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Genesis 38:19 — Word Study

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WLCוַתָּ֣קָם וַתֵּ֔לֶךְ וַתָּ֥סַר צְעִיפָ֖הּ מֵעָלֶ֑יהָ וַתִּלְבַּ֖שׁ בִּגְדֵ֥י אַלְמְנוּתָֽהּ׃

BSAThen Tamar got upqûwm [arose, stood up] And she removedçûwr [turned aside, took off] her veiltsâʻîyph [shawl, from upon her head] and put on her widow’sʼalmânûwth [clothed herself with] garmentsbeged [clothing of her widowhood] againlâbash [once more, as before]

Word
Listen & take awayGenesis 38
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 19 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 ('al.me.nu.Tah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Genesis 38:19quick helps
In a sentenceTamar rises, leaves, removes her veil, and puts on her widow's garments.
Who is speakingThe narrative focuses on Tamar's actions.
Where we areThis verse describes Tamar's actions after an encounter with Judah.
The hard wordאַלְמְנוּתָֽהּ
Take awayTamar transitions from a state of disguise back to her widowhood.
2 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson & more — read them › clause verbקוּם 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 38:19

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 Story of Tamargenerated

18“What pledge should I give you?” he asked. She answered, “Your seal and your cord, and the staff in your hand.” So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.
19Then Tamar got up and departed. And she removed her veil and put on her widow’s garments again.
20Now when Judah sent his friend Hirah the Adullamite with the young goat to collect the items he had left with the woman, he could not find her.
21He asked the men of that place, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “No shrine prostitute has been here,” they answered.

Genesis 38:19 recounts Tamar's actions after she has interacted with Judah. Following a deceptive encounter, she rises, departs, and changes her clothing, indicating a return to her identity as a widow. This moment is pivotal in the narrative, as it sets the stage for the unfolding events regarding her family line and Judah's recognition of her.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Genesis 38:14she removed her widow’s garments, covered her face with a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that although Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.
22 Samuel 14:2–5So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.

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


The Key Word אַלְמְנוּתָֽהּ, 'al.me.nu.Tahgenerated

The Hebrew word אַלְמָנוּת (almanuwth) refers to widowhood, indicating the state of being a widow. It is derived from the root word for widow, אַלְמָן (alman), and emphasizes both the concrete and abstract aspects of widowhood.

In this verse, it highlights Tamar's identity as a widow as she puts on her widow's garments again, reflecting her societal status and the loss she has experienced.


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 verse consists of multiple clauses, with the main verb being וַתָּ֣קָם, and she arose. This verb governs the actions that follow: her departure, the removal of her veil, and the putting on of her widow's garments.

The structure emphasizes Tamar's actions sequentially, illustrating her transition from one state to another.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew verbs are translated with corresponding Greek words, such as ἀναστᾶσα for וַתָּ֣קָם (va.Ta.kom), indicating a similar action of rising. This choice reflects a direct translation of the actions described in the Hebrew.

The Greek word choices maintain the essence of the original Hebrew, showing a faithful rendering of Tamar's actions.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Genesis 38:19 describes Tamar's actions after meeting Judah. She rises, leaves, removes her veil, and puts on her widow's garments again. This shows her return to her identity as a widow after a significant encounter.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Tamar's action of removing her veil signify?

Removing her veil signifies Tamar's transition from a state of disguise back to her identity as a widow.

Why does Tamar put on her widow's garments again?

She puts on her widow's garments to signify her return to her societal role and identity after her encounter with Judah.

What does the term 'widowhood' imply in this context?

Widowhood implies a state of loss and societal status, highlighting Tamar's vulnerability and the challenges she faces.

How does this verse relate to the overall narrative of Genesis 38?

This verse is pivotal as it sets up the complex relationship dynamics between Tamar and Judah, ultimately leading to significant developments in their family lineage.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What can we learn from Tamar's actions about identity and societal roles?
  2. How do transitions in our lives reflect changes in our identity?
  3. In what ways can we support those who are in vulnerable positions, like widows?
  4. What lessons can we draw from Tamar's story about perseverance and seeking justice?

Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Genesis 38:19 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And she arose and went away,.... To her father's house immediately, as soon as ever she had parted with Judah; and lest she should be found by the person that would be sent with the kid, and be

Read John Gill on Genesis 38 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. And she arose, and went away.

Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 38 →

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

Then Tamar got up and departed. And she removed her veil and put on her widow’s garments again.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

She arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Then Tamar got up and departed. And she removed her veil and put on her widow’s garments again.

NETBNew English Translation2006

She left immediately, removed her veil, and put on her widow’s clothes.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And she arose and went her way and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Then she rose, and went and put her vaile from her and put on her widowes raiment.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And she arose and went away; and she laid by her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and she riseth, and goeth, and turneth aside her vail from off her, and putteth on the garments of her widowhood.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and she rises, and goes, and turns aside her veil from off her, and puts on the garments of her widowhood.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

She got up and went away. She took off her veil and put on the clothing of her widowhood.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And she arose and went her way: and putting off the apparel which she had taken, put on the garments of her widowhood.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

She left, went home, took off her veil, and put on her widow's clothes.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Then she got up and went away and took off her veil and put on her widow's clothing.

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.

וַandclauseclauseverbתָּ֣קָםshe.aroseוַandclauseverbתֵּ֔לֶךְshe.wentוַandclauseverbתָּ֥סַרshe.removednoun phrase · objectצְעִיפָ֖veilהּherprepositional phrase · prepositionalprepositional phraseמֵfromעָלֶ֑יonהָherוַandclauseverbתִּלְבַּ֖שׁshe.put.onnoun phrase · objectבִּגְדֵ֥יthe.clothesnoun phraseאַלְמְנוּתָֽher.widowhoodהּher

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text is supported by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word with it. The Septuagint matches 7 of the 8 words from the Hebrew, indicating a strong consistency across these ancient texts.

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

וַתָּ֣קָם וַתֵּ֔לֶךְ וַתָּ֥סַר צְעִיפָ֖הּ מֵעָלֶ֑יהָ וַתִּלְבַּ֖שׁ בִּגְדֵ֥י אַלְמְנוּתָֽהּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַתָּ֣קָםἀναστᾶσαוַתֵּ֔לֶךְἀπῆλθενוַתָּ֥סַרπεριείλατοצְעִיפָ֖הּθέριστρονוַתִּלְבַּ֖שׁἐνεδύσατοבִּגְדֵ֥יἱμάτιαאַלְמְנוּתָֽהּ׃τῆς

7 of the 8 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

ותקם ותלך ותסר צעיפה מעליה ותלבשׁ בגדי אלמנותה

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 38:19לֵבand she aroand she aroseלֵבהָלַךְand she wenand she wentהָלַךְסוּרand she remand she removedסוּרצָעִיףveil herveil herצָעִיףעַלfrom on herfrom on herעַללָבֵשׁand she putand she put onלָבֵשׁבֶּ֫גֶד[the] cloth[the] clothes oבֶּ֫גֶדאַלְמָנוּתwidowhood hwidowhood herאַלְמָנוּתבָּגַדto act treto act treacherבָּגַדהָלַךְto walkto walkהָלַךְעַלheightheightעַלאַלְמָןforsakenforsakenאַלְמָןעַלuponuponעַלנֶ֫דֶרvowvowנֶ֫דֶרעֵדwitnesswitnessעֵדדֶּ֫רֶךְway: roadway: roadדֶּ֫רֶךְחֻקָּהstatutestatuteחֻקָּהשְׂמֹאלleftleftשְׂמֹאלבָּמָהhigh placehigh placeבָּמָהכָּסָהto coverto coverכָּסָהכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּאבַּדlinenlinenבַּדשִׁרְיָהlancelanceשִׁרְיָהכָּבַסto washto washכָּבַסקָרַעto tearto tearקָרַע
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 38:19

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 she arose and she went and she removed veil her from on her and she put on [the] clothes of widowhood her
וַתָּ֣קָםva.Ta.kom and she arose H6965 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
628× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Qum means to rise or stand up, used in various contexts like rising to power or standing firm, as seen in Jeremiah and Ezra.
Amplified meaning
arose, stood up
Tyndale gloss
(Leb)-kamai
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word קוּם (qum) is a primitive root meaning 'to rise' and encompasses a range of actions such as standing, becoming powerful, and establishing. It can imply a sudden or hostile rise, as well as the act of fulfilling or confirming something. The entries also note various grammatical forms, indicating its use in different contexts, including raising up or causing to stand.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash Je 51:1.

ref

קוּם 628 vb. arise, stand up, stand

Qal 460

arise

arise, in hostile sense (oft. with idea of suddenness)

arise, abs., = become powerful

arise = come on the scene, appear, of leader, prophet

arise for, i.e. to become

arise for action

arise (out of inaction), introducing some specific deed

esp. arise = start, make a move, to go somewhere

stand

Pi.

fulfil

confirm, ratify

confirm, establish

impose, an obligation

Pō‛l. raise up

Hithpō‛l. raise oneself, = rise up

Hiph.

146cause to arise, raise

raise, set up, stones

erect, build

fig, of setting up law

raise up = bring on the scene

raise up = rouse, stir up

instigate, build

fig, of setting up law

raise up = constitute

cause to stand

Hoph. be raised up

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6965a לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash H6965b קוּם arise, stand up, stand .. arise

. arise, in hostile sense (oft. with idea of suddenness)

. arise, abs., = become powerful

. arise = come on the scene, appear, of leader, prophet

. arise for, i.e. to become

. . arise for action

. arise (out of inaction), introducing some specific deed

. esp. arise = start, make a move, to go somewhere

. stand

. . fulfil

. . confirm, ratify

. confirm, establish

. impose, an obligation

. raise up

. raise oneself, = rise up

. . cause to arise, raise

. . raise, set up, stones

. erect, build

. fig, of setting up law

. raise up = bring on the scene

. . raise up = rouse, stir up

. instigate, build

. fig, of setting up law

. raise up = constitute

. cause to stand

. be raised up

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6965 quwm koom

a primitive root; to rise (in various applications, literal,

figurative, intensive and causative):--abide, accomplish, X

be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, X be dim, endure, X

enemy, enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift

up (again), make, X but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise

(up), rear (up), remain, (a-)rise (up) (again, against), rouse

up, set (up), (e-)stablish, (make to) stand (up), stir up,

strengthen, succeed, (as-, make) sure(-ly), (be) up(-hold, -

rising).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָמָי (qa.may) — (Leb)-kamai.

Combined with lev (לֵב "Leb" H3820B)

§ -Kamai = "my adversary"

Leb-kamai, i.e., people of Gambulai

קוּם (qum) — to arise: rise.

: rise/get_going

1) to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to arise

1a2) to arise (hostile sense)

1a3) to arise, become powerful

1a4) to arise, come on the scene

1a5) to stand

1a5a) to maintain oneself

1a5b) to be established, be confirmed

1a5c) to stand, endure

1a5d) to be fixed

1a5e) to be valid

1a5f) to be proven

1a5g) to be fulfilled

1a5h) to persist

1a5i) to be set, be fixed

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to fulfil

1b2) to confirm, ratify, establish, impose

1c) (Polel) to raise up

1d) (Hithpael) to raise oneself, rise up

1e) (Hiphil)

1e1) to cause to arise, raise

1e2) to raise, set up, erect, build

1e3) to raise up, bring on the scene

1e4) to raise up, rouse, stir up, investigate

1e5) to raise up, constitute

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3fs — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
Hc/Vqw3fs
and she arose and she went and she removed veil her from on her and she put on [the] clothes of widowhood her
וַתֵּ֔לֶךְva.Te.lekh and she went H1980 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
1,549× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Means to walk or go, used in many different contexts in the Bible. It can describe physical movement, but also spiritual or emotional journeys. Appears in various forms, such as 'to go' or 'to walk'.
Tyndale gloss
to go: walk
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

הָלַךְ (halak) means 'to go,' 'come,' or 'walk,' and covers a wide range of literal and figurative uses, including aspects of life and death. It can describe physical movement, moral conduct, and even influence on character. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal, Piel, and Hithpael, indicating different nuances like leading or traversing.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

הָלַךְ 1546 vb. go, come, walk

Qal Impf. usually (629 t.) as if from ילך

lit.

of persons

Also of animals, in similar meanings and combinations

in like manner of inanimate things

The inf. abs. is often used

as in other vbs., quite independently

to intensify meaning of finite form

most noteworthy is the joining of the Inf. abs.

with a following Inf. abs. denoting a simutaneous action or process, and so emphasizing duration or continuance

with a foll. vb. fin. c. ו consec. (rare)

in cases where vb. fin. is foll. by Inf. abs. adj. denoting progress, advance

twice, where vb. fin. is not הלך, but another vb. denoting motion

quite by itself

13 t. the Inf. abs. = Imv. & is followed by Pf. consec.

akin to the use of Inf. abs. are some instances of Pt.

In combination with other verbal forms

Fig.; the most common uses follow; in most the origin in a literal meaning is evident:

pass away, die

Read the full entry →
Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1980 הָלַךְ go, come, walk .Impf. usually (629 t.) as if from ילך . lit. . of persons

. Also of animals, in similar meanings and combinations

. in like manner of inanimate things

. The inf. abs. is often used . as in other vbs., quite independently

. to intensify meaning of finite form

. most noteworthy is the joining of the Inf. abs. . with a following Inf. abs. denoting a simutaneous action or process, and so emphasizing duration or continuance

. with a foll. vb. fin. c. ו consec. (rare)

. in cases where vb. fin. is foll. by Inf. abs. + adj. denoting progress, advance

. twice, where vb. fin. is not הלך, but another vb. denoting motion

. quite by itself

. 13 t. the Inf. abs. = Imv. & is followed by Pf. consec.

. akin to the use of Inf. abs. are some instances of Pt.

. In combination with other verbal forms

Read the full entry →
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1980 halak haw-lak'

akin to 3212; a primitive root; to walk (in a great variety

of applications, literally and figuratively):--(all) along,

apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant,

depart, + be eased, enter, exercise (self), + follow, forth,

forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on,

out, up and down), + greater, grow, be wont to haunt, lead,

march, X more and more, move (self), needs, on, pass (away),

be at the point, quite, run (along), + send, speedily, spread,

still, surely, + tale-bearer, + travel(-ler), walk (abroad,

on, to and fro, up and down, to places), wander, wax,

(way-)faring man, X be weak, whirl.

see HEBREW for 03212

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: went.

: went/go[away]

1) to go, walk, come

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away

1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to walk

1b2) to walk (fig.)

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to traverse

1c2) to walk about

1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk

הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: come.

: come[nearer]

1) to go, walk, come

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away

1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to walk

1b2) to walk (fig.)

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to traverse

1c2) to walk about

1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk

הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: walk.

: walk/move

1) to go, walk, come

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away

1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)

1b) (Piel)

1b1) to walk

1b2) to walk (fig.)

1c) (Hithpael)

1c1) to traverse

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Hc/Vqw3fs — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
Hc/Vqw3fs
and she arose and she went and she removed veil her from on her and she put on [the] clothes of widowhood her
וַתָּ֥סַרva.Ta.sar and she removed H5493 Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
300× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To turn aside or remove is the meaning of this verb, used in various forms throughout the Bible. It can mean to depart, avoid, or put something away, and is often used in the context of turning away from sin or wrongdoing, as seen in the actions of prophets and leaders in the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
turned aside, took off
Tyndale gloss
to turn aside: remove
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

סוּר (sur) is a Hebrew verb meaning to turn aside or depart. It encompasses a range of actions including removal, avoidance, and coming to an end. The word can be used in various forms, such as causing something to turn aside or be taken away. It appears in contexts involving both literal and figurative departures.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

סוּר and [שׂוּר] 300 vb. turn aside

Qal

turn aside, out of one's course

depart

of lifeless things = be removed

= come to an end

Pô‛lēl he turned aside my ways (my steps)

Hiph.

cause to (turn aside,) depart, common word for remove, take away

rarer uses

Pô‛lēl be taken away, removed

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5493 סוּר, שׂוּר turn aside .. turn aside, out of one's course

. depart

. of lifeless things = be removed

. = come to an end

.he turned aside my ways (my steps)

. . cause to (turn aside,) depart, common word for remove, take away

. rarer uses

.be taken away, removed

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5493 cuwr soor

or suwr (Hosea 9:12) {soor}; a primitive root; to turn off

(literal or figurative):--be(-head), bring, call back,

decline, depart, eschew, get (you), go (aside), X grievous,

lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck away, put (away,

down), rebel, remove (to and fro), revolt, X be sour, take

(away, off), turn (aside, away, in), withdraw, be without.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

סוּר (sur) — to turn aside: remove.

: remove

1) to turn aside, depart

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to turn aside, turn in unto

1a2) to depart, depart from way, avoid

1a3) to be removed

1a4) to come to an end

1b) (Polel) to turn aside

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to cause to turn aside, cause to depart, remove, take away, put away, depose

1c2) to put aside, leave undone, retract, reject, abolish

1d) (Hophal) to be taken away, be removed

סוּר (sur) — to turn aside: depart.

: depart

1) to turn aside, depart

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to turn aside, turn in unto

1a2) to depart, depart from way, avoid

1a3) to be removed

1a4) to come to an end

1b) (Polel) to turn aside

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to cause to turn aside, cause to depart, remove, take away, put away, depose

1c2) to put aside, leave undone, retract, reject, abolish

1d) (Hophal) to be taken away, be removed

סוּר (sur) — to turn aside: turn aside.

: turn_aside/deflect

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3fs — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
Hc/Vhw3fs
and she arose and she went and she removed veil her from on her and she put on [the] clothes of widowhood her
צְעִיפָ֖הּtze.'i.Fah veil her H6809 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
3× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A shawl or veil, this word describes a piece of clothing used to cover or wrap oneself. The King James Version translates it as vail, emphasizing its use as a covering or wrapper. In biblical times, it was a common article of clothing.
Amplified meaning
shawl, from upon her head
Tyndale gloss
shawl
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

צָעִיף (tsa`iyph) refers to a wrapper, shawl, or veil. It is derived from an unused root meaning to wrap over. The entries consistently describe it as a type of covering, with no significant disagreement noted among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

צָעִיף n.[m.] wrapper, shawl, or veil

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6809 צָעִיף wrapper, shawl, or veil

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6809 tsa`iyph tsaw-eef'

from an unused root meaning to wrap over; a veil:--vail.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צָעִיף (tsa.iph) — shawl.

wrapper, shawl, veil

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp3fs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and she arose and she went and she removed veil her from on her and she put on [the] clothes of widowhood her
מֵעָלֶ֑יהָme.'a.Lei.ha from on her H5921 Preposition · 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
HR/Rd/Sp3fs — Preposition · preposition · suffix
HR/Rd/Sp3fs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and she arose and she went and she removed veil her from on her and she put on [the] clothes of widowhood her
וַתִּלְבַּ֖שׁva.til.Bash and she put on H3847 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
110× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To clothe means to wrap something around or put on a garment. In the Bible, it can be used literally or figuratively, as in putting on clothes or being clothed with a certain attitude.
Amplified meaning
once more, as before
Tyndale gloss
to clothe
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word לָבֵשׁ (*labash*) means to put on or wear clothing, and it can refer to both literal and figurative clothing. It is built from a primitive root meaning to wrap around. The entries cover various forms, including Qal, Pual, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of dressing or being clothed. The word is also noted for its use in a figurative sense, such as being clothed with a spirit.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לָבֵשׁ, לָבַשׁ vb. put on (a garment), wear, clothe, be clothed

Qal

lit. put on (one’s own) garment; = wear (more or less habitually)

very oft. fig., put on, be clothed with

lit. put on

once

clothed with

and the spirit of י׳ clothed itself with Gideon

Pu. arrayed

Hiph. clothe, array with

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3847 לָבֵשׁ, לָבַשׁ put on (a garment), wear, clothe, be clothed

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3847 labash law-bash'

or labesh {law-bashe'}; a primitive root; properly, wrap

around, i.e. (by implication) to put on a garment or clothe

(oneself, or another), literally or figuratively:--(in)

apparel, arm, array (self), clothe (self), come upon, put (on,

upon), wear.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לָבֵשׁ (la.vash) — to clothe.

1) to dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to put on clothes, be clothed, wear

1a2) to put on, be clothed with (fig.)

1b) (Pual) to be fully clothed

1c) (Hiphil) to clothe, array with, dress

Aramaic equivalent: le.vash (לְבֵשׁ "to clothe" H3848)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3fs — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person feminine singular
Hc/Vqw3fs
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

and she arose and she went and she removed veil her from on her and she put on [the] clothes of widowhood her
בִּגְדֵ֥יbig.Dei [the] clothes of H899 Noun common · masculine plural construct
217× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word refers to clothing or a covering, like a garment or robe. It appears in books like Genesis and Exodus, describing what people wore. The word is often translated as 'apparel' or 'raiment'.
Amplified meaning
clothing of her widowhood
Tyndale gloss
treachery
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בֶּ֫גֶד (beged) has meanings related to both clothing and treachery. It can refer to a garment or covering, as well as deceit or betrayal. The word is built from a root that suggests a duality in its usage, appearing in contexts that range from apparel to treacherous actions, notably in Isaiah 24:16 and Jeremiah 12:1.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֶּ֫גֶד n.[m.] treachery Is 24:16 Je 12:1.

done

בֶּ֫גֶד n.m. garment, covering

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H899a בֶּ֫גֶד treachery H899b בֶּ֫גֶד garment, covering

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

899 beged behg'-ed

from 898; a covering, i.e. clothing; also treachery or

pillage:--apparel, cloth(-es, ing), garment, lap, rag,

raiment, robe, X very (treacherously), vesture, wardrobe.

see HEBREW for 0898

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֶּ֫גֶד (be.ged) — treachery.

treachery, deceit

בֶּ֫גֶד (be.ged) — garment.

(CLBL) garment, clothing (used indiscriminately)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
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 she arose and she went and she removed veil her from on her and she put on [the] clothes of widowhood her
אַלְמְנוּתָֽהּ׃'al.me.nu.Tah widowhood her H491 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
4× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to the state of being a widow, like the widow in 1 Kings who helped Elijah. It describes a woman who has lost her husband, often leaving her without support or protection. In the Bible, God cares for widows.
Amplified meaning
clothed herself with
Tyndale gloss
widowhood
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אַלְמָנוּת (almanuwth) refers to widowhood, both as a concrete term for a widow and as an abstract concept. It is derived from the root word for widow, אַלְמָן (alman). The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to the state of being a widow.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[אַלְמָנוּת] n.f. widowhood

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H491 [אַלְמָנוּת] widowhood

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

491 'almanuwth al-maw-nooth'

feminine of 488; concrete, a widow; abstract,

widowhood:--widow, widowhood.

see HEBREW for 0488

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אַלְמָנוּת (al.ma.nut) — widowhood.

widowhood

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp3fs
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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