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Genesis 43:25 — Word Study

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WLCוַיָּכִ֙ינוּ֙ אֶת־ הַמִּנְחָ֔ה עַד־ בּ֥וֹא יוֹסֵ֖ף בַּֽצָּהֳרָ֑יִם כִּ֣י שָֽׁמְע֔וּ כִּי־ שָׁ֖ם יֹ֥אכְלוּ לָֽחֶם׃

BSASincekîy [the brothers] had been toldshâmaʻ thatkîy they were going to eatʼâkal [have a meal, share bread] a meallechem [food, bread] thereshâm they preparedkûwn [made ready, set in order] their giftminchâh [offering, present] forʻad Joseph’sYôwçêph [Jehovah has added] arrivalbôwʼ [coming, at the noon hour] at noontsôhar [midday, when the sun is highest]

Word
Listen & take awayGenesis 43
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 25 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 (La.chem) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Genesis 43:25quick helps
In a sentenceThe brothers prepared a gift for Joseph because they had heard they would eat there.
Who is speakingThe narrative recounts the actions of Joseph's brothers.
Where we areThe context is Joseph's interaction with his brothers as they arrive in Egypt.
The hard wordמִנְחָה
Take awayThe brothers are responding to a previous instruction and preparing for a significant meeting.
5 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them › clause subjectיוֹסֵף verbכּוּן 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 43:25

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 Prepare for Their Meetinggenerated

24And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.
25Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.
26When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.
27He asked if they were well, and then he asked, “How is your elderly father you told me about? Is he still alive?”

Genesis 43:25 describes how Joseph's brothers prepared a gift for him, anticipating a meal together. This preparation reflects their awareness of the importance of the meeting and their desire to honor Joseph, who they did not recognize as their brother. The context highlights the familial tension and the unfolding drama of reconciliation, as seen in the preceding verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Genesis 43:11–16Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to

And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.Genesis 43:11–16

The Key Word מִנְחָה, ha.min.Chahgenerated

The noun מִנְחָה (minchah) refers to a gift or offering, often given in a religious context. It can indicate a tribute or present, especially in relation to God. In this verse, it signifies the brothers' gesture of goodwill towards Joseph, demonstrating their respect and acknowledgment of his position.

This word is derived from a root meaning to apportion or bestow, indicating a donation or present. The use of מִנְחָה in this context emphasizes the significance of their offering as they seek to curry favor with Joseph, whom they believe holds power over their fate.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which translates מִנְחָה as the gift.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the sentence is וַיָּכִ֙ינוּ֙, and they prepared, which governs the rest of the sentence. The structure includes a direct object, אֶת־ הַמִּנְחָ֔ה, the gift, followed by a prepositional phrase indicating the time of Joseph's arrival.

The sentence flows with a clear cause-and-effect relationship, as the brothers' preparation is directly linked to their anticipation of the meal with Joseph, highlighted by the temporal clause עַד־ בּ֥וֹא יוֹסֵ֖ף, until Joseph came.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the Hebrew מִנְחָה is rendered as δῶρα, which means gifts. This choice emphasizes the act of giving and the significance of their offerings in the context of their meeting with Joseph.

The use of δῶρα may suggest a broader interpretation of the gifts as not just offerings but also as a means of establishing goodwill and reconciliation.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Genesis 43:25 tells us that Joseph's brothers prepared a gift for him because they had heard they would eat a meal together. This reflects their hope to please Joseph and possibly gain his favor, showing their awareness of the importance of the occasion.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the gift represent in this context?

The gift represents the brothers' attempt to honor Joseph and seek his favor, as they were in a vulnerable position.

Why were the brothers concerned about their meal with Joseph?

The brothers were likely anxious about their meeting with Joseph due to their past actions against him and their desire to ensure a positive outcome.

How does this verse connect to the theme of reconciliation?

This verse highlights the brothers' efforts to reconcile with Joseph through their offering, setting the stage for their eventual reunion.

What can we learn from the brothers' actions in this verse?

The brothers' actions teach us about the importance of humility and the desire to make amends in relationships, especially after past wrongs.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How do I prepare myself when approaching someone I have wronged?
  2. What does it mean to me to offer a gift or gesture of goodwill to someone?
  3. In what ways can I seek reconciliation in my own relationships?
  4. How do I respond when I feel anxious about meeting someone important?

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

Ambrose of Milan comments on this verse, noting the significance of the brothers' preparation and the timing of their meeting with Joseph.

Ambrose of MilanOn Joseph the Patriarch c. 339–397
“And they made ready the presents, until Joseph came at noon.” Paul’s faith hastened the coming of noon. Before, Paul was blind;
Early Church Fathers on Genesis 43 →

Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Genesis 43:25 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon,.... They took it out of their vessels or bags in which they brought it, having unladen their asses, and disposed of it in a proper manner

Read John Gill on Genesis 43 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house, No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 43 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Genesis 43:25 And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.Ver. 25. And they made ready the present.] For, "a man’ s gift makes room for him, and bringeth him before great men." So it doth also before God, who looks for "a present," and loves to hear from us. "Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion, and unto thee shall the vow be performed."

Read John Trapp on Genesis 43 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(25) For they heard . . . —As Joseph in Genesis 43:16 gives his orders in the Egyptian language, his brethren would not understand why they were taken to the governor’s palace; but probably the steward now tells them that they were to feast with the governor, in order to allay their fears, as the rights of hospitality were too sacred to permit of perfidy to a guest.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Genesis 43 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

25. the present] Cf. Genesis 43:11. against Joseph came] i.e. so as to be ready when Joseph arrived. For this use of “against” = “in readiness for the time when,” cf. 2 Kings 16:12, “So did Urijah the priest make it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.” eat bread] A good instance of the use of this phrase in the sense of “to take a meal,” cf. Genesis 43:16, Genesis 31:54, Genesis 37:25.

Read Cambridge on Genesis 43 →

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

Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

They prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Since the brothers had been told that they were going to eat a meal there, they prepared their gift for Joseph’s arrival at noon.

NETBNew English Translation2006

They got their gifts ready for Joseph’s arrival at noon, for they had heard that they were to have a meal there.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And they made ready the present against Joseph’s coming at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And they made ready the present against Joseph should come at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And they made ready their present against Ioseph came at noone, (for they heard say, that they should eate bread there)

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And they made ready the gift for Joseph's coming at noon; for they had heard that they should eat bread there.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

and they prepare the present until the coming of Joseph at noon, for they have heard that there they do eat bread.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

and they prepare the present until the coming of Joseph at noon, for they have heard that there they eat bread.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And they made ready the present before Joseph came home at noon; for they had heard that they should eat bread there.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

They prepared the gifts for Joseph's coming at noon, for they had heard that they would eat there.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

But they made ready the presents, against Joseph came at noon: for they had heard that they should eat bread there.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

They got their gifts ready for when Joseph would come at noon, because they had found out that they were going to eat there.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And they got ready the things for Joseph before he came in the middle of the day: for word was given to them that they were to have a meal there.

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.

וַandclauseverbיָּכִ֨ינוּ֙they.preparednoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseהַtheמִּנְחָ֔הgiftprepositional phrase · prepositionalעַדuntilclauseverbבּ֥וֹאcamesubjectיוֹסֵ֖ףJosephprepositional phrase · prepositionalבַּֽatnoun phrase(the)צָּהֳרָ֑יִםnoon(s)כִּ֣י(dm)clauseverbשָֽׁמְע֔וּthey.had.heardclause · objectכִּי(dm).thatclauseadverbialשָׁ֖םthereverbיֹ֥אכְלוּthey.will.eatobjectלָֽחֶםfood

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 on the overall structure and meaning of the verse, with a minor difference in the word for 'come' in the Samaritan version. The Septuagint aligns closely with the Masoretic Text, maintaining the same essential meaning.

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

וַיָּכִ֙ינוּ֙ אֶת־ הַמִּנְחָ֔ה עַד־ בּ֥וֹא יוֹסֵ֖ף בַּֽצָּהֳרָ֑יִם כִּ֣י שָֽׁמְע֔וּ כִּי־ שָׁ֖ם יֹ֥אכְלוּ לָֽחֶם׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיָּכִ֙ינוּ֙ἡτοίμασανהַמִּנְחָ֔הδῶραעַד־ἕωςבּ֥וֹאἐλθεῖνיוֹסֵ֖ףιωσηφבַּֽצָּהֳרָ֑יִםμεσημβρίαςשָֽׁמְע֔וּἤκουσανכִּי־ὅτιשָׁ֖םἐκεῖיֹ֥אכְלוּμέλλειלָֽחֶם׃ἀριστᾶν

11 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

ויכינו את המנחה עד בא יוסף בצהרים כי שׁמעו כי שׁם יאכלו לחם

1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: בא (come)

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 43:25כּוּןand they prand they preparכּוּןאֵתthe object the object markאֵתמִנְחָהthe giftthe giftמִנְחָהעַדuntiluntilעַדבּוֹאcamecameבּוֹאיוֹסֵףJosephJosephיוֹסֵףצֹ֫הַרat noonat noonצֹ֫הַרכִּיforforכִּישָׁמַעthey had hethey had heardשָׁמַעכִּיthatthatכִּישָׁםtherethereשָׁםאָכַלthey will ethey will eatאָכַללֶ֫חֶםfoodfoodלֶ֫חֶםאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתצָהַרto pressto pressצָהַרלָחַםto fightto fightלָחַםעַדperpetuityperpetuityעַדיָסַףto addto addיָסַףיוֹסֵףJosephJosephיוֹסֵףאֲשֶׁרwhichwhichאֲשֶׁריָדַעto knowto knowיָדַעתֵּבֵלworldworldתֵּבֵלכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּאמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁסֹ֫לֶתfine flourfine flourסֹ֫לֶתבָּלַלto mixto mixבָּלַלמָתַיhowhowמָתַיעֶ֫רֶבeveningeveningעֶ֫רֶבשֶׁ֫מֶשׁsunsunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁחֲלוֹםdreamdreamחֲלוֹםמְנַשֶּׁהMosesMosesמְנַשֶּׁה
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 43:25

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 prepared the object marker the gift until came Joseph at noon for they had heard that there they will eat food
וַיָּכִ֙ינוּ֙vai.ya.Khi.nu and they prepared H3559 Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
217× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to set something up or establish it, like setting up a tent or appointing someone to a position, as seen in Isaiah 7:14.
Amplified meaning
made ready, set in order
Tyndale gloss
to establish: prepare
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כּוּן (kuwn) is a Hebrew verb meaning to establish or prepare. It encompasses a range of meanings, including to be firm, to fix, to direct, and to be ready, with applications in both literal and figurative contexts. The entries indicate various forms of the verb, such as Niph'al (to be established) and Hiph'il (to establish), but there is a note on a noun form, נָכוֹן (nakhon), meaning 'blow'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[כּוּן] 218 vb. prob. be firm, only in der. conj.

Niph.

be set up, established, fixed

in a moral sense, be directed aright, of ways

prepare, be ready

pass. be prepared, of judgments

Hiph.

establish, set up

fix, so as to be ready, make ready, prepare, a gift

provide for, provide, furnish

direct one's face toward

arrange, order

Hoph.

be established, of throne

be prepared for

Po‛lēl.

set up, establish

constitute, make, a man (in womb)

fix, so as to be ready

direct

Po‛lal. be established

Hithpo‛l. be established

base

נָכוֹן n. [m.] = blow Jb 12:5

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3559a כּוּן prob. be firm, only in der. conj. . . be set up, established, fixed

. in a moral sense, be directed aright, of ways

. prepare, be ready

. pass. be prepared, of judgments

. . establish, set up

. . fix, so as to be ready, make ready, prepare, a gift

. provide for, provide, furnish

. direct one's face toward

. arrange, order

. . be established, of throne

. be prepared for

. . set up, establish

. constitute, make, a man (in womb)

. fix, so as to be ready

. direct

. be established

. be established

H3559b נָכוֹן n. [m.] = blow

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3559 kuwn koon

a primitive root; properly, to be erect (i.e. stand

perpendicular); hence (causatively) to set up, in a great

variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix,

prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper

or prosperous):--certain(-ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness,

fashion, fasten, firm, be fitted, be fixed, frame, be meet,

ordain, order, perfect, (make) preparation, prepare (self),

provide, make provision, (be, make) ready, right, set (aright,

fast, forth), be stable, (e-)stablish, stand, tarry, X very

deed.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כּוּן (kun) — to establish: prepare.

: prepare/direct

1) to be firm, be stable, be established

1a) (Niphal)

1a1) to be set up, be established, be fixed

1a1a) to be firmly established

1a1b) to be established, be stable, be secure, be enduring

1a1c) to be fixed, be securely determined

1a2) to be directed aright, be fixed aright, be steadfast (moral sense)

1a3) to prepare, be ready

1a4) to be prepared, be arranged, be settled

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to establish, set up, accomplish, do, make firm

1b2) to fix, make ready, prepare, provide, provide for, furnish

1b3) to direct toward (moral sense)

1b4) to arrange, order

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be established, be fastened

1c2) to be prepared, be ready

1d) (Polel)

1d1) to set up, establish

1d2) to constitute, make

1d3) to fix

1d4) to direct

1e) (Pulal) to be established, be prepared

1f) (Hithpolel) to be established, be restored

נָכוֹן (na.khon) — blow.

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vhw3mp
and they prepared the object marker the gift until came Joseph at noon for they had heard that there they will eat food
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 prepared the object marker the gift until came Joseph at noon for they had heard that there they will eat food
הַמִּנְחָ֔הha.min.Chah the gift H4503 Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
211× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for offering refers to a gift or donation, often given to God as a sacrifice. In Leviticus 2:1, it describes a grain offering. It can also mean tribute or present.
Amplified meaning
offering, present
Tyndale gloss
offering
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִנְחָה (minchah) refers to a gift or offering, particularly in a religious context. It encompasses a range of meanings including tribute, voluntary offerings, and specifically bloodless sacrifices, often grain offerings. The term is derived from a root meaning to apportion or bestow, indicating a donation or present, especially to God.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִנְחָה 153 n.f. gift, tribute, offering

gift, present

tribute

offering made to God, of any kind, whether grain or animals

grain offering

grain-offering, always with this meaning in P

vbs. of offering are

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4503 מִנְחָה gift, tribute, offering

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4503 minchah min-khaw'

from an unused root meaning to apportion, i.e. bestow; a

donation; euphemistically, tribute; specifically a sacrificial

offering (usually bloodless and voluntary):--gift, oblation,

(meat) offering, present, sacrifice.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִנְחָה (min.chah) — offering.

: offering/sacrifice

1) gift, tribute, offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, meat offering

1a) gift, present

1b) tribute

1c) offering (to God)

1d) grain offering

מִנְחָה (min.chah) — offering: gift.

: gift

1) gift, tribute, offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, meat offering

1a) gift, present

1b) tribute

1c) offering (to God)

1d) grain offering

מִנְחָה (min.chah) — offering: tribute.

: tribute

1) gift, tribute, offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, meat offering

1a) gift, present

1b) tribute

1c) offering (to God)

1d) grain offering

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

gift (mattanah, minchah, shochadh; doron, dorea, chairisma): In Ge 25:6; Ex 28:38; Nu 18:6,7,29; Eze 20:26, etc., mattanah, "a gift," is so rendered; minchah, an offering or present, used especially of the "meat offerings," is translated "gift" (2Sa 8:2,6 the King James Version; 2Ch 26:8), in which passages "tribute" is meant, as the Revised Version (British and American); 32:23; Ps 45:12. A few other words occur singly, e.g. 'eshkar, "a reward" (Ps 72:10)…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Gift

(1.) An gratuity (Prov. 19:6) to secure favour (18:16; 21:14), a thank-offering (Num. 18:11), or a dowry (Gen. 34:12).

(2.) An oblation or proppitatory gift (2Sa 8:2,6; 1Ch 18:2,6; 2Ch 26:8; Ps. 45:12; 72:10).

(3.) A bribe to a judge to obtain a favourable verdict (Ex. 23:8; Deut. 16:19).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The giving and receiving of presents has in all ages been not only a more frequent but also a more formal and significant proceeding in the East than among ourselves. We cannot adduce a more remarkable proof of the important part which presents play in the social life of the East than the fact that the Hebrew language possesses no less than fifteen different expressions for the one idea. The mode of presentation was with as much parade as possible. The refusal of a present was regarded us a high indignity. No less an insult was it not to bring a present when the position of the parties demanded it. (1 Samuel 10:27)

and they prepared the object marker the gift until came Joseph at noon for they had heard that there they will eat food
עַד־'ad- until H5704 Preposition
1,261× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means until or as far as, describing a point in time or space. It's used in the Bible to set boundaries or limits, like in Exodus when describing the Israelites' journey.
Tyndale gloss
till
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַד (ad) primarily functions as a preposition, adverb, or conjunction meaning 'until,' 'up to,' or 'as far as.' It can denote spatial, temporal, or degree-related contexts, such as 'even to' or 'while.' The entries indicate its use in poetry and in various combinations, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עַד, in poetry עֲדֵי prep. as far as, even to, up to, until, while

prep.

of space

Of time

Of degree

conj.

until

While

Of degree, to the point that, so that even (rare)

עַד לְ, a strengthened form for עַד. Thus

of space

Of time

Of degree

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5704 עַד, in poetry עֲדֵי as far as, even to, up to, until, while . prep. . of space

. Of time

. Of degree

. conj. . until

. While

. Of degree, to the point that, so that even (rare)

. עַד לְ, a strengthened form for עַד. Thus . of space

. Of time

. Of degree

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5704 `ad ad

properly, the same as 5703 (used as a preposition, adverb or

conjunction; especially with a preposition); as far (or long,

or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during,

while, until) or degree (equally with):--against, and, as,

at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as),

(hither-)to, + how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that,

till, toward, until, when, while, (+ as) yet.

see HEBREW for 05703

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַד (ad) — till.

prep

1) as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as

1a) of space

1a1) as far as, up to, even to

1b) in combination

1b1) from...as far as, both...and (with 'min' -from)

1c) of time

1c1) even to, until, unto, till, during, end

1d) of degree

1d1) even to, to the degree of, even like

conj

2) until, while, to the point that, so that even

Aramaic equivalent: ad (עַד "till" H5705)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
and they prepared the object marker the gift until came Joseph at noon for they had heard that there they will eat food
בּ֥וֹאBo' came H935 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.
Amplified meaning
coming, at the noon hour
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
V-Qal-Inf-a — Verb · Qal · infinitive construct common
HVqcc
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they prepared the object marker the gift until came Joseph at noon for they had heard that there they will eat food
יוֹסֵ֖ףyo.Sef Joseph H3130 Noun proper masculine
213× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Joseph means Jehovah has added, a name given to several Israelites, including the son of Jacob and Rachel. Joseph was a significant figure in the book of Genesis and the story of his brothers. He became a leader in Egypt.
Amplified meaning
Jehovah has added
Tyndale gloss
Joseph
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יוֹסֵף (Yowceph) means 'he adds' or 'increases' and refers primarily to Joseph, the eldest son of Jacob and Rachel. The name appears in various contexts, including other individuals named Joseph, such as a man of Issachar, a son of Asaph, and a priest. The entries highlight his familial relationships and roles during different periods, including the Exile and Return.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יוֹסֵף 212 and יְהוֹסֵף n.pr.m. (he adds, increases)

elder son of Jacob and Rachael

a man of Issachar

a son of Asaph

one of those who took strange wives

a priest

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3130 יוֹסֵף and יְהוֹסֵף (he adds, increases) . elder son of Jacob and Rachael

. a man of Issachar

. a son of Asaph

. one of those who took strange wives

. a priest

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3130 Yowceph yo-safe'

future of 3254; let him add (or perhaps simply active

participle adding); Joseph, the name of seven

Israelites:--Joseph. Compare 3084.

see HEBREW for 03254

see HEBREW for 03084

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יוֹסֵף (yo.seph) — Joseph.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.30.24;

son of: Israel (H3478) and Rachel (H7354);

brother of: Benjamin (H1144);

half-brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783); married to Asenath (H0621);

father of: Manasseh (H4519) and Ephraim (H0669); also called Zaphenath-paneah at Gen.41.45;

§ Joseph = "Jehovah has added"

1) the eldest son of Jacob by Rachel

2) father of Igal, who represented the tribe of Issachar among the spies

3) a son of Asaph

4) a man who took a foreign wife in the time of Ezra

5) a priest of the family of Shebaniah in the time of Nehemiah

יוֹסֵף (yo.seph) — Joseph.

A man living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, only mentioned at Num.13.7;

father of: Igal (H3008)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Joseph

Remover or increaser. (1.) The elder of the two sons of Jacob by Rachel (Gen. 30:23, 24), who, on the occasion of his birth, said, “God hath taken away [Heb. ‘asaph] my reproach.” “The Lord shall add [Heb. yoseph] to me another son” (Gen. 30:24). He was a child of probably six years of age when his father returned from Haran to Canaan and took up his residence in the old patriarchal town of Hebron. “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age,” and he “made him a long garment with sleeves” (Gen. 37:3, R.V. marg.), i.e., a garment long and full, such as was worn by the children of nobles. This seems to be the correct rendering of the words. The phrase, however, may also be…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(increase). The elder of the two sons of Jacob by Rachel. He was born in Padan-aram (Mesopotamia), probably about B.C. 1746. He is first mentioned when a youth, seventeen years old. Joseph brought the evil report of his brethren to his father, and they hated him because his father loved him more than he did them, and had shown his preference by making a dress which appears to have been a long tunic with sleeves, worn by youths and maidens of the richer class. (Genesis 37:2) He dreamed a dream foreshadowing his future power, which increased the hatred of his brethren. (Genesis 37:5-7) He was sent by his father to visit his brothers, who were tending flocks in the fields of Dothan. They resolved to kill him, but he was saved by Reuben, who persuaded the brothers to cast Joseph into…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

1. The son of Jacob and his beloved Rachel, born in Mesopotamia, Ge 30:22-24, B. C. 1747. He is memorable for the wonderful providence of God, which raised him from a prison to be the grandvizier of Egypt, and made him the honored means of saving countless human lives. His history is one of the most pleasing and instructive in the Bible; and is related in language inimitably natural, simple, and touching. It is too beautiful for abridgment, and too familiar to need rehearsal. It throws much light on the superintending providence of God, as embracing all things, great and small in the perpetual unfolding of his universal plan. No narrative in the Bible more strikingly illustrates the protective and elevating power of the fear of God, and its especial value for the young. To behold this lovely image of filial piety and unwavering…

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

increase; addition

and they prepared the object marker the gift until came Joseph at noon for they had heard that there they will eat food
בַּֽצָּהֳרָ֑יִםba.tzo.ho.Ra.yim at noon H6672 Preposition · noun common masculine dual absolute
24× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a roof or a window, and can also mean noon or midday, likely due to the sun shining through a window at that time. It is used in descriptions of buildings and daily routines in the Bible.
Amplified meaning
midday, when the sun is highest
Tyndale gloss
midday
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word צֹ֫הַר (tsohar) primarily means 'midday' or 'noon,' referring to a specific time of day. It also has a secondary meaning related to 'roof,' though this interpretation is uncertain. The entries indicate that it is derived from a root meaning 'light,' suggesting a connection to brightness.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[צֹ֫הַר] n.[m.] only pl., midday, noon

base

צֹ֫הַר n.f. prob. roof;—Gn 6:16.

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6672a צֹ֫הַר only pl., midday, noon H6672b צֹ֫הַר prob. roof

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6672 tsohar tso'-har

from 6671; a light (i.e. window): dual double light, i.e.

noon:--midday, noon(-day, -tide), window.

see HEBREW for 06671

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

צֹ֫הַר (tso.har) — midday.

1) noon, midday

1a) noon (as specific time of day)

1b) noon (in simile as bright of happiness, blessing)

צֹ֫הַר (tso.har) — roof.

2) roof

2a) meaning uncertain

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine dual absolute
HRd/Ncmda
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Thompson Chain Reference topics
and they prepared the object marker the gift until came Joseph at noon for they had heard that there they will eat food
כִּ֣יki for H3588 Particle
4,483× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Tyndale gloss
for
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כִּי (ki) is a conjunction primarily meaning 'that,' 'for,' or 'when.' It indicates causal relationships and can express conditions like 'if' or 'though.' The word is versatile, appearing in various contexts to convey certainty, exception, or concession. Notably, it can combine with other particles to modify its meaning, such as in the phrase כִּי אם־ (ki im), meaning 'that if.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי conj. that, for, when

that

Of time, when, of the past

elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

Because, since

base

כִּי אם־

each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

that if

for if

(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

limiting the prec. clause, except

the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

after an oath, surely

base

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3588a כִּי that, for, when . that

. . Of time, when, of the past

. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

. Because, since

H3588b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if

. for if

. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except

. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

. after an oath, surely

H3588c כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3588 kiy kee

a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional

prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent

or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative

conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by

other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch,

where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else,

even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, +

nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then,

therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when,

whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כִּי (ki) — for.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if

1f) but rather, but

1g) except that

1h) only, nevertheless

1i) surely

1j) that is

1k) but if

1l) for though

1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

כִּי [אם] (ki im) — that if: except.

1) except if

1a) but if

1b) even though

כִּי [עַל כֵּן] (ki [al ken]) — for as that: since.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj — Particle
HTc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

for (ki (conjunction), le, from 'el (preposition), and various other words. In the New Testament also the words are various, chiefly gar, kai gar, hoti (conjunctions); anti apo eis dia (accusative), epi (dative and accusative), peri (genitive), pros (genitive and accusative), huper (genitive) (prepositions)): the English Revised Version and the American Standard Revised Version give in many cases more literal or more accurate renderings than those in the King James Version.

In the New Testament the most important preps. from a doctrinal point of view are anti, "face to face," "over against," "instead," "on behalf of," peri, "around," "about," "concerning," huper, "over," "on behalf of." The first has been claimed as stating the substitutionary nature of Christ's sacrifice as contrasted with huper and peri, more frequently used of it. But, although anti in the New Testament often means…

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they prepared the object marker the gift until came Joseph at noon for they had heard that there they will eat food
שָֽׁמְע֔וּsha.me.'U they had heard H8085 Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
1,160× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
To hear and listen is what this Hebrew word means, often implying attention and obedience. In Exodus and Deuteronomy, it is used when God speaks to the people, and they must listen and obey.
Tyndale gloss
to hear: hear
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word שָׁמַע (shama`) means 'to hear' and encompasses a range of meanings including listening, obeying, and proclaiming. It is built from a primitive root and can imply attention and understanding. The entries highlight various grammatical forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of hearing and obeying. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שָׁמַע 1152 vb. hear

Qal 1052

subj. pers. hum.

י׳ (God) subj.

Niph. 42 be heard, of voice, sound

be heard of

be regarded, obeyed

= (favourable) hearing was granted to their voice.

Pi. he caused the people to hear

Hiph. 63

of man

י׳ subj.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8085 שָׁמַע hear

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8085 shama` shaw-mah'

a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with

implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to

tell, etc.):--X attentively, call (gather) together, X

carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content,

declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make

to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be)

obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish,

regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell,

understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: hear.

: hear

v

1) to hear, listen to, obey

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)

1a2) to hear of or concerning

1a3) to hear (have power to hear)

1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to

1a5) to understand (language)

1a6) to hear (of judicial cases)

1a7) to listen, give heed

1a7a) to consent, agree

1a7b) to grant request

1a8) to listen to, yield to

1a9) to obey, be obedient

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound)

1b2) to be heard of

1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed

1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound

1d2) to sound aloud (musical term)

1d3) to make proclamation, summon

1d4) to cause to be heard

n m

2) sound

שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: obey.

: obey

v

1) to hear, listen to, obey

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)

1a2) to hear of or concerning

1a3) to hear (have power to hear)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common plural
HVqp3cp
and they prepared the object marker the gift until came Joseph at noon for they had heard that there they will eat food
כִּי־ki- that H3588 Particle
4,483× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Tyndale gloss
for
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

כִּי (ki) is a conjunction primarily meaning 'that,' 'for,' or 'when.' It indicates causal relationships and can express conditions like 'if' or 'though.' The word is versatile, appearing in various contexts to convey certainty, exception, or concession. Notably, it can combine with other particles to modify its meaning, such as in the phrase כִּי אם־ (ki im), meaning 'that if.'

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי conj. that, for, when

that

Of time, when, of the past

elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

Because, since

base

כִּי אם־

each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

that if

for if

(About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

limiting the prec. clause, except

the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

after an oath, surely

base

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3588a כִּי that, for, when . that

. . Of time, when, of the past

. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

. Because, since

H3588b כִּי אם־ . each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause: . that if

. for if

. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause— . limiting the prec. clause, except

. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

. after an oath, surely

H3588c כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3588 kiy kee

a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional

prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent

or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative

conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by

other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch,

where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else,

even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, +

nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then,

therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when,

whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כִּי (ki) — for.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if

1f) but rather, but

1g) except that

1h) only, nevertheless

1i) surely

1j) that is

1k) but if

1l) for though

1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

כִּי [אם] (ki im) — that if: except.

1) except if

1a) but if

1b) even though

כִּי [עַל כֵּן] (ki [al ken]) — for as that: since.

1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since

1a) that

1a1) yea, indeed

1b) when (of time)

1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force)

1c) because, since (causal connection)

1d) but (after negative)

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj — Particle
HTc
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they prepared the object marker the gift until came Joseph at noon for they had heard that there they will eat food
שָׁ֖םsham there H8033 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
Adv — Adverb
HD
and they prepared the object marker the gift until came Joseph at noon for they had heard that there they will eat food
יֹ֥אכְלוּYo.khe.lu they will eat H398 Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
810× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to eat or devour, and it's used in many stories, including when Jesus fed the 5000 with fish and bread in the book of Matthew. It's about taking in nourishment and being satisfied.
Amplified meaning
have a meal, share bread
Tyndale gloss
to eat
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָכַל (akal) means 'to eat' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including literal consumption by humans and animals, as well as figurative uses like devouring by fire or destruction. It can describe actions such as feeding or causing to eat, and it also appears in contexts of oppression and destruction. The verb has various forms, indicating different subjects and nuances.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָכַל 806 vb. eat

Qal

eat, human subject

of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

fig. of fire, devour, consume

of sword, devour, slay

in genl., devour, consume, destroy

fig. of oppression, devour the poor

Niph.

be eaten by man

be devoured by fire, consumed

be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

Pu. be consumed

Hiph.

cause to eat, feed with

cause to devoure, obj. sword

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H398 אָכַל eat .. eat, human subject

. of beasts, birds, etc., eat, devour

. fig. of fire, devour, consume

. of sword, devour, slay

. in genl., devour, consume, destroy

. fig. of oppression, devour the poor

. . be eaten by man

. be devoured by fire, consumed

. be wasted, destroyed, of flesh

. be consumed

. . cause to eat, feed with

. cause to devoure, obj. sword

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

398 'akal aw-kal'

a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at

all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up),

feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay)

meat, X quite.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָכַל (a.khal) — to eat.

1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to eat (human subject)

1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds)

1a3) to devour, consume (of fire)

1a4) to devour, slay (of sword)

1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought)

1a6) to devour (of oppression)

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be eaten (by men)

1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire)

1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh)

1c) (Pual)

1c1) to cause to eat, feed with

1c2) to cause to devour

1d) (Hiphil)

1d1) to feed

1d2) to cause to eat

1e) (Piel)

1e1) consume

Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine plural
HVqi3mp
and they prepared the object marker the gift until came Joseph at noon for they had heard that there they will eat food
לָֽחֶם׃La.chem food H3899 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
298× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word refers to food, especially bread or grain. It's used throughout the Bible to describe meals, sacrifices, and daily life, highlighting the importance of food in ancient Israelite culture.
Amplified meaning
food, bread
Tyndale gloss
food
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

לֶ֫חֶם (lechem) means bread or food, encompassing items like grain and provisions for both humans and animals. It is derived from a related root and is used in various contexts, particularly in the Old Testament. The entries consistently emphasize its primary association with bread, though they also acknowledge its broader meaning as food.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

לֶ֫חֶם 296 n.m. and (rarely) f. bread, food

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3899 לֶ֫חֶם bread, food

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3899 lechem lekh'-em

from 3898; food (for man or beast), especially bread, or

grain (for making it):--((shew-))bread, X eat, food, fruit,

loaf, meat, victuals. See also 1036.

see HEBREW for 03898

see HEBREW for 01036

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food.

: food(eating)

1) bread, food, grain

1a) bread

1a1) bread

1a2) bread-corn

1b) food (in general)

לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food: bread.

: bread/loaf

1) bread, food, grain

1a) bread

1a1) bread

1a2) bread-corn

1b) food (in general)

לֶ֫חֶם (le.chem) — food: allowance.

: allowance

1) bread, food, grain

1a) bread

1a1) bread

1a2) bread-corn

1b) food (in general)

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

food:

I. VEGETABLE FOODS

1. Primitive Habits

2. Cereals

3. Leguminous Plants

4. Food of Trees

II. ANIMAL FOOD

LITERATURE

In a previous article (see BREAD) it has been shown that in the Bible "bread" usually stands for food in general and how this came to be so. In a complementary article on MEALS the methods of preparing and serving food will be dealt with. This article is devoted specifically to the foodstuffs of the Orient, more especially to articles of food in use among the Hebrews in Bible times. These are divisible into two main classes.

I. Vegetable Foods.

1. Primitive Habits:

Orientals in general are vegetarians, rather than flesh eaters. There is some reason to believe that primitive man was a vegetarian (see Ge 2:16; 3:2,6). It would seem, indeed, from a comparison of Ge 1:29 f…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Food

Originally the Creator granted the use of the vegetable world for food to man (Gen. 1:29), with the exception mentioned (2:17). The use of animal food was probably not unknown to the antediluvians. There is, however, a distinct law on the subject given to Noah after the Deluge (Gen. 9:2-5). Various articles of food used in the patriarchal age are mentioned in Gen. 18:6-8; 25:34; 27:3, 4; 43:11. Regarding the food of the Israelites in Egypt, see Ex. 16:3; Num. 11:5. In the wilderness their ordinary food was miraculously supplied in the manna. They had also quails (Ex.…

The diet of eastern nations has been in all ages light and simple. Vegetable food was more used than animal. The Hebrews used a great variety of articles, (John 21:5) to give a relish to bread. Milk and its preparations hold a conspicuous place in eastern diet, as affording substantial nourishment; generally int he form of the modern leben , i.e. sour milk. Authorized Version "butter;" (Genesis 18:8; Judges 5:25; 2 Samuel 17:29) Fruit was another source of subsistence: figs stood first in point of importance; they were generally dried and pressed into cakes. Grapes were generally eaten in a dried state as raisins. Of vegetables we have most frequent notice of lentils…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

In ancient the food of a people was more entirely the product of their own country than in our day. Palestine was favored with an abundance of animal food, grain, and vegetables. But throughout the East, vegetable food is more used than animal. Bread was the principal food. Grain of various kinds, beans, lentils, onions, grapes, together with olive oil, honey, and the milk of goats and cows were the ordinary fare. The wandering Arabs live much upon a coarse black bread. A very common dish in Syria is rice, with shreds of meat, vegetables, olive oil, etc., intermixed. A similar dish, made with beans, lentils, and various kinds of pulse, was in frequent use at an earlier age, Ge 25:29-34 2Ki 4:38-1.

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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