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Genesis 15:12 — Word Study

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WLCוַיְהִ֤י הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ לָב֔וֹא וְתַרְדֵּמָ֖ה נָפְלָ֣ה עַל־ אַבְרָ֑ם וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֵימָ֛ה חֲשֵׁכָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה נֹפֶ֥לֶת עָלָֽיו׃

BSAAs the sunshemesh [the celestial body] washâyâh settingbôwʼ AbramʼAbrâm [the original name of Abraham, a key figure] fellnâphal intoʻal a deep sleeptardêmâh [a trance-like state] and suddenlyhinnêh greatgâdôwl terrorʼêymâh [fear or horror] and darknesschăshêkâh [a time of sadness or trouble] overwhelmednâphal [fell upon, came over] himʻal

Word
Listen & take awayGenesis 15
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 12 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 ('a.Lav) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Genesis 15:12quick helps
In a sentenceAbram falls into a deep sleep as the sun sets, and he is overwhelmed by great terror and darkness.
Who is speakingThe narrative centers on Abram, a key figure in the biblical story.
Where we areThis verse is part of a divine revelation to Abram regarding his descendants.
The hard wordחֲשֵׁכָה
Take awayThe transition from day to night symbolizes a shift into a profound and fearful experience.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectתַּרְדֵּמָה verbהָיָה 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 15:12

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 Covenant with Abramgenerated

11And the birds of prey descended on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.
12As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed him.
13Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
14But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.

Genesis 15:12 describes a significant moment for Abram as he receives a revelation from God. The setting sun marks a transition into a deep sleep, which is accompanied by overwhelming fear and darkness. This moment prepares Abram for the covenant God is about to establish regarding his descendants, as noted in the surrounding verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Genesis 2:21So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he slept, He took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the area with flesh.
21 Samuel 26:12So David took the spear and water jug by Saul’s head, and they departed. No one saw them or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up; they all remained asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.
3Job 4:13–14In disquieting visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on men,
4Job 33:15In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds,
5Daniel 10:8–9So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision. No strength remained in me; my face grew deathly pale, and I was powerless.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word הָיָה, vay.Higenerated

The Hebrew verb הָיָה (hayah) means 'to be' or 'to exist.' It indicates a state of being or occurrence, often used in narrative contexts to describe events that come to pass. In this verse, it marks the moment as the sun sets, transitioning into a new state.

The parsing as a sequential imperfect suggests an ongoing action, indicating that the setting of the sun is part of a larger narrative unfolding.


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 נָפְלָ֣ה, it fell, which governs the overall action of the verse. The structure includes a prepositional phrase indicating the subject, a clause describing the state of sleep, and additional clauses detailing the overwhelming terror and darkness.

The Hebrew word order emphasizes the transition from the setting sun to Abram's deep sleep, highlighting the profound nature of the experience.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ as ἡλίου, indicating a direct correlation to the sun. This choice aligns with the Hebrew meaning but also reflects the Greek understanding of celestial bodies.

The translation of חֲשֵׁכָה as σκοτεινὸς suggests a focus on the darkness as a significant element of the experience, emphasizing the fear associated with it.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Genesis 15:12 tells us that as the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep. In this state, he experienced great terror and darkness overwhelming him. This moment is significant as it precedes God's revelation about Abram's descendants.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that Abram fell into a deep sleep?

The deep sleep signifies a trance-like state where Abram is unaware of his surroundings, allowing for a divine encounter.

Why is the setting sun important in this verse?

The setting sun marks a transition into a significant revelation, symbolizing a shift from day to night, paralleling the profound experience Abram is about to have.

What does the terror and darkness represent?

The terror and darkness can symbolize fear of the unknown and the gravity of the covenant Abram is about to receive from God.

How does this verse connect to the broader narrative of Abram's story?

This moment is pivotal as it sets the stage for God's promises to Abram regarding his descendants and their future.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What fears or uncertainties do I face that may feel overwhelming, similar to Abram's experience?
  2. How can I prepare myself to receive guidance or revelation in my own life?
  3. In what ways does the symbolism of light and darkness resonate with my spiritual journey?
  4. How can I find peace in moments of fear or uncertainty, trusting in God's plans for my life?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Early Church Fathers comment on this verse, noting the fear Abram experienced and its significance in the context of divine revelation.

Didymus the BlindON Genesis 230 c. 313–398
As he contemplated the wonderful things of God, Abraham was struck with fear, the fear that belongs to the perfect. It will be noted … that the ecstasy came upon him “toward sunset.” The text suggests by this a progression,
Early Church Fathers on Genesis 15 →
JeromeVerse 12 c. 347–420
But when the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram. The word for deep sleep in Hebrew is Thardema (), which means a descending, and we translated it as a deep sleep.
Early Church Fathers on Genesis 15 →
BedeCommentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron) c. 673–735
But what is added: When the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell on Abram, and a great and dark dread fell upon him, signifies the great distress and tribulation of the faithful that will occur near the end of this age.
Early Church Fathers on Genesis 15 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Genesis 15:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And when the sun was going down,.... Just setting, descending below the hemisphere; or "about to enter" (m) into his chamber, as Piscator observes, from whence he went forth in the morning, as a

Read John Gill on Genesis 15 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. A deep sleep , [ tardeemaah (H8639)] - a preternatural sleep, produced by God (see the note at Genesis 11:21).

Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 15 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

A deep sleep fell upon Abram; partly natural, from his labour in killing and sacrificing those creatures; and partly sent upon him from God, to make way for the following representation. He seemed to be covered with a dreadful darkness, which was either, 1. A token of God’ s special presence: compare . Or, 2. A signification of the distressed and doleful condition of Abram’ s seed; for darkness in Scripture is frequently mentioned as an emblem or sign of great misery, as 107:14, &c.

Read Matthew Poole on Genesis 15 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Genesis 15:12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.Ver. 12. And when the sun was going down] Heb., When he was ready to enter, to wit, into his "bride chamber".

Read John Trapp on Genesis 15 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) When the sun was going down.—The time described was the evening following the night on which he had received the assurance that his seed should be countless as the stars. He had then, in his trance, also asked for some security that Canaan should be the heritage of his posterity, and in answer had received the command to arrange, upon a large scale, the ceremonial of a solemn treaty-making. The morning had been spent in the performance of the command, and after wards he had watched, probably for several hours, by the side of the divided bodies, uncertain what would happen, but occupied in driving away the vultures, which gathered from all quarters round the abundant feast. At sunset…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Genesis 15 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 12. A deep sleep] תרדמה tardemah, the same word which is used to express the sleep into which Adam was cast, previous to the formation of Eve; Genesis 2:21. A horror of great darkness] Which God designed to be expressive of the affliction and misery into which his posterity should be brought during the four hundred years of their bondage in Egypt; as the next verse particularly states.

Read AdamClarke on Genesis 15 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12. a deep sleep] See note on the same word in Genesis 2:21. LXX ἔκστασις. an horror of great darkness fell] Lit. “an horror, even great darkness was falling.” A vivid description of the sensation of terror, preliminary to the revelation he was to receive.

Read Cambridge on Genesis 15 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

12. When the sun was going down — Hebrews, was about to go down. All day long had Abram been busy selecting the victims, slaying them, and placing them in order. See introductory note to the chapter.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Genesis 15 →

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

As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed him.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly great terror and darkness overwhelmed him.

NETBNew English Translation2006

When the sun went down, Abram fell sound asleep, and great terror overwhelmed him.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And when the sunne went downe, there fell an heauie sleepe vpon Abram: and loe, a very fearefull darkenes fell vpon him.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And as the sun was just going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, a horror, a great darkness, fell upon him.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And the sun is about to go in, and deep sleep hath fallen upon Abram, and lo, a terror of great darkness is falling upon him;

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And the sun is about to go in, and deep sleep has fallen on Abram, and behold, a terror of great darkness is falling on him;

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And when the sun was about going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and lo, a horror, dark and great, fell upon him.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Then when the sun was going down, Abram fell sound asleep and, behold, a deep and terrifying darkness overwhelmed him.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And when the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a great and darksome horror seized upon him.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

As the sun went down, a deep sleep came over Abram, and at the same time a dense and terrifying darkness fell on him.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep came on Abram, and a dark cloud of fear.

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.

וַandclauseverbיְהִ֤יit.wasnoun phrase · subjectהַtheשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ֙sunprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָ[about].toclauseverbב֔וֹאgoוְandclausesubjectתַרְדֵּמָ֖הa.deep.sleepverbנָפְלָ֣הit.fellprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַלonאַבְרָ֑םAbramוְandclauseclauseהִנֵּ֥הthere!clausenoun phrase · subjectאֵימָ֛הdreadnoun phraseחֲשֵׁכָ֥הdarknessגְדֹלָ֖הgreatverbנֹפֶ֥לֶת[was].fallingprepositional phrase · prepositionalעָלָֽיonוhim

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 Samaritan Pentateuch agree word for word on this verse, indicating a strong textual consistency. The Septuagint matches 12 of the 13 words, showing a close relationship with the Hebrew text, despite variations in word order.

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

וַיְהִ֤י הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ לָב֔וֹא וְתַרְדֵּמָ֖ה נָפְלָ֣ה עַל־ אַבְרָ֑ם וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֵימָ֛ה חֲשֵׁכָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה נֹפֶ֥לֶת עָלָֽיו׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיְהִ֤יπερὶהַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ἡλίουוְתַרְדֵּמָ֖הἔκστασιςנָפְלָ֣הἐπέπεσενעַל־τῷאַבְרָ֑םαβραμוְהִנֵּ֥הἰδοὺאֵימָ֛הφόβοςחֲשֵׁכָ֥הσκοτεινὸςגְדֹלָ֖הμέγαςנֹפֶ֥לֶתἐπιπίπτειעָלָֽיו׃αὐτῷ

12 of the 13 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

ויהי השׁמשׁ לבוא ותרדמה נפלה על אברם והנה אימה חשׁכה גדלה נפלת עליו

Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.

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 15:12הָיָהand it wasand it wasהָיָהשֶׁ֫מֶשׁthe sunthe sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁבּוֹא[about] to [about] to goבּוֹאתַּרְדֵּמָהand a deep and a deep sleeתַּרְדֵּמָהנָפַלit fellit fellנָפַלעַלononעַלאַבְרָםAbramAbramאַבְרָםהִנֵּהand there!and there!הִנֵּהאֵימָהdreaddreadאֵימָהחֲשֵׁכָהdarknessdarknessחֲשֵׁכָהגָּדוֹלgreatgreatגָּדוֹלנָפַל[was] falli[was] fallingנָפַלעַלon himon himעַלרָדַםto sleepto sleepרָדַםפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַלעַלheightheightעַלאֲבִירָםAbiramAbiramאֲבִירָםחָשַׁךְto darkento darkenחָשַׁךְגָּדַלto magnifyto magnifyגָּדַלהָוָאto fallto fallהָוָאבֵּיתHeliopolisHeliopolisבֵּיתהֵןlook!look!הֵןאָיֹםterribleterribleאָיֹםגּוֹרָלallottedallottedגּוֹרָלחָלָלslain: kilslain: killedחָלָלכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּאיָרֵחַmoonmoonיָרֵחַזָרַחto riseto riseזָרַחשֶׁ֫מֶשׁsunsunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁחִזָּיוֹןvisionvisionחִזָּיוֹן
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 15:12

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 it was the sun [about] to go and a deep sleep it fell on Abram and there! dread darkness great [was] falling on him
וַיְהִ֤יvay.Hi and it was H1961 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
3,562× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Tyndale gloss
to be
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

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

Qal

Fall out, happen

occur, take place, come about, come to pass

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

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

rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

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

Come into being, become

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

sq. prep.

become

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

sq. pred. adj.

become like

sq. pred. לְ pers.

sq. לְ pred.

oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

with עַל and לְ

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

Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

exist, be in existence

abide, remain, continue

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

as copula, joining subj. & pred.

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

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

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

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

. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

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

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

. sq. prep.

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

. sq. pred. adj.

. become like

. sq. pred. + לְ pers.

. sq. לְ pred.

. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.

. with עַל and לְ

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

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

. abide, remain, continue

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1961 hayah haw-yaw

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

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

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

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

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

(one-)self, require, X use.

see HEBREW for 01933

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.

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

1a) (Qal)

1a1) ---

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

1a1b) to come about, come to pass

1a2) to come into being, become

1a2a) to arise, appear, come

1a2b) to become

1a2b1) to become

1a2b2) to become like

1a2b3) to be instituted, be established

1a3) to be

1a3a) to exist, be in existence

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

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

1a3d) to accompany, be with

1b) (Niphal)

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

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

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
and it was the sun [about] to go and a deep sleep it fell on Abram and there! dread darkness great [was] falling on him
הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ha.She.mesh the sun H8121 Particle · noun common both singular absolute
134× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The sun, or shemesh, represents not just the celestial body, but also east or west direction, and even objects that shine like battlements. It is often used to describe the rising or setting of the sun.
Amplified meaning
the celestial body
Tyndale gloss
sun
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֶׁ֫מֶשׁ (shemesh) means 'sun' and is derived from a root meaning 'to be brilliant.' It encompasses various meanings, including directions like east and west, and can refer to the sun as an object of worship. Additionally, it can denote shining pinnacles or battlements.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֶׁ֫מֶשׁ 133 n.f. et m. sun

sun

of direction: toward sun-rise, = East

obj. of worship

other phr.

pinnacle, as glittering, shining

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8121 שֶׁ֫מֶשׁ sun

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8121 shemesh sheh'-mesh

from an unused root meaning to be brilliant; the sun; by

implication, the east; figuratively, a ray, i.e. (arch.) a

notched battlement:--+ east side(-ward), sun ((rising)), +

west(-ward), window. See also 1053.

see HEBREW for 01053

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֶׁ֫מֶשׁ (she.mesh) — sun.

1) sun

1a) sun

1b) sunrise, sun-rising, east, sun-setting, west (of direction)

1c) sun (as object of illicit worship)

1d) openly, publicly (in other phrases)

1e) pinnacles, battlements, shields (as glittering or shining)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-cs — Particle · noun common both singular absolute
HTd/Ncbsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Sun

(Heb. shemesh), first mentioned along with the moon as the two great luminaries of heaven (Gen. 1:14-18). By their motions and influence they were intended to mark and divide times and seasons. The worship of the sun was one of the oldest forms of false religion (Job 31:26,27), and was common among the Egyptians and Chaldeans and other pagan nations. The Jews were warned against this form of idolatry (Deut. 4:19; 17:3; comp. 2 Kings 23:11; Jer. 19:13).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

In the history of "greater light," of the creation the sun is described as "greater light," in contradistinction to the moon, the "lesser light," in conjunction with which it was to serve "for signs and for seasons, and for days, and for years," while its special office was "to rule the day." (Genesis 1:14-16) The "signs" referred to were probably such extraordinary phenomena as eclipses, which were regarded as conveying premonitions of coming events. (Jeremiah 10:2; Matthew 24:29) with Luke 21:25 The joint influence assigned to the sun and moon in deciding the "seasons," both for agricultural operations and for religious festivals, and also in regulating the length and…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The great luminary of day, which furnishes so many similitudes to the Hebrew poets, as well as those of all nations, Jud 5:31 Ps 84:11 Pr 4:18 Lu 1:78,79 Joh 8:12. For the idolatrous worship of the sun, see BAAL.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Created Ge 1:14-18; Ps 74:16; 136:7; Jer 31:35

→ Rising and setting of Ec 1:5

→ Diurnal motion of Ps 19:4,6

→ Worship of, forbidden De 4:19; 17:3

→ Worshiped Job 31:26-28; Jer 8:2; Eze 6:4,6; 8:16

→ Kings of Judah dedicate horses to 2Ki 23:11

→ Miracles concerning

and it was the sun [about] to go and a deep sleep it fell on Abram and there! dread darkness great [was] falling on him
לָב֔וֹאla.Vo' [about] to go H935 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
2,573× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to go or come, and is used in many contexts, such as entering a place or approaching someone, as seen in the book of Genesis. It can also mean to abide or apply, and is translated in various ways in the KJV Bible. This term is related to the name Lebo Hamath.
Tyndale gloss
Lebo
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go

Qal

come in

come (approach, arrive)

go, i.e. walk, associate with

go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

Hoph.

be brought in (of pers. and things)

be brought

be introduced, put

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in

. come (approach, arrive)

. go, i.e. walk, associate with

. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

. . be brought in (of pers. and things)

. be brought

. be introduced, put

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

935 bow' bo

a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of

applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +

besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X

certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,

upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,

(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be

fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),

grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,

pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken

(in age), X surely, take (in), way.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.

: come/go_in

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

1a5) to go

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to lead in

1b2) to carry in

1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon

1b4) to bring to pass

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought, brought in

1c2) to be introduced, be put

לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).

This name means to go in, enter

Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.

: towards/entrance

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
HR/Vqcc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(halakh, yalakh, bo', yatsa'; ago, hupago, anabaino, erchomi, aperchomai, poreuomai): "Go" ("went," etc.) occurs very frequently in the English Bible, and is the translation of a great many different Hebrew and Greek terms. As the word implies movement of all kinds, physical and mental, it has naturally many applications.

1. In the Old Testament:

In the Old Testament halakh and yalakh are among the commonest words, meaning "to go" in its original sense of "to walk," but also in the most varied senses, according to the verbal conjugations, etc., the preposition attached, and the words in connection with which the terms stand; halakh and yalakh are often used figuratively (translated "to walk," etc.) for to live, to pursue a way of life, e.g. "to walk ever in his ways" (De 19:9; compare

Mt 9:13; 21:28; 28:7; Lu 10:37; Joh 8:11

--SEE Divine Direction, GUIDANCE

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and it was the sun [about] to go and a deep sleep it fell on Abram and there! dread darkness great [was] falling on him
וְתַרְדֵּמָ֖הve.tar.de.Mah and a deep sleep H8639 Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absolute
7× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a deep sleep or trance, where someone is completely unaware of their surroundings. In Genesis, it describes the sleep God gave Adam before creating Eve. This kind of sleep is also mentioned in other biblical stories.
Amplified meaning
a trance-like state
Tyndale gloss
deep sleep
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

תַּרְדֵּמָה (tardemah) means 'deep sleep' or 'trance.' It is derived from the root word meaning lethargy. The term is used to describe a profound state of unconsciousness, as noted in various lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

תַּרְדֵּמָה n.f. deep sleep

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8639 תַּרְדֵּמָה deep sleep

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8639 tardemah tar-day-maw'

from 7290; a lethargy or (by implication) trance:--deep

sleep.

see HEBREW for 07290

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

תַּרְדֵּמָה (tar.de.mah) — deep sleep.

deep sleep, trance

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | N-fs — Conjunction · noun common feminine singular absolute
HC/Ncfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

slep: Represents many words in Hebrew and Greek. For the noun the most common are shenah, and hupnos; for the verb, yashen, shakhabh, and katheudo. The figurative uses for death (De 31:16, etc.) and sluggishness (Eph 5:14, etc.) are very obvious.

See DREAM.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ From God Ps 127:2

→ Of the sluggard (very lazy person) Pr 6:9,10

→ Of Jesus Mt 8:24; Mr 4:38; Lu 8:23

→ A symbol of death Job 14:12; Mt 9:24; Mr 5:39; Lu 8:52; Joh 11:11,12; 1Th 4:14

→ See DEATH

and it was the sun [about] to go and a deep sleep it fell on Abram and there! dread darkness great [was] falling on him
נָפְלָ֣הna.fe.Lah it fell H5307 Verb · Qal · perfect third person feminine singular
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.
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
V-Qal-Perf-3fs — Verb · Qal · perfect third person feminine singular
HVqp3fs
and it was the sun [about] to go and a deep sleep it fell on Abram and there! dread darkness great [was] falling on him
עַל־'al- on H5921 Preposition
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears

. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the

singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a

particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always

in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great

variety of applications (as follow):--above, according

to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because

of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both

and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in

(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,

through(-out), to, touching, X with.

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards

1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)

1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)

1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)

1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)

1h) to (as a dative)

[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

On

Light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship, called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17), stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the LXX. Versions have “Heliopolis” (“city of the sun”) instead of On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The “city of destruction” Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. “of Heres;” Heb. ‘Ir-ha-heres, which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., “city of the sun”) may be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will come when that city which was known as the “city of the sun-god” shall become the “city of destruction” of the sun-god, i.e., when idolatry shall cease, and the worship…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis. The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests. The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave "to wife Asenath the daughter…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

See HELIOPOLIS.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

pain; force; iniquity

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and it was the sun [about] to go and a deep sleep it fell on Abram and there! dread darkness great [was] falling on him
אַבְרָ֑ם'av.Ram Abram H87 Noun proper masculine
61× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Abram was the original name of Abraham, a key figure in the Bible. He was the son of Terah, brother of Nahor and Haran, and husband of Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah, as told in Genesis 11:26--17:5.
Amplified meaning
the original name of Abraham, a key figure
Tyndale gloss
Abram
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַבְרָם (Avram) means 'exalted father' and refers to the original name of Abraham. The entries indicate that Abram is a significant figure from the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned in Genesis 11:26, and he is the son of Terah and the husband of Sarah, among others. He is also the father of several notable sons, including Isaac and Ishmael.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אַבְרָם n.pr.m. (id., Thes al. exalted father) Abram = אַבְרָהָם Abraham

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H87 אַבְרָם Abram = אַבְרָהָם Abraham

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

87 'Abram ab-rawm'

contracted from 48; high father; Abram, the original name of

Abraham:--Abram.

see HEBREW for 048

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַבְרָם (av.ram) — Abram.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.11.26;

son of: Terah (H8646);

brother of: Nahor (H5152H), Haran (H2039) and Sarah (H8283); married to Sarah (H8283), Hagar (H1904) and Keturah (H6989);

father of: Ishmael (H3458), Isaac (H3327), Zimran (H2175), Jokshan (H3370), Medan (H4091), Midian (H4080), Ishbak (H3435) and Shuah (H7744); also called Abram at Gen.11.26--17.5; 2x

Another name of av.ra.ham (אַבְרָהָם "Abraham" H0085)

§ Abram = "exalted father"

original name of Abraham

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

a'-bram. See ABRAHAM.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Abram

Exalted father. (see ABRAHAM.)

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(a high father), the earlier name of Abraham.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

High father, afterwards named Abraham.

and it was the sun [about] to go and a deep sleep it fell on Abram and there! dread darkness great [was] falling on him
וְהִנֵּ֥הve.hi.Neh and there! H2009 Conjunction · particle
843× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is an expression that means 'behold' or 'look', often used to draw attention to something. It appears in Genesis and Isaiah, and is translated as 'behold' or 'lo' in the KJV.
Tyndale gloss
behold
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הִנֵּה (hinneh) is a Hebrew word meaning 'behold' or 'lo!' It serves as a demonstrative particle used to draw attention, appearing in contexts such as Genesis 19:2. The word is derived from a prolongation of another Hebrew term, but the entries do not provide further details on its usage beyond this.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הִנֵּה, once הִנֶּה־ Gn 19:2, demonstr.part. lo!, behold!

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2009 הִנֵּה, הִנֶּה־ lo!, behold!

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2009 hinneh hin-nay'

prolongation for 2005; lo!:--behold, lo, see.

see HEBREW for 02005

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הִנֵּה (hin.neh) — behold.

behold, lo, see, if

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | Part — Conjunction · particle
HC/Tj
and it was the sun [about] to go and a deep sleep it fell on Abram and there! dread darkness great [was] falling on him
אֵימָ֛ה'ei.Mah dread H367 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
17× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for terror or dread, used to describe fear or horror, and sometimes an idol that inspires fear. It appears in the Bible to convey a sense of awe or fright. This word is used in various contexts, including descriptions of God's power.
Amplified meaning
fear or horror
Tyndale gloss
terror
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֵימָה (*'eymah*) means terror or dread. It is derived from a root related to fear and can also refer to an idol in a figurative sense. The entries consistently emphasize its meanings of fright and horror.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵימָה 17 n.f. terror, dread

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H367 אֵימָה terror, dread

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

367 'eymah ay-maw'

or (shortened) remah {ay-maw'}; from the same as 366; fright;

concrete, an idol (as a bugbear):--dread, fear, horror, idol,

terrible, terror.

see HEBREW for 0366

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵימָה (e.mah) — terror.

terror, dread

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
and it was the sun [about] to go and a deep sleep it fell on Abram and there! dread darkness great [was] falling on him
חֲשֵׁכָ֥הcha.she.Khah darkness H2825 Noun common · feminine singular absolute
5× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means darkness, and it can also mean a time of sadness or trouble. It is used in the book of Exodus to describe the darkness that fell upon Egypt. The Psalmist also uses this word to describe a time of distress.
Amplified meaning
a time of sadness or trouble
Tyndale gloss
darkness
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֲשֵׁכָה (chashekah) means 'darkness,' primarily used in a poetic context. It is derived from the root word for darkness, חֶשְׁכָה (cheshkah), which also conveys a sense of misery. The term is noted in various lexicons, but there is no significant disagreement among them.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֲשֵׁכָה n.f. darkness (chiefly poet.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2825 חֲשֵׁכָה darkness (chiefly poet.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2825 chashekah khash-ay-kaw'

or chashekah {khash-ay-kaw'}; from 2821; darkness;

figuratively, misery:--darkness.

see HEBREW for 02821

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֲשֵׁכָה (cha.she.khah) — darkness.

darkness

Also means: chesh.khah (חֶשְׁכָה "dark" H2824)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absolute
HNcfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Darkness

The plague (the ninth) of darkness in Egypt (Ex. 10:21) is described as darkness “which may be felt.” It covered “all the land of Egypt,” so that “they saw not one another.” It did not extend to the land of Goshen (ver. 23).

When Jesus hung upon the cross (Matt. 27:45; Luke 23:44), from the “sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.”

On Mount Sinai, Moses (Ex. 20:21) “drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.” This was the “thick cloud upon the mount” in which Jehovah was when he spake unto Moses there. The Lord dwelt in the cloud upon the mercy-seat (1 Kings…

is spoken of as encompassing the actual presence of God, as that out of which he speaks, --the envelope, as it were, of divine glory. (Exodus 20:21; 1 Kings 8:12) The plague of darkness in Egypt was miraculous. The darkness "over all the land," (Matthew 27:45) attending the crucifixion has been attributed to an eclipse, but was undoubtedly miraculous, as no eclipse of the sun could have taken place at that time, the moon being at the full at the time of the passover. Darkness is also, as in the expression "land of darkness," used for the state of the dead, (Job 10:21,22) and frequently, figuratively, for ignorance and unbelief, as the privation of spiritual light. (

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The absence of natural light, Ge 1:2, and hence figuratively a state of misery and adversity, Job 18:6 Ps 107:10 Isa 8:22 9:1; also the absence of the sun and stars, and hence the fall of chief men and national convulsions, Isa 13:10 Ac 2:20. "Works of darkness," are the impure mysteries practiced in heathen worship, Eph 5:11. "Outer darkness" illustrates the gloom of those on whom the gates of heaven are closed, Mt 8:12. The darkness in Egypt,

→ Over the face of the earth Ge 1:2; Job 38:9; Jer 4:23

→ Called NIGHT Ge 1:5

→ God creates Isa 45:7

→ Miraculous

In Egypt Ex 10:21,22; Ps 105:28

At Mount Sinai Ex 20:21; Heb 12:18

At the crucifixion Mt 27:45; Mr 15:33

→ FIGURATIVE

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and it was the sun [about] to go and a deep sleep it fell on Abram and there! dread darkness great [was] falling on him
גְדֹלָ֖הge.do.Lah great H1419 Adj
526× 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 something or someone great, whether in size, age, or importance. It appears in descriptions of the Great Sea and the Philistines. The word is used to convey a sense of magnitude or grandeur.
Tyndale gloss
Great (Sea)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גָּדוֹל (gadol) means 'great' and covers a wide range of meanings, including large in size, number, intensity, sound, age, and importance. It can also refer to notable individuals or even God. Additionally, it appears as a proper noun in reference to a person named in Nehemiah 11:14. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, but do not present significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גָּדוֹל 622 adj. great

in magnitude and extent

in number

in intensity

in sound, loud

in age

in importance

in phrases

cstr.

as subst. concr. do great things

† as subst. neut. greatness of arm

base

הַגְּדוֹלִים n.pr.m. father of Zabdiel Ne 11:14 (RV & so most; but 𝔊 RVm al. the great).

done

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1419a גָּדוֹל great . in magnitude and extent

. in number

. in intensity

. in sound, loud

. in age

. in importance

. in phrases

. cstr.

. as subst. concr. do great things

. † as subst. neut. greatness of arm

H1419b הַגְּדוֹלִים father of Zabdiel

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1419 gadowl gaw-dole'

or (shortened) gadol {gaw-dole'}; from 1431; great (in any

sense); hence, older; also insolent:--+ aloud, elder(-est), +

exceeding(-ly), + far, (man of) great (man, matter,

thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble,

proud thing, X sore, (X ) very.

see HEBREW for 01431

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — great: large.

adj

1) great

1a) large (in magnitude and extent)

1b) in number

1c) in intensity

1d) loud (in sound)

1e) older (in age)

1f) in importance

1f1) important things

1f2) great, distinguished (of men)

1f3) God Himself (of God)

subst

1g) great things

1h) haughty things

1i) greatness

Also means: ga.dol (גָּדוֹל ": old" H1419K)

§ Haggedolim = "the great one"

(CLBL) Haggedolim, the great man?, father of Zabdiel

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — Haggedolim.

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.11.14

§ Haggedolim = "the great one"

(CLBL) Haggedolim, the great man?, father of Zabdiel

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — Great (Sea).

adj

great

Also named: pe.lish.ti (פְּלִשְׁתִּי "(Sea of the )Philistines" H6430I)

גָּדוֹל (ga.dol) — great: old.

adj

1) great

1a) large (in magnitude and extent)

1b) in number

1c) in intensity

1d) loud (in sound)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAafsa
and it was the sun [about] to go and a deep sleep it fell on Abram and there! dread darkness great [was] falling on him
נֹפֶ֥לֶתno.Fe.let [was] falling H5307 Verb · Qal · participle (active) feminine singular
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
fell upon, came over
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
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) feminine singular
HVqrfsa
and it was the sun [about] to go and a deep sleep it fell on Abram and there! dread darkness great [was] falling on him
עָלָֽיו׃'a.Lav on him H5921 Preposition · suffix
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears

. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the

singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a

particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always

in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great

variety of applications (as follow):--above, according

to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because

of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both

and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in

(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,

through(-out), to, touching, X with.

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards

1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)

1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)

1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)

1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)

1h) to (as a dative)

[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.

conj

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HRd/Sp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
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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