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Genesis 42:26 — Word Study

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WLCוַיִּשְׂא֥וּ אֶת־ שִׁבְרָ֖ם עַל־ חֲמֹרֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ מִשָּֽׁם׃

BSAand they loadednâsâʼ [laded, placed upon] the grainsheber [corn, food] onʻal their donkeyschămôwr [asses, male donkeys]

Word
Listen & take awayGenesis 42
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 26 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 (mi.Sham) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Genesis 42:26quick helps
In a sentenceJoseph's brothers loaded grain onto their donkeys and left.
Who is speakingThe narrative describes Joseph's actions and his brothers' responses.
Where we areThis moment occurs after Joseph has provided for his brothers.
The hard wordנָשָׂא
Take awayThey loaded their donkeys and departed.
5 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, AdamClarke & more — read them › clause verbנָשָׂא 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 42:26

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 — Joseph's Brothers Return Homegenerated

25Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,
26and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.
27At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack.
28“My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”

Genesis 42:26 describes how Joseph's brothers, after receiving grain, loaded it onto their donkeys and set off on their journey back home. This follows Joseph's orders to provide for them, highlighting both his care and the tension of their situation. The narrative captures a moment of transition as they leave the place where they had encountered Joseph, filled with uncertainty about their future.


Cross References


The Key Word נָשָׂא, nasa'generated

The verb נָשָׂא (nasa') means to lift or carry. It is used here in the Qal form, indicating a simple action performed by the subject, which in this case is Joseph's brothers. The parsing shows that it is in the sequential imperfect tense, suggesting an ongoing action that they are actively engaged in.

This word encompasses a range of meanings, from lifting physical burdens to taking on responsibilities. In this context, it emphasizes the act of loading the grain onto their donkeys, a significant task as they prepare to leave.


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 יִּשְׂא֥וּ (they lifted) governs the action of the sentence, with a noun phrase indicating the object they lifted, followed by a prepositional phrase describing where the object was placed. The structure reflects a straightforward narrative style, typical of Hebrew prose.

The sentence flows from the action of loading to the subsequent action of departing, with the second verb יֵּלְכ֖וּ (they went) clearly marking the transition from one action to another.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates נָשָׂא with ἐπιθέντες (having placed), which carries a similar meaning but emphasizes the act of placing rather than lifting. This choice reflects a slight shift in focus from the action of lifting to the result of having placed the grain onto the donkeys.

This translation choice may indicate a broader understanding of the action, highlighting the completion of the task rather than the physical effort involved.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Genesis 42:26 tells us that Joseph's brothers loaded grain onto their donkeys and then left. This action follows Joseph's orders to provide for them, showing their preparations to return home after their encounter with him.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that they loaded grain on their donkeys?

This indicates that Joseph's brothers were preparing to leave with the provisions they received, which were essential for their journey back home.

Why is the act of loading significant?

Loading the grain signifies their acceptance of Joseph's generosity and their readiness to return home, marking a pivotal moment in their story.

What can we learn from their departure?

Their departure reflects a transition from a place of uncertainty to one of returning home, emphasizing themes of provision and journey.

How does this verse connect to the larger narrative?

This moment is part of the larger story of Joseph and his brothers, highlighting themes of reconciliation and the unfolding of God's plan for their family.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does this act of loading grain symbolize for Joseph's brothers?
  2. How can I relate this preparation for a journey to my own life experiences?
  3. What does it mean to accept help or provision from others, as Joseph provided for his brothers?
  4. In what ways can I prepare for transitions in my own life, similar to how the brothers prepared to return home?

Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Genesis 42:26 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And they laded their asses with the corn,.... Cattle very fit to carry burdens, and no doubt they had each of them one at least: and departed thence; from the place where Joseph was, and from the land of Egypt.

Read John Gill on Genesis 42 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.

Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 42 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Genesis 42:26 And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.Ver. 26. And they laded their asses.] Which are beasts fit to bear burdens; and have their names in Greek of their usefulness. ονος from ονημι. Asinum oneramus quia est asinus, &c.

Read John Trapp on Genesis 42 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 26. They laded their asses] Amounting, no doubt, to several scores, if not hundreds, else they could not have brought a sufficiency of corn for the support of so large a family as that of Jacob.

Read AdamClarke on Genesis 42 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

26. Asses — Some critics have objected that asses were an abomination to the Egyptians, and would not have been allowed in the land.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Genesis 42 →

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

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

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed from there.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

and they loaded the grain on their donkeys and departed.

NETBNew English Translation2006

So they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And they laded their asses with their grain, and departed thence.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And they laded their asses with their corn, and departed thence.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And they loaded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And they layed their vitaile vpon their asses, and departed thence.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And they loaded their asses with their grain, and departed thence.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And they lift up their corn upon their asses, and go from thence,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And they lift up their grain on their donkeys, and go from there,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And they loaded their asses with their corn, and departed thence.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

The brothers loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed from there.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

But they having loaded their asses with the corn, went their way.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The brothers loaded the grain onto their donkeys and then set off.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Then they put the bags of grain on their asses and went away.

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.

וַandclauseverbיִּשְׂא֥וּthey.liftednoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseשִׁבְרָ֖grainםtheirprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַלonnoun phraseחֲמֹרֵיdonkeysהֶ֑םtheirוַandclauseverbיֵּלְכ֖וּthey.wentprepositional phrase · prepositionalמִfromשָּֽׁםthere

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


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

The Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, and the Samaritan Pentateuch agree on the essential wording of this verse. The Samaritan Pentateuch matches the Masoretic Text word for word, confirming the consistency of this passage across these ancient witnesses.

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

וַיִּשְׂא֥וּ אֶת־ שִׁבְרָ֖ם עַל־ חֲמֹרֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ מִשָּֽׁם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיִּשְׂא֥וּἐπιθέντεςשִׁבְרָ֖םσῖτονעַל־ἐπὶוַיֵּלְכ֖וּἀπῆλθονמִשָּֽׁם׃ἐκεῖθεν

5 of the 7 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

וישׂאו את שׁברם על חמריהם וילכו משׁם

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 42:26נָשָׂאand they liand they liftedנָשָׂאאֵתthe object the object markאֵתשֶׁ֫בֶרgrain theirgrain theirשֶׁ֫בֶרעַלononעַלחֲמוֹרdonkeys thedonkeys theirחֲמוֹרהָלַךְand they weand they wentהָלַךְשָׁםfrom therefrom thereשָׁםאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתחָמַרto aggitatto aggitateחָמַראֵבfruitfruitאֵבאָבַדto perishto perishאָבַדשֶׁ֫בֶרbreakingbreakingשֶׁ֫בֶרעַלheightheightעַלהָלַךְto walkto walkהָלַךְאֲשֶׁרwhichwhichאֲשֶׁרכְּלִמָּהshameshameכְּלִמָּהמָשָׁלproverbproverbמָשָׁלמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁשָׁבַרto buy grato buy grainשָׁבַרשַׁבָּתSabbathSabbathשַׁבָּתכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּאחָבַשׁto saddle/to saddle/tieחָבַשׁשׁוֹרcattlecattleשׁוֹרדֶּ֫רֶךְway: roadway: roadדֶּ֫רֶךְ
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 42:26

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 they lifted the object marker grain their on donkeys their and they went from there
וַיִּשְׂא֥וּvai.yis.'U and they lifted H5375 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
656× 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 lift or raise something, and it's used in many ways, like lifting a burden or raising someone's status. It appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah, often talking about God lifting people up. It's about supporting or carrying something or someone.
Amplified meaning
laded, placed upon
Tyndale gloss
to lift: raise
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word נָשָׂא (nasa') means to lift, carry, or take, encompassing a wide range of applications both literal and figurative. It can refer to actions like bearing burdens, taking away, or being exalted. The entries indicate various forms and uses, including the ability to lift oneself up or cause others to bear iniquity. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

נָשָׂא 656 vb. lift, carry, take

Qal

lift, lift up

Bear, carry

Take, take away

Niph.

be lifted up

refl. lift oneself up = rise up, of י׳, to display power in judgment

be borne, carried

be taken away, carried off

Pi.

lift up = exalt

fig. = desire, long

carry, bear continuously

take, take away

Hithp. lift oneself up

Hiph.

cause one to bear iniquity

appar. cause to bring, have brought

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5375 נָשָׂא lift, carry, take .. lift, lift up

. Bear, carry

. Take, take away

. . be lifted up

. refl. lift oneself up = rise up, of י׳, to display power in judgment

. be borne, carried

. be taken away, carried off

. . lift up = exalt

. fig. = desire, long

. carry, bear continuously

. take, take away

. lift oneself up

. . cause one to bear iniquity

. appar. cause to bring, have brought

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5375 nasa' naw-saw'

or nacah (Psalm 4 : 6 (7)) {naw-saw'}; a primitive root; to

lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and

figurative, absol. and rel. (as follows):--accept, advance,

arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring

(forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease,

exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further,

give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable (+ man), lade,

lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, X needs, obtain,

pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare,

stir up, + swear, take (away, up), X utterly, wear, yield.

see HEBREW for 04

see HEBREW for 06

see HEBREW for 07

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

נָשָׂא (na.sa) — to lift: raise.

: raise/take_up

1) to lift, bear up, carry, take

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to lift, lift up

1a2) to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure

1a3) to take, take away, carry off, forgive

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be lifted up, be exalted

1b2) to lift oneself up, rise up

1b3) to be borne, be carried

1b4) to be taken away, be carried off, be swept away

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to lift up, exalt, support, aid, assist

1c2) to desire, long (fig.)

1c3) to carry, bear continuously

1c4) to take, take away

1d) (Hithpael) to lift oneself up, exalt oneself

1e) (Hiphil)

1e1) to cause one to bear (iniquity)

1e2) to cause to bring, have brought

נָשָׂא (na.sa) — to lift: bear.

: look/lift(eyes)

1) to lift, bear up, carry, take

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to lift, lift up

1a2) to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure

1a3) to take, take away, carry off, forgive

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be lifted up, be exalted

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
and they lifted the object marker grain their on donkeys their and they went from there
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they lifted the object marker grain their on donkeys their and they went from there
שִׁבְרָ֖םshiv.Ram grain their H7668 Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
9× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Grain or corn, like wheat or barley, is what this word refers to, as a food source in ancient Israel, broken into kernels for eating.
Amplified meaning
corn, food
Tyndale gloss
grain
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שֶׁ֫בֶר (*sheber*) refers to grain or corn, particularly as foodstuff. It is derived from a root that implies something broken into kernels. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to food, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֶׁ֫בֶר n.[m.] corn, grain, as food stuff

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7668 שֶׁ֫בֶר corn, grain, as food stuff

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7668 sheber sheh'-ber

the same as 7667; grain (as if broken into kernels):--corn,

victuals.

see HEBREW for 07667

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֶׁ֫בֶר (she.ver) — grain.

grain, corn (as foodstuff)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HNcmsc/Sp3mp
and they lifted the object marker grain their on donkeys their and they went from there
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 they lifted the object marker grain their on donkeys their and they went from there
חֲמֹרֵיהֶ֑םcha.mo.rei.Hem donkeys their H2543 Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
96× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for a male donkey, it is translated as he ass in the KJV Bible. The name comes from the animal's reddish-brown color.
Amplified meaning
asses, male donkeys
Tyndale gloss
donkey
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֲמוֹר (chamor) refers to a male donkey, derived from a root meaning 'to be red' or 'dun.' The term is consistently translated as 'ass' or 'donkey' across various lexicons, indicating its specific reference to this animal in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֲמוֹר n.m. (he)-ass

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2543 חֲמוֹר (he)-ass

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2543 chamowr kham-ore'

or (shortened) chamor {kham-ore}; from 2560; a male ass (from

its dun red):--(he)ass.

see HEBREW for 02560

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֲמוֹר (cha.mor) — donkey.

(he) ass

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-cp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffix
HNcmpc/Sp3mp
and they lifted the object marker grain their on donkeys their and they went from there
וַיֵּלְכ֖וּvai.ye.le.Khu and they went H1980 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
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/Vqw3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
and they lifted the object marker grain their on donkeys their and they went from there
מִשָּֽׁם׃mi.Sham from there H8033 Preposition · adverb
834× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word sham means there or then, often used to describe a location or point in time. It can also mean thither or thence, indicating movement or direction. This word is used frequently in the Bible to provide context and clarify the setting of a story.
Tyndale gloss
there
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁם adv. there, thither

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8033 שָׁם there, thither

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8033 sham shawm

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

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

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

thither, + whither.

see HEBREW for 0834

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁם (sham) — there.

1) there, thither

1a) there

1b) thither (after verbs of motion)

1c) from there, thence

1d) then (as an adverb of time)

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

שָׁם (sham) — (Jerusalem) Is There.

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

This name means there, thither

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/D — Preposition · adverb
HR/D
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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