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Genesis 8:14 — Word Study

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WLCוּבַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י בְּשִׁבְעָ֧ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֛ים י֖וֹם לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ יָבְשָׁ֖ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃ ס

BSABy the twenty-seventhshebaʻ dayyôwm of the secondshênîy monthchôdesh the earthʼerets [land, ground] was fully dryyâbêsh [completely, totally, to wither, dried up]

Word
Listen & take awayGenesis 8
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 14 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 (ha.'A.retz) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Genesis 8:14quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse marks the specific time when the earth was completely dry after the flood.
Who is speakingThe narrator recounts God's work during the flood narrative.
Where we areThis verse is part of the account of Noah and the flood, detailing the aftermath.
The hard wordיָבְשָׁ֖ה
Take awayThe earth was fully dry, indicating a significant change after the flood.
6 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbיָבֵשׁ 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 8:14

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Aftermath of the Floodgenerated

13In Noah’s six hundred and first year, on the first day of the first month, the waters had dried up from the earth. So Noah removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry.
14By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was fully dry.
15Then God said to Noah,
16“Come out of the ark, you and your wife, along with your sons and their wives.

Genesis 8:14 describes the moment when the earth was completely dry, signifying the end of the flood's devastation. This verse follows the account of the waters receding and sets the stage for God's command to Noah to leave the ark. It is a pivotal moment in the narrative, illustrating God's restoration of the earth after judgment.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Genesis 7:11–13In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.

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

And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.Genesis 7:11–13

The Key Word יָבְשָׁ֖ה, ya.ve.Shahgenerated

The verb יָבֵשׁ (yabesh) means to dry up or wither. It conveys a sense of desiccation, indicating that the earth has lost all moisture and vitality, akin to a plant that has dried up without water.

In this context, the perfect tense indicates a completed action — the earth was fully dry. This emphasizes the thoroughness of the drying process, marking a significant transition in the narrative.


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 finite verb יָבְשָׁ֖ה governs the entire verse, with several phrases providing context: a prepositional phrase indicating the time, a numeral phrase specifying the day, and noun phrases describing the month and the subject, the earth.

The structure follows a clear chronological order, starting with the time marker and leading to the state of the earth, emphasizing the transition from the flood to dryness.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates יָבְשָׁ֖ה with ἐχηράνθηwas made dry. This choice suggests a focus on the action of drying, possibly implying divine intervention in the process.

The Greek term emphasizes the completeness of the drying, aligning with the Hebrew's intent, but the emphasis shifts slightly towards the action rather than the state.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Genesis 8:14 tells us that by the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was completely dry. This marks a significant moment after the flood, showing that the waters had receded and the land was ready for renewal.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the earth was fully dry?

It signifies the end of the flood's effects, indicating that the land is now ready for habitation and new life.

Why is the specific day mentioned?

The specific day emphasizes the precise timing of God's restoration, highlighting His control over creation.

How does this relate to the flood narrative?

This moment is crucial as it marks the transition from judgment to restoration, setting the stage for Noah and his family to repopulate the earth.

What is the significance of the second month?

The second month in the Hebrew calendar is significant for marking the time of renewal and new beginnings, as seen in other biblical contexts.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does the drying of the earth symbolize in the context of God's promises?
  2. How can I see God's restoration in my own life after difficult times?
  3. What does this verse teach about the importance of timing in God's plans?
  4. In what ways can I prepare for new beginnings in my own life?

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

Bede comments on this verse, noting the significance of the earth being dried in the context of God's restoration after the flood.

BedeCommentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron) c. 673–735
In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dried. It was stated above that the surface of the ground was dried up in the beginning of the first month;
Early Church Fathers on Genesis 8 →

Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Genesis 8:14 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month,.... This was the month Marchesvan, as the Targum of Jonathan, which answers to part of our October, and part of our November;

Read John Gill on Genesis 8 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and

Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 8 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Not only from water, as it was , but from mud and dirt also. So the flood continued ten days more than a year, by comparing this with .

Read Matthew Poole on Genesis 8 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Genesis 8:14 And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.Ver. 14. And in the second month.] This was God’ s good time, which holy Noah was content to wait; which we must also learn to do, or all will be out of order. Christ oft stayeth long, till "the fourth watch". As he never faileth at his own time, so he seldom cometh at ours. Do therefore as the martyr did, who might have escaped privately out of prison, and was tempted so to do by his friends. But he replied, I will not go out of prison, when my friends would have it so, for that would be too soon; neither shall I stay here, till mine enemies would let me go, for that would be too long…

Read John Trapp on Genesis 8 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(14) In the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month.—That is, fifty-seven days after Noah removed the covering, and a year and eleven days after the flood began. The word rendered “dried” at the end of this verse is different from that translated “dried up” and “dry” in Genesis 8:13, and marks a further stage in the process. It should be translated, was thoroughly dry.There is in this year and eleven days a curious fact. It is reasonably certain that thirty days were reckoned to a month. But as a matter of fact, twelve lunar months do not make 360 days, but only about 354. Probably, therefore, the day of the new moon was often twice counted, as the last of the old month…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Genesis 8 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 14. And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day] From this it appears that Noah was in the ark a complete solar year, or three hundred and sixty-five days; for he entered the ark the 17th day of the second month, in the six hundredth year of his life, Genesis 7:11; Genesis 7:13, and continued in it till the 27th day of the second month, in the six hundredth and first year of his life, as we see above. The months of the ancient Hebrews were lunar; the first six consisted of thirty days each, the latter six of twenty-nine; the whole twelve months making three hundred and fifty-four days: add to this eleven days, (for though he entered the ark the preceding year on the…

Read AdamClarke on Genesis 8 →

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

By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was fully dry.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was fully dry.

NETBNew English Translation2006

And by the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was dry.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dry.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dry.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And in the second moneth, in the seuen and twentieth day of the moneth was the earth drie.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And in the second month, in the seven and twentieth day of the month, the earth hath become dry.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth has become dry.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth perfectly dried up.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

In the second month, the seven and twentieth day of the month, the earth was dried.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was dry.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And on the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was dry.

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.

וּandclauseprepositional phrase · prepositionalprepositional phraseבַinnoun phrasethenoun phraseחֹ֨דֶשׁ֙monthnumeral phraseהַ(the)שֵּׁנִ֔יsecondprepositional phraseבְּon.[the]noun phrasenoun phrasenumeral phraseשִׁבְעָ֧הsevenוְandעֶשְׂרִ֛יםtwentyי֖וֹםdayprepositional phraseלַofnoun phrasetheחֹ֑דֶשׁmonthverbיָבְשָׁ֖הit.was.drynoun phrase · subjectהָtheאָֽרֶץearth

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


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

The Masoretic Text and the Samaritan Pentateuch agree word for word on this verse, confirming the consistency of the account across these witnesses. The Septuagint, while closely matching, presents its own word order and articles.

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

וּבַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י בְּשִׁבְעָ֧ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֛ים י֖וֹם לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ יָבְשָׁ֖ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃ ס

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וּבַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙μηνὶהַשֵּׁנִ֔יδευτέρῳבְּשִׁבְעָ֧הἑβδόμῃוְעֶשְׂרִ֛יםκαὶלַחֹ֑דֶשׁμηνόςיָבְשָׁ֖הἐχηράνθηהָאָֽרֶץ׃ סγῆ

7 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

ובחדשׁ השׁני בשׁבעה ועשׂרים יום לחדשׁ יבשׁה הארץ

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 8:14חֹ֫דֶשׁand in the and in the montחֹ֫דֶשׁשֵׁנִיsecondsecondשֵׁנִישֶׁ֫בַעon [the] seon [the] sevenשֶׁ֫בַעעֶשְׂרִיםand twentyand twentyעֶשְׂרִיםיוֹםdaydayיוֹםחֹ֫דֶשׁof the montof the monthחֹ֫דֶשׁיָבֵשׁwas drywas dryיָבֵשׁאֶ֫רֶץthe earththe earthאֶ֫רֶץחָדַשׁto renewto renewחָדַשׁשָׁנָהto changeto changeשָׁנָהשָׁבַעto swearto swearשָׁבַעעֶשֶׂרtentenעֶשֶׂרשְׁבִיעִיseventhseventhשְׁבִיעִישְׁלִישִׁיthirdthirdשְׁלִישִׁימִדָּה`great sta`great stature`מִדָּהפַּ֫עַםbeatbeatפַּ֫עַםרֹ֫חַבwidthwidthרֹ֫חַבאַמָּהcubitcubitאַמָּהשַׁבָּתSabbathSabbathשַׁבָּתחָרֵבto dryto dryחָרֵבכְּנַ֫עַןCanaanCanaanכְּנַ֫עַןמִצְרַ֫יִם(Sea of) E(Sea of) Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִם
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 8:14

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 in the month second on [the] seven and twenty day of the month was dry the earth
וּבַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙u.va.Cho.desh and in the month H2320 Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
285× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew term for month, specifically referring to the new moon and the lunar cycle, as described in the book of Exodus and the festivals of Israel. It marks the beginning of a new month in the Hebrew calendar.
Tyndale gloss
month
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֹ֫דֶשׁ (chodesh) refers to the concept of newness, specifically the new moon and the month. It denotes both the lunar month and the first day of that month. The entries consistently emphasize its connection to timekeeping in the Hebrew calendar.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֹ֫דֶשׁ 282 n.m. (newness), new moon, month

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2320 חֹ֫דֶשׁ (newness), new moon, month

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2320 chodesh kho'-desh

from 2318; the new moon; by implication, a

month:--month(-ly), new moon.

see HEBREW for 02318

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֹ֫דֶשׁ (cho.desh) — month.

: month

1) the new moon, month, monthly

1a) the first day of the month

1b) the lunar month

חֹ֫דֶשׁ (cho.desh) — month: new moon.

: new_moon

1) the new moon, month, monthly

1a) the first day of the month

1b) the lunar month

Also means: cho.desh (חֹ֫דֶשׁ ": month" H2320)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HC/Rd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

munth (chodhesh, yerach; men): Chodhesh is strictly the "new moon," the appearance of which marked the beginning of the month, commonly indicated by ro'sh ha-chodhesh. Yerach is derived from yareach, "moon," which comes from the verb that means "to wander," "to make a circuit." Thus the month was lunar, the period of the moon's circuit. The Greek men also meant "moon," from the Sanskrit ma, "to measure," the Latin mensis and our "moon" being derived from the same root.

See CALENDAR; TIME; ASTRONOMY.

Chodhesh, or rather ro'sh ha-chodhesh, was observed as a festival (1Sa 20:5,18,24; Isa 1:14).

H. Porter

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Month

Among the Egyptians the month of thirty days each was in use long before the time of the Exodus, and formed the basis of their calculations. From the time of the institution of the Mosaic law the month among the Jews was lunar. The cycle of religious feasts depended on the moon. The commencement of a month was determined by the observation of the new moon. The number of months in the year was usually twelve (1 Kings 4:7; 1 Chr. 27:1-15); but every third year an additional month (ve-Adar) was inserted, so as to make the months coincide with the seasons.

“The Hebrews and Phoenicians had no word for month save ’moon,’ and only saved their calendar from becoming vague like that of the Moslems by the interpolation of an additional month. There is no evidence at all that they ever…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

From the time of the institution of the Mosaic law downward the religious feasts commencing with the passover depended not simply on the month, but on the moon; the 14th of Abib was coincident with the full moon; and the new moons themselves were the occasions of regular festivals. (Numbers 10:10; 28:11-14) The commencement of the month was generally decided by observation of the new moon. The usual number of months in a year was twelve, as implied in (1 Kings 4:7; 1 Chronicles 27:1-15) but since twelve lunar months would make but 354 1/2 days, the years would be short twelve days of the short twelve days of the true year, and therefore it follows as a matter of course that an additional month must have been inserted about…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The Hebrews months were lunar months, that is, from one new moon to another. These lunar months were each reckoned at twenty-nine days and a half; or rather, one was of thirty days, the following of twenty-nine, and so on alternately: that which had thirty days was called a full or complete month; that which had but twenty-nine days was called incomplete. The new moon was always the beginning of the month and this day they called new-moon day, or new month. The Hebrews usually designated the months only as first, second, etc.; and the names by which they are now known are believed to be of Persian origin, and to have been adopted by the Jews during the captivity. At the exodus from Egypt, which occurred in April, God ordained that that month-the seventh of the civil year—should be the first of the sacred year, according to which the religious festivals were to be reckoned; and from that…

and in the month second on [the] seven and twenty day of the month was dry the earth
הַשֵּׁנִ֔יha.she.Ni second H8145 Particle
156× 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 second or again, like when Moses went up Mount Sinai a second time in Exodus 24:15-18. It can also mean another or something distinct.
Tyndale gloss
second
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֵׁנִי (sheniy) means 'second' and can also imply 'again' or 'another.' It is an ordinal number used to denote position or sequence, as well as to indicate repetition. The word is derived from a root meaning 'double' and appears in various contexts in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֵׁנִי m. שֵׁנִית f. 157 adj.num.ord. second

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8145 שֵׁנִי m. שֵׁנִית f. adj. num. ord. second

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8145 sheniy shay-nee'

from 8138; properly, double, i.e. second; also adverbially,

again:--again, either (of them), (an-)other, second (time).

see HEBREW for 08138

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֵׁנִי (she.ni) — second.

1) second

1a) second (the ordinal number)

1b) again (a second time)

1c) another, other (something as distinct from something else)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | Adj — Particle
HTd/Aomsa
and in the month second on [the] seven and twenty day of the month was dry the earth
בְּשִׁבְעָ֧הbe.shiv.'Ah on [the] seven H7651 Preposition
395× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means the number seven, which was considered a special or sacred number. It can also mean seven times or a week, and is used in the Bible to describe completeness or perfection. The KJV translates it as seven or sevenfold.
Tyndale gloss
seven
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֶׁ֫בַע (sheba`) means 'seven' and is a cardinal number. It can also imply 'seven times' or refer to a week. The term appears in various contexts, including combinations like 17 or 700. Its Aramaic equivalent is שִׁבְעָה (shiv.ah), also meaning 'seven'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה 394 n.m. et f. seven

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7651 שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה seven

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7651 sheba` sheh'-bah

or (masculine) shibrah {shib-aw'}; from 7650; a primitive

cardinal number; seven (as the sacred full one); also

(adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by

extension, an indefinite number:--(+ by) seven(-fold),-s,

(-teen, -teenth), -th, times). Compare 7658.

see HEBREW for 07650

see HEBREW for 07658

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֶׁ֫בַע (she.va) — seven.

1) seven (cardinal number)

1a) as ordinal number

1b) in combination-17, 700 etc

Aramaic equivalent: shiv.ah (שִׁבְעָה "seven" H7655)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Adj — Preposition
HR/Acbsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sev'-'-n (shebha`; hepta).

See NUMBER.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Seven

This number occurs frequently in Scripture, and in such connections as lead to the supposition that it has some typical meaning. On the seventh day God rested, and hallowed it (Gen. 2:2, 3). The division of time into weeks of seven days each accounts for many instances of the occurrence of this number. This number has been called the symbol of perfection, and also the symbol of rest. “Jacob’s seven years’ service to Laban; Pharaoh’s seven fat oxen and seven lean ones; the seven branches of the golden candlestick; the seven trumpets and the seven priests who sounded them; the seven days’ siege of Jericho; the seven churches, seven spirits, seven stars, seven seals, seven vials, and many others, sufficiently prove the importance of this sacred number” (see Lev. 25:4;

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The frequent recurrence of certain numbers in the sacred literature of the Hebrews is obvious to the most superficial reader, but seven so far surpasses the rest, both in the frequency with which it recurs and in the importance of the objects with which it is associated, that it may fairly be termed the representative symbolic number. The influence of the number seven was not restricted to the Hebrews; it prevailed among the Persians, ancient Indians, Greeks and Romans. The peculiarity of the Hebrew view consists in the special dignity of the seventh, and not simply in that of seen. The Sabbath being the seventh day suggested the adoption of seven as the coefficient, so to say, for their appointment of all sacred periods; and we thus find the 7th month ushered in by the Feast of Trumpets, and signalized by the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Great Day of Atonement; 7…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

As from the beginning this was the number of days in the week, so it often has in Scripture a sort of emphasis attached to it, and is very generally used as a round or perfect number. Clean beasts were taken into the ark by sevens, Ge 7:1-24. The years of plenty and famine in Egypt were marked by sevens, Ge 41:1-57. With the Jews, not only was there a seventh day Sabbath, but every seventh year was a Sabbath, and after every seven times seven years came a jubilee. Their great feasts of unleavened bread and of tabernacles were observed for seven days; the number of animals in many of their sacrifices was limited to seven. The golden candlestick had seven branches. Seven priests with seven trumpets went around the walls of Jericho seven days, and seven times on the seventh day. In…

and in the month second on [the] seven and twenty day of the month was dry the earth
וְעֶשְׂרִ֛יםve.'es.Rim and twenty H6242 Conjunction
315× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means twenty, and is also used as an ordinal number, like twentieth, as seen in Genesis 31:38. It can refer to a specific age or quantity.
Tyndale gloss
twenty
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עֶשְׂרִים (esriym) means 'twenty' and can also refer to the ordinal 'twentieth.' It is derived from the root word for 'ten' and has an Aramaic equivalent, עֶשְׂרִין (es.rin). The entries consistently define the term without significant disagreement.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6242 עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6242 `esriym es-reem'

from 6235; twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth:--(six-)score,

twenty(-ieth).

see HEBREW for 06235

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֶשְׂרִים (es.rim) — twenty.

twenty, twentieth

Aramaic equivalent: es.rin (עֶשְׂרִין "twenty" H6243)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Acmpa — Conjunction
HC/Acmpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

twen'-ti.

See NUMBER.

and in the month second on [the] seven and twenty day of the month was dry the earth
י֖וֹםYom day H3117 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
2,306× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
day
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יוֹם 2285 n.m. day

day, opp. night

Day as division of time

יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

Pl. days of anyone

Days

יוֹם = time

Phrases

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night

. Day as division of time

. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

. Pl. days of anyone

. Days

. יוֹם = time

. Phrases

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3117 yowm yome

from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm

hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one

sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by

an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +

chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)

day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +

(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as

(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,

presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,

then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,

weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole

(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יוֹם (yom) — day.

: day/when/time/period

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: old.

: old/(full/many)[days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: year.

: year[of_days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

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

da (yom; hemera): This common word has caused some trouble to plain readers, because they have not noticed that the word is used in several different senses in the English Bible. When the different uses of the word are understood the difficulty of interpretation vanishes. We note several different uses of the word:

(1) It sometimes means the time from daylight till dark. This popular meaning is easily discovered by the context, e. g. Ge 1:5; 8:22, etc. The marked periods of this daytime were morning, noon and night, as with us. See Ps 55:17. The early hours were sometimes called "the cool of the day" (Ge 3:8). After the exile the day. or daytime was divided into twelve hours and the night into twelve (see

Day

The Jews reckoned the day from sunset to sunset (Lev. 23:32). It was originally divided into three parts (Ps. 55:17). “The heat of the day” (1 Sam. 11:11; Neh. 7:3) was at our nine o’clock, and “the cool of the day” just before sunset (Gen. 3:8). Before the Captivity the Jews divided the night into three watches, (1) from sunset to midnight (Lam. 2:19); (2) from midnight till the cock-crowing (Judg. 7:19); and (3) from the cock-crowing till sunrise (Ex.…

The variable length of the natural day at different seasons led in the very earliest times to the adoption of the civil day (or one revolution of the sun) as a standard of time. The Hebrews reckoned the day from evening to evening, (Leviticus 23:32) deriving it from (Genesis 1:5) "the evening and the morning were the first day." The Jews are supposed, like the modern Arabs, to have adopted from an early period minute specifications of the parts of the natural day. Roughly, indeed, they were content to divide it into "morning, evening and noonday," (Psalms 55:17) but when they wished for greater accuracy they pointed to six unequal parts, each of which was again subdivided. These are held to have been -- "the dawn." "Sunrise."…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The day is distinguished into natural, civil, and artificial. The natural day is one revolution of the earth on its axis. The civil day is that, the beginning and the end of which are determined by the custom of any nation. The Hebrews began their day in the evening, Le 23:32; the Babylonians at sunrise; and we begin at midnight. The artificial day is the time of the sun’s continuance above the horizon, which is unequal according to different seasons, on account of the obliquity of the equator. The sacred writers generally divide the day into twelve hours. The sixth hour always ends at noon throughout the year; and the twelfth hour is the last hour before sunset. But in summer, all the hours of the day were longer than in winter, while those of night were shorter. See HOURS, and THREE.

and in the month second on [the] seven and twenty day of the month was dry the earth
לַחֹ֑דֶשׁla.Cho.desh of the month H2320 Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
285× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew term for month, specifically referring to the new moon and the lunar cycle, as described in the book of Exodus and the festivals of Israel. It marks the beginning of a new month in the Hebrew calendar.
Tyndale gloss
month
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חֹ֫דֶשׁ (chodesh) refers to the concept of newness, specifically the new moon and the month. It denotes both the lunar month and the first day of that month. The entries consistently emphasize its connection to timekeeping in the Hebrew calendar.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חֹ֫דֶשׁ 282 n.m. (newness), new moon, month

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2320 חֹ֫דֶשׁ (newness), new moon, month

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2320 chodesh kho'-desh

from 2318; the new moon; by implication, a

month:--month(-ly), new moon.

see HEBREW for 02318

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חֹ֫דֶשׁ (cho.desh) — month.

: month

1) the new moon, month, monthly

1a) the first day of the month

1b) the lunar month

חֹ֫דֶשׁ (cho.desh) — month: new moon.

: new_moon

1) the new moon, month, monthly

1a) the first day of the month

1b) the lunar month

Also means: cho.desh (חֹ֫דֶשׁ ": month" H2320)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HRd/Ncmsa — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absolute
HRd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

munth (chodhesh, yerach; men): Chodhesh is strictly the "new moon," the appearance of which marked the beginning of the month, commonly indicated by ro'sh ha-chodhesh. Yerach is derived from yareach, "moon," which comes from the verb that means "to wander," "to make a circuit." Thus the month was lunar, the period of the moon's circuit. The Greek men also meant "moon," from the Sanskrit ma, "to measure," the Latin mensis and our "moon" being derived from the same root.

See CALENDAR; TIME; ASTRONOMY.

Chodhesh, or rather ro'sh ha-chodhesh, was observed as a festival (1Sa 20:5,18,24; Isa 1:14).

H. Porter

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Month

Among the Egyptians the month of thirty days each was in use long before the time of the Exodus, and formed the basis of their calculations. From the time of the institution of the Mosaic law the month among the Jews was lunar. The cycle of religious feasts depended on the moon. The commencement of a month was determined by the observation of the new moon. The number of months in the year was usually twelve (1 Kings 4:7; 1 Chr. 27:1-15); but every third year an additional month (ve-Adar) was inserted, so as to make the months coincide with the seasons.

“The Hebrews and Phoenicians had no word for month save ’moon,’ and only saved their calendar from becoming vague like that of the Moslems by the interpolation of an additional month. There is no evidence at all that they ever…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

From the time of the institution of the Mosaic law downward the religious feasts commencing with the passover depended not simply on the month, but on the moon; the 14th of Abib was coincident with the full moon; and the new moons themselves were the occasions of regular festivals. (Numbers 10:10; 28:11-14) The commencement of the month was generally decided by observation of the new moon. The usual number of months in a year was twelve, as implied in (1 Kings 4:7; 1 Chronicles 27:1-15) but since twelve lunar months would make but 354 1/2 days, the years would be short twelve days of the short twelve days of the true year, and therefore it follows as a matter of course that an additional month must have been inserted about…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The Hebrews months were lunar months, that is, from one new moon to another. These lunar months were each reckoned at twenty-nine days and a half; or rather, one was of thirty days, the following of twenty-nine, and so on alternately: that which had thirty days was called a full or complete month; that which had but twenty-nine days was called incomplete. The new moon was always the beginning of the month and this day they called new-moon day, or new month. The Hebrews usually designated the months only as first, second, etc.; and the names by which they are now known are believed to be of Persian origin, and to have been adopted by the Jews during the captivity. At the exodus from Egypt, which occurred in April, God ordained that that month-the seventh of the civil year—should be the first of the sacred year, according to which the religious festivals were to be reckoned; and from that…

and in the month second on [the] seven and twenty day of the month was dry the earth
יָבְשָׁ֖הya.ve.Shah was dry H3001 Verb · Qal · perfect third person feminine singular
59× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to wither or dry up, like a plant without water. It can also mean to be ashamed or disappointed. The Bible uses it to describe things that have lost their freshness or vitality.
Amplified meaning
completely, totally, to wither, dried up
Tyndale gloss
to wither
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָבֵשׁ (yabesh) primarily means to be dry or to wither. It can refer to something that is dried up or lacking moisture, as well as the act of drying something out. The word has different forms, including Qal (to be dry), Piel (to make dry), and Hiphil (to dry up). It conveys a sense of desiccation or loss of vitality.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָבֵשׁ vb. be dry, dried up, withered

Qal

be dry, dried up without moisture

be dried up

Pi. make dry, dry up

Hiph. dry up, make dry

dry up water

make dry, wither

exhibit dryness

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3001 יָבֵשׁ be dry, dried up, withered

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3001 yabesh yaw-bashe'

a primitive root; to be ashamed, confused or disappointed;

also (as failing) to dry up (as water) or wither (as

herbage):--be ashamed, clean, be confounded, (make) dry (up),

(do) shame(-fully), X utterly, wither (away).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָבֵשׁ (ya.vesh) — to wither.

1) to make dry, wither, be dry, become dry, be dried up, be withered

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to be dry, be dried up, be without moisture

1a2) to be dried up

1b) (Piel) to make dry, dry up

1c) (Hiphil)

1c1) to dry up, make dry

1c1a) to dry up (water)

1c1b) to make dry, wither

1c1c) to exhibit dryness

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Qal-Perf-3fs — Verb · Qal · perfect third person feminine singular
HVqp3fs
and in the month second on [the] seven and twenty day of the month was dry the earth
הָאָֽרֶץ׃ סha.'A.retz the earth H776 Particle · noun common feminine singular absolute
2,504× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Amplified meaning
land, ground
Tyndale gloss
land: soil
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land

earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

earth, opp. to heaven, sky

earth = inhabitants of earth

land =

country, territory

district, region

trial territory

piece of ground

specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

= inhabitants of land

used even of Shᵉʼôl

ground, surface of ground

soil, as productive

אֶרֶץ in phrases

people of the land

in measurements of distance

the country of the plain, level or plain country

land of the living

end(s) of the earth

pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)

. earth, opp. to heaven, sky

. earth = inhabitants of earth

. land = . country, territory

. district, region

. trial territory

. piece of ground

. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel

. = inhabitants of land

. used even of Shᵉʼôl

. . ground, surface of ground

. soil, as productive

. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land

. in measurements of distance

. the country of the plain, level or plain country

. land of the living

. end(s) of the earth

. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

776 'erets eh'-rets

from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth

(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,

field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.

: country/field

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

1b2) district, region

1b3) tribal territory

1b4) piece of ground

1b5) land of Canaan, Israel

1b6) inhabitants of land

1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world

1b8) city (-state)

1c) ground, surface of the earth

1c1) ground

1c2) soil

1d) (in phrases)

1d1) people of the land

1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)

1d3) level or plain country

1d4) land of the living

1d5) end(s) of the earth

1e) (almost wholly late in usage)

1e1) lands, countries

1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan

אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.

: soil

1) land, earth

1a) earth

1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)

1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)

1a3) earth (inhabitants)

1b) land

1b1) country, territory

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

urth ('adhamah, 'erets, 'aphar; ge, oikoumene):

In a hilly limestone country like Palestine, the small amount of iron oxide in the rocks tends to be oxidized, and thereby to give a prevailing reddish color to the soil. This is especially the case on relatively barren hills where there is little organic matter present to prevent reddening and give a more blackish tinge.

'Adhamah (compare 'adham, "a man," and Adam) is from 'adham, "to be red," and is used in the senses: "earth" (Ex 20:24), "land" (Ps 105:35), a "land" or country (Isa 14:2), "ground" (Ge 4:11), "the earth" (Ge 7:4).

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Earth

(1.) In the sense of soil or ground, the translation of the word adamah’. In Gen. 9:20 “husbandman” is literally “man of the ground or earth.” Altars were to be built of earth (Ex. 20:24). Naaman asked for two mules’ burden of earth (2 Kings 5:17), under the superstitious notion that Jehovah, like the gods of the heathen, could be acceptably worshipped only on his own soil.

(2). As the rendering of ’erets, it means the whole world (Gen. 1:2); the land as opposed to the sea (1:10). Erets also denotes a country (21:32); a plot of ground (23:15); the ground on which a man stands (33:3); the inhabitants of the earth (6:1; 11:1); all the world except Israel (

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The term is used in two widely-different senses: (1) for the material of which the earth’s surface is composed; (2) as the name of the planet on which man dwells. The Hebrew language discriminates between these two by the use of separate terms, adamah for the former, erets for the latter. Adamah is the earth in the sense of soil or ground, particularly as being susceptible of cultivation. (Genesis 2:7) Erets is applied in a more or less extended sense-- (1) to the whole world, (Genesis 1:1) (2) to land as opposed to sea, (Genesis 1:10) (3) to a country, (Genesis 21:32) (4) to a plot of ground, (Genesis 23:15) and (5) to…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

In both Hebrew and Greek the same word is used to denote the earth as a whole, and a particular land. Only the context can enable us to decide in which of these senses it is to be taken in a given passage.

Thus in Mt 27:45 we might, so far as the original word is concerned, render either "there was darkness over all the land," or over all the earth. The expression "all the earth" is sometimes used hyperbolically for a large portion of it, Ezr 1:2. The word is used of the whole world, etc. In a moral sense, earthly is opposed to what is heavenly, spiritual and holy, Joh 3:31 1Co 15:47 Col 3:2

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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