of the name of Sodom, (Genesis 13:10-13) gives more certain indication of the position of the city. Abram and Lot are standing together between Bethel and Ai, ver. 3, taking a survey of the land around and below them. Eastward of them, and absolutely at their feet, lay the "circle of Jordan." The whole circle was one great oasis --"a garden of Jehovah."…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

One of the cities of the plain, and for some time the dwellingplace of Lot, Ge 13:10-13 14:12. Its crimes and vices were so enormous, that God destroyed it by fire from heaven, with three neighboring cities, Gomorrah, Zeboim, and Admah, which were as wicked as itself, Ge 19:1-20. The plain of Siddim in which they stood was pleasant and fruitful, like an earthy paradise; but it was first burned, and afterwards mostly overflowed by the waters of the Dead Sea or Lake of Sodom. See JORDAN, and SEA 3.

The prophets, in denouncing woes upon other countries, mention the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and intimate that these places shall be desert and dried up and uninhabited, Jer 49:18 50:40; that they shall be covered with briers…

and [the] valley of Siddim [was] pits pits of bitumen and they fled [the] king of Sodom and Gomorrah and they fell there towards and those [who] survived [the] hill country towards they fled
וַעֲמֹרָ֖הva.'a.mo.Rah and Gomorrah H6017 Conjunction · noun proper
19× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Gomorrah was a city in ancient Palestine, mentioned in Genesis 18:20, known for its wickedness and ultimately destroyed by God, as described in Genesis 19:24-25, serving as a cautionary tale about the consequences of sin.
Amplified meaning
a city in ancient Palestine, known for its wickedness
Tyndale gloss
Gomorrah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֲמֹרָה (Amorah) refers to Gomorrah, a city known for its wickedness and destruction by divine judgment. The term is derived from a root meaning 'a (ruined) heap.' It is often associated with Sodom, and both cities are noted for their sinful nature in biblical texts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֲמֹרָה 19 n.pr.loc. Gomorrah

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6017 עֲמֹרָה Gomorrah

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6017 `Amorah am-o-raw'

from 6014; a (ruined) heap; Amorah, a place in

Palestine:--Gomorrah.

see HEBREW for 06014

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֲמֹרָה (a.mo.rah) — Gomorrah.

Gomorrah = "submersion"

the twin-city in evil with Sodom, both destroyed in judgment by God with fire from heaven

Also named: Gomorra (Γόμορρα "Gomorrah" G1116)

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

go-mor'-a (`amorah; Septuagint and New Testament Gomorra, or Gomorra; Arabic Ghamara, "to overwhelm with water"): One of the CITIES OF THE PLAIN (which see) destroyed by fire from heaven in the time of Abraham and Lot (Ge 19:23-29). It was located probably in the plain South of the Dead Sea, now covered with water. See ARABAH; CITIES OF THE PLAIN; DEAD SEA. De Saulcy, however, with others who place the Cities of the Plain at the North end of the Dead Sea, fixes upon Khumran (or Gumran), marked on the Survey Map of Palestine North of Ras Feshkeh, where there are ruins about a mile from the Dead Sea. But there is nothing to support this view except the faint resemblance of the name and the inconclusive arguments placing the Cities of the Plain at that end of the sea.

George Frederick Wright

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Gomorrah

Submersion, one of the five cities of the plain of Siddim (q.v.) which were destroyed by fire (Gen. 10:19; 13:10; 19:24, 28). These cities probably stood close together, and were near the northern extremity of what is now the Dead Sea. This city is always mentioned next after Sodom, both of which were types of impiety and wickedness (Gen. 18:20; Rom. 9:29). Their destruction is mentioned as an “ensample unto those that after should live ungodly” (2 Pet. 2:6; Jude 1:4-7). Their wickedness became proverbial (Deut. 32:32;

(submersion), one of the five "cities of the plain" or "vale of Siddim" that under the irrespective kings joined battle there with Chedorlaomer (Genesis 14:2-8) and his allies by whom they were discomfited till Abraham came to the rescue. Four out of the five were afterwards destroyed by the Lord with fire from heaven. (Genesis 19:23-29) One of them only, Zoar (or Bela; which was its original name), was spared at the request of Lot, in order that he might take refuge there. The geographical position of these cities is discussed under SODOM.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

One of the cities in the fruitful vale of Siddim, near the southern part of the ancient Dead Sea, miraculously blasted by God. See SODOM.

and [the] valley of Siddim [was] pits pits of bitumen and they fled [the] king of Sodom and Gomorrah and they fell there towards and those [who] survived [the] hill country towards they fled
וַיִּפְּלוּ־vai.yi.pe.lu- and they fell H5307 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
435× 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 to fall, and it's used in many ways, like falling down, failing, or being defeated. It appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah. God's people often fell away from Him, but He always offered a way back.
Amplified meaning
were overthrown, failed
Tyndale gloss
to fall: fall
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נָפַל (naphal) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to fall,' encompassing a wide range of applications, including falling by accident, experiencing violent death, or going to ruin. It can also refer to prostrating oneself, attacking, or causing someone to fall. The term appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, often indicating physical or metaphorical downfall.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָפַל 433 vb. fall, lie

Qal 366

fall, by accident

Esp. of violent death

fig. = go to ruin, perish, etc.

fig. = experience calamity

fall, of a city

Fall prostrate

fall = prostrate oneself before

fall upon one's neck, in embrace

Fall upon = attack

desert or fall away to, go over to

Fig., of deep sleep

Other idiomatic uses

= lie; = lie prostrate

Hiph.

cause to fall

Of causing death; = overthrow, bring to destruction

Esp. of casting lot

Fig., let drop, cause to fail

cause deep sleep to fall

Other idioms

Hithp. throw, or prostrate oneself

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5307 נָפַל fall, lie .. fall, by accident

. . Esp. of violent death

. fig. = go to ruin, perish, etc.

. fig. = experience calamity

. fall, of a city

. . Fall prostrate

. fall = prostrate oneself before

. fall upon one's neck, in embrace

. . Fall upon = attack

. desert or fall away to, go over to

. Fig., of deep sleep

. Other idiomatic uses

. = lie; = lie prostrate

. . cause to fall

. Of causing death; = overthrow, bring to destruction

. Esp. of casting lot

. Fig., let drop, cause to fail

. cause deep sleep to fall

. Other idioms

. throw, or prostrate oneself

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5307 naphal naw-fal'

a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications

(intransitive or causative, literal or figurative):--be

accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide

(by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall

(away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have

(inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for 6419), lay

(along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be (X hast) lost,

lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make

to) rot, slay, smite out, X surely, throw down.

see HEBREW for 06419

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָפַל (na.phal) — to fall: fall.

: fall/drop/fail

1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fall

1a2) to fall (of violent death)

1a3) to fall prostrate, prostrate oneself before

1a4) to fall upon, attack, desert, fall away to, go away to, fall into the hand of

1a5) to fall short, fail, fall out, turn out, result

1a6) to settle, waste away, be offered, be inferior to

1a7) to lie, lie prostrate

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to cause to fall, fell, throw down, knock out, lay prostrate

1b2) to overthrow

1b3) to make the lot fall, assign by lot, apportion by lot

1b4) to let drop, cause to fail (fig.)

1b5) to cause to fall

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to throw or prostrate oneself, throw oneself upon

1c2) to lie prostrate, prostrate oneself

1d) (Pilel) to fall

נָפַל (na.phal) — to fall: deserting.

: deserting

1) to fall, lie, be cast down, fail

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fall

1a2) to fall (of violent death)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
and [the] valley of Siddim [was] pits pits of bitumen and they fled [the] king of Sodom and Gomorrah and they fell there towards and those [who] survived [the] hill country towards they fled
שָׁ֑מָּהSha.mah there towards H8033 Adverb · suffix
834× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word sham means there or then, often used to describe a location or point in time. It can also mean thither or thence, indicating movement or direction. This word is used frequently in the Bible to provide context and clarify the setting of a story.
Amplified meaning
wells, springs
Tyndale gloss
there
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁם (sham) is a Hebrew adverb meaning 'there' or 'thither,' indicating a location or direction. It can also refer to a point in time, translating to 'then.' The word is derived from a relative pronoun and is used in various contexts, including movement and temporal references.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁם adv. there, thither

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8033 שָׁם there, thither

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8033 sham shawm

a primitive particle (rather from the relative pronoun, 834);

there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or

thence:--in it, + thence, there (-in, + of, + out), +

thither, + whither.

see HEBREW for 0834

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁם (sham) — there.

1) there, thither

1a) there

1b) thither (after verbs of motion)

1c) from there, thence

1d) then (as an adverb of time)

Aramaic equivalent: tam.mah (תַּמָּה "there" H8536)

שָׁם (sham) — (Jerusalem) Is There.

Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)

This name means there, thither

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adv | Suff — Adverb · suffix
HD/Sd
and [the] valley of Siddim [was] pits pits of bitumen and they fled [the] king of Sodom and Gomorrah and they fell there towards and those [who] survived [the] hill country towards they fled
וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֖יםve.ha.nish.'a.Rim and those [who] survived H7604 Conjunction · particle · verb niphal participle (active) masculine plural
133× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To remain or be left over, as in Joshua 10:20. It can also mean to spare or reserve something, like God sparing Noah in Genesis 7:23. This word is used to describe the remnant of Israel.
Amplified meaning
those who remained, were left
Tyndale gloss
to remain
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שָׁאַר (sha'ar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to remain or be left over. It encompasses various nuances, including being left behind, surviving, or leaving something as a gift. The entries indicate its use in different forms, such as Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, highlighting its versatility in contexts like remnants or spare items.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁאַר 133 vb. remain, be left over

Qalthe youngest still remains

Niph.

be left over

be left behind

Hiph.

leave over, spare

leave or keep over

the city shall have 100 left

leave as a gift

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7604 שָׁאַר remain, be left over .he youngest still remains

. . be left over

. be left behind

. . leave over, spare

. leave or keep over

. the city shall have 100 left

. leave as a gift

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7604 sha'ar shaw-ar'

a primitive root; properly, to swell up, i.e. be

(causatively, make) redundant:--leave, (be) left, let,

remain, remnant, reserve, the rest.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁאַר (sha.ar) — to remain.

1) to remain, be left over, be left behind

1a) (Qal) to remain

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be left over, be left alive, survive

1b1a) remainder, remnant (participle)

1b2) to be left behind

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to leave over, spare

1c2) to leave or keep over

1c3) to have left

1c4) to leave (as a gift)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Art | V-Niphal — Conjunction · particle · verb niphal participle (active) masculine plural
HC/Td/VNrmpa
and [the] valley of Siddim [was] pits pits of bitumen and they fled [the] king of Sodom and Gomorrah and they fell there towards and those [who] survived [the] hill country towards they fled
הֶ֥רָהHe.rah [the] hill country towards H2022 Noun common masculine singular absolute · suffix
546× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A mountain or hill, sometimes used to describe a spiritual high point. In the Bible, it can refer to a real mountain or a figurative one. The word is often translated as hill or mount.
Amplified meaning
mountain, high ground
Tyndale gloss
mountain: mount
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הַר (har) means 'mountain' or 'hill,' and can refer to a range of hills or hill-country. It is derived from a root that suggests elevation and can be used figuratively. The entries consistently highlight its geographical connotations without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הַר 568 n.m. mountain, hill, hill-country

mountain, hill

hill-country, mountain-region

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2022 הַר mountain, hill, hill-country

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2022 har har

a shortened form of 2042; a mountain or range of hills

(sometimes used figuratively):--hill (country), mount(-ain), X

promotion.

see HEBREW for 02042

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הַר (har) — mountain: mount.

: mount/hill

hill, mountain, hill country, mount

הַר (har) — mountain: hill country.

: hill_country

hill, mountain, hill country, mount

A sub-meaning of har (הַר ": mount" H2022)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular absolute · suffix
HNcmsa/Sd
and [the] valley of Siddim [was] pits pits of bitumen and they fled [the] king of Sodom and Gomorrah and they fell there towards and those [who] survived [the] hill country towards they fled
נָּֽסוּ׃Na.su they fled H5127 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
159× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To flee means to quickly leave a place, like escaping from danger, as seen in the Bible when David fled from King Saul. It can also mean to disappear or vanish. In the book of Psalms, it describes God delivering his people from harm.
Amplified meaning
to quickly leave, escape
Tyndale gloss
to flee
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

נוּס (nus) is a Hebrew verb meaning to flee or escape. It encompasses various nuances, including taking flight, disappearing, or driving hastily to safety. The word appears in different forms, such as Qal, Polel, Hithpolel, and Hiphil, indicating actions like fleeing, causing to disappear, or putting to flight. An Aramaic equivalent is noted as נוּד (nud).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נוּס 160 vb. flee, escape

Qal

flee

escape

take flight, depart, disappear

fly (to the attack) on horseback.

Po‛lel the breath of י׳ driveth at it, driveth it on

Hithpo‛l. in order to take flight before the bow

Hiph.

put to flight

drive hastily to a safe place

cause to disappear, hide

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5127 נוּס flee, escape

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5127 nuwc noos

a primitive root; to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape;

causatively, chase, impel, deliver):--X abate, away, be

displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, X hide,

lift up a standard.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נוּס (nus) — to flee.

1) to flee, escape

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to flee

1a2) to escape

1a3) to take flight, m depart, disappear

1a4) to fly (to the attack) on horseback

1b) (Polel) to drive at

1c) (Hithpolel) to take flight

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to put to flight

1d2) to drive hastily

1d3) to cause to disappear, hide

Aramaic equivalent: nud (נוּד "to flee" H5111)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
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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